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February 2026
Heart Health Month

Why would an FCN want to talk about heart health in February?

February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to help our congregations refocus on caring for their hearts. The holidays can throw off our routines with added stress and celebration so February often feels like a good time to reset. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. and many of our members may be living with risk factors without even realizing it.

Faith community nurses can make a real difference by offering encouragement, opening conversations and supporting whole person well-being. In a faith setting we can remind people that caring for their bodies is an important part of nurturing their overall health body, mind and spirit.

Fast Facts

Faith community nurses can make a real difference by:

  • Offering compassionate support that helps members feel encouraged and cared for

  • Creating welcoming opportunities to talk about heart health

  • Helping people understand the importance of maintaining a healthy heart

  • Raising awareness about common risk factors and healthy habits

  • Integrating spiritual support that emphasizes whole person health

  • Inspiring small meaningful steps that promote long term well-being

Program Goal: Increase understanding of heart attack and stroke risk among participants

Objective:
The Faith Community Nurse will educate congregation members and the surrounding community about the risk factors for heart attack and stroke, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history.

Metric:
At least (input number) adults will receive information about heart attack and stroke risk factors.

Data Collection Tool:
Heart Health Education Tracking Form

Key Activities:

  • Host an educational table with printed handouts and fact sheets about risk factors.

  • Share brief presentations or Q&A sessions with healthcare professionals on recognizing and understanding risk. FCNs can also enlist a heart attack or stroke survivor to share their personal testimony and experience with participants.

  • Promote awareness through bulletins, newsletters, and social media. Copy and paste these prewritten drop-in articles from NIH into your newsletters, bulletins, blogs, or website.

  • Discuss how congregants can assess their personal risk and the importance of talking to their healthcare provider.

Resources to Support This Goal:

Program Goal: Encourage and support heart-healthy actions to reduce risk.

Objective:
The Faith Community Nurse will provide congregation members and the surrounding community with practical resources and guidance on how to reduce their risk for heart attack and stroke through lifestyle changes, screenings and healthy habits.

Metric:
At least (input number) adults will receive resources or guidance on reducing their risk for heart-related events.

Data Collection Tool:
Heart Health Action Tracking Form

Key Activities:

  • Distribute educational materials that explain lifestyle strategies such as healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, and smoking cessation.

  • Provide guidance on scheduling regular screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, and other risk factors.

  • Host Q&A sessions with local healthcare professionals or partner organizations to answer questions about risk reduction.

  • Promote community events like walking groups, nutrition workshops, or cooking classes to encourage heart-healthy habits.

  • Follow up with participants to offer support, encouragement, and referrals to healthcare resources as needed.

Resources to Support This Goal:

Focus on Spiritual Integration

Faith Community Nurses can support heart health by integrating spirituality into every step of the program. Begin by helping participants reflect on their personal heart health risks through guided discussions, prayer, or readings from sacred texts that emphasize stewardship of the body. To encourage behavior change and lifestyle modification, FCNs can lead practical, faith-centered activities such as:

  • Prayer and Meditation: Start sessions with a short prayer or guided meditation focused on strength, healing, and motivation for healthy choices.

  • Reflective Listening and Sharing: Invite participants to share personal experiences with stress, diet, or exercise challenges, offering compassionate listening and spiritual encouragement.

  • Sacred Text-Based Encouragement: Highlight passages from sacred texts that promote self-care, perseverance, and hope to reinforce motivation for lifestyle changes.

  • Community Support: Organize small peer groups or walking clubs that combine social connection with exercise, meal planning, or stress-reduction activities.

  • Action Plans with Spiritual Integration: Encourage participants to set specific goals (e.g., walking 20 minutes daily, reducing sodium intake) and pair each goal with a spiritual practice such as journaling, prayer, or gratitude reflection.

By weaving these spiritual practices into heart-health education, FCNs help participants not only identify risks and adopt healthier habits but also experience a sense of purpose, emotional resilience, and spiritual well-being. Participants leave empowered to care for their hearts as part of caring for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.


Disclaimer:
The resources provided on this website are for informational and educational purposes only. They are not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. The Indiana Center for Parish Nursing (ICPN) does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of information from external websites linked here.