The process of dying initiates a common set of issues and concerns at the end of life. This course guides students considering a ministry in healthcare, social work, or hospice to consider the issues of grief, loss, unfinished business, spiritual concerns, and meaning in the context of the dying process.
Given the size of our aging population and rising cost of healthcare, end of life concerns have become a national issue. This opens up the opportunity for ministerial and ecclesiastical contribution to the needs of this population. Students interested in serving God through the work as a medical professional or social worker or hospice caregiver must have an essential understanding of end of life issues both as a foundation for further study in their respective fields and as a means of responding with relevance to this growing social need.
One of the great accomplishments of a life well lived is to die well. However, with advancements in medical technology and professionalized care of the dying, many are unequipped to face the interpersonal and spiritual work needed to die well. In this course, students will gain a basic understanding of the common issues at the end of life. Grief, loss, unfinished business, spiritual fear, spiritual growth, the stages of dying, life review, and issues of meaning will each be examined. This course will provide guidance to students considering a ministry in healthcare, social work, or hospice.
The Scriptures speak directly to the importance of care for the elderly as well as spiritual preparation for the afterlife. Followers of Christ are driven the biblical commands of service and care to the needy, hurting, and hungry.
Missional Christians respond to the places where God is at work. It is evident that at the end of life, most persons – whether of faith or no faith – grapple with life’s most important questions, wrestle with the value of their lives, and seek for the peace, comfort, and strength. Being equipped to care for these needs is an essential calling of missional living.
End of life needs and traditions are connected to the values and culture of the local community. Understanding how culture shapes end of life care is critical to developing an effective ministry and practice.
When people of faith engage others with end of life care, they are engaging people where they are, as they are. Choosing end of life ministry engages practitioners in the world of diversity and varying cultural values, challenging the missional minded person to translate the gospel into the culture at hand.
Nothing is as practical as providing care to one’s deepest needs at the end of their lives.
This course engages students at the level of actual ministry experience, helping them to draw upon their own experiences with persons at the end of life.
