Models of Health Ministry

Many models for addressing congregational health and wellness exist. Here are some of the models that other congregations have used. There is no limit, however, to what congregations can do as they assess the needs of the membership and of the community and uncover the resources and gifts available to address those needs. Come up with some new models! Contact us if you are interested in knowing more about any of these models.

The Health Cabinet
The Health Cabinet model assumes that health ministry is already a part of the life of the church. Congregations usually have programs that attend to the wellness of their members and the people in the community, but may not have an intentional focus on healing. Worship, Christian education, youth group activities, lay visitation programs, prayer chains, social outreach and action initiatives, etc. are all part of a health ministry.

In this model, forming a health cabinet gets the congregation to talk more explicitly about the role of healing the church and to make some decisions about how this emphasis will be incorporated. The Health Cabinet is an umbrella group that promotes health and wellness in the congregation. It is not a "provider" of health programs, but a partner with other committees and boards to ensure that the health focus is part of all areas of church life. Everyone is part of the healing movement.

Resource: Jill Westberg-McNamara. The Health Cabinet: How to Start a Wellness Committee in Your Church. 1997. Available through The International Parish Nurse Resource Center.

The Mutual Support Model
The focus of the mutual support model is not generally programmatic. The care group model starts with the health and wellness of the church's own members. Founded on the idea that health is rooted in how people resolve the painful experiences in their lives and in the quality of people's relationships with others, mutual models emphasize an intentional process of reflection, sharing and community building The idea is that as people share together in meaningful but safe ways about their history and life experience, those issues that impact a person's overall well-being will be heard and addressed.

Some congregations see the mutual support approach as a way of laying a foundation for further programs around health and wellness. Others see it as an end in itself. Often it's a place to start and things emerge from it that you can't even imagine at the outset. People sharing their stories and exploring the implications for their lives is powerful. The important thing is to design something that will work well in your context and to be responsive to the unexpected.

There are several programs that are ready to use that outline a way to organize care groups. These programs can be used flexibly or can be adapted to suit the needs of your congregation. The Advocate Community Ministry Resource Library holds some of these materials.

Resource: The Church of the Brethren's Association of Brethren Caregivers has an excellent program called Lafiya, from the Nigerian word meaning to be well or whole. To find out more about this program, visit their website at www.brethren.org/abc/lafiya. Association of Brethren Caregivers, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. 847.742.5100.

The Parish Nursing Model
Parish Nursing is a health promotion, disease prevention role based on the care of the whole person and encompassing seven functions. These functions are: integrator of faith and health, health educator, personal health counselor, referral agent, trainer of volunteers, developer of support groups, and health advocate. This nursing roles does not embrace the medical model of care or invasive practices such as blood drawing, medical treatments, or maintenance of intravenous products. It is a professional model of health ministry using a registered professional nurse. The focus for the practice is the faith community and its ministry (McDermott & Burke, 1993).

Parish nurses revitalize the mission of health in the congregation by:

	Being an integral member of the ministerial staff
	Networking the congregation with community agencies
	Encouraging members of the congregation to be more active partners in the management of their health resources
	Communicating the relationship between faith and health
	Promoting health through the age span and to all socio-economic groups.

Resource: International Parish Nurse Resource Center. For general information regarding parish nursing, 205 Touhy Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068. 847.384.3744.

The Lay Health Promoters Model
Lay Health Promoters are members of a local church who volunteer their services to provide information about health care, monitor those who are chronically ill and encourage healthy lifestyles among members of the congregation. They also serve as the "health care connection" between members of their congregation and health care services in the community. This is a ministry of listening and teaching. Lay health promoters do not need to have any medical training or background. People who are natural helpers and who are respected by their fellow members are the kind of people who do well in this position.

Most lay health promoter programs are community oriented. The goals are to promote health in the church and in the surrounding community. Often these programs operate on a coalition model. A group of churches in the community choose members to be trained as health promoters. These people work together on health issues that impact their congregations and also reach into the community to address common concerns.

Lay health promoters must receive initial and on-going training. Advocate Health Care is in the process of developing such a training, but there are other places where this training is already being offered.

Resource: Interfaith Health Project. The Carter Center. One Copenhill, Atlanta, Georgia 30307. 404.872.0058.

The Care and Counseling Model
Many congregations already have strong care and counseling programs. Examples of a program in this model would include Stephen Ministries and Befrienders or Eucharistic Ministers and Ministers of Care.

In this model, volunteers from the church are trained to provide supportive, spiritual care to those in the congregation who are shut-in, experiencing grief or loss, chronically ill, disabled, hospitalized, etc. The model empowers laity to carry out the ministry of the church of healing and comfort to those in need and to bring the symbols of the church to the hurting individual. These powerful ministries offer volunteers an opportunity to grow in their own faith and skills while providing a deep sense of caring and concern within the church.

Resource: Stephen Ministries. 2045 Inner Belt Business Center Drive. St. Louis, Missouri 63114-5765. 314.645.5511.

Healing Practices
In some congregations interested members receive training in various healing techniques—massage therapy, meditation, guided imagery, Reiki, healing touch, movement or art therapy, etc.—and offer healing sessions for members of the congregation and community.

Coalition Model
Some models work through coalitions of congregations and community organizations that come together to provide for needs of people in their community that aren't being met by other agencies. Many programs serve the elderly, but they may be designed around any population, such as people with HIV/AIDS, families with children with disabilities or people with chronic illness.

Congregations recruit volunteers to provide a set of services such as transportation, yard work, home repair, child care, meal preparation, etc. A coordinator receives requests for assistance and matches volunteers with the person in the community.

This can be an ambitious approach, but one that has worked well in hundreds of communities around the country. The National Federation of Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers (NFIVC) is a national organization that supports the coalition model. They have consultants who provide technical assistance for developing the program. These people are extremely helpful and knowledgeable about program development. The NFIVC also has comprehensive materials that guide you through all aspects of program implementation.

Resource: National Federation of Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Inc. 368 Broadway, Suite 103, P.O. Box 1939, Kingston, New York 12401. 914.331.1358.