Care Ministry

The Care Ministry empowers the believer to grow into the ministry of the Spirit, and it equips churches to experience the harvest growth the Lord has ordained for them. This ministry has changed the lives of Christians and churches throughout the world. This is not a church growth program; it is a lifestyle of love that will empower believers to discover the miracles the Lord has prepared for them, and lead scores of hurting people to the Lord.

The Care Ministry is designed to make sure visitors don't fall through the cracks. Members of the care team meet and greet visitors at the church services. During the service care team members ask about the visitors' needs and prays for them. Then, the team follows up throughout the week and makes sure everyone gets plugged into a care group.

Through the Care Ministry we'll be better able to identify visitors and guests to our church, identify and pray for their needs, initiate them into the love of Christ, and integrate them into the family of Christ.

Values of the Care Ministry

1. The Ministry of the Believer

   You are a miracle waiting to happen. The Lord is in each believer to meet the needs of others by the power of the Spirit and the love of God. The needs of the visitors, the unchurched, and the unsaved cannot be met by church staff. Only by equipping the saints to do the work of ministry will the church gather the harvest.

2. Availability

   My availability gives God opportunity to do a miracle through me. Miracles occur because of the grace and favor of God, and not man's natural or spiritual ability. Availability is the step of faith that gives God the opportunity to do what He wants to do: meet needs by the power of the Spirit.

3. Need Fulfillment Ministry

   Visitors are not visitors; visitors are miracles disguised as needs. Jesus came to meet the needs of hurting humanity by the power of the love of God and the Spirit of God. The key to success is to find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it.

4. Relationships

   Heartfelt needs are met through relationships. Relationships empower the Care member to meet the needs of others by first meeting the needs of those ministering. Loving relationships strengthen the Care member to meet needs and love bonds the visitor to the church.

5. Training

   Training produces competence, competence produces confidence, and confidence produces success. Christians need more than the nurture of the Word to be effective ministers. Ministry skills training will equip the believer for effective need fulfillment ministry.

6. Team Ministry

   Team Ministry produces multiplication by the power of the unity of the Spirit. Individual effort will not accomplish the purpose of the church. Team ministry releases the synergy of the Spirit by employing the gifts, strengths, and skills of each individual to become one of the Team. Interdependence on the Care Team releases each person to achieve the greatest effectiveness.

7. Discipleship

   The goal of the Care Ministry is a disciple of Jesus Christ. The difference between a disciple and a decision is simply that a decision is invisible and a disciple is in church. A disciple is one who is initiated into the Kingdom of God, integrated into the relationships and ministry of the church, and owns the vision and values of the local church.

8. Vision

   Vision produces faith, faith produces passion, and passion produces commitment. A fresh vision of the ministry of the believer, of the harvest, and of the relationships in the church will empower Christians to experience the ministries the Lord has for them.

Source: You Are a Miracle Waiting to Happen! by Ken Houts