Post Falls Church members wanted to serve their north Idaho community by providing a series of health events. So, early in January the movie Forks Over Knives was shown at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center, housed in a historic old church in the center of town.
Members Alison and Jay Cover have held health classes elsewhere, as they have a passion for people changing lifestyles for better health and longevity. Their own life’s experiences and their occupations in health care made the Covers good fit to oversee this ministry to the community.
Alison went to businesses in the area and found that many were excited to participate by providing door prizes. On the night of the movie showing, there were fewer people in attendance than hoped for, but those who came were excited about the movie. Some people were already practicing a plant-based diet and came because they hoped to find others interested in a similar lifestyle.
The blessing was in connecting with like-minded people — establishing relationships and finding people who already attend a local plant-based monthly potluck at one of the public libraries. Several people from our church are now participating in that monthly potluck and have found it fun to connect and "break bread" together — and share recipes.
Two weeks after the movie showing, Post Falls Church began a 10-week health and weight-loss class at the church. Nearly everyone who came to the movie also came to the class, and a little more than half of those who attended were from the community. An important part of the class was the food samples and recipes that were provided at the start of each class, and it was truly something to look forward to — overwhelmingly everyone's favorite thing. And the church members had a great time in making the samples for the tasting.
Each week, doctors, nurses and other experts in areas of health and wellness were able to present pertinent information about weight-loss and weight-management and the implications of an unhealthy diet or lifestyle on our bodies. One great help was Candi Shafer, who organized the menus, the recipes, the cooks, the samples — and had the entire eye-pleasing spread ready and waiting each week as the class members arrived.
Health coordinator Alison Cover says, “It has been so exciting to see how the other Adventist churches in this area are serving through health events. I have been blessed to attend or help with a couple of them, and it's inspiring to work with others who really want to connect with our local communities.”
So, at Post Falls Church, we are blessed to have leaders in the health field, good cooks willing to make dishes to share and organizers who enjoyed stepping up to the plate for the betterment of the community in which we live.
