Spiritual Wellness
From the beginning of the United Presbyterian Home’s history, the Christian faith has always been an important part of who we are as an organization. In 1947, the Home began as a residence for retired ministers, missionaries and teachers. The UP Home has always been blessed with individuals who were willing and able to spread their gifts to other members of the Home. Those residents have also helped us to maintain a strong faith-based foundation. As the population and the Home has grown and changed, we had found ourselves stretching to fill that piece of our whole-person wellness puzzle.
Recognizing that need, in the fall of 2012 the Home hired Reverend Linda “Kitch” Shatzer as its first full-time Chaplain. Kitch came to the Home from the Ainsworth Community Church where she had been serving as Pastor since 2007. She had also held Pastoral positions at the United Presbyterian Church in Washington and the Brighton United Church as well as a part-time position as Chaplain with Hospice of Washington County. Kitch lovingly and faithfully served all of our beloved UP Home community and Brownlee residents as Chaplain until 2017 at which time she chose to retire. We are eternally grateful to Kitch for her wonderful service and for paving the way and setting the bar so high for her successor!
Beginning in June of 2017, local music minister Andrew Zuehlke was named as the next UP Home Chaplain, now referred to as the Spiritual Life Director. It is his mission and passion to shine the light of Jesus Christ, to share the hope and peace a relationship with Christ brings to a soul with all that he has contact with in the UP Home community!
There are various activities that Andrew is leading and/or is participating in as part of his work in the UP Home community, including the following:
- Hymn sing-a-longs in both the health center and in the broader community’s main dining room totaling two per week.
- A weekly Bible study offered to all health center and campus residents.
- Personal visitation and counseling services.
- Children’s summer sing-a-longs.
- Providing assistance to the social work department to help residents secure needed benefits and assist with the admission process for new residents.
We recognize that the spiritual lives and health of all of our community residents is vital and we as a family and organization are dedicated to do all that we can to help further the cause of introducing everyone to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria!