Health Through
Faith and Community

A Study Resource for Christian Faith Communities to Promote
Personal and Social Well-Being

 

About the Curriculum

The Health Through Faith and Community curriculum began with an idea among members of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund's Board of Directors and staff. The book, produced through a Health Fund grant and written by a team led by KU social work professor Dr. Ed. Canda, Ph. D., has been more than five years in the making.

Published by The Haworth Pastoral Press, the curriculum contains eight study sessions which can be used independently or together as a multi-week class. The book provides information and learning activities on the physical, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental aspects of health from an ecumenical Christian perspective. Curriculum sessions include:

  1. A Holistic Christian Vision of Health Through Faith and Community
  2. Faith and Physical Health
  3. Faith and Mental Health
  4. Faith and Spiritual Health
  5. Faith and the Well-Being of the Church Community
  6. Faith and the Well-Being of Society
  7. Faith and Global Well-Being
  8. The End is Just the Beginning

The book is designed as an instructor resource, containing handouts and worksheets which can be copied and distributed to class participants. Participants do not need individual copies of the curriculum book. This website contains electronic versions of the handouts, overheads for projection, and other additional resources.

The Health Fund wishes to thank the members of the Health Through Faith and Community Project Advisory Committee, who volunteered significant amounts of time and provided valuable insight and feedback to make this project a success. Advisory Committee members have included the following:

  • R. Andrew Allison
  • Rev. Joe Babb
  • Mary Clarke Barkley
  • Rev. Cheryl Bell
  • Steve Coen
  • Jane Cooper
  • Debora Cox
  • Virginia Elliott
  • Stephen B. Fawcett, Ph. D.
  • Marci Gieswein, RN
  • George Joehnk
  • Jackie John
  • Linda Johnson
  • Rick Johnson
  • Jeffrey A. Levin
  • Sandra Matthaei
  • Kim Moore
  • Rev. Doug Morphis
  • Pilar Oates
  • Marsha Stranathan
  • Larry W. Tobias

 

The study guide is available through a number of online vendors. To see options for purchasing the book, please click here.

Based in Hutchinson, the mission of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is "Healthy Kansans through cooperative and strategic philanthropy guided by Christian principles." Its funding comes from an endowment established in 1986 by the Kansas West Conference (now Great Plains Conference) of the United Methodist Church from a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Wesley Hospital in Wichita. Since the Health Fund's founding, grants totaling more than $70 million have supported hundreds of health-related projects in Kansas.
©2009 United Methodist Health Ministry Fund