Dear Community Leaders,

 

In the bible, Jesus tells us that “if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” and “if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 24-25). To fully recognize the enduring depth of meaning in words “kingdom” and “house” in these scriptures, we have to take a thorough, introspective look at examples of our modern-day kingdoms and houses. One important metaphorical insight that we can recognize is that even in present times, a “kingdom – community” nor a “house – family or individual” divided from within, cannot “stand – heal, sustain, thrive”.  

 

Furthermore, we can look at the history of our communities, families and individuals and see that when it comes to personal and community health and wellness, we are often “standing” on shaky ground; if at all. We can also see that while there may be many studies, resources and programs to deal with the ongoing crisis of health disparities in minority communities, they will remain marginally successful unless our leaders in our communities and in our homes are willing to support and facilitate change from within.  

      

For these reasons, the Forest Park Ministers Association (FPMA) has endeavored to work as a connector and a catalyst for quality of life improvements for individuals, families, churches and communities in Clayton and Fulton Counties through our new Ministers for Healthy Communities Project (MHCP). We will launch the planning and preparation phase in January of 2020 and begin project implementation in June of 2020.

 

In order to be achieve our goals we will need the prayers, support, participation and collaboration of faith-based organizations, government officials, government agencies, academic institutions, healthcare organizations and community-based organizations from throughout the region. Therefore, the FPMA MHCP team respectfully requests a brief meeting with you as soon as possible to provide more information and to discuss opportunities for partnership and participation.

 

With this introductory letter you will find a synopsis of our inaugural MHCP Cohort as well as the goals and objectives of the project. We welcome your questions and feedback.

 

 

Respectfully,

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Forest Park Ministers Association