COMMUNITY SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING

“So, God created human beings in his image. In the image of God, he created them: male and female he created them.”1 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”2“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”3“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”4  “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”5

Defining Community Spiritual Well-being

God is Spirit. He created human beings in His image in righteousness and true holiness as spiritual beings clothed with material substance, the body. One of the purposes God created human beings to reflect Him was to have fellowship withhumanity. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, used to have fellowship with God in the cool of the day before they sinned against God and fell short of God’s glory. In our day, God wants us to have fellowship with Him and one another, especially after we have acknowledged our sin, confessed it, repented of it, and received Christ Jesus into our hearts as Lord and Savior.

Precisely stated,community spiritual well-being is a shared condition in which individualswho have been restoredto righteousness and true holiness by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, with a profound change in the hearts and minds rooted in God’s word and guided by the Holy Spirit, live in unity,regularly gather for fellowship, andChrist-centered teaching and worship, resulting in spiritual growth of becoming more and more like Christ,serving God, serving one another, servingthe community andexperiencing individual andcollective flourishing.

Benefits of Community Spiritual Well-being

Spiritual Benefits

  • Growing in the moral character traits of Christ6
  • Living and growing in holiness7
  • Intense zeal to worship God8
  • Growing in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Savior.9
  • Living an effectual,fervent prayer life.10
  • Living a life of faith thatovercomes difficulties11
  • Passion to lead others to experiencespiritual well-being12

Mental and Emotional Benefits

  • Eliminated or Reduced Loneliness and Anxiety13
  • Enhanced mental functioning14
  • Increased sense of purpose and belonging15
  • Enhanced emotional resilience during crisis16

Behavioral Benefits

  • Improved healthy lifestyle
    • Healthy diets and beverages
    • Physical activity
    • Avoiding harmful behaviors
      • Unhealthy diets
      • Physical inactivity
      • Tobacco use
      • Alcohol use
      • Sexual risk behavior
    • Healthy sleep and rest
    • Spiritual well-being

Social and community benefits

  • Stable marriage and strong family life relationships
  • Reduced conflict and social fragmentation
  • Increased community service and engagement

Follow us

Follow us on our website, blog, and social media platforms, and at conferences, seminars, workshops, as we use truths rooted in the Word of God to empower you to engage in the community’s spiritual well-being. We use evidence-based and evidence-informed health education and health promotion interventions to provide equitable opportunities to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and insights needed to adopt and sustain healthy lifestyles and lead purpose-driven, transformative lives.

References

  1. Genesis 1: 27
  2. John 4: 24
  3. Psalm 133: 1
  4. Hebrews 10: 25
  5. Hebrews 12: 14
  6. Colossians 3:12-14; Galatians 5:22-23
  7. 1Peter 1: 15-16; Hebrews 12: 14
  8. Romans 12:11
  9. 2 Peter 3:18
  10. James 5: 16
  11. Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 21:21
  12. Romans 9:3
  13. Philippians 4:6; Acts 2:44-47
  14. 2 Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:8; Exodus 31:1
  15. Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28
  16. Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:6-7
back top