Our Journey of Hope schedules first lay ministry trainings for Tulsa area churches

Pastoral staff at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Southwestern Regional Medical Center in Tulsa have scheduled their first two lay ministry trainings through CTCA's spiritual outreach called Our Journey of Hope®.

"Faith and spirituality is one of the cornerstones of our treatment philosophy at CTCA," said Rev. Michael A. Langham, director of Pastoral Care at CTCA in Tulsa. "Our Journey of Hope® is an outreach of our basic philosophy. What we've always provided for our patients and their families, we now want to be able to provide to churches and anyone who is battling cancer along with their family members."

Our Journey of Hope® is providing a number of free services to pastors, lay ministers and cancer patients and their families. One of those is eight hours of training to equip pastors and lay ministers in churches so they can better support cancer patients and family members both within their church and in their communities. Another is a speakers' bureau with talks on topics universally experienced or important to cancer patients and their families. A third is help with better communication between pastors and their congregational members who have cancer, especially when the person with cancer may be hospitalized. A fourth is the website ourjourneyofhope.com.

The first lay ministry training scheduled will be for Trinity Ministries, an alliance of nine Lutheran churches in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. It will be held on two consecutive Saturday mornings, Feb. 26 and March 5, from 8 a.m.-noon, at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1244 S. Utica Ave., Tulsa.

The second training is scheduled for the next two consecutive Saturdays, March 12 and March 19, from 8 a.m.-noon, at St. James United Methodist Church, 5050 E. 111th St., Tulsa. To take part in this training, call Pastor Harber at 918-299-1133 by March 5.

Training will consist of the following:
First Session
Our Journey of Hope®  what this spiritual outreach is, why it's important to reach out to cancer patients and their families everywhere, and what scientific research has proven about spirituality, faith and their impact on a person's health. Taught by Pastoral Care staff

Cancer  a little primer on what cancer is and isn't, what the traditional methods of treatment are - surgery, chemo and radiation - and a definition of each. Taught by a nurse educator.

CTCA philosophy  We believe in an integrated medicine approach of treating the mind, body and spirit when cancer is treated because it affects every part of you and everything in your life. Short synopsis of how we do this, what it includes: caring for the mind/body, nutrition, pain management, naturopathic medicine, rehabilitation, pastoral care. Taught by Pastoral Care staff.

Special needs of cancer patients  This section will include the definition of a ministering person, some things to say and not say, prayer tips when praying with or for a cancer patient, things to know about cancer patients and their families - things they battle, including fatigue, fear, control issues, anger, loss, image issues, low blood counts, depression. Taught by Pastoral Care staff, including testimony of a cancer survivor.

Dos and don'ts of hospital visitation  There are things to remember when you go to the hospital to minister to cancer patients and their families. Taught by Pastoral Care staff.

Creative care tips  Because cancer patients have some needs specific to their treatment process, here are a number of suggestions for some creative care you can provide. Taught by Pastoral Care staff.

Prevention  Cancer has recently moved into the top spot as cause of death in America. The number of annual cancer diagnoses is predicted to double between 2000 and 2050 from 1.3 million to 2.6 million. Yet, it's also known that 90 percent of cancers are preventable with nutrition and lifestyle changes. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you in preventing cancer. Taught by a clinical staff person at Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Resources  Along with helpful cancer internet sites and helpful Scriptures, we've included a few other resources that anyone ministering to a cancer patient and their family members may find extremely helpful to be able to share.

Second training session
The Faith Factor  Because as someone ministering to cancer patients and their families, you may be ministering to someone of a different denomination, different faith background or no known faith background, it's important to understand some of the commonalities of faith. The Faith Factor, drawn from scientific research all over the world, covers the 12 principles common to faith and the clinical benefits of these principles and how they impact our lives, actions, thinking, and health. Taught by Pastoral Care staff.

Fear, anger and control  These are all issues cancer patients and their families deal with, along with grief, loss and guilt  false or otherwise. A Pastoral Care staff member will share about the impact these "quality-of-life robbers" have on a cancer patient and their family and the most effective ways to minister as people work through these. Discussion will include responses to life-threatening diseases, anticipated losses and a communication exercise to help participants learn how to be more empowering with their words and not just enablers or rescuers.

For more information on Our Journey of Hope®, call 1-888-399-8126.

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