You are here because you have an interest in natural health. You are probably interested in making your own medicines, taking care of those not well, or just simply natural living. Still yet, your true motive for being here could even be stronger than that before mentioned; you are probably really here because you have a calling – called specifically to the service of Christ, to Gospel Medical Missionary work. Riversdale Training Institute is here to help with your basic preparation for such a high calling. Click on the navigation links to the left to learn about our hybrid DUAL  program in Natural Health &  Missionary Training.

Natural Medicine (Healing)

What is Natural Medicine?

Natural medicine is a way of life, science, and art; it deals primarily with holistic care. That is the whole person (physical, mental, and spiritual). It is a design built on principles that emphasize and serves to promote the knowledge, restoration, and maintenance of health, thus preventing disease.

Natural health practice focuses on identifying the underlying causes of disease in individuals. Therapeutic modalities in natural health utilize the natural world, physical manipulation, nutrition, botanical medicine (therapies), hydrotherapy, lifestyle change, and spirituality.

The practitioners are usually private workers (self-employed) with varying degrees of experience, training, and privileges. A well-trained practitioner can be of great benefit to their family, community, and society with the blessing of God.

Principles of Natural Medicine (Healing)

The platform of natural health practice is laid in the following 4 principles.

• Natural health workers promote a balanced natural healthy lifestyle which constitutes everything that has to do with how one lives (diet, dress, work, environment, etc.) and relation to humanity and the spiritual. This rightly executed will do far greater to prevent disease.

• Natural health practitioners’ primary work is to educate the client on healthful practices and methods and encourage responsibility for personal health. They also acknowledge and encourage the health-giving value inherent in the spiritual relationship with God.

• The natural health worker seeks to know the underlying causes of illness in an individual. Therefore works to identify and facilitate the removal of the cause, rather than merely suppress symptoms. The practice recognizes the body’s implanted ability to free itself of health-destroying conditions. The practitioners work to identify and facilitate the removal of obstacles to recovery, thus assisting nature to heal herself.

• Natural health practitioners cater to individual needs. Thus seeks to consider the whole person and those things that may have an impact on the individual; hence taking into account physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and social factors.

The program is aligned to three (3) primary Standards through a five (5) Course framework. They are as follows:

1. Biblical Standards 
2. Standards  of the – National Consortium for Health Science Education (NCHSE)
3. Standard UK (National Health Service) – Health and Social Care

The Framework for the program is as follows [you may view the curriculum outline in the relevant section]:

1. Provides a biblical and prophetic understanding of the past and current social context in which the student is expected to carry out their work while personally keeping and promoting biblical laws and standards.
   • Know and explain biblical laws
   • Understand elements that are destructive to spiritual growth
   • Know how to conduct bible studies for individuals and groups
   • Be personally prepared with relevant skills necessary for the prophetic period depicted in Revelation chapters 13, 14, 22 and
2. Provides an understanding of the social and biological causes of disease
   • Understand and explain human anatomy and physiology
   • Develop a holistic view of complete health (i.e., physical, mental, and spiritual health)
   • Read, analyze and interpret health data
   • Characterize the social and behavioral determinants of physical health
   • Know common morbidities, their prevalence, causes, and treatments
   • Describe the process of infection and disease transmission
3. Provide the knowledge and facilitate the development of the skills necessary to engage in the work of the promotion of health and disease prevention.
   • Identify and analyze health problems and challenges in their communities and develop solutions for addressing these
   • Work collaboratively on projects to accomplish goals
   • Understand the principles of coaching for application to patient management such as goal setting, mentoring, and motivating clients and communities
4. Develop an understanding of ethics in the context of health care service, resource management, and prevention planning and delivery.
   • Understand healthcare policies and their effect on various groups
   • Design ways to address stigma related to alternative treatments and the promotion of personal choice of clients with respect to personal accountability for one’s own health and wellbeing
   • Design ways to promote alternative modes of healthcare and demonstrate their safety and effectiveness
   • Formulate responses to ethical and legal concerns relating to health service provision and choice of healthcare delivery

Tools needed for the program

**Note this list is not comprehensive, module-specific tools may be required

Here are some skills you will learn in your Hybrid dual Natural Health and Missionary Training Program

• Backyard Gardening
• Food Preservation Methods & Canning
• Soap Making
• Bread Making
• Health Assessment
• Individualized Nutrition Counseling & Planning
• Herbal Medicine Making
• Natural Therapies
• Much more…