How is God using the Christian Health Ministry certificate training?

Two years ago we weren’t exactly sure how an international-friendly, cohort-based, fully online Christian Health Ministry certificate training program might advance God’s kingdom. Yet we knew there was an opportunity to provide additional training about what the Bible says about health, evidence-based ways to assess a community, and the integration of faith and best practices for mental health. Since then, 56 participants enrolled in the program from 9 different countries. Here are just a few stories of the impact this training has had on the communities of our alumni.

Pastor Haga of Megumi church in Mito, Japan shared that he found the participatory learning approach to engage community members effective and appealing. He continued “In order for the truth to leave an impression on people, Jesus Himself led and taught them so that they would compare their own ideas with the truth and then willingly follow Him of their own volition. I now have a strong desire to explore and practice worship or church life using these techniques that are appropriate for Japanese culture.”  Since then, his son Kanon and Sam Brandt (working with Kingdom Workers in Japan) also completed the certificate program and recently hosted an English camp for children in the community using those same engagement skills. [Building trust in the heart of Japan]  

Dr. Edward Mukooza, a physician at Uganda Christian University said “I am one of the people who benefitted most from this certificate program. Especially, the guidance on how we can help those who are extremely poor and yet there are resources in their communities. The other important lesson for me, was the issues of religion and spirituality in public health. This is not effectively explored and applied even in faith based institutions. As a result of exposure to this certificate program, I am planning, as head of department of public health, when we revise curriculum for our public health next year, to intentionally work on this weakness.”  In the meantime, Dr. Mukooza remains actively engaged with the Meros Center, leading a study of substance use among university students and planning ahead for Phase 2 of the project. [Addressing Alcohol and Drug use among Christian College Students]

Rev. Chibikubantu Simweeleba, a professor at the Lutheran Church of Central Africa seminary in Zambia, shared that he found the course provided a meaningful approach to interact with people in a way that was convenient for them.  “Sometimes we judge wrongly and yet the problem seems to be different as you go on the ground” he said.  Working with other alumni, a lecturer from the University of Zambia, and the Churches Health Association of Zambia, they developed a research study proposal with a goal of developing a Bible-based program for Zambian youth that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual health needs identified during his practicum.  Please help advance their effort through the Meros Marketplace. [Enhancing Resiliency and Mental Health Among Church Youth in Zambia]

Jennifer Hatzfeld, who now volunteers full-time with the Meros Center, completed her practicum at Hope Lutheran Church in Los Angeles, California.  Together with a team of moms and preschool teachers, they created a “Mothers of Hope” ministry for mothers of toddlers in the Los Angeles area.  They started a short weekly devotional that is posted on Instagram [Mothers of Hope - Los Angeles] (@mothersofhopela) and hosted a Mother’s Day event that provided mental and spiritual encouragement to moms in their community.  Jennifer, who has advanced degrees in Community Health and nursing said “I thought I knew all about community health, but I had never thought about how theology informs our approach to health nor had I received training about how to understand a community’s hopes, dreams, and perspective.  It was truly life-changing.”

While we are excited about how God is using this certificate program on a global scale, we have also come to recognize there are opportunities to provide the content in different ways, including self-paced modules, Spanish instruction, and a participatory format with high school students interested in ministry or health professions.  In many ways, these efforts are seeds being planted in the ground—join us in our prayer they will bear fruit in many more communities around the world.

Coming Up: Our partnership visits to the Caribbean, Central, and South America are under way. Please pray for safe travel and blessings for all who live in His kingdom, and look for more information next month.

Do you want to positively impact your community?

Our next Community Health Ministry training cohort starts the week of August 26, 2024.  If you are interested, please sign up soon as we are nearly at capacity.

We are grateful for your continual support.

Each opportunity to partner and minister to the marginalized through our research costs between $5,000-$30,000.  We are currently running $56,866 behind on our 2024 goal of $100,000.  We are grateful for and pray God continues to bless all of you, and ask you to pray for and support our mission as the Lord leads your heart.

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