A series of seminars discussing various issues ranging from memory and brain health, loneliness, poverty and more is open for registration. Stan Brown had the notion of putting together a series of seminars to address issues affecting those in the community.

“[The seminars] are a way to get folks out in a small group talking to each other,” said Brown.

Brown was joined in his endeavor by Jerry Brace. Both men are active with the First Christian Church and plan to use the facilities to run weekly sessions with small groups for the seminars.

While both men are active with First Christian Church, they stressed the seminars would not have a religious focus, but from a desire to share helpful information with the community.

“This project is not really a church-y project. We just happen to be a group that wants to do some seminars we think might be helpful to the community,” said Jerry Brace. “It’s a way to educate people about a particular subject and get some discussion going. And hopefully, some positive change will come from it.”

The first of these seminars will begin on Monday, March 20. The seminars will be held at the First Christian Church located at 210 N. 5th Street and each session will be approximately an hour in length.

The first topic will cover the impact of poverty on children. Generational poverty can have dramatic impact on children’s attitude about life and their future, these sessions will promote the understanding of the cultural of poverty and possible responses helpful to children affected by poverty.

The first session will be from 4 pm to 5 pm on Monday, March 20.

The second session will cover meaning and productivity in later life. This seminar will focus on a variety of topics including finding success, happiness and deep purpose in the second half of life; what makes life meaningful; what happens to the brain as someone ages; and more. This session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 from 4 pm to 5 pm.

More sessions are in development with topics including memory and brain health, and loneliness and health.

The session on memory and brain health will explain the importance of keeping one’s brain in good shape, how memory is the key to brain enhancement, and how to make the most of memories.

The session on loneliness and health will share infor- mation on how loneliness has become a public health concern. As social creatures, humans thrive on the ability to connect with others, and there are many real negative health effects associated with loneliness. These include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and even death1.

The session will focus on the healing aspects of connecting with others, how loneliness affects work, attitude and children, and how to interact with others in a fun and meaningful way.

Theses future topics currently do not have a set date at press time.

Those wishing to participate in these seminars can register and find more information by calling the First Christian Church’s office at 580-762-1667.

Sources:

1. https://www.nia.nih. gov/news/social-isolationloneliness- older-peoplepose- health-risks