An initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches

PHW Certification: Silver Level

The next level of PHW Certification is the Silver Level. In order to qualify, your congregation must:

  • Complete the three activities required for Bronze Certification.
  • Carry out three activities from List A, below, and two from List B.

Upon completion, please CLICK HERE to submit your information online OR if you think you qualify for a higher level of certification, please review the list of activities required for Gold and submit your information accordingly.

If you have trouble accessing the online form for Silver Certification, please contact PHW staff and request to have a copy emailed to you.

For assistance in achieving all levels of PHW Certification, please see our resource manual for information about our current PHW Health Partners and other organizations with free or low-cost health-related resources to share.  You might also find the list of health promotion ideas helpful.

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LIST A – One-time events

  1. Attend a Partners in Health and Wholeness Clergy Breakfast or Health Liaison Training near you. Alternatively, attend the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities' Community Health Ambassador Program, a Living Healthy workshop, or a Living Healthy training program.
  2. Host at least 1 on-site health screening OR participate in* at least 1 health screening per year. This may include BMI assessments, blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings or other tests to detect or prevent poor health.
  3. Host at least 1 youth event around physical activity or tobacco prevention OR participate in* at least 1 community youth event around physical activity or tobacco prevention per year. The following programs can be of help: NC Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch, Be Active NC, Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education, and Youth Empowered Solutions' Healthy Vessels Program.
  4. Host at least 1 health fair OR participate in* at least 1 community health fair per year.
    *Participation in activities 1-3 above includes the following: 1) helping the host congregation or other community organization with event planning; 2) promoting the event via bulletin inserts, flyers, newsletters or other media outlets; and 3) securing the participation of at least 10 members from your congregation at the event. If you are the host congregation, these rules do not apply.
  5. Preach one or more times a year on health or a health-related topic.
  6. Distribute a health newsletter created by your congregation, Partners in Health and Wholeness or another reputable organization.
  7. Provide bulletin inserts on a variety of health topics. These may be created by your congregation, Partners in Health and Wholeness or other reliable source.
  8. Make health-related brochures, pamphlets, and/or fact sheets readily available to congregants.
  9. Host a potluck dinner and invite guests to bring their favorite healthy dish.
  10. Enlist members of your congregation to participate in a community walk-a-thon or run which not only provides physical activity but also raises money for a worthy cause.
  11. Establish a tobacco-free campus, including grounds.
  12. Host one or more focus days on health. Examples include the Center for Health and Healing's Tobacco Free Sunday, American Heart Association's Go Red Sunday or the American Heart Association's Power Sunday.
  13. Host a movie and discussion night on the documentary series, Unnatural Causes, Place Matters. Offer only healthy snacks!


LIST B – On-going events/programs

  1. Host at least 1 health-related program or class for several weeks (e.g., cooking class, yoga, aerobics, Weight Watchers, smoking cessation, etc.).
  2. Provide children and youth with healthy snacks as an option at youth events and meetings.
  3. Form a sports league, walking/exercise group or other organized group that promotes physical fitness.
  4. Advocate for a public policy change in a health-related area such as health care access, tobacco use prevention, nutrition, or physical activity. The NC Alliance for Health or NC Health Access Coalition can help.
  5. Adopt formal church policies related to healthy eating, physical activity and/or tobacco use prevention. The NC Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch can help.
  6. Form an official health ministry or health committee.
  7. Develop/continue a parish nursing program.
  8. Build/maintain a walking/hiking trail for congregants.
  9. Participate in your denomination's clergy health program, if applicable. A select group of United Methodist clergy can participate in the Clergy Health Initiative.
  10. Have the pastor model good health by maintaining a normal weight (as measured by his/her BMI) and not using tobacco products.
  11. Start/continue a community garden and/or farmer's market. The NC Council of Churches' Come to the Table Program can help.
  12. Work with NC Prevention Partners or Start with Your Heart Program to evaluate your church as a healthy worksite and take recommended steps to make it healthier.
  13. Use a health and wellness study curriculum such as the American Heart Association's Search Your Heart Program; Eat Smart, Move More NC's Faithful Families Program; or the American Cancer Society's Body & Soul.
  14. Form/join a community coalition to improve the health of all North Carolinians.

BRONZE LEVEL

GOLD LEVEL