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Embodying Thoughts and Prayers: Providing Spiritual Care and Comfort
Develop Ministry Skills for Compassionate and Meaningful Care Visits
About this Course
Embodying Thoughts and Prayers: Providing Spiritual Care and Comfort is designed to supply faith community members with the tools they need to address visitation ministry challenges head-on.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
Picture yourself offering compassionate, steadying guidance in the midst of someone's uncertainty, job loss, or grief or providing quiet words of comfort during a hospital visit. Imagine the difference you could make during times of trouble and need if you were equipped with the right skills and resources.
The need for congregation members and leaders to step in to provide compassionate peer-to-peer spiritual care is happening more and more often. In our ever-changing world, churches must build competent lay teams to share the responsibility of long care visit lists, and judicatory leaders must empower congregation members to take on visitation ministry where clergy may not be available at all. Especially as they find themselves called to offer solace and support during hard times, these leaders grapple with the question: "How can I provide effective care in such new, diverse, and complex situations?" Together, we are all seeking ways to build stronger, more resilient faith communities that thrive on meaningful spiritual care and comfort—and we are all in need of tools to equip those on the front lines.
This transformative course is designed to supply faith community members with the tools they need to address visitation ministry challenges head-on. With the guidance and resources supplied through this course, we can develop communities of empowered leaders who understand the nuances of care visits and provide peer-to-peer support that strengthens the bonds within congregations.
Modules
Welcome
Get oriented to the course, meet your instructor, download the interactive handbook, and more.
Jesus Embodies God’s Care
In this module, you will:
- Understand how Jesus embodies God’s care.
- Determine basic human needs in your community.
- Meditate on the comfort Jesus gives.
God’s Care Through Listening
In this module, you will:
- Learn techniques for deep listening.
- Develop your ability to listen to God.
- God’s Care Through ListeningPrepare to provide care to those with life-altering health challenges.
God’s Care in Waiting
In this module, you will:
- Learn the importance of presence.
- Develop trust in God as you wait.
- Practice strategies for encouraging those who are waiting.
Receiving God’s Care Through Self-Care
In this module, you will:
- Learn how self-care enables you to reflect the image of God more fully.
- Rejoice in who God has made you to be.
- Practice strategies for taking care of your God-created self.
God’s Care Over Time
In this module, you will:
- Learn skills for encouraging others in long-term difficulties.
- Practice seeing others through God’s eyes.
- Develop resources for spiritual care.
God’s Care in Grief and Loss
In this module, you will:
- Learn biblical and psychological models for grief and loss.
- Rest in God’s comfort.
- Develop skills for supporting those in grief and loss.
Completing the Course
Find out your next steps as you complete the course and how to stay connected with your group. You'll also be able to submit feedback about your course.
One-time purchase
$55
With Faith+Lead Membership
$0*
Get a free public display license to use for group study.
$0*
*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month
- Modules:
8 Modules
- Format:
Self-Paced, On-Demand
- Access:
Lifetime Access
Get to Know Your Instructors
Hollie Holt-Woehl
Rev. Dr. Hollie Holt-Woehl holds a Ph.D. in Pastoral Care and Counseling, with an emphasis on the congregation from Luther Seminary (2007). Her dissertation, “Congregations as Trinitarian Communities: Accepting, Welcoming, and Supporting People with Chronic Mental Illness,” explores congregations welcoming people with mental illness into congregation life. Ordained in 1993 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), she has served congregations in rural, urban, and suburban settings.
Dr. Holt-Woehl is an Adjunct Professor at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Since 2008, she has taught the course “Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families” and has served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology at St John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, MN, since 2021. She is also an intentional interim pastor in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod (ELCA).
Dr. Holt-Woehl is the author of They Don’t Come with Instructions: Cries, Wisdom, and Hope for Parenting Children with Developmental Challenges, and many other publications.
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One-time purchase
- Access to this on-demand course
- Access the leaders guide for group study
- Access the course workbook for individual study
- A private, supportive online community
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- Access to 40+ on-demand courses
- Access every live and recorded workshop
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- Access to this on-demand course
- Access to all 40+ on-demand courses
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What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course
You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.
Know
Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.
Be
Do
Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.
Every Academy course is designed to
Help your growth in one of these core areas:
Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.
Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.
Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.
Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when I take an Academy course?
Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).
How long will it take me to complete a course?
Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.
What resources are available if I’m a group leader?
Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.
What do I need to know about the free private online social group?
The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.
What should I do if I have questions or problems with my registration?
Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.
What if I have a suggestion or request for a course topic?
The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.
Don’t see your question addressed?
Email us at support@faithlead.org for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!