Thinking ahead – July is mid-way through the year. Many schools are out for summer break, giving space for relaxation and resetting. Church workers often opt for vacation time (whether traveling or just a staycation) to break out of the normal and refresh themselves. This much-needed vacation time serves us well in the areas of vocational and social wellness.

Believe it or not, now is also a great time to check in on our physical wellness. Maybe before this point in the year it just wasn’t the best time for some of your co-workers to focus on their physical health. Or maybe they started the year overly dedicated to a new health journey but then the eventfulness of Holy Week and the end of the school year caused it to move to the back burner. Now is the time to refocus, taking a pause to assess where we are all at in our health journeys … bringing our health back to the front burner.

 Here are some ways to encourage your co-workers to do a mid-year check-in on their health journeys:

Share the Wellness Champ forward this month, so your co-workers will have directions on ways to complete their biometric screenings. So be sure to forward it on! Here’s how your co-workers can do their biometric screenings.

• Quest is a Vitality partner lab that has been chosen as the official provider of Vitality Checks. Because this lab is a partner, it’ll automatically send Vitality Check results to Vitality on behalf of your co-workers. To schedule a Vitality Check with this lab, visit Quest. Note: Your co-workers will be asked to create an account, so they’ll need to provide some personal information.
• LabCorp Employer Services is a Vitality partner lab that has been chosen as the official provider of Vitality Checks. Because this lab is a partner, it’ll automatically send Vitality Check results to Vitality on behalf of your co-workers. To schedule a Vitality Check with this lab, visit LabCorp Employer Services. Note: Your co-workers be asked to create an account, so they’ll need to provide some personal information.
• Your Primary Care Physician: If your co-workers are unable to utilize the partner lab or pharmacy, they’re welcome to schedule an appointment with their primary care physician. Note: If your co-workers choose this option, they’ll be responsible for submitting their results to Vitality utilizing the Vitality Check form.
  

Book Back-to-School (onsite) biometrics. Plans for back to school are surely underway. Hosting an onsite biometric screening event at your ministry is an easy way for your co-workers to get their screenings done. These are available at no cost to your ministry and can be a perfect addition to your back-to-school meetings. Biometric screenings assess risks related to weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. What a great way to show your co-workers you want them to have a healthy start to the new school year. Plus, by completing biometrics screenings, workers are awarded thousands of Vitality points!

Contact Cristel to schedule a screening event at your ministry! Note: Screening events require a minimum of 30 health plan participants. If your ministry doesn’t meet this threshold, consider pairing up with nearby LCMS ministries or create a plan to allow workers work time to complete these screenings to demonstrate how much you support and value their overall wellness.

Remember, you have the Wellness Champion website and Wellness Champion planner to help you as you plan this and other health & wellness initiatives!