An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

prominent amongst people who attend black majority churches. Increasing awarenessof health and health issues would of course also be valuable amongst people who attendwhite majority churches.There is also no reason why the skills of health professionals who are church attendersshould not be utilised, if they wish to volunteer to deliver more health educationprogrammes in a church setting. This may be one way of acknowledging that patientswho rely on voluntary organisations to meet their cultural, language and specific healthneeds often do not have the capacity to engage with the statutory organisations such asthose directly funded under the National Health Services. Organisations that are fundedby tax payers need to take responsibility to seek out voluntary organisations andcollaboratively plan health promotion activities to provide the best outcomes forpatients and clients. The author has already been involved in health promotion daysplanned with Pentecostal and Black majority churches alongside health professionalswho are also church members and this is done on a voluntary basis. In partnership withthe NHS and Church ministers, such planned „health days‟, held on church premiseswhere health checks are offered by health professionals from within and outside of thechurch, should be encouraged and funded by the NHS. These days should be aimed atall ages and families on the same or on separate days. It is important to note that aspeople live longer there are three- and even more recently four-generation 7 families inthe churches as well as in the wider society. Health promotion days therefore could beused as a means of uniting families where either the younger generation or the oldergeneration are regular church attenders. Health checks specific to church attendersshould be discouraged as these will encourage segregation instead of integration.7 Such as that of my superviser, Prof. Thomas Acton, who often worships in the same church with 4generations of his family present.320