Christian Health and Wellness
Ministry Department
Description
Purpose of the Department
Hartland College’s Christian Health and Wellness Ministry Department’s vision and purpose is to prepare missionaries to touch people’s lives with God’s love through well-rounded degrees that integrate health and wellness theory with practical therapeutic skills taught by qualified and experienced faculty within a distinctively Seventh-day Adventist biblical worldview.
Why This Program Exists
This program prepares students to take the wholistic approach taught by the Seventh-day Adventist church in restoring physical and mental health in the lives of those who have been struggling with illness. We believe that leading people to experience optimal health and wellness will also lead them to God, our Creator as Jesus and the apostles frequently exemplified in their ministry.
Our Philosophy
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are instructed in the Bible to abstain from practices that are harmful and to practice temperance in good things. Thus, following the biblical principles of health and wellness is an integral component of the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine and religion. Ellen White stated: “The only hope of better things is in the education of the people in right principles. Let physicians teach the people that restorative power is not in drugs, but in nature. Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to re-establish right conditions in the system” (Ministry of Healing, p. 127).
Traditionally, healthcare is associated with sick care. Although we believe there is a place for traditional care, we also encourage a more wholistic approach. Our aim is to complement the goals of allopathic treatment in restoring optimal health by focusing on educating on the importance of adhering to the laws of health established by God, our Creator.
Who Should Attend This Program?
This program is designed for anyone who is:
- Passionate about educating people in the natural laws of health.
- Highly interested in learning natural ways to treat disease.
- Highly interested in integrating faith, a biblical worldview, and science.
Student Learning Outcomes
This program is designed to:
Equip students to see the hand of the Creator in all living systems and the natural world.
After successfully completing their studies, students will be:
Biblical-Worldview Researchers:
Students develop a biblical worldview in health and wellness as they apply Bible and Spirit of Prophecy principles to the essential concepts of the basic sciences, while discerning the relationship between the two.
Health and Wellness Educators:
Students practice and effectively communicate key principles of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing and key concepts of the core sciences while they engage in educational activities in schools, churches, and other community venues.
Comprehensive Health Ministers:
Students advance spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical restoration as they effectively participate in community outreach, wellness center programs, and church programs in the foreign or home mission field.
Critical Thinkers:
Students evaluate issues, problems, or situations related to health or illness cases by analyzing evidence, considering alternative solutions, and assessing potential outcomes. Guided by a Christian worldview, they will seek to identify biases, contextual influences, and underlying assumptions while applying biblical principles of wisdom, integrity and compassion to develop well-informed and faith-centered conclusions.
Scientific Problem Solvers:
Students explain and resolve typical quantitative problems associated with the health and wellness.
Degrees Offered
This degree qualifies students to work in the fields of health evangelism and wellness education. It leads to service opportunities focused on wellness and education in health ministry. Students are prepared to understand the origin of illness and how to handle it as it relates to the transgression of the law of life and the natural laws. Students will also be trained on how to start and operate a wellness center.
Degree Type: Bachelor in Christian Health & Wellness degree
Course duration: 4 years
Credits: 177-188
Internship: 20 weeks
This is the foundational degree in the field of health evangelism and Christian wellness education. It qualifies students into entry-level ministry in the field of health and wellness missionary work. Graduates from this degree program will be able to work as an associate in a lifestyle/wellness center, a Bible worker, and a wellness life and health spiritual coach.
Degree Type: Associate degree in Christian Health & Wellness
Course duration: 2 years plus internship
Credits: 100-121 (72 credits are core classes from the freshman and sophomore years, and 28-49 are credits of major-specific classes.)
Internship: 10 weeks
Minor in Christian Health and Wellness Education
Students desirous of adding a Christian Health Education minor to their program of study must declare a minor with their academic advisor and complete a minimum of 22 credits in health and wellness.
For more information see the Academic Bulletin