eLimu

Christians and health

Training medical personnel

(Luke 19:1 - 6, Mark 16:15 - 18 )

  • The church trains medical personnel.Its involvement in medical work is in following with the example of Jesus Christ who devoted a lot of His ministry to healing the sick.
  • The church organises seminars and workshops in health service courses and offers scholarships for further training.
  • The church trains medical personnel in:

 

  1. Midwifery
  2. Nursing
  3. Pharmaceutical technology
  4. Laboratory knowledge
  5. Physiotherapy
  6. Radiotherapy
  7. Community-based home care for the terminally ill

The flying doctor service 

  • In many rural areas medical care, which includes medical specialists and medical centres, is very far away.
  • Many people still have no doctors within a 50- kilometre radius of reach.
  • It is for these people that the flying doctor service was introduced.
  • Flying doctors are needed most in remote areas, emergency cases and fatal accidents.
  • The flying doctor service is a medical project initiated by Christians in Kenya and around the world.

Community health programmes 

  • Trained community health workers, field educators and youth educators conduct community health programmes.

Purpose and activities of community health programmes

      (  Luke 9:6 1.)

  1. Static and mobile health clinics:
  • They treat and vaccinate people to prevent diseases. Give family and reproductive health services
  1. Community based activities run by field educators: 
  • Give advice on disease prevention and taking care of the terminally ill. Refer the sick to hospitals and provide follow-up services.
  1. Youth education programmes
  • Train primary and secondary school teachers. Train church youth leaders and provide peer education to help the youth grow into responsible adults.

The church in training the clergy

( 2 Timothy 2:1 - 2 )

  • The clergy have a calling from God to serve the church as pastors or priests.
  • They undergo training in theology, divinity, pastoral studies, counselling, psychology, music, language, communication and administration.
  • They are sent out to do practical work in local churches, schools, prisons, hospitals and even homes for the orphaned and aged.
  • They also offer guidance and counselling to the people in the community.

The church in training the laity

(Acts 6:1- 6. )

  • The laity are ordinary members of the church.
  • They are given various responsibilities in their respective churches.
  • They work in the church, for example, as Sunday school teachers and choir-trainers.
  • There are short courses for Sunday school teachers.
  •  In order to be effective leaders, the laity need to be trained. 

Relief services

(1 Corinthians 16:1 - 3) 

  • The church offers relief services to victims of human-made and natural disasters such as floods, fire, famine and war.These eases the suffering.
  • The church and individuals give money toward famine relief funds to help those that are starving in Kenya.
  • The church at Corinth raised money to help God’s people in Judea.
  • Relief services include distribution of food, medicine and clothing, putting up of shelters for flood and fire victims, paying school fees for the needy children, setting and running of homes such as orphanages and sinking of boreholes.

Christians working together 

 (Psalms 133:1)

  • Christians from different denominations are working together in education, health care and social work. This is called ecumenism.
  • Jesus Christ wants all Christians to be one just as He and the Father are one.