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Do we have to "enroll" in CarePoint?
No. You simply order resources on an as-needed basis, after you have determined the need for a group and begun the process of forming the group.
What if we already have a lay helping ministry
in place?
Great! CarePoint was not meant to replace one-on-one care
ministries, but to complement and expand them by offering
training and resources for compassionate caring in a small
group formatthe ideal context for Christian carein
community.
What's special about CarePoint resources?
Well, for starters, they are designed on the
support group model, as opposed to the workshop model that
features experts discussing various aspects of the group's
issue. This means that CarePoint small groups are meant
to be short on lecture and long on interaction among and
between the group members, which is the heart and soul of
the support group model. Second, our resources are "meaty."
Each CarePoint workbook is 150 pages or more of solid information,
practical information for immediate application, exercises
for reflection and between-session homework. Our resources
are more words and fewer blanks to fill in. Best of all,
they can serve as references over time to cover and re-cover
ground as needed.
Will a small church really have all those issues?
Some will, some won't; but nearly all
churches large and small will have members struggling with
the most common issues (such as depression, anxiety, grief/bereavement
and the like). This is why we designed CarePoint in such
a way that you only need to order resources for the groups
you determine there is a need for given the unique make-up
of your congregation.
But another way to look at this is:
think about the community rather than just the church. One
of the goals of CarePoint is to expand the scope of the
church's care ministry by reaching out into the community
and being a practical witness to hurting people who might
truly discover that Jesus is the answer and your church
really cares! Even the smallest communities will have a
need for Christ-centered support for all of the issues.
Changing the focus from our church to our community is the
key to understanding CarePoint as an outreach ministry.
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