Congregational Health Ministries Certificate Program
For nurses and other health professionals, lay leaders, students, and clergy.
The Purpose
The Congregational Health Ministries Certificate Program enhances the understanding of
the relationship between spirituality and health through course work and assistance with
implementation of health ministries in congregations. Nurses and other health
professionals, lay leaders, students, and clergy are all students within the classes.
The program seeks to promote healthy communities by partnering with churches to foster ministries of personal and communal health and healing by connecting spiritual resources with health practices.
A health ministry is a program based within a congregation, to promote health and healing as part of the mission and ministry of a faith community to its members and the community it serves. Health is defined as the experience of wholeness, salvation, shalom. Health is the integration of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of the patient enabling harmony with self, others, the environment, and God.
Healing is viewed as the process of integrating the body, mind, and spirit to achieve wholeness, health, and a sense of spiritual well-being, even when the curing of disease may not occur.
A variety of models of congregational health ministries are considered and evaluated for application. Some ministries of health are extensive, incorporating a variety of programs within a congregation. Others are more limited in scope and may serve one or more congregations. The model selected and developed depends on the gifts and desires of the members of the congregation.
One model of health ministry is faith community nursing, formerly titled parish nursing. Within this model a registered professional nurse, actively licensed with his/her state, serves as a member of the staff within a faith community to promote health and wholeness of the faith community, its groups, families and individual members. The Faith Community Nurse is grounded in a faith tradition or spiritual philosophy that serves as the foundation of his/her practice as defined by the nurse practice act in the jurisdiction in which her or she practices and the standards of practice set forth in Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (HMA & ANA, 2005).
The Certificate Program requires four courses of academic preparation and six hours of
advisement concerning the development and implementation of a health ministry.
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The Nature of the Certificate
Andover Newton Theological School awards the Certificate in Congregational Health
Ministries to those who complete the required course work. The certificate is not a
degree, but rather a recognition of a student's successful completion of required course
work.
How to Earn a Certificate
There are two ways to earn a certificate:
1. Participate as a non-degree candidate and satisfactorily complete 4 courses within
three years.
2. Participate as a degree candidate and satisfactorily complete 4 courses within three
years.
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Health Ministries in Congregations I
This course explores the history, theology and practice of developing health ministries.
Various models for becoming a healing community will be explored. Students will explore
and begin to plan a health ministry.
Health Ministries in Congregations II
This course builds on the prior course as students initiate the implementation of their
plan. Various roles within the ministry will be explored, including the roles of
registered professionals such as a faith community nurse.
Certificate students will, with the advice of the Director of the Certificate Program
also choose two additional courses to prepare them for this aspect of ministry.
Among those courses recommended are:
- A Bridge Between Religion and Medicine
- Leading Faith Based Wellness Groups in Congregations
- Spiritual Practices for Healing and Wholeness
- Scientific Thought and Christian Theology
- Pastoral Approaches to Illness and Dying
- The Practice of Relational Presence: Psychological and Spiritual
Foundations
- The Healing Arts: 3 Practice Modules
- The Psychology and Theology of Pastoral Care
- Educational Ministry Across the Life Span
- Grounded in God
Cost of Certificate Program
Application fee: $25.00 non-refundable
Registration fees per semester: $100
Tuition
Non-degree Candidates in Certificate Program: $1400 (includes four
courses and advisement)
(Continuing education hours will be available for nurses, but no academic credit or
academic transcripts will be provided.)
Degree Candidates in Certificate Program desiring academic credit:
Pay the per credit hour tuition for the 12 credit hours required for the certificate
program.
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Auditors
Ministers in Vicinity, lay auditors and student auditors must be admitted with permission
of the instructor and pay relevant fees for courses, but will not be granted a
certificate.
All auditors are expected to fulfill the requirements of each course.
Auditors will not receive supervision in developing health ministry programs within
their congregations.
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How to Apply
To create the most conducive learning environment, classes in health ministry will be
limited in size. For that reason, all students interested in seeking the Congregational
Health Ministries Certificate must follow the application procedure.
First:
Click on application materials or view and print the application form
(PDF)
Or telephone at:
617.964.1100, ext. 272
800.964.2687, ext. 272
FAX 617.965.9756 or
e-mail at
Second: Fill out a simple one page application form, provide a letter of recommendation from a pastor or church official, and compose a short essay expressing why you are interested in participating in the Congregational Health Ministries Certificate Program.
Submit these materials with a $25 fee to the Admission's Office by July 1st.
Applicants will be notified of the admission decision by August 1st so that they may
register for the appropriate class or classes.
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For More Information
If you would like to learn more about the program, the courses or the application process
please contact:
Acting Director of the Certificate Program
in Congregational Health Ministries
Dr. Sophia Harrell has a rich
diversity of experience in education, church health ministries, and nursing. Dr. Harrell
received her Ed.D. from the University of Massachussetts, Amherst, her M.A. in Psychology
and Counseling from Assumption College, and her B.S. in Nursing from Winston-Salem State
University in North Carolina. She has also received her Certificate in Congregational
Health Ministries from Andover Newton.
She was Professor of Nursing at Fitchburg State College for 32 years and Chairperson for the Department of Nursing for several years. She has also taught at the University of Massachusetts, at Quinsigamond Community College and worked as a staff nurse in various hospitals. She received the Excellence in Education Award from Sigma Theta Tau International, a National Research Service Award from Oregon Health Sciences University and several other distinctions in her career.
Dr. Harrell is currently active in developing a congregational health ministry at her
Methodist church in Sudbury, MA.
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Faculty in the Certificate
Program
Professor Brita L. Gill-Austern, Faculty Director of Program
Professor Sophia Harrell, Acting Director of Congregational Health Ministries
Professor Sharon Thornton
Professor S. Mark Heim
Adjunct Professor Margaret Benefiel
Adjunct Professor Joan Klagsbrun
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Updated May 9, 2006