AAFCN newsletter

Embracing Mental Health Awareness: A Guide for Adventist Faith Community Nurses The Month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness month since its inception in 1949. Faith Community Nurses (FCNs) within the Seventh-day Adventist Church are in a unique position to recognize and assist individuals who may be experiencing mental health challenges. We recognize the importance of caring from a wholistic perspective. Individuals and communities can benefit from our knowledge of addressing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of health. As we consider our profession, it is incumbent upon us to strategically position ourselves to [...]

Celebrating Nurses' Sabbath Featured Article, June 2024 For over 40 years, the beginning of May has been a time designated for acknowledging nurses. For many workplaces it’s now a week-long celebration concluding on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is long considered to be the founder of modern nursing. This year, the Medford Seventh-day Adventist Church in southern Oregon designated May 4th as “Nurses’ Recognition Sabbath,” an idea strongly supported by church members and leaders alike. In preparation for the special program, organizers were astonished to discover the church had 33 nurses! When including retired [...]

Interview with Katia Reinert Featured Article, March 2024 Ms. Katia, It's my honor to have you share your views with the AAFCN community. On this 10th yr. anniversary, I am excited to hear about the origin, rich history, and progress of the Adventist Association of Faith Community Nursing. “AAFCN” organization. RS: Question #1: What was the origin of the AAFCN organization? Date? KR: The preliminary work for the development of The Adventist Association of Faith Community Nursing (AAFCN) begun in 2011, and it became an official organization in 2013. RS: Question #2: Who were the founding members? [...]

Empowered Nursing Ministry Unveiling the Divine Strategy Featured Article, December 2023 “God is the best strategist!” remarked a friend in our recent conversation as she recounted how she had been recognizing God’s leading in her life during challenging times. That conversation left me thinking about our strategic planning sessions AAFCN leadership held earlier this year. Your AAFCN leaders came away with a similar impression. Yes, God is the best strategist! The vision God placed in our hearts and minds was something I do not think any of us fully anticipated. It was a broader, higher, and [...]

A Friend Indeed Dear Friends, Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Proverb 27:9. ESV As the President of our AAFCN shared at our annual membership meeting on September 19, 2023, we have made significant changes to our membership structure, now offering three categories of membership in our Association. In addition to those who have completed the Foundation Course and are now Faith Community Nurses (FCNs), we are thrilled to announce that our Association (still referred to as the AAFCN) is extending membership to all [...]

The Morning Manna Story The Morning Manna story: An inspiring story of community faith in action, born out of the belly of a Faith Community Nurse (FCN). Morning Manna is a prayer group, based in Atlanta, Georgia, that positively impacts people and situations all over the world, through prayer. Dr. Rosalyn Saunders, a Nurse Practitioner and now Faith Community Nurse, started Morning Manna eleven years ago. The seeds of hope and healing were planted in her, at the tender age of four, as she grew in stature and wisdom, observing the works of her grandmother, a [...]

AAFCN Member Dedication Featured Article, June 2023 "Piedmont Park dedicated Tammy Adams as its Faith Community Nurse. It is the first ministry of its kind at Piedmont," says Hugh Davis. "The North American Division Health Ministries department describes Faith Community Nurses as trained nurses who serve a church or congregation to improve the health of its members. Faith Community Nursing, previously Parish Nursing, is a growing specialty recognized by the American Nurses Association. As Piedmont's FCN, her role will consist of health advocacy, educator, counselor, referral agent, volunteer facilitator, and coordinator. Tammy wants to help members focus [...]

Jocelyn White Nurse Spotlight, September 2023 Interview with Betsy Johnson, FCN, Emmanuel-Brinklow Seventh-day Adventist Church Please tell us about your being led you into your current role. Initially, I was clueless about the specialty practice of Faith Community Nursing (FCN). However, many years ago Bernice DeShay, a nurse and member of our congregation, asked me and another nurse if we would be interested in taking the Foundations course in Parish Nursing, the former title of Faith Community Nursing. She was teaching at Washington Adventist University, was one of the instructors and instrumental in bringing the course [...]

Jocelyn White Nurse Spotlight, June 2023 I must admit, I’m probably one of the proudest dads in the world because my daughter followed in my footsteps. Her name was Jocelyn Bennett:  but, as of October 2002 she became Jocelyn White, MSN, RN (through marriage and graduation). Jocelyn grew up in a small town in South Carolina, and since her mom was a public-school teacher, Jocelyn was destined to do the same. However, things don’t always work out the way we intend. A few days ago during our weekly call, I mentioned that I was writing a [...]

Utilizing Your Faith Community Nurse Training Featured Article, June 2023 Are you like me?  Do you ever look at all the materials from your FCN course and feel a bit overwhelmed, wondering how you’ll ever be able to put all that information to good, practical use?  Have you sometimes looked at your nursing practice and felt even more intimidated as you recognize the true effectiveness of your ministry is directly related to your own spiritual health? Reading slowly (again) through the book “Steps to Christ” by Ellen G. White illuminated a template that is proving very [...]