Why We Need Wellness Back in the Church

When I look around at the Church today, I see faithful men and women pouring themselves out -serving tirelessly, leading boldly, carrying the weight of entire communities on their shoulders. And yet, so often, those same leaders are running on empty. Their bodies are exhausted, their nervous systems overstretched, and their souls longing for rest.

It leaves me asking: why is physical wellbeing rarely discussed in the Church go? And how can we bring it back?

Wellness as Part of God’s Design

From the very beginning, God showed us that caring for our whole selves matters. Creation itself carries rhythms of work and rest, light and dark, sowing and reaping. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and we are called to steward them as sacred vessels.

Yet somewhere along the way, the Church—so devoted to spiritual nourishment—often lost sight of the equally vital call to tend to our physical health, our emotional resilience, and our nervous system balance. We’ve sometimes separated “body” from “spirit,” as if God only cares for one. But Jesus came to bring wholeness. Every healing miracle He performed touched both body and soul.

The Pressure on Leaders

This is especially true for pastors and leaders. The demands of shepherding a congregation can easily leave little space for sleep, nutrition, movement, or restoration. Add to that the culture of hurry and constant availability, and it’s no wonder so many leaders burn out.

The truth is, God never asked us to live at a frantic pace. Jesus Himself modeled something very different: withdrawing to quiet places to pray, eating with His friends, walking from town to town, resting when He was weary. Even the Son of God lived in a way that supported His human body and nervous system.

When leaders neglect their wellness, the whole body of Christ feels it. But when leaders are replenished—rested, nourished, grounded—their ministry flows from overflow rather than depletion.

Rest as Resistance

Wellness in the church isn’t about chasing the latest health trend. It’s about remembering that rest is resistance. To step away from hustle culture is a profoundly spiritual act. To pause, breathe, nourish, and restore ourselves is to declare: “My worth is not in my output. My identity is rooted in Christ.”

Imagine if the Church became known as the place where people didn’t just receive spiritual teaching but also encountered rhythms of embodied rest and restoration. Imagine leaders who didn’t collapse from exhaustion but thrived in their calling because they lived in God’s designed balance of strength, nourishment, and calm.

A Call to Reclaim Wellness

I believe God is inviting us to bring wellness back into the heart of the Church. Not as a side project, but as part of discipleship itself. To weave together prayer and breath, teaching and movement, fellowship and nourishment.

This vision is not about self-indulgence. It’s about stewardship, caring for the vessels God gave us so that we can serve with endurance and joy. It’s about being a people who shine with energy and peace, pointing to the wholeness only Christ can bring.

And it starts small. A church meal that prioritises real food. A retreat that includes not only prayer and worship, but also time in nature and gentle movement. Leaders who schedule rest into their week as an act of obedience, not weakness. Congregations that talk openly about stress, sleep, and the body, not as distractions, but as integral parts of faith.

Living Well Together

This is why I started The Living Well. To create a space where faith and wellness meet again. Where leaders and believers alike can rediscover the gift of slowing down, caring for their bodies, and aligning with God’s design for wholeness.

Because wellness in the Church isn’t optional. It’s part of our witness. A weary, burned-out Church cannot offer the world the joy of the Lord. But a Church living well - in body, mind, and spirit - becomes a powerful testimony of God’s kingdom breaking in.

My prayer is that we, together, would answer this call: to bring wellness back into the Church, for the glory of God and the good of His people.