KEY POINTS:
Church ministers preaching a different sort of message have led to thousands of parishioners changing their old habits - and becoming healthier.
Parish nurses have been offering services to around 10,000 Pacific Island churchgoers in the central Auckland area - with many parishioners now fitter and more aware
of adopting a healthy lifestyle.
The service is part of a programme dubbed Healthy Village Action Zones, an Auckland District Health Board initiative that began in 2002 and 2003, when it was piloted in Glen Innes and the Pacific Island Church in Newton.
Now the programme has earned the health board a final place in this year's New Zealand Health Innovation Awards.
Tamaki Community Church is one of 30 churches involved in the programme. Pastor Alfred Ngaro says it is popular among the congregation, with many significant health changes and improvements in people's lives as a result.
"What's really positive is that they're finally able to understand the type of diets and food they're eating.
"Instead of buying a packet of chips and a can of Coke, get a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk."
Parish nurses visit 30 churches split into seven 'villages', working alongside local primary health organisations to educate church members about healthy living.
Services include regular health checks and screening programmes for those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
A nutritionist also visits churches regularly, educating and showing worshippers alternative ways to enjoy traditional Pacific Island food - without the fat.
"We still like our island food," Pastor Ngaro said, "but we've learned about healthy ways to enjoy that, like using low-fat dressing or instead of frying the corned beef, you put the whole can into the pot, boil it and then drain the fat. It's still about enjoying the food we like - but in a healthy way."
Pacific health manager Aseta Redican said there were many benefits of using the church as a place to get the healthy message across specifically to Pasifika peoples.
"A church is like everyone in a village - like in the islands. The church was the right place to hold health programmes because people were comfortable there."
Each congregation has its own health committee, which carries out regular surveys to monitor the health progress of churchgoers.
Pastor Ngaro said having Pacific Island nurses had led to a more "comforting" situation for many in the Pacific Island congregations, in particular the elderly. "That's one of the beauties of it. They [the nurses] know how to talk to them about something that might be sensitive."
