Natomas Crossroads, a new church plant sponsored by the Carmichael church in Sacramento and led by Glen Sayers, recently hosted an Eight Weeks to Wellness health training seminar, which was attended by 35 prospective health trainers.

“Eight Weeks to Wellness provides sound, cutting-edge information and the necessary motivation for individuals to achieve and maintain optimum health,” said Charlie Bowman, a church member. “I highly recommend this program to those who are seeking a path to wellness.”

Don Hall, president of LifeLong Health Foundation, presented the health training seminars. Hall, while serving both as pastor and field coordinator, has actively coordinated health outreach for the past 10 years. LifeLong Health Foundation, a non-profit organization, provides health ministry software, computer health presentation materials and printed information to local churches.

Dr. Gordon Botting, director of the Northern California Conference Health Services, has avidly supported Hall’s work. Botting has organized three “train-the trainer” health seminars to date and continues to anticipate future health-related seminars.

The response to Eight Weeks to Wellness has been increasingly positive among the Seventh-day Adventist churches in the Northern California Conference. “I am really encouraged and excited about the real opportunity for small churches to do health outreach without it costing them a large outlay of money,” said Botting. “I’m also very excited about the results. For example, the Shingle Springs church and the Lockeford church had at least 35 attendees, with 50 percent or more of them being guests from the community. Today, approximately 120 trainees are now certified to conduct an Eight Weeks to Wellness health seminar.”

Participants can appreciate the health seminar’s definite goal: training volunteers to conduct effective health ministries in their home churches and communities. After completing an in-depth training, participants are able to help others improve their health through positive lifestyle changes.

Participants of the health seminar did not leave empty-handed. Each trainee received a trainer’s manual containing suggestions on how to implement the program within their local church and community and information contained on the PowerPoint presentations used during training. Trainees were further encouraged to seek assistance from the health department of the NCC for acquisition of materials needed to launch the eight weeks’ program in their churches and communities.

“Eight Weeks to Wellness provides the basic tools needed to serve as a guidance system toward good health,” said Virginia Nyman, a recent attendee. “The practical, scientific knowledge given makes it a program that is easy to implement in one’s own life and to share with others.”