Partnering with the congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas is an important pathway for EHF to achieve our vision to transform the people, institutions and places in our region to create healthy communities.
Below we’ve outlined some of the key ways congregations can work with EHF in 2016. We’ll continue to build on this list throughout the year.
For updates and to learn more about any of these opportunities, please visit the Partner with EHF webpage.
Ways to Partner with EHF
- Invite us to speak at your church or meet with your vestry or service/outreach ministry leaders. In our first year, we met with more than 40 congregations. We hope to do more of this in 2016. Please let us know if you would like to invite a representative from EHF to visit your church.
- Training opportunities for congregational leaders: EHF has identified a number of existing conferences, training events or organizations that provide training that may be useful to congregational leaders. See our Learning Opportunities page for upcoming events, as well as information on applying for financial support to attend if needed. We launched this program in the middle of 2015, and so far 11 congregations have sent leaders to one or more of these events with support from EHF.
- Mental Health First Aid Workshops: Mental health was one of the top issues congregations identified as a health priority in their communities. Mental Health First Aid workshops are a way for congregational leaders to learn more about basic mental health issues and gain important skills for addressing immediate needs of those in crisis that might arise in a congregational setting. Contact EHF’s Bob Flick if you would like more details on scheduling one of these sessions in your community. So far, EHF has organized four trainings in 2016. Depending on the interest, we may hold up to 10 additional trainings this year.
- Resource Center: EHF has created an online resource center which includes basic information and links to helpful organizations regarding access to healthcare, mental health, food security, and other topics. It also provides an overview of some of the community-building skills that congregations may find useful. We will continue to add sections to the resource center in 2016, so check back often!
- Consulting or technical support: EHF staff can serve as a thought partner as your congregation explores developing new or expanded programs to support community health. We also may be able to provide information on how to increase the impact of your efforts on community health. If we don’t have the expertise you need, we may be able to connect you with partner organizations that can help. Email us to set up a time to discuss your needs.
- Financial support: In order to strengthen the capacity of congregations and increase efforts to engage in community health transformation, EHF offers limited financial assistance to help develop or expand congregations’ involvement in the community. In many cases, financial resources are not the key barrier to deepening relationships and impact in the community. But in cases where a modest investment can help a congregation prepare, launch or expand their efforts to strengthen the health of their community, we may be able to help. In 2015, we awarded financial assistance to four congregations for special projects or training requests. We anticipate many more requests in 2016. To learn more about EHF’s financial support for congregations go to the guidelines and application instructions here.
These are just some of the ways you can connect with EHF in 2016. Please contact us to discuss other ideas or opportunities for working together to address the community health needs in your area. We look forward to what we can do together to make a difference for our communities in 2016!
