Rev. Matthew Best • Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church in Allison Hill & Executive Director, Health Ministries of Christ Lutheran Church

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month (or close to it), the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In November we’re lifting up Access to Health Care. 

Every Wednesday, I sit in the waiting room of the medical outreach clinic wearing my clerical collar and a simple sign which reads “Free Prayer.”  I’ve been doing this regularly enough that there are what I call “regulars” who come in to talk and pray with me.  They tell me about their families, their struggles with addiction, trying to stay housed or gain employment, and physical healing they need.  It’s a time I wouldn’t trade for anything.  

One particular Wednesday, the door to the waiting room opened and a man stuck his head in and said, “can someone help me?” The nurses were all occupied on the other side of the clinic and didn’t hear the man. I went over to the door, opened it to the stairway, and found the man sitting on the steps, shirtless.  I said, “Can I help you?”  He responded, “I need a shirt.” It was clear that he needed more than a shirt.  I went and got a nurse to help the man.  It turned out the man had overdosed on a drug.  The nurses helped him as much as they could, which included calling an ambulance for additional assistance.  All this effort saved his life that day.  

Our free dental clinic has been busy as ever. After one particular dental clinic day, the dentist on duty told me that they worked on a patient who required seven extractions which helped prevent infections. That’s a lot of work on one person. And it’s the type of care that will offer healing not just for their mouth but for the whole person.  Thinking about their time at the clinic, this same dentist told me, “I love my days at the clinic.”  

I often talk about Christ Lutheran Church as a wheel, where healing is the axle that everything is connected to.  The health ministries, comprising our three free clinics, offer healing in a variety of ways – physical, mental, and emotional.  They are a vital healing presence in Allison Hill and the larger community. Each month between 800-1000 people visit our clinics to receive this healing.  

In the coming months, we will be undertaking the replacement of some old plumbing that serves the medical outreach clinic. In the spring, we’ll begin much needed repairs to the bell tower which flanks the sidewalk people use to access the medical outreach clinic. We’re also looking forward to hosting another work day for a group of volunteers on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day who will be working on some paint projects. And we are finalizing our plan for an exciting expansion of our dental clinic, moving it from the second floor down to the first floor. This will improve access to care, as well as help us meet more needs. Currently we are only meeting approximately 50% of the need.  

We couldn’t do this without your support. I’m grateful to Derry Church for all the ways that you support the health ministries. You are a blessing and you make the healing possible.