04-05-2024
The Health Ministries Department of the Malaysia Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (MAUM) kicked off 2024 with a focus on two major health initiatives: The Grace of Aging, and Heal Your Lifestyle.
The Grace of Aging
The Grace of Aging is a collaboration between the Health Ministries Department and Adventist Possibility Ministries that is aimed at senior community members. Jane Yap, MAUM health ministries director, shared in her program introduction that recent studies indicate that Malaysia’s population of individuals aged 60 and above stands at approximately 2.3 million, highlighting an aging trend within Malaysia. Therefore society urgently needs to be involved actively in facilitating graceful aging for the elderly no matter the potential challenges that maight arise.
One way that the Adventist Church has engaged in meeting this need is through a comprehensive, multifaceted program to assist the elderly, addressing physical, social, financial, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. The Grace of Aging program took place at the Petaling Jaya Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church, and ran via Zoom and livestream on the MAUM and Eight Treasure Facebook pages. It started in February and ran until May 18, and was available in English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia. Speakers included Dicky Ng, a Penang Adventist Hospital wellness doctor, and Shee Soon Chiew, a psychologist and educator. The aim, by the end of the program, was to help members form a senior citizens club in their local churches.
Heal Your Lifestyle
This 14-day program, a spin-off of last year’s Heal Your Lifestyle series, demonstrated to the participants through webinars and practical dietary changes how to restore their bodies by intentionally starting healthy habits based on the three pillars of lifestyle medicine: food, exercise and mental health. It was developed by Jane Yap and commenced on March 22, with the aim of initiating good behavior and a healthy lifestyle, and improving one’s life while helping to do the same for others.
100 people from Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Sabah, and the Adventist headquarters registered. Juice fasting formed part of the first three days of the program, followed by balanced plant-based meals. Participants were organized into groups to track their travels, each group having a map to indicate daily progress, with the group covering the farthest distance being rewarded.
Adventist Possibility Ministries (APM) is a General Conference-sponsored initiative that views those with disabilities through the transforming lens of possibilities — what they can do and what they can become because of God’s grace. APM affirms that people go where they are welcomed and stay where they are valued, and that all are gifted, needed, and treasured.
This story from Malaysia illustrates the global Adventist Church’s priority of “increased church member involvement in fellowship and service, both in the church and in the local community,” including individuals with disabilities in their community (KPI 6.1). Learn more the Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” Strategic Focus at https://www.iwillgo2020.org/kpis/
* This article by was published on Adventist World on 04-05-2024 at https://www.adventistworld.org/adventist-church-in-malaysia-kicks-off-2024-with-two-major-health-initiatives/
* The original version of this story, by Hazel Wanda Ginajil, Malaysia Union Mission Communication Department, was posted on the Malaysia Union Mission news website on 03-26-2024 at https://adventist.my/man-news/maum-health-ministries-actively-serve-members/
Here are some links to videos of The Grace of Aging and Heal Your Lifestyle events:
Grace of Aging:
Heal Your Lifestyle:
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