Health Ministry Toolkit
Health ministry has long been my passion and calling. Even before health ministry became common in the Black Church, I shared my public health nursing expertise with my local church. I helped members understand their medication regime and link to affordable health services and prescriptions. I screened for high blood pressure and provided resources or counseling to help them understand their health conditions. When the opportunity to formally study faith community nursing as a specialty presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity to pursue my passion. I was in the first graduating class from my seminary with a graduate degree in Ministry and a concentration in Faith Community Nursing.
Combining ministry education and nursing with my calling to serve the people of God has been my joy. I’ve continued the joy of this work for over 17 years. It is now my honor to make myself available to the broader faith community through B'more for Healthy Babies’ Faith-Based Initiative. My goal is to work with church ministries to help them understand how faith intersects with health practices and how they can introduce maternal and child health into their church culture. I look forward to partnering with you in this great work to support young families, pregnant and postpartum women, and babies to thrive and be healthy.
- Rev. Angela Burden, RN
Faith communities have long understood the call to heal the sick and care for the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. But what if that call could be extended to the prevention of disease that will improve the health of generations to come?
When we support mothers and their partners to be as healthy as possible before, during, and after pregnancy – and to provide a safe and healthy home for their baby – we are helping families today and investing in the future. By making sure that every baby has the best start possible, we can feel more confident that when those babies grow up to be healthier adults, they’ll have healthier babies, too!
The Health Ministry Toolkit was designed by B’more for Healthy Babies to help faith communities focus on promoting maternal and child health in their congregations and communities. Whether you’re just starting to plan for a health ministry, or your church already has one, this toolkit is for you. We have advice, tips, and links to resources for health ministries of every size and type!
If you would like additional assistance, please contact Rev. Angela Burden, MA, RN at ABHeiress@gmail.com or 443-983-1184.