“Those whose steps are guided by the Lord; whose way God approves, may stumble but they will never fall for the Lord holds their hand. (Psalm 37: 23-24)

Health Ministry addresses the health of the whole person (body, mind and spirit) in congregations. Healing, wellness and health are promoted in the congregation and in the community by a Health Ministry team. The team can include individuals of various backgrounds. Often there is a registered nurse who is the parish nurse that works with or leads the health ministry, but not all churches have nurses to serve in this capacity. On the other hand, some churches that have nurses choose to name their program a Health Ministry or Wellness Ministry because of the broader concept than the name Parish Nursing implies.

People of other health fields (physician, social worker, dietitian, etc.) could serve as Health Ministers, as well as people without medical backgrounds. Perhaps a teacher or secretary or someone with organizational skills could take the leadership position. People who have lived through a crisis (such as death, divorce, cancer, etc.) can bring a wealth of compassion and resources.

A Health Committee (congregational members who are supportive of the idea) works with meeting the needs of the congregation by planning and assisting in programming. The acronym HEALTH lists some of the activities that could be implemented according to the specific needs of the church.

Health Screening
Education – promoting wellness and spiritual support and
                 integrating faith and health
Assisting in advocacy and finding resources
Listening, personal health counseling, advocating personal
              responsibility
Training and coordinating volunteers
Home and hospital visitation

The healing ministry touches lives which are ravaged by diseases that often go undetected, such as sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, helplessness, stress, depression, heart break…and the list goes on and on. Lifestyle diseases are addressed in literature and on television…but through the love and encouragement of fellow believers, small steps can be taken to start the process of change. The church can take a lead role in addressing not only physical diseases, but also emotional and spiritual “dis-ease”.

Another type of Health Ministry utilizes Lay Health Promoters or Lay Health Workers. These women and men encourage others to take responsibility for their own health, lives and learning; recognizing that the power for change comes from the Lord. These programs take many forms from peer counseling and training of home visitors to the Big Brother and Big Sister programs. With resources from professionals in health and social service fields, a Lay Health Promoter can be an effective vessel used to help people in their own churches. Trainings are offered in promotive health practices, in prevention of disease and in early recognition of illness, along with simple first aid measures.

Health Ministries Association (HMA) is the member organization whose mission is “encouraging, supporting and developing whole person ministries leading to the integration of faith and health.”