Gulf Coast Village pastor and physical therapist Tom Hafer has released his eighth book to address divisive ideologies that are fragmenting the human population.
Everybody’s Beautiful, now available on Amazon, carries a tagline of “One Love. One God. One Human Tribe.” The book discusses how loving faith communities can become fragmented, hostile tribes when the religious double down on divisive ideologies. They desperately try to be right, often to the exclusion of inner peace and love for their neighbors. When this failure happens, Hafer writes, everyone suffers.
“There are so many soundbites out there today that are meant to be divisive,” Hafer said. “Everything you look at seems to be dividing us more and more, but it’s nice to remember the stillness of scripture that the Christian faith is not about battles to fight as much as it is a long journey toward inner peace and love toward our neighbor.”
In addition to his role as pastor at Gulf Coast Village, the premier Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Cape Coral, Hafer also is a physical therapist. The dual roles allow Hafer to cultivate a unique approach to health and wellness by synergizing the physical and spiritual aspects of residents’ lives.
Hafer received his bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Florida A&M University and he’s been a licensed physical therapist in Florida for nearly 30 years. He attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia and received a master’s degree in religion. Hafer and his wife of 28 years, Eileen, have three grown children. Their oldest is a special education teacher in Lee County, the middle is a U.S. Marine and their youngest is finishing her master’s degree in Gerontology at the University of South Florida.
Hafer, an accomplished motivational speaker and author at WellPlanet.org, offers a digital newsletter, titled “My Weekly Ramble,” on his website at TomHafer.com. Hafer is available for workshops or talks by emailing tom@hafer.com.
About Tom Hafer
Pastor Tom Hafer is the pastor and physical therapist for Gulf Coast Village, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Cape Coral, and an ordained minister with Volunteers of America. He is an author of eight books: Everybody’s Beautiful (2018), Happy & Healthy (2018), Ramble On (2017), Soul Man (2016), When You Pray Move Your Feet (2016), Aging Grace (2012), Well Planet (2010) and Faith & Fitness (2007). Hafer travels and leads free workshops on the spiritual and physical health connection, speaking about ways to care for ourselves to better care for others. To schedule a talk, contact Hafer at tom@hafer.com or visit TomHafer.com. For regular updates, follow Hafer on social media at Facebook.com/TomHaferSpeaker.
About Gulf Coast Village
Founded almost 30 years ago, Gulf Coast Village is the premier Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Cape Coral, Florida. Residents enjoy active independent living in an unparalleled lifestyle of comfort and convenience with a rich array of services and amenities that are focused on living well. The community also offers the security of knowing there is the full continuum of care when needed including: assisted living, skilled nursing, secured memory support, home health and outpatient services. Gulf Coast Village is located at 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33991. For more information call 239-772-1333 or visit www.GulfCoastVillage.com.
Gulf Coast Village is sponsored by Volunteers of America, a national nonprofit faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 and is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of quality, affordable housing for seniors and a provider of professional long-term care including assisted living, home health care and nursing home care.