Parish Nurse's Notes: December 2023

Holding Up the Prophet’s Hand Workshop with Rev. Dr. Bruce Hartung

   On Saturday, November 4th the NJ District LCMS hosted an informative and dynamic workshop with Rev. Dr. Bruce Hartung. This wonderful workshop was held at Somerset Hills Lutheran Church in Basking Ridge, NJ. This event was sponsored by the NJ District LCMS, the Ministerial Health Committee, and the NJ LWML. 

  Throughout the conference, Dr. Bruce Hartung provided intentional, strategic and proactive methods to support our pastors, church workers and volunteers of all types. Through Dr. Hartung’s presentation, discussion and small group work, we worked as congregational teams to discuss tangible ways to plan ahead intentionally with health and wellness strategies, provide safe spaces for pastors and church workers to share, how to form a Worker Support Team, how to establish clear boundaries for church workers and pastors while promoting pastor and congregational health and wellness, and intentional ways to combat burnout and isolation. 

  Congregational team members present were able to participate in small groups and take a Social Support Functions survey, and then share our immediate responses with feedback to one another. This allowed for each team to examine which congregation members may fulfill these functions for our church workers, and how important each function of the social support system is personally to each church worker. Social Support Functions include listening, technical support, technical challenge, emotional support, emotional challenge and sharing social reality. We learned how vital these 6 aspects are to a thriving, healthy ministry plan. 

  Thank you to all who attended on November 4th! This workshop was recorded, and copies of the powerpoint presentation are available. We will be working on a way of distributing these for those who could not attend, or who have further questions. 


  We are so thankful to all of the congregations who at the close of the workshop, shared three immediate, intentional strategies they planned to implement and share with the leaders of their congregations. Thanks be to God for your ministry planning! 

  A special thank you to Rev. Bishop Stephen Gewecke, NJ District LCMS President! 

  A warm thank you to Elaine Schleifer, members of the Ministerial Health Committee: Rev. Deric Taylor, Rev. Richard Vossler, Rev. Roy Minnix, Rev. Bob Holsten, Rev. Richard Izzard and Colleen Bottcher RN; Arlene Price and the NJ LWML, and Rev. Dan Fenco and Somerset Hills Lutheran Church, and to all of those individuals who assisted along the way. Thank you to our congregational Church Presidents and Elders, who promoted this event tirelessly! 

We look forward to hearing from the congregations who participated that day! We will be reaching out to you to see how your intentional strategies have worked, and to see how we may help you further. 

In His joy and service, 

Colleen Bottcher RN, BSN, FCN 
NJ District LCMS Parish Nurse Rep.