Faith Community Nursing (FCN)

A Partnership of Health and Faith

What is Faith Community Nursing?

Faith Community Nursing is a care program of layleaders, including licensed nurses, who serve to promote well-being in mind, body and spirit.

Our Mission is the intentional integration of the practice of health with the practice of faith, so that people may achieve wholeness in, with, and through the community of faith in which Faith Community Nurses serve.

We offer:

• Educational Programs as well as Individual Counseling on Health Care Issues that affect your health, the community, your home, and the health of loved ones.

• Blood Pressure Screenings and Information on medications.


We Serve As:

• Integrators of Faith and Health by providing spiritual care, assessing and nurturing the human spirit, which is part of the wholistic care that we offer. Our Healing Services are one example of this integration.

• Coordinator of Volunteers; recruiting, training, supervising and partnering with volunteers working in and with this ministry.

They come from diverse backgrounds. Your FCN may come from the surgical or neonatal area of a hospital, or be working in the community as a health care provider.

Faith Community Nursing Coordinator: Margie Kreitler, MS RN

If you are interested in joining FCN or wish to speak with us about a health issue, please contact the First Church Office by phone or by e-mail.

All information shared with us will be kept confidential unless you present issues that indicate you are a danger to yourself or others.

Why Faith Community Nurses?

When Christianity began, the church was a major influence in all dimensions of life, looking after people's emotional and physical needs as well as their spiritual concerns.

Over the years, health care became the domain of the medical community. But in recent years, we have become more aware of the powerful connection between a person's physical condition, mental state and spiritual well-being. Hence the concept of "whole person health care."

Having Faith Community Nurses (parish nurses) as part of a congregation's ministry integrates this idea of "whole person health care" into the church.

Qualifications of a Faith Community Nurse:

• Registered nurse currently licensed in the State of Connecticut.
• At least five years nursing experience.
• Knowledge of the sacramental and spiritual life of the church.
• Experience in teaching and health counseling.
• Knowledge and practice of whole person health philosophy.
• Ability to work with highly diverse types of individuals and groups.