Be a Leader for Your Place of Worship

Faith-based organizations of all types are natural centers for spiritual, emotional and physical wellness. As a trusted faith leader, you can help your congregation make healthy lifestyle choices and connect them to available health services.

Pastor James Morrise at Rose Hill Church of Port Allen is one of the many faith leaders in Louisiana who has taken the lead in moving the health of his community forward. Learn more about how James implemented healthy changes at his church to become a WellSpot.

By connecting with Well-Ahead, faith-based organizations can learn how to support employee health, build connections to care, commit to healthy organizational practices and geaux tobacco-free. All of these changes can make a positive impact in your community.

Change begins with you—take the lead in your community today!

You Need to Know Our Numbers

Health Data for Louisiana Faith-Based Organizations

We’re pretty proud of our way of life in Louisiana and our lifestyle has a big impact on our overall health. These numbers affect every aspect of life in our communities, from academic success to economic status.

28%

of Louisiana adults smoke tobacco¹

18X

40% of all Louisianans have obesity, which can fill Tiger Stadium¹

15%

of all Louisianans have diabetes¹

30%

of the health outcomes we see in Louisiana are caused by health behaviors such as tobacco, diet and exercise²

It’s Time for a Change

Wellness Priorities for Louisiana Churches

If we want to connect our communities to a healthier future, we must work to achieve health equity. Health equity is when everyone has the opportunity to attain their full health potential and none are disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances. Especially in underserved communities, faith-based organizations are trusted and can play a key role in shaping healthy lifestyle behaviors and making connections to healthcare.

You Can Take the Lead

Healthy Changes for Louisiana Faith-Based Organizations

In Louisiana, our faith is important to us, and it often means we are at our faith-based organization multiple times in a week. This puts faith communities in a unique position to have a significant impact on the health of our residents. Change the conversation around health throughout your congregation and implement changes that can help your community thrive. Each small change can influence health, one step at a time. We are here to help! When you commit to becoming a WellSpot, we will walk alongside you to implement these healthy changes. Learn how you can be a leader in your place of worship.

Support Employee Health at Your Faith-Based Organization

Promoting employee health is key in creating a healthy faith environment. Healthy employees are happier, more productive and absent less. By prioritizing the health of those who work and volunteer in your organization, you are building a foundation of wellness that can extend to your congregation. Invest in the health of your employees by making these key changes on your campus.

Geaux Tobacco-Free in Places of Worship

Places of worship can play a role in reducing tobacco use among students. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. By going tobacco-free on your campus, you can reduce tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure at your organization and improve the health of your congregation.

Promote Healthy Lifestyles for Your Congregation

Encourage your congregation to live a healthy lifestyle by putting in place changes that provide education, support and resources for that support healthy behaviors.

Champion Connections to Care in Louisiana Communities

Help ensure that your faith community has access to available resources and support to prevent or manage chronic conditions. Become a resource for your members by implementing programs at your place of worship. You can also connect your members to available local resources using our Community Resource Guide. Create your own connections by participating in a health coalition!

Citations

1 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, (BRFSS) 2022.

2 Country Health Rankings Model.

Become a Well Spot

We are here to help! We’ve developed a set of wellness benchmarks just for faith-based organizations that want to implement healthy changes like these. From implementing a tobacco-free policy, to supporting breastfeeding mothers, to increasing access to healthy food choices, these benchmarks provide evidence based strategies to move the health of our communities forward.

We will walk alongside you as you work to meet these benchmarks. Once enough benchmarks are met, we will officially designate you as a Level 3, Level 2 or Level 1 WellSpot—our highest designation.

Being designated as a WellSpot is a big accomplishment—so your community needs to know all about it! Upon designation, you will receive a recognition certificate from the Louisiana Department of Health. You will also receive an official WellSpot decal to display on the entrance of your school. In addition, your organization will be added to our interactive WellSpot map. You will also receive a promotional toolkit to help you promote your designation on social media, to the press and more!