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Serve Well September Newsletter: Trends in Physical Health
Hello!
Welcome to the Serve Well newsletter, a new collaborative resource from the Duke Clergy Health Initiative and Duke Religion and Social Change Lab. Every month, we'll be sharing trends in ministry formation and flourishing so that however you serve—seminarian, clergy, researcher, educator, or administrator—you can serve well.
Fall is a ripe time to shed old routines and begin again. This month, we’re sharing trends in ministry related to physical health.
Trends in Ministry Formation
Seminary Students and Physical Health: Beliefs, Behaviors, and Barriers
Seminarians who try to maintain healthy behaviors often report being unable to live up to their aspirations, especially in the face of barriers posed by their degree program. In this journal article, we suggest physical health-focused interventions, including action and coping planning, that can be implemented at seminaries to reduce the intention–behavior gap.
Trends in Ministry Flourishing
Clergy Health Trends:
Physical Health, 2008-2023
Our new report finds cause for concern about the rates of obesity, asthma, and high cholesterol for United Methodist clergy in North Carolina. At the same time, a number of chronic diseases, including hypertension and joint diseases like arthritis have stabilized over time. Substantial efforts to improve physical health are still needed to enhance clergy's quality of life and decrease the onset of new chronic diseases. The good news is that evidence-based options for clergy exist.
Your Serve Well Resource
Action & Coping Planning Worksheet
One promising strategy for anyone looking to improve their physical health is to explicitly plan how they will implement healthy behaviors, anticipate challenges and barriers to doing so, and develop strategies to overcome those challenges. We designed an Action & Coping Planning Worksheet to help you do just that.
About Us
The Duke Clergy & Religion Research Collaborative (CRRC) is a partnership between the Duke Clergy Health Initiative (CHI) and Duke Religion and Social Change Lab (RaSCL). We translate research into resources that positively impact clergy and seminarian’s “ecosystems of well-being” within Duke Divinity School, the United Methodist Church, and beyond. Our work is made possible thanks to the generous time of our research participants and generous funding from The Duke Endowment. To stay informed of our latest research in ministry formation and flourishing, sign up to get our monthly Serve Well newsletter directly in your inbox.