The Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Health Ministries department has officially adopted a new name—Wellness Support—to reflect a broader and more intentional focus on wholeness. According to RMC leaders, the shift is not about a label but about a new approach to ministry, one that emphasizes physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being.
Rick Mautz, director of Wellness Support, explained the thinking behind the change. “Throughout my years of doing health work, I always sensed that our approach was often to give information and assume people would make changes. But when the program was over, they went back to their old ways. The missing link was ongoing support, provided by people who truly cared.”
Mautz emphasized that information alone is not enough. “If all we provide is information, we are dispensable. Support is what makes us indispensable to our communities. When we reflect our compassionate Savior, we must be there for people as they struggle with aspects of wellness in their lives.”
The new focus aims to address a challenge many churches face: waning interest in health programs. Mautz believes this stems from too much emphasis on information without follow-up support. “Partnered with good information—whether reducing disease risk or finding peace in the soul—the most needed ingredient is a compassionate friend who walks beside you through the difficult parts of transformation,” he said.
By rebranding as Wellness Support, RMC leaders hope to distinguish the ministry from Adventist health care institutions, which provide medical treatment, and highlight the unique role churches can play in ongoing support. In congregations, the name describes members supporting each other in personal growth. In local communities, it becomes a banner under which churches can introduce wellness principles while offering steady encouragement.
Training is a major part of the new emphasis. Wellness Support will equip both lay members and professionals through initiatives such as LIFT – Jesus’ Way of Coaching, a program designed to help participants develop skills in listening, connecting, and asking meaningful questions that guide personal transformation. The training is available online at rmcsda.org/lift.
The new direction is already making an impact. Mautz shared about a woman who attended a hands-on, plant-based cooking class. Though not familiar with the Adventist Church, she told organizers she was impressed that members would give up a Sunday afternoon to teach 17 people how to prepare healthy meals. “I think what she saw was support rather than information,” Mautz said. “That’s what impressed her and why she’ll be back.”
Looking ahead, Mautz hopes every church in the Rocky Mountain Conference will become a Wellness Support Center for its community. “We will work together to reflect our Savior to the world in this most meaningful area of service,” he shared.
For more information, contact Rick Mautz, Wellness Support Director, at rickm@rmcsda.org.
