Is Your Church Missing This? 5 Signs You Need a Care Ministry—and How to Launch One

By Nyasha Flores

Here at The Church Cares, we aim to nurture the congregational care helpers. That’s why we’re proud to offer free high-quality support to those who want to pray, care, and engage more effectively with the hurting world around them.

The Heart Behind the Call

It usually starts with a phone call. Someone in your congregation has just lost a parent. Another is struggling quietly with depression. A young couple is considering divorce. And while you, the pastor or ministry leader, want to help each of them, your calendar is already overflowing. Your heart aches. Your capacity is stretched.

This is the moment many church leaders realize: we need a care ministry. Not because we’re failing, but because the needs have outgrown the current structure. The good news? You don’t need to be a mega church or have a budget surplus to start a care ministry. You just need willing hearts, a simple plan, and the conviction that no one should have to hurt alone.

Here are five signs your church might be ready—and how to begin building a care ministry that reflects the compassion of Christ.

Sign 1: The Pastor Is the Only "Care Team"

If every request for support lands on one person’s desk, it’s not a care ministry—it’s a recipe for burnout. Whether it’s hospital visits, grief counseling, or walking with families through crisis, too many pastors are carrying the emotional load alone.

Why It Matters: Scripture calls the church to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), not for one person to carry them all. When the care structure depends solely on the pastor, needs fall through the cracks. Worse, the pastor often suffers in silence, juggling both public leadership and private heartbreak.

The Shift:A lay caregiving model allows churches to multiply compassion. When trained volunteers are empowered to walk alongside others, the entire body becomes a channel of Christ's care.

Sign 2: People Are Quietly Hurting—and You Don’t Find Out Until It’s Too Late

Has someone ever left your church because they felt alone during a personal crisis? Or shared, long after the fact, that they were going through a mental health struggle, a miscarriage, or a difficult caregiving season and no one noticed?

Why It Matters: People assume that because the church is friendly, it's equipped to care. But too often, the hurting become invisible in the crowd. Without intentional pathways for support, needs remain unmet and souls remain isolated.

The Shift: A care ministry creates systems of presence. Volunteers are trained to notice, listen, and walk with others. Whether it’s through small groups, Sunday teams, or prayer chains, people are seen and supported.

Sign 3: You Refer Out—But Don’t Walk With

Most churches are quick to refer someone to a counselor or community agency—and that’s a good thing. But when "referring out" becomes the default response, people may feel the church has passed them off instead of walking alongside them.

Why It Matters: Professional help is essential. But spiritual encouragement and relational support are equally crucial, and uniquely the church's to offer. When someone is facing grief, trauma, or mental health challenges, they need more than an appointment—they need community.

The Shift: Care ministries don’t replace professional care—they pair with it. Lay caregivers can offer weekly check-ins, prayer, meals, and presence while someone is receiving outside support. This approach reinforces that healing happens best when professional and spiritual care work together.

Sign 4: Your Volunteers Feel Insecure About Helping

You likely have people with big hearts and willing hands—but they hesitate to step into others’ pain. They worry about saying the wrong thing, crossing boundaries, or not having the right words.

Why It Matters: Many would serve if they felt prepared. But in the absence of training, fear often wins. That means missed opportunities for ministry and a church culture where care is reserved for the "experts."

The Shift: A lay caregiving model includes simple, reproducible training. Volunteers learn how to listen well, know their limits, offer biblical encouragement, and know when to refer. With the right tools and a little coaching, confidence grows—and so does the reach of your care.

Sign 5: You Sense God Calling Your Church to Deeper Community

Sometimes, the need isn’t triggered by crisis—it’s stirred by vision. You long for a church where no one has to suffer in silence. Where care is not a program but a people. Where belonging runs deep and spiritual maturity is nurtured through real relationships.

Why It Matters: The Church was never meant to be a Sunday-only space. We are the Body of Christ, called to love one another deeply (Romans 12, 1 Peter 4). A care ministry isn’t just about crisis management—it’s about building a culture where healing, presence, and discipleship naturally happen.

The Shift: Launching a care ministry can reorient your church’s culture around compassion. It reminds your congregation that we are all ministers of presence, and that maturity in Christ looks like loving well.

How to Start a Care Ministry: Simple First Steps

You don’t need a 30-page plan or a massive team to begin. Just take one faithful step at a time. Here’s how:

1. Pray and Cast Vision Begin with prayer and clarity. Ask God to reveal who in your church may have gifts of mercy, encouragement, or pastoral presence. Share the vision with your staff, elders, or small group leaders. Paint a picture of what could be.

2. Identify a CARE Coordinator This is someone who loves people and is organized enough to keep track of needs. They don’t have to be a professional—just someone with wisdom and availability. Their role is to help match needs with volunteers, follow up on referrals, and keep things moving.

3. Start Small With Lay Caregivers Invite 3-5 people to go through a short training (our Care-Prayer-Share course at thechurchcares.com is designed to provide a brief training). Emphasize that their role isn’t to fix problems but to be faithfully present.

4. Set Boundaries and Provide Support Make sure your team knows what to do and what not to do. They should understand when to refer, how to maintain confidentiality, and how to avoid giving advice outside their scope.

5. Celebrate and Share Stories As people begin receiving care, share testimonies (with permission) of how God is working. This builds trust, expands vision, and encourages others to get involved.

Conclusion: You Don’t Have to Do It All. You Just Have to Start.

If you're noticing these signs in your church, don’t ignore them. They may be the Spirit’s invitation to move from reactive care to intentional ministry.

Remember: you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take one step. When you train a few people, create a simple structure, and start showing up for those who hurt, something beautiful happens: the church begins to look more like Jesus.

Because care isn’t a program. It’s the people of God, showing up with the love of Christ.