We are Gearing Up to Train Enrolled United Methodist Churches in South Carolina in the FAN Program!
Current status of FAN
We are no longer accepting online FAN Church Interest Forms. Please contact Jessica Stucker (see contact information below) if you would like more information about FAN.
We are currently in the process of:
- completing enrollment for those churches that completed an interest form,
- conducting interviews with enrolled pastors and church coordinators, and
- scheduling district FAN trainings.
We will contact all enrolled churches to sign up for a FAN training in their district (to be held in April or May) as soon as those dates are scheduled.
What is FAN?
The South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church has partnered with the Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina Columbia to offer “Faith, Activity, and Nutrition,” or FAN.FAN is a faith-based program that works to create a healthy church environment. It is free and open to all churches in the Conference!
FAN is not an exercise program or a cooking class. Instead, FAN helps churches create a healthy church environment for physical activity and healthy eating by training church committees to:
- Increase opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating in the church setting (tasty, healthy meals & snacks for church events)
- Create healthy church guidelines (policies)
- Keep the Pastor engaged and excited about FAN goals, and support the Pastor’s health
- Get health messages out to church members through familiar church channels (bulletin inserts, announcements, messages in worship service)
This approach allows churches to reach all members of their congregation, and churches might even choose to put some activities in place that can help their larger communities grow in health. It is highly complementary to the UMC’s new Global Ministries initiative, Abundant Health.
Have questions?
We are happy to answer your questions about FAN and the potential for future trainings. Please contact Jessica Stucker, FAN Project Coordinator, by email (jstucker@mailbox.sc.edu) or phone (803-576-5992).
Need Guidance on Forming your FAN Church Committee?
This document provides guidance for who you will want to be on your FAN Church Committee. Remember that up to 5 people from your church can attend the upcoming FAN training, and we suggested sending 3-5 people. FAN Coordinators (the person coordinating FAN at your church) are required to be at trainings, and we very strongly recommend that Pastors attend the training. Click here for additional suggestions and guidance.
May you “prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”
III John 1:2 (NKJV)
