Expand Your Impact for February

If you cannot see images, please [click here]( [Shop CTA Products]( [Shop CTA Products]( [Women's Ministry]( [Men's Ministry]( [Children's Ministry]( [General Ministry]( [CTA Advantage]( February 2021 [The Case for Care]( Written by Kristin Schultz Editor’s Note: This article begins a three-part series exploring ways your care-ministry program can minister to your congregation and your community through your care teams. It’s time to take another look at care ministry. When the pandemic hit last spring, it upended our lives and our work. Lockdowns and social distancing completely changed our day-to-day routines . . . [Read More]( [Read More . . .]( tips & trends Starting or restarting care ministry doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It’s a big job to care for God’s people but you don’t have to go it alone. Keep in mind that the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference. Here are four ideas for starting (or restarting) your care ministry: - Know Your Audience – Which people or groups of people in your midst take priority when it comes to needing care? Has a large number of people in your congregation been laid off? Does your ministry consist mainly of retired or elderly people? If you know who (generally speaking) needs care, you can prioritize programs that will have the greatest impact. - Assess the Need – What do your people need? If a number of people are isolated or homebound, you may want to focus your efforts on phone outreach and check-ins. If unemployment is the main challenge, consider collecting funds from those who can contribute and purchase grocery or gas gift cards. See if there is anyone who could help those looking for work to edit or update their resumes. - Ask for Help – It is impossible to care for everyone by yourself. Know your own bandwidth and ask for help. People don’t even need special training! Ask two or three volunteers to write and send thinking-of-you cards to shut-ins or to call and check in on members. If there are people in your ministry with specific gifts and talents for networking or resume editing, connect them with those looking for work. - Reevaluate Community Resources – You may have had a pre-pandemic list of community resources like food banks or employment centers. Take another look and make sure your list of outside resources is up to date. Has your county or state started a new mental health hotline since the pandemic started? - Keep Your Eyes Open – When making phone calls or in conversations with people, listen for ways to connect people. Perhaps someone learned a new language while in lockdown and can now help a new immigrant who just moved into your area. Maybe someone who left their job to homeschool their children could help tutor or provide daycare for someone who needs it. Care ministry can be intense and exhausting. People are hurting and you can’t always solve their problems. Engage others to help you and try organizing your efforts according to needs and ways that you can help people. Pray for God’s people, those in your community, and those outside. Pray for caring leaders to meet the challenge of helping hurting people. Pray that God would provide resources that people need to make it through what they’re facing. As you look around at the people in your midst and evaluate the struggles they may be facing, don’t forget to keep your own mental and spiritual health in mind. No one is immune to the effects of the last 12 months, and that includes you. While it is more important than ever to restart or bolster your care ministry to others, be mindful of your own health and do not hesitate to seek professional help. bonus And now for a little something extra. . . From articles to devotions to activity ideas and how-to lists, the CTA Blog has useful resources to help you and your ministry. [Read More. . .]( [A Hope-Filled Devotion]( [Read More]( [Read More. . .]( [Outreach to the Homebound]( [Read More]( [Read More. . .]( [8 Ways Leaders Can Feed Their Faith]( [Read More]( [Women's Ministry]( [Men's Ministry]( [Children's Ministry]( [General Ministry]( [CTA Advantage]( CTA, Inc. 1653 LARKIN WILLIAMS ROAD, FENTON, MO 63026, United States customerservice@ctainc.com []( This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you've subscribed on our site or made a purchase. [Unsubscribe]( | [Edit preferences](