In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe and Rebecca Bailey explore one of the most misunderstood areas of care ministry: referrals.

Church leaders often feel tension when referring someone outside the church. It can feel like handing people off or losing influence. But healthy referrals are not a failure of care. They are a critical part of sustainable, holistic ministry.

Laura and Rebecca reframe referrals as accompaniment rather than outsourcing. They discuss how churches can build ethical referral systems, develop trusted community partnerships, and avoid codependency in ministry leadership. You will hear practical guidance on consent, autonomy, follow-up, and how to navigate value differences with humility.

Strong care ministries do not try to meet every need alone. They build thoughtful networks that expand support while remaining relationally present.

“We don’t want codependency in the church… because we aren’t the saviors.” –Rebecca Bailey

“We’re not referring someone out. We’re referring someone in.” –Laura Howe

“Referrals don’t have to be an endpoint. They are transitional.” –Rebecca Bailey

“Healthy care ministries share the load.” –Laura Howe

Hope Made Strong Model of Care
Three Steps to Building a Sustainable Care Ministry
Care Protocol Download
Episode 187 - Types of Mental Health Professionals

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Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

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5 Practices for Faithful Community Engagement with Kent Annan

Many churches care deeply about their communities but feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the needs around them. Where do you start, and how do you help without causing harm or burning out your team?

In this episode, Laura Howe talks with Kent Annan, co-founder of Haiti Partners and author of Slow Kingdom Coming, about how churches can engage their communities with humility, wisdom, and long-term impact.

Kent shares five practices that help leaders discern where they are called to focus and how to serve in ways that honor dignity and build meaningful partnerships.

If you want to serve your community well without trying to fix everything, this conversation offers practical encouragement and perspective.

• Slow Kingdom Coming CAN Link / US Link
• When Helping Hurts CAN Link / US Link
• Haiti Partners
• Spiritual First Aid
• Slow Kingdom coming Discussion guide
  
  

• “If the primary takeaway from being with people who are suffering is that we feel better about our own lives, we are disrespecting them.” – Kent Annan
• “The practices of attention, confession, respect, partnering, and truthing are both spiritual disciplines and practical ways to do justice work well.” – Kent Annan
• “The slow kingdom coming means we can lament that the world isn’t as it should be, hold onto hope that transformation is possible, and commit ourselves to participate in that work.” – Kent Annan
• “When you enter a community, you slow down and ask: Am I coming with honor, and am I waiting to be invited in with respect?” – Kent Annan

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

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How do you lead well in church ministry when you care deeply about people but aren’t the final decision maker?

In this episode of the Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe sits down for one of her monthly coaching conversations with Lacey Reaves, a ministry leader serving in small groups at Redemption Church in South Carolina.

Together they explore a leadership challenge many ministry leaders face: how to faithfully care for people while navigating leadership structures, shifting ministry needs, and the realities of leading from what Laura calls the messy middle of ministry.

Lacey shares openly about her experience of burnout and what she learned about carrying ministry differently. Laura reflects on how sustainable care ministry requires leaders to care deeply for people while also recognizing the burdens they were never meant to carry alone.

If you’ve ever felt the tension of trying to lead, care for people, and navigate church leadership dynamics at the same time, this coaching conversation offers encouragement and practical perspective for sustaining ministry over the long term.

“I knew that I still cared about people, but I felt that I had lost the capacity to care effectively because I myself needed care.” –Lacey Reaves

“I found that I am still called, but I may need to learn how to carry the calling differently.” –Lacey Reaves

“Ministry rarely happens in clean and simple ways. Most of the time we’re leading in complicated spaces with changing needs, limited resources, and leadership structures.” –Laura Howe

“There’s a wisdom that develops when we stay deeply compassionate toward people while recognizing that we are not their savior.” –Laura Howe

• Joyfully Free Journey Podcast (Lacey Reaves)
• Care Ministry Collective (Free Online Community)
• Care Ministry Cohort
• HMS Amazon store 🇨🇦Link, 🇺🇸Link

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube