Care of the Spirit

At Inspired Health Group we are committed to enhancing patients’ awareness and involvement in promoting their body, mind and spirit prosperity. It is our passion to develop caring relationships with our patients that addresses health and well-being through an effective partnered approach.

We are grounded in the philosophy of the American Academy of Family Practice & Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine which reflects the commitment, “to care for the whole person including body, mind and spirit”. We believe wellness and ultimate wholeness occurs when the body, mind, and spirit are in harmony with one another.

 

When We Speak of Body

Our body is the physical aspect of our being. It is through our body that we connect with the physical world and address various ways to enhance, restore and sustain physical health that leads to healing and thus optimal wholeness.

When We Speak of Mind

Our Mind is that element of our person that consists of a variety of mental states such as; perceptions, thoughts, emotions and attitudes which can either be conscious or unconscious.

When We Speak of Spirit

Our Spirit is that indwelling component of our being that is the vital life animating force for the body & mind. Our Spirit is the Divine Force that empowers the Soul to reflect God’s image through our living. Spirituality is a way of directly experiencing the reality of the movement of our Spirit in our own life.

When We Speak of Soul

Our Soul is the intersection of our Spirit, Mind and Body. It is the personalized expression of our indwelling Divine Spirit. Through our Soul we seek, explore & directly experience: ultimate meaning, sense of purpose, inspiration, wholeness & transcendence through relationship to self, others, nature, the arts & the Divine or sacred.

  

Everything Has Its Time & Place

The entry point of caring for our Spirit & promoting overall wellbeing, is to recognize that we are affected by the perpetual changes of our body, mind, Spirit, environment and our life situations. By its very nature, life is fluid.

The challenge or opportunity of encountering the naturally occurring “ups and downs”, or seasons of life that inevitably occur and affect our whole being is to awaken, develop and practice the innate truths of the spirit to achieve balance and harmony and enhance prosperity of the body, mind and spirit.

Although it may feel challenging to achieve balance and harmony in meeting the inevitable changes that occur throughout the seasons of our live, it is possible. Hope is expressed in the words of René Daumel below:

“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”

 

What is Spirituality?

Spirituality includes our search for transcendent meaning & our connection with something bigger than ourselves.  That something bigger is the creator and sustainer of all that there is in the universe and is commonly known as the Divine, the one Universal Creator or God.  Spirituality is experienced and expressed from the soul. Spirituality grows as we develop and practice the innate truths that reside in our Soul, in order for us to live increasingly congruent with who God created us to be. When we awaken, develop and practice these innate truths a greater sense of wellbeing, balance, and peace in our lives is fostered.

As we begin to consider caring for our Spirit, we are invited to consider the questions below that frequently arise when we are faced with the ups & downs in life:

• Why is this happening to me?
• Is God there for me?
• Why is this happening to me now?
• Why is God letting this happen?   
• What do I need to do to heal?
• What is my purpose & meaning in life?

 

Inspired Health Group’s Foundational Spiritual Affirmations 

• Faith is a gift of Grace that invites us to believe in things unseen.
• Hope is an expression of faith even in times of uncertainty.
• We partner with God in everything we do.
• Our spiritual life is grounded in relationship. It has to do with God’s way of relating to us, and our way of relating to God and others.
• We reflect our relationship with God and the movement of the Spirit within us when we steadfastly view, think, speak and act through loving kindness, compassion, gratitude, patience, non-judgment, openness, gentleness, forgiveness & composure.
• We are all equal and of one inseparable family of God’s creation.
• There are multiple, eclectic ways of being and living that express our indwelling Spirit of God.
• ALL life situations are a gateway or opportunity for spiritual growth.
• Spirituality includes our search for higher meaning and connection with something bigger than any individual or any one circumstance.
• Spiritual practices may include, prayer, meditation, contemplation, Spiritual readings, worship, and interacting with nature and the arts. These practices create an intimacy and freedom in our relationship with God and all of God’s creation.

 

As we continue to offer care for the Body & the Mind we are now expanding Care of the Spirit

 

As Inspired Health Group is now expanding Care of the Spirit we will continue to be able to offer access to the Glory Center, which is the Spiritual Arm of Inspired Health Group, a quiet prayer room down the hall. We occasionally have live music and offer complimentary bibles. Sit by the fire and listen to psalms being played in the background. Enjoy the soulful sounds of prayer and glory. In our office Pastor Steve Barrett along with Father Ray Donohue from the Glory Center, are available at select times to help in your spiritual journey. Rev Kathryn Bindig, also part of the Glory Center is also available, by appointment, for purpose of offering spiritual support, comfort, companionship, & spiritual feeding through conversation & prayer to patients of Inspired Health Group, either in the Glory Center or through In-Home visits of patients who are unable to come into the office for care.  

As Inspired Health Group is expanding Care of the Spirit, we continue in posting writings on different monthly spiritual topics in our waiting rooms and the Glory Center. These writings have been created by our Spiritual Consultant; Rev Kathryn Bindig MDiv., MS with assistance from our Director of Business Development & Strategy; Rich Muscatello. The foundational writings found above, as well as, monthly writings are made available in handouts to take away. These writings may also be read in our website Blogs area. Please read below for further details of Inspired Health Group's Pastoral Care Ministry as part of our Care of the Spirit offering for our patients. 

 

PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY

Pastoral Care

Inspired Health Group (IHG) is committed to care for the whole person: body, mind, & spirit.  It is the belief of IHG’s healthcare professionals that wellness & ultimate wholeness occurs when the body, mind, & spirit are in harmony with one another.  The diagnosis & treatment of physical challenges that patients face often carry with them significant & sometimes overwhelming stress & spiritual unrest.  At such times, it is natural to look to others for support.  Care of the Spirit is addressed through Pastoral Care ministry which is offered by IHG through the Glory Center which is the spiritual arm of IHG. Pastoral care contributes to a holistic approach to addressing concerns raised by the patients & their families & enables them to respond to their spiritual & emotional needs.

Pastoral Care Offerings

Pastoral Care opportunities for prayer with an Ordained Pastor is offered weekly on an as needed bases in the IHG office.  Additionally, Pastoral Care ministry is offered onsite in the Glory Center which is located in the same facility as IHG, as well as, through In-Home visits of patients who are unable to come into the office for care, patients who have chronic illness, patients who are struggling with grief & loss, patients who are experiencing pain, fear, & depression regarding their health situations, & patients who are struggling with their faith or spiritual issues in general. There is no charge for the spiritual care that is offered.

On-Site Pastoral Care Ministry in the Glory Center

•The Glory Center provides a holy quiet space for people to come & engage in; rest, reflection, meditation & prayer.  Christian music & Scriptural feeding are offered daily in this quiet Holy Space.
•Bibles, prayer leaflets, & religious articles are available offering nurturing & feeding of the Spirit.
•Inspirational Scriptural writings related to challenges, faith, hope,  grief, & healing are posted monthly  to reflect on,  grow from & apply to daily living.  Discussion with the Pastoral Care provider is offered upon request.
•Occasional Christian music is offered in the Glory center providing, comfort, encouragement, praiseful celebration & inspirational feeding.
•A garden pathway, including benches, exist outside the building behind the parking lot at the back of the building for rest, renewal, reflection, & prayer in the presence of God’s Holy Creation.

 

In-Home Pastoral Care Ministry Offerings

The care giver who will provide this off-site Pastoral Care is an experienced Ordained Minister, who upon referral from the IHG professional staff or upon personal request, will come to the patients home for the purpose of offering support, comfort, companionship, & spiritual feeding through conversation & prayer.  This opportunity provides a unique & individualized approach to Pastoral Care for patients in special need.  In-Home Pastoral Care Ministry is not meant to replace any Pastoral Care nor any particular church participation that patient is involved in.   This Care of the Spirit is intended to blend with the medical care received from IHG for the body & the mind, thereby promoting whole health & healing.

The Pastoral Care Providers

The Pastoral Care Providers are experienced Ordained Clergy. They are familiar with, & sensitive to the issues that accompany illness, & respect individual believes & preferences of all patients & their families. They are available to provide spiritual care to all persons regardless of religious affiliation.  Patients do not need to belong to a faith congregation or even to consider themselves religious to request onsite or in-home pastoral care.

The Clergy Serving IHG through the Glory Center: the Spiritual arm of Inspired Health Group

Pastor Stephen Barrett

Reverend Kathryn Bindig

Father Raymond Donohue

 

Interested in Glory Center Pastoral Care Ministry?

We invite & encourage our Inspired Heath Group patients who have questions about or have interest in meeting with a Clergy Member, either on-site in the Glory Center or in the IHG office or for In-Home Pastoral Care; to speak with their IHG provider during their office visit with them or to telephone 716-662-7008 extension 119 asking for Shari Kay Shearing.

 

All Pastoral Care Ministry is available at no charge for Inspired Health Group patients.