AAFCN

Faith, Health, and Hope: The Role of the Faith Community Nurse in Breast Cancer Awareness October marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- a time to reflect, educate, and empower women everywhere to take charge of their health. For those of us serving as Faith Community Nurses (FCNs), this month held special significance. It reminded us that our call lies at the intersection of health, faith, and compassion. The FCN serves not to replace the oncologist, but to walk alongside patients, offering support that integrates physical healing with spiritual encouragement.  Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women worldwide, with early detection being the key to survival. According [...]

Gratefulness  In Exodus 5:21-22 Moses was asking God why He had brought trouble on His chosen people and had not delivered as He had promised. I recently experienced one of these ‘Moses times’--a tantrum--when we remind God what He already knows. Just as God responded to Moses and revealed the next course of action, He also deeply impressed me that what He desired of me was to be grateful and to praise Him.   How is that possible, Lord? When all I feel is a sense of emptiness.  He reminded me I could ask Him to remove the blindfold on my heart.  I did. Through Ezekiel 36: 26-27 and Phil 2: 13, I received the miracle of a praise-transformed heart that became my blessing and [...]

From Despair to Hope: The Faith Community Nurse and Suicide Prevention Suicide is one of the most pressing yet least spoken-about public health issues in our society and sadly, in many churches. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (2023), suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Despite its prevalence, the conversation often remains cloaked in shame, stigma, or silence. For the faith community nurse, suicide prevention is not just a clinical matter, it is a calling. Our role bridges spiritual care and health advocacy, especially when someone utters the most heartbreaking words: “I want to die.”  Not long ago, [...]

Faith, Healing and Mental Health: The Role of the Church Nurse Each year in the month of May, the emphasis is on Mental Health Awareness. This is a time to shed light on a topic that impacts many but is often hidden in silence—especially in our faith-based communities. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI, 2023), 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness each year. That means in every congregation, likely in every pew, there is someone suffering—quietly. So how can faith community nurses respond to this need with compassion, knowledge, and [...]