Serving as the Health Ministry’s leader for your church is a precious and sacred calling. This important ministry can make an impact on both your church and community, as well as in your own life. You can be sure that God has tremendous plans for you and your ministry, and He will be your Strength and Joy as you carry this role.
God has placed Seventh-day Adventists at the crossroads of interest around the world, greatly, in part, because of our emphasis on health, healing, and wholeness. Scientists have documented that Seventh-day Adventists who embrace a healthier lifestyle live longer than the average person. With a large network of hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizations, the Adventist Church has a noticeable impact on health of nations around the world. The Adventist health message continues to receive positive press in scientific journals, popular magazines, and newspapers. All of this provides tangible evidence that following the Bible has benefits that extend to every area of our lives, and places us among the most important factors in the health and happiness of the world’s communities.
Even from the earliest days of the church, Adventists have been active in helping people achieve their potential for physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. These values grow in importance in the light of current struggles with addictions, depression, suicidality, loneliness, pain, and hopelessness. Like no time before, Adventists are standing in the gap for our neighbors and communities. In the same way that the Five-Day Plan to Stop Smoking attracted wide public attention in the 1960s, Blue Zones drew interest in the early 2000s. Today, in greater efforts than we can achieve on our own, Adventist health leaders and members need to live and promote God’s health principles and practices. And in doing so, we can lead them to the Source of Life – God our Creator.
This Quick Start Guide for Health Ministries Coordinator (pdf available here) is full of important information to help you start or revitalize a ministry at your local church. This guide contains a job description, instructions for getting started, tips for maintaining a successful ministry, troubleshooting suggestions, recommended resources, and more. Whether you’re new to this ministry or an experienced volunteer, this Quick Start Guide will inspire you with lots of great ideas you can immediately put to use in your local church.
- Committed to Christ as his/her personal Savior
- Member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in good standing at the local church
- A passion for helping others succeed
- Ability to recognize gifts and abilities of team members
- Willingness to partner with others, including other church department leaders, to promote success of the church’s mission
- Knowledge and interest in health education, and principles of healthy living
- Understanding of scientific process
- Written and oral communication skills
- No conflicting interest, such as personal business interest.
