Religion Briefs Star-Bulletin staff & Associated Press

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Classes teach ministering to ill

The Pacific Health Ministry is offering classes to prepare church members to minister to people who are seriously ill or dying.

The Lay Chaplaincy Training Program equips people to help their own congregations or to qualify as volunteer assistants for professional chaplains who serve in most Hawaii hospitals.

The course teaches volunteers about visitation practices and setting boundaries, offers models for conducting helpful conversations with ill people, and provides insight into different ethnic groups' sensitivities to death and dying.

The seven-part course will begin Jan. 7 and meet Monday evenings at Unity Church of Hawaii, 3802 Diamond Head Circle. Each applicant must have the support of a pastor, priest or rabbi.

For registration information, call 591-6556 or send an e-mail to PHM@pacifichealthministry.org.

Course will cover health ministry

A class on Faith Community Nursing will be presented next month for professional nurses and others interested in developing and understanding a church health ministry program.

The one-week course will be sponsored by the Health Ministries Association of Hawaii and Castle Medical Center. Classes will be from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28 through Feb. 1 at the medical center.

The course will be led by Carol Story, program director with Puget Sound Parish Nurse Health Ministries in Washington, with local faculty providing material sensitive to local cultural, religions and social issues.

Attendees will earn 35 continuing education credits.

The course is designed for registered nurses but is open to others interested in faith community nursing and health ministry development.

The cost is $50. For registration information call Sue Pignataro at 247-2828 or write to spignataro@hawaii.rr.com.