Healthy Congregations Covenant Program

Decision Tree

The deadline for the new 2008 Healthy Congregations Recognition Reports or Health Ministry Plans is March 1, 2009.

View recorded webinars and learn more about the new programs.

To help you determine the Healthy Congregations option which best fits your church at this time, ask yourself the questions in the table below, continuing until you come to a "stop" instruction.

More detail about the Covenant options, including "Frequently Asked Questions", is available below the "decision tree" table. When you're ready to sign your Covenant, or to discuss questions you have about the Healthy Congregations program, please contact Matt Kuzma via email or by calling 620-662-8586 / 800-369-7191.

1. Does/will your pastor seek to visibly support your congregational health ministry and act as a role model in the four dimensions of health (spir., phys., ment., soc.)?
If Yes: Continue to question 2	If No: Your church may submit a standalone Healthy Congregations Report but pastor support is necessary for a successful HC Covenant.
2. Are you interested in maintaining and, ideally, growing your current congregational health ministries?
If Yes: Continue to question 3	If No: Your church is invited to participate in the Level One Covenant or submit a standalone Healthy Congregations Report even if your church may not yet be ready for the greater Level Two commitment.
3. Are you interested in developing a congregational health ministry team?
If Yes: Continue to question 4	If No: Your church is invited to participate in the Level One Covenant or submit a standalone Healthy Congregations Report. We hope you'll consider participating at Level Two when it's right for your congregation.
4. Are you interested in participating in health ministry team skill development courses?
If Yes: Congratulations! It sounds like your church is ready to make a greater commitment to congregational health ministries. Since you answered all of the questions affirmatively, your church is eligible to participate in the Level Two Covenant. Of course the Level One Covenant or the standalone HC Report remain available as alternatives.	If No: Your church is encouraged to participate in the Level One Covenant or submit a standalone Healthy Congregations Report. We hope you'll continue to grow your health ministry and consider participating in the Level Two Covenant next year!

Download the Healthy Congregations Covenant Brochure [pdf file]
Download the Healthy Congregations Covenant official overview [pdf file]
Download the new HC Report Forms and HC Planning Forms [pdf files] (note: these forms are provided as examples only; do not submit paper forms - use the online forms only)

Use the following links when you're ready to start a 2008 HC Report, 2009 HC Plan, or enter into an HC Covenant Agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Covenant of Action" (Level Two Covenant)?

Each church that commits to completing the capacity-building modules -- core courses -- of the training, and includes an activities plan with its Healthy Congregations report, will be awarded an initial $1,000 grant for program support. Once a church has completed the core courses, it qualifies for a $1,000 grant each subsequent year by submitting a health ministry activities plan with its report. Churches that participated in the earlier Healthy Congregations in Action (HCIA) pilot project are considered to have already completed the core course requirements.

The Level Two "Covenant of Action" requires that the Pastor and the Health Ministry Coordinator enter into a covenant agreement with UMHMF, agreeing that:

The Pastor will seek to visibly support the congregation's health ministry and act as a role model in the four dimensions of health (spiritual, physical, mental, social)
A minimum of three team members will each complete all 7 of the required core health ministry courses within two years and will each complete additional health ministry training in subsequent years.
They will complete at least 3 outcome-based plans that either significantly expand on current activities or that add new activities to their health ministry and submit those plans in advance for approval and feedback.
The team will implement the approved plans and file an annual report (new Healthy Congregations Report) covering all of their plans; and
They will receive $1,000 to spend on health ministry training expenses and health ministry activities

What is the "Covenant of Participation" (Level One Covenant)?

This is designed for churches either just starting their involvement with health ministry or, for whatever reason, not yet ready to make the fuller commitment encompassed by the Level Two Covenant. Level One churches will receive a $100 grant with completion of the Healthy Congregations report as the only obligation. No further reporting will be required.

The Level One "Covenant of Participation" requires that the Pastor and Health Ministry Coordinator enter into a covenant agreement with UMHMF, agreeing that:

The Pastor will strive to visibly support and model health ministry and healthy behaviors
They will plan and implement health ministry activities
They will submit an annual report (new Healthy Congregations Report) of the most successful 3 to 5 activities; and
They will receive $100 from UMHMF to spend on health ministry activities/resources.

What is the new Healthy Congregations Report?

The new Healthy Congregations Report is a greatly simplified version of the long-standing HC reports of years past. Completing an annual HC Report fulfills the reporting requirements of the Covenant agreements. For the 2008 reporting year only (activities during 2008; report due March 2009), churches may elect to submit a standalone Healthy Congregations Report without participating in a Covenant agreement. After this initial year, a Level One or Level Two Covenant agreement in good standing is required to participate in the Healthy Congregations program and receive health ministry funds from UMHMF.

If you have submitted a Healthy Congregations report before, the new form will feel familiar but some major differences will soon be apparent. Instead of requesting details on all health ministry activities conducted during the report year, the new form has been changed to focus on your church's 3 to 5 most successful health ministry activities/events/projects.

Historical HC Report form	New HC Report form
Requested some detail on all health ministry activities	Requests information only about the 3-5 most successful health ministry activities, but with greater detail where available
Provided a list of "common activities" and asked for details on those conducted during report year	Provides a simple "check-the-box" list of common activities. If the activity or one like it was conducted, just check the box. That's it!
If at least a minimum number of activities was reported, based on church size, a choice of free health resource (first aid kit, blood pressure monitor, etc.) selected from a list was awarded.	All churches completing the HC Report will receive $100 cash to support their health ministry, to be used as needed.
From each Conference, one church in each of the three membership categories would be chosen from all reporting churches as a "Healthy Congregation of the Year" based on outstanding examples of health ministry. The award included $1500 cash to support health ministry.	All churches entering into, or maintaining in good standing, a Level Two Covenant receive $1000 annually to support health ministry.

The deadline for the new 2008 Healthy Congregations Recognition Reports or Health Ministry Plans is March 1, 2009.

Use the following links when you're ready to start a 2008 HC Report, 2009 HC Plan, or enter into an HC Covenant Agreement.