In addition to the spiritual support we provide through this website, Our Journey of Hope® includes a number of key components which can be used to build a cancer-care ministry. Each may be tailored to the specific needs of the congregation.
Lay Ministry Training
Our Journey of Hope® provides a day of training, free, at your location, where each training participant will receive a comprehensive lay ministry training kit. This training may be tailored to the specific needs of your congregation. Some of the topics covered include:
- The importance of faith to health
- What cancer is ... and isn't
- Why a whole-person philosophy of care is important
- Special spiritual, emotional and physical needs of cancer patients
- What to say, what not to say
- Prayer and the cancer patient
- Dos and don'ts of hospital visitation
- Creative ways to care for cancer patients and family members
- Prevention ideas
- Helpful Scriptures
- Resource readings
- Cancer-fighting recipes and more
Speaker Series
Newly trained lay ministers are encouraged to connect with patients, both inside and outside the church, through mini-seminars the church may request CTCA to provide twice a year. Pastors use the Our Journey of Hope® speaker series to select topics.
Sample speaker topics include:
- Foods of the Bible
- Health According to Your Faith
- Forgiveness
- Coping with Anxiety
- What's Lying Around Your House?
- Energizing Your Immune System
- Cancer-fighting Nutrition
- Enhancement of Health through Laughter
- Superfoods
Facilitating Communication
CTCA works hard to provide patient updates to pastors and churches. When a congregant visits CTCA for treatments, with his or her permission, we can keep you abreast of their needs and condition. If a congregant is being treated at another facility, we can provide tips for facilitating communication with hospital employees and physicians.