Getting Started with Kidney Sundays

• Find Kidney Sundays Champions to Host Conversations about Kidney Disease.

  During a service, health ministry meeting, or faith-based committee group meeting, announce that you have the Kidney Sundays Toolkit and would like to recruit health leaders to host a conversation about kidney disease. The Toolkit provides all that the champions need to host this discussion. Find champions in your congregation and get them excited about kidney health. This will make it easier to start the conversation.

• Hold a Conversation about Kidney Disease Using the Talking Points.

  Before scheduling a discussion session, review the Make the Kidney Connection Health Conversation Talking Points to help you lead it with ease. Below are a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare for the kidney disease discussion with your faith-based family:

  • Find a comfortable setting; this could be in your place of worship before or after the service, in the administration office, book store, or a private room. For a group meeting, use any area large enough for a group, such as the dining hall, classroom, or day care facility at your place of worship.
    
    
  • Because many African Americans adults are at risk for kidney disease, you may invite a cross section of your congregation to a group Kidney Sundays conversation. Be sure to seek out members who you know have diabetes or high blood pressure or a family history of kidney disease. Both men and women are at risk for kidney disease, so you are encouraged to include everyone in the conversations.
    
    
  • Make your faith-based family feel comfortable. Do not force the conversation if someone is not open to discussing his or her health. Share your experiences to make them feel a little more comfortable. Offer examples of how you, or someone you know, have managed diabetes or high blood pressure to help delay kidney disease. Try relating the information to topics that have been discussed at services or other meetings.

Share Educational Materials

• Hand out the Kidney Disease, Diabetes & High Blood Pressure Fact Sheets.

  The fact sheets provide answers to common questions about kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The fact sheets explain symptoms, risk factors, and prevention tips, as well as where to go for more information. Before leading a conversation, familiarize yourself with the fact sheets. Also, offer them to individuals you meet with and distribute them during your group conversation, and direct your faith-based family to the NKDEP website for more information.

• Hand out the Kidney Disease: What African Americans Need to Know Brochure.

  This brochure provides information about kidney disease and its connection to diabetes and high blood pressure and the importance of getting tested. Use the brochure to guide the conversations and give it to participants to take home.

• Distribute the Kidney Disease Flyer/Bulletin Insert.

  The Kidney Disease Flyer/Bulletin Insert explains the risk factors for kidney disease and the importance of getting tested. It also highlights NKDEP’s Family Reunion Health Guide, a booklet that helps families talk about kidney disease at family reunions.

  You can insert the flyer into your faith-based organization’s bulletin to be distributed during worship service. This will give you the perfect opportunity to introduce Kidney Sundays during announcements and promote any upcoming Kidney Sundays sessions you are planning.

• Distribute the Make the Kidney Connection Food Tips and Healthy Eating Ideas.

  Learn how to eat healthy with the Make the Kidney Connection Food Tips and Healthy Eating Ideas. This handout provides information on reducing portion size and choosing healthier food options. When preparing for your conversation about kidney disease, print copies of the food tips and healthy eating ideas to distribute to participants.

Host Other Activities

• Engage Local Food Experts to Conduct Food Demonstrations.

  Encourage members of your congregation to prepare a meal from the healthy recipe links and bring samples for a tasting with the group, or recruit local dietetics students to conduct food demonstrations. This will be a treat for participants as they begin their journey to healthier eating.

• Engage Local Health Experts to Conduct a Health Screening.

  Look into having local nursing students or health care facilities conduct screenings for kidney disease, blood pressure, and diabetes as part of the Kidney Sundays experience. The screening also can be part of health fairs or picnics your congregation already conducts. You also may partner with other organizations on health initiatives, such the American Kidney Fund (AKF) and National Kidney Foundation (NKF). AKF offers health screenings for groups larger than 50 persons in and around selected cities. Visit www.kidneyfund.org to find out how you can schedule a health screening. You can also contact your local NKF office about screenings. For more information, visit www.kidney.org.