The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Nursing is partnering with ENCORE Ministry Foundation to launch a new Age-Friendly Congregation Certificate program designed to help faith communities and individuals better support older adults through intentional, practical action.
The eight-module program, believed to be the first of its kind nationally, offers a structured, nondenominational approach to helping congregations better support older adults. Open to congregations and individuals across the United States and beyond, the program is free through grant funding and delivered in a self-paced, online format with optional in-person sessions.
Developed by UTC faculty in collaboration with ENCORE Ministry Foundation, the certificate program equips participants with tools to reframe aging, improve accessibility, strengthen intergenerational connection, and support physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Congregations that complete the program earn an Age-Friendly Congregation designation, while individuals may earn recognition as Age-Friendly Congregation Champions.
“The Age-Friendly Congregation Certificate program gives individuals and congregations a practical way to become more intentional about supporting older adults,” said Dr. Kristi Wick, UC Foundation associate professor and Vicky B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology in the UTC College of Nursing. “It is a first-of-its-kind program built around learning modules that help congregations turn that commitment into action.”
The program reflects years of age-friendly work led by the UTC College of Nursing and supported through a Tennessee Department of Health grant now in its fifth year.
