Over the past 27 years, Concordia has introduced more than 4,100 nurses, clergy, and others to Christian caregiving with strategies on how to begin a congregational health ministry.
In just a few months, the annual Christian Caregiving Conference returns to Concordia to offer a four-day intensive professional development conference in parish nursing and congregational health ministries from June 3-6.
Conference Course Content
At the conference, attendees will experience a variety of course content that integrates a Christ-centered framework in developing a holistic congregational health and parish nurse/faith community nursing ministry. Course content includes:
- Christian caregiving in the context of congregational health
- History and philosophy of parish nursing/faith community nursing
- A theological framework for Christian caregiving, health and healing, and pain and suffering
- Roles and models of parish nursing and faith community nursing
- Spiritual caregiving and effective resources for spiritual care
- Assessing the congregation
- Parish nursing as an integrator of faith and health, health counselor and educator, and community referral agent and volunteer coordinator
- Setting up a parish nurse ministry
- Budgeting
- Parish nurse journeys
- Exercise ministries
- Blood pressure ministries
- Team concepts of parish nursing
The conference is open to parish nurses, clergy, and any other community member or health care professional who is interested in Christian caregiving. The conference can also be taken for credit by audit for any nurses who need continuing education credits as they near their RN license renewal.
Related: What Is Parish Nursing?
Credit by Audit
The Christian Caregiving Conference is available for credit by audit as a 3-credit course—REL 287 Christian Caregiving—for nurses who are need continuing education credits in order to renew their RN license. Reach out to your state board of nursing to see if this introductory conference qualifies for continuing education credits. In previous years, several states have accepted it for 45 hours of continuing education.
If your state approves this course for your license renewal, you will need to complete a CUW enrollment application by visiting the application website, creating a non-degree account, and answering all the questions. When your account is created, log in, and finish course registration for REL 287 Christian Caregiving.
Registration Information
The Christian Caregiving Conference takes place at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin from June 3 to June 6. The cost of attendance is $400, which includes all materials and meals. Attendees are responsible for their own lodging. Group rates are available as well as scholarships for RNs who are serving LCMS churches.
To get started on your conference registration, please contact Carol Lueders Bolwerk at Carol.LuedersBolwerk@cuw.edu.
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