Everyone has stress in their life, but some seasons of life brings more than at other times. Learning how to cope with it makes the difference between being overwhelmed and learning to grow.

In the more than 20 years that I’ve been ministering to cancer patients at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, there has never been a patient I’ve met who hasn’t had to deal with stress manifested in one way or another, which is the result of distress of one’s norm in their life. Stress simply comes with the territory.

Image: Gus Moretta

But you don’t have to fall victim to that stress. There is hope and there are ways to manage your stress in an effective manner. And, if you manage it appropriately, stress can prompt you to make healthier life choices.

Seven Stress Management Tips

1. Consciously create time and space in your mind and control your physical environment. Through prayer and rest you allow your body and mind to take a breath and pause.
2. Exercise, make smart food choices, take time to catch your breath and get quality sleep to put yourself on the right track. Caregivers can help by coaching and controlling distractions.
3. In addition to lifestyle changes such as exercise and quitting smoking, additional natural things to try that may help in managing stress such as chamomile, Epsom salts in a bath, using a lavender essential oil or magnesium are things that may help the brain relax.
4. Identify what works best for you in order to decrease stress. It could be listening to music, or taking a walk. Some find that something more active relieves stress such as a high-intensity workout. Use what works best for you.
5. There can be insightful books and articles to help you control stress in your life. Look into the self-help, or stress reduction sections. Find what aligns best with your values and beliefs.
6. Ask for help. No one can or should be expected to go through it alone. Help comes in many forms and from your doctor to your neighbor, to your pastor, most people are just waiting for you to ask.
7. Bless someone else. It can be extremely helpful and energizing to refocus your energy into another person. Maybe it’s a card, a phone call, a gift or simply a smile.

Image: Joseph Gonzalez

Image: Annie Spratt

The sun is heating up and that is cause for alarm for some cancer patients. Not everyone can get out and enjoy the weather, or work on outdoor chores.

For more information on Our Journey of Hope, or to speak with Rev. Percy McCray, please contact Mendy Nestor at mendy@infinityconcepts.net, or at 724.244.8008.

The following are a few tips on how to minister to your friends, family and congregation, who are dealing with cancer throughout the summer months.

1. Check in on them regularly to be sure they are staying cool. Bring a fan if they have no air conditioner, or raise money for an air conditioner unit.
2. Keep cold water bottles or ice in their refrigerator. Staying hydrated is extremely important for a cancer patient and can help to increase their comfort.
3. Bring together a group to take care of their yard/housework for them. Mow the lawn, water the flowers, vacuum or do dishes.
4. Bring them sunscreen (broad spectrum), and a hat for days when they do go outside.
5. If they have children, offer to take them to the park, or the pool. Walk their dogs for them, or take them to the groomer or vet.
6. Bring them encouraging and uplifting books or videos. Their friends and family may have more commitments out of the house during the summer and could leave them often alone, looking for entertainment.
7. If they are feeling up to it, offer to bring them to your church’s vacation Bible school, or other events.

The Our Journey of Hope^® cancer care ministry program, developed by Cancer Treatment Centers of America^®, offers many more helpful tips and ways to appropriately minister to cancer patients and their caregivers. Visit www.OurJourneyofHope.com for additional information and to sign up for a cancer care leadership training.

In this guest article by Rev. Percy McCray, he offers excellent practical suggestions for strengthening your local community of Jesus followers.

It’s the start of a new year and thoughts turn to eating better, getting more organized, or even reconnecting with old friends. But within your New Year’s resolutions, are you considering the health of your church?

For more information on Our Journey of Hope, or to speak with Rev. Percy McCray, please contact Mendy Nestor at mendy@infinityconcepts.net, or at 724.244.8008.

The following are five ways you can work to strengthen your church and to better serve your congregation and community.

Be the example. The country is feeling divisive and disjointed and it is the church’s responsibility to show love, compassion and empathy. Don’t be afraid to set the tone for your congregation.

Start a cancer care ministry. The unfortunate statistic is that one in two men and one in three women will be touched with cancer during their lifetime. By being equipped to minister to those people and their families, you will offer hope and a compassion understood by very few.

Become imbedded in your community. Many churches open their doors to those in the community for dinners, events and of course, worship services. But are you leaving your church doors? Get out and serve the community where they are instead of expecting them to come to you. Volunteer at a community festival, clean up a struggling neighborhood, offer free sports camps at the local park, but be willing to reach them where they live, no strings attached.

Put an emphasis on small groups. Attending church services on a weekly basis is good for the soul. But strengthening the connection with God and with like-minded people in your congregation builds both the church and the community through fellowship and deep, personal relationships.

Don’t forget the forgotten. Most churches focus on families since that represents the majority of its congregants. But in your ministry, don’t ignore the young college student, the widower or the single mother whose children have just left the nest. There are more challenges within your walls than you may recognize.

For more information on starting a cancer care ministry, visit www.OurJourneyOfHope.com.