Community Health Ministry Certificate
“I’ll continue using the language, principles, and skills I learned in my professional work in community health ministry and research, as well as in my congregation. I’ll be using what I learned in how I write grant proposals, structure research, work alongside communities, and even in just how I approach problem-solving with my family and community.”
“After all the work was done, I asked them what they learned and discovered from this work. Then, two answers really surprised me and made me very happy. Two non Christians said, `Isn’t everything connected to God?” Another non Christian lady said, `I strongly believe that Megumi church should be the center of the community.”
“Also, I feel this course gave me very real and very practical tools to use to facilitate interaction in my community. With a little practice, we might find they can be used to facilitate engaging meetings in our churches too. I would heartily recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about community health, especially if they want to use it as an inroad to driving Christ’s love deeper into their communities.”
Through a participatory learning approach (PLA), you will discover and master gospel-centered health strategies. You’ll broaden your understanding of cultures and sharpen your ability to engage with communities while addressing serious health concerns.
The Meros Center in collaboration with Wisconsin Lutheran College offers a professional development certificate in Community Health Ministry. This online certificate will give you the theory and skills to conduct community assessments and design a community health ministry strategy for your organization, church, or class. New cohorts begin each January and August. The certificate is $750 and includes three focused classes and the opportunity to practice what you learn from expert instructors with experience in each of the topics. For those demonstrating financial hardships, contact us to see if aid is available. Courses include:
Theology of Community Health
This course focuses on the biblical foundation and theology necessary to implement a community health ministry initiative in your church or community. It covers the theology of the cross, anthropology, the two kingdoms, shalom, vocation, ethics, and the role of science in Christian living. The objective is to provide students with a biblical lens through which community health ministry is understood and applied as a service to our neighbors.
Principles of Health Ministry
This course discusses the principles of community engagement and development through a public health framework. Students will learn participatory learning and action tools, asset-based community development, and health theories to ground community health ministry. Evaluation strategies will be applied to understand program effectiveness and accountability to community needs. Historical approaches to poverty alleviation will be explored to understand current conditions of development.
Mental Health Ministry
This course will focus on the current issue of mental health and illness from a global context. The global burden of anxiety, depression, addiction, and gender-based violence will be understood to compare current faith-based programs and interventions. Several strategies will be learned to support families and community groups with law/gospel approaches.
Practicing Your New Skills
Throughout the courses, practice assignments will give you the opportunity to apply, implement, and reflect on a community health ministry assessment through a church or community partner of your choice. Participants will use specific tools to practice a PLA/asset-based community assessment and report on their experience. Participants will be equipped with the skills to build and execute a community health ministry program.
Through this certificate, you will learn how to engage with like-minded mission, community, church, and health leaders exploring practical community engagement concepts, social, economic, and behavioral determinants of wellness, motivation interviewing, a law/gospel approach to recovery, and theological truths like vocation, the two kingdoms, the fall, and redemption. Each cohort is capped to maximize the learning experience and networking opportunities and participants are encouraged to interact and learn from other diverse cultures. Contact us to learn more, or click below to sign up for an upcoming cohort.
Pastors and Missionaries in resource challenged countries highly valued their Christian Health Ministry training as a tool to spread the Gospel in their congregations and communities. Please consider giving to our tuition assistance fund to support their community outreach.
