Health & Wellness Resources
Jesus affirmed that the greatest commandments are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means God wants us to not only have a healthy spiritual life, but to experience health and wellness in every area of our lives, from our relationship with him to our relationships with friends and family.
Below you will find some of our favorite resources to help you find health in several areas of life. If you are looking for resources to help you with spiritual practices such as prayer, Bible reading and fasting, click here. Note: While most of these resources come from a Christian perspective, some do not. Even the resources that do come from a Christian perspective might have other beliefs or other resources that we would not agree with. As with any resource, please use discernment, community and also the guidance of health professionals.
Healthy Relationships:
Article: What is a Real Community? - Although this short article is written from a business perspective, it offers helpful advice and tips for building and experiencing a sense of community. Read it here.
Join a Group or Class - The simplest way to experience community is to join a group or class. We have groups that focus on Bible study, Bible & life discussion, prayer, support, and more. Learn more here and submit the form if you would like us to help you connect with a group or class. (Note: many of our groups are on hold until COVID restrictions are lifted. We may not be able to connect you immediately with a group or class)
Video: Why Should I Join a Small Group? - In this short video, pastor and author Rick Warren shares Biblical reasons for joining a small group. Watch it here.
Video: How to Have Real Community - In this short but powerful video, pastor and author Francis Chan challenges us to surround ourselves with a community of people who will keep us focused on our mission. Watch it here.
Healthy Marriages:
Dynamic Marriage Small Group - Dynamic Marriage is a 9 week course that will help you discover how your marriage can thrive and be more fulfilling than you ever thought possible. Based on the “Love Bank” model from the book, His Needs, Her Needs by Dr. Willard Harley, you’ll learn how communication and behavior styles affect the way you and your spouse act and react to each other. Through an interactive learning process, you’ll identify behaviors that may be damaging your marriage, develop healthy ways to deal with marital conflict and take concrete steps to meet each other’s needs better than you ever have before. Randy & Kari Goode are leading a group this spring on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm, starting March 3rd. For more information, contact Randy or Kari 360-904-3876.
Take The Marriage Quiz - This marriage test will help you to better understand how things are going in your relationship. Every marriage, whether in great shape or in trouble, needs to be cared for and worked on to keep getting stronger. While not a diagnostic test, the marriage quiz will give you results and information on three important areas of your relationship: Intimacy, Commitment, and Passion. When you see your results you will also receive suggestions of possible next steps you can take for your marriage. Take the quiz here.
His Needs Her Needs - In this bestseller the author identifies the ten most vital needs of men and women and shows husbands and wives how to satisfy those needs in their spouses. He provides guidance for becoming irresistible to your spouse and for loving more creatively and sensitively, thereby eliminating the problems that often lead to extramarital affairs. Buy a copy here.
For Men Only/For Women Only - If you are a man looking to better understand your wife, or a woman looking to better understand your husband, then these books are for you. Written from a research-based perspective, author and researching Shaunti Feldhan shares insights that will help you to give your spouse the love that they so desire in the way that will help them to feel loved. Guys, get your copy here. Ladies, get your copy here.
App: Love Nudge - This fun, playful app will not only help you to discover your love language and your partner’s love language, but it will give you timely reminders and hints - nudges - to show love to your spouse. Download it in your device’s app store or click here for more information.
Rest & Sabbath
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - In this book, Pastor John Mark Comer diagnoses our cultural obsession with hurry and busyness as not only unhealthy, but unloving. He offers the way of Jesus as a compelling alternative, including suggestions for how to live out the biblical Sabbath. Written with humor, a wealth of research, and raw authenticity, the book is not only inviting but offers practical steps to create space for real rest and experience of sabbath. Read the first two chapters here, listen to a portion of the audiobook here, or download the free workbook here.
Pause App - Based on the One Minute Pause book by author John Eldredge, the Pause app will remind you and help you to stop and reconnect with God throughout your day. Search for the app in your device’s app store or learn more here.
Article: What is the Lord’s Day & Why Do Christians Practice the Sabbath on Sundays? - This short article explains the difference between the Old Testament teaching on the subject of sabbath and the New Testament teaching on the Lord’s Day. It also helps to explain why Christians practice rest and sabbath on Sundays. Read it here.
Financial Health
Financial Peace University - Thousands of people have learned to live on a budget, pay off debt AND give faithfully through the personal finance teaching of Dave Ramsey. Now available fully online. Learn more here.
The Legacy Journey - Especially for those who have worked through the baby steps of saving, budgeting and paying off debt, in this book Dave Ramsey makes a Biblical case for wealth, generosity, and leaving a legacy for your loved ones. Learn more here.
The Treasure Principle Video - Bible teacher Randy Alcorn’s teaching about the Treasure Principle has helped so many people to view their money from an eternal perspective. Watch the video here.
Physical Health
The Daniel Plan - The Daniel Plan is a faith-driven approach to nutrition and fitness. Created by medical doctors and Christian leaders, it features a good introduction to integrating faith and wellness. Learn more here.
Food, Dieting & Eating Disorders
Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me - The perfect face has no blemishes, the perfect belly has no love handles, and the perfect skin has no wrinkles or stretch marks. Our cultural understanding of good bodies makes most of us feel like hopeless failures.vThis is not what our loving God wants for us. Author, size-dignity activist and self-proclaimed "fat girl" Amanda Martinez Beck talks openly about the purpose of bodies, what makes a body good, and the need to reframe the way we think and speak about our own bodies and the bodies of the people around us. Much more than a "self-image" read, Lovely will retrain you to think about your whole self - body and soul - in terms of mercy, kindness, and wonder rather than criticism, failure, and self-loathing. Buy your copy here.
Fat and Faithful: Learning to Love Our Bodies, Our Neighbors, and Ourselves - J. Nicole Morgan grew up fat and loving Jesus. But she was forever burdened by what she saw as her biggest spiritual flaw: her weight. In Fat and Faithful, she shares her journey from body shame to fat acceptance and shows us how to care for the image of God found in every body--including our own. Buy your copy here.
Podcasts: We’re Not Waiting and Fat & Faithful - These two podcasts feature faith-based conversations about life, dieting and the pressure to be thin. Learn more about We’re Not Waiting here and Fat & Faithful here.
Body-Be-Loved - This resource is a new, non-dieting approach to helping you to experience a healthy and healing relationship with food, fitness and body image “through the unconditional love of God.” Learn more here.
8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder - This is no ordinary book on how to overcome an eating disorder. The authors bravely share their unique stories of suffering from and eventually overcoming their own severe eating disorders. Interweaving personal narrative with the perspective of their own therapist-client relationship, their insights bring an unparalleled depth of awareness into just what it takes to successfully beat this challenging and seemingly intractable clinical issue. Buy your copy here.
Your Dieting Daughter: Antidotes Parents can Provide for Body Dissatisfaction, Excessive Dieting, and Disordered Eating - Your Dieting Daughter is a must read for anyone wanting to help contribute to a young woman’s development of a healthy self and body esteem, whether she is 13 or 30.hapters guide parents in the Do’s and Don’ts that will help a daughter to accept, respect, and care for her body. Readers will learn the importance of setting a good example and the critical need to take the focus from numbers and measurements - such as scale weight, clothing size, miles run, or sit-ups accomplished - to important goals like health, body acceptance, and finding physical activity to enjoy. Buy your copy here.
Therapists Who Specialize in Treating Eating Disorders - The Columbia River Eating Disorder Network will help you find a specialized counselor to help treat someone struggling with an eating disorder. (Their website is currently getting updated, but they have contact info and will truly help someone get connected to a specialized provider if you reach out). Learn more here.
Mental & Emotional Health
Counselor Referrals and Mental Health Education: His Heart Foundation - His Heart is a local nonprofit dedicated to helping churches, individuals and families with mental health services. Looking for a counselor? Request a referral from His Heart. Or take an online course to learn more about a mental health topic. Click here to learn more.
Emotional Health Personal Assessment - Based on the best-selling book, The Emotionally Healthy Church, this diagnostic tool was created to help individuals, teams and churches get a sense of whether their discipleship has touched the emotional components of their lives. This assessment consists of 47 questions and takes 15 minutes to complete. Upon completion, you will be given a detailed description of your stage of emotional & spiritual maturity and next steps for your journey. Click here to start the assessment.
Anxiety
Anxiety Message Series - Are you struggling with anxiety or panic attacks? God can help! It’s real and not to be dismissed or downplayed. For too many people, anxiety drains the joy out of relationships, work and play. For too long, Christians have been silent. In this 5 part message series presented at Ridgefield Church of the Nazarene, we tackle the topic of anxiety. You will discover that it is not a sin to feel anxious. You will discover spiritual practices that bring strength, reassurance and peace. Most of all, you will meet the Jesus who wants to keep worry, fear and doubt from ruining your life. Click here to watch or listen to part 1.
Video: Childhood Anxiety - Guest Kevin Ashworth, founder of the NW Anxiety Institute, teaches parents how to help their children, how to identify signs of anxiety in kids, and how to manage expectations at home. He discusses the very important role of empathy and the avoidance of over-accommodating anxiety in kids. Click here to watch or listen.
Addiction & Recovery
Celebrate Recovery – Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12 Step Ministry; men and women are experiencing healthier and more whole lives as they encounter biblical truth and grace-filled support for their hurts, habits and hang-ups. Some of the many hurts, hang-ups and habits include abuse (physical, emotional, verbal & sexual), adult children of alcoholics, alcohol, anger & broken relationships, anxiety & depression and more! If you live in the Ridgefield/north County area, we recommend that you check out the Celebrate Recovery group that meets at the Liberty Bible Church in Salmon Creek. Learn more here. If you live outside of our area, visit celebraterecovery.com to find a group that meets near you.
Breaking Free From Sin’s Grip - Holiness describes a way of living made possible through an intimate, personal relationship with God. Holiness speaks of life and relationship, not letter and law. Breaking Free from Sin’s Grip takes us back to the time when a loving Father saw His children for the first time and dreamed big dreams for them. But this isn’t a story about someone else long ago. It’s as current as today’s newspaper. Step into God’s story as you answer the call to holy living. Buy a copy here.
Sexual Addiction & Porn
Pure Life Alliance - Pure Life Alliance is committed to restoring wholeness for those affected by sexual brokenness, to see lives change through a network of people passionate about sexual purity. Ministries include support groups for men and women who struggle with sexual addiction and for spouses of those who struggle. Learn more here.
Hope After Betrayal - Hope After Betrayal exists to offer Christ-centered hope and healing for women injured by their partner’s sexual betrayal. New groups are formed regularly! Learn more here.
App: Covenant Eyes - Covenant Eyes is an app-based accountability and internet filtering program that helps people live free from porn. Search for Covenant Eyes in your device’s app store, or learn more here.