Meeting holistic health needs through a religious organization: the congregation

Jesus's healing ministry is making a comeback in Christian congregations today. One method the church is using to facilitate this healing ministry is through the parish nurse ministry. The parish nurse model uses the holistic health concept that health is an interplay of body, mind, and spirit. The parish nurse ministry implements the gospel through health education, health counseling, patient advocacy, referrals, support groups, and the training of volunteers. The focus of this article is meeting the holistic health needs through a religious organization: the congregation. This article briefly reviews the concepts of holistic health and Christianity and healing, and it gives an example of implementing this concept in a congregation.