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CARE MINISTRY
A simple handwritten note
or telephone call of encouragement can have a big impact on
someone’s day. Desiring to touch the lives of others with
encouragement and support, Gate City Baptist Church recently
launched a new ministry called C.A.R.E. The acrostic C.A.R.E. stands
for Christians Actively Reaching Everyone. The C.A.R.E. Ministry
offers a way for everyone to serve and minister and follow the Great
Commission using their unique talents and gifts.
Since launching the C.A.R.E. Ministry in 2003, church
members have come together on Sunday nights before the evening
Worship service and have written hundreds of encouraging notes or
made supportive telephone calls to people within the community and
to its own members and visitors.
People can plug in to five areas of ministry opportunities. First is
UP-reach. We have people committed to intercessory prayer on behalf
of the needs of people within the church and beyond the church.
Every Sunday evening that the C.A.R.E. Ministry takes place, a group
of people pray for one hour for the needs of the church, community
and the world. A second area of ministry is HAND-reach, which is a
team of people who meet to make the cards and notes that are being
sent out by the third and fourth areas of ministry, IN-reach and
OUT-reach. The IN-reach team sends out notes to members for their
birthday, get well notes to the sick, sympathy notes to those who
are bereaved, congratulation notes for newborn babies and graduates,
and many other various notes let people know that someone cares
about them. Likewise, the OUT-reach team is sending out similar
notes of encouragement to recent visitors and the teams also try to
call or visit as many members and visitors as possible. The fifth
area is that of HOST-reach. That team helps set up the working area
and prepares the various assignments as well as serves as host to
others who come to pray, write, call, or visit. During the fall,
winter and spring, this HOST group also prepares and serves a light
meal for those who are serving in C.A.R.E. During the school year,
Gate City offers a KidCARE version of C.A.R.E. for children in
grades K-5 that allows them to experience various ministry projects.
Chan Shaver at Gate City Baptist, says that this new ministry is an
exciting opportunity that allows every member to be a minister.
“When we launched our C.A.R.E. Ministry, the first Sunday night we
had over 60 people show up to serve in the five different areas. We
simply asked church members to give one hour of service each month,
and to choose whichever Sunday night best suited them to serve.
After a couple of sessions, we had people coming to practically
every Sunday night of C.A.R.E. Ministry service. Some members said
it was rewarding to them to encourage others and they (the members)
themselves were finding it therapeutic as well.”
The success of the C.A.R.E. Ministry is that it is “by the people
for the people.” It allows the people the opportunity to use their
God-given talents to serve and minister to others. It saturates the
church and the community with a positive message, and it comes from
a genuine and sincere heart of caring for others.
The C.A.R.E. Ministry concept was developed by Mark Hunnicutt,
Minister of Students/Families/Care at Mud Creek Baptist Church in
Hendersonville, NC. Mark came to Gate City Baptist Church before
they launched C.A.R.E. and was the guest speaker for their Men’s
Ministry Spring Banquet.
“Locally, it is exciting to see God’s people coming together to
reach UP-ward in prayer, and to reach IN-ward and OUT-ward in a
caring ministry of encouragement to others. By giving just one hour
per month, people can be part of a ripple effect of blessing for the
church family and community,” Shaver said. The C.A.R.E. Ministry
meets on the 1st Sunday night of each month at 5 p.m. and concludes
before the 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening worship service. |
