TRAINING

At The Caring Congregation (TCC) we believe that care is the heart of the church.  “Care” is the action word for kindness, compassion, connection, love and justice.  As we seek to care for others in the example modeled by Jesus, it is important to consider our theology.  Our basic training starts you on the journey of the theology of care, then out of that will flow the practical tools for ministry: 

·  how to pray with someone

·  listening skills

·  appropriate boundaries

·  how to offer spiritual guidance

·  visitation skills for in-home, care homes, and hospitals

·  care for the dying

·  grief follow up

·  how to organize your team, care is a team effort….no lone rangers

·  how to evaluate what my community needs

Even in seminary the practical tools for doing care ministry are sadly rarely addressed.  TCC will help pastors, volunteers and staff create a culture of care forming a team effort.  Even if you are a small church of 10-50, forming a care team (maybe two people) is essential to creating a culture of care.  Jesus started with a few volunteers…..and then the world was changed.  

We have a team of handpicked and experienced pastors across the nation who have successfully implemented a  care ministry in their setting. Thousands have taken our training . In the thousands of leaders trained, we have seen first hand the benefits this program has brought to churches and their communities in a wide variety of settings. After training we provide continued consulting and resources to help implement programs, rather than leave clients overwhelmed after training ends. We invest in the development of care teams so they are prepared for crisis and know how to walk alongside people in some of the most traumatic times of their lives. Our nonprofit status has allowed us to obtain additional support from grants and donors to keep our fees low and affordable for churches of all sizes.

Stephen Ministries' approach to care ministry is one-to-one care. The Caring Congregation (TCC) model uses a team approach involving clergy, staff, and volunteer care ministers working together under an umbrella of care, encouraging pastoral involvement and oversight. TCC trains and equips pastors and laity to work through care ministry to create a culture of care throughout the church and community. This includes one-on-one spiritual listening (similar to Stephen Ministry), but adds support and recovery group leadership, and community care partner development.  As a non-profit organization, TCC is also able to keep training very affordable through the generosity of donors and grants, allowing us to provide many free and shared resources on our website to equip teams in the work of care. While some churches choose to initially retain their Stephen Ministers under the umbrella of care for one-to-one care, in the long run many find that the TCC team approach effectively covers this same function. We invite Steven Ministers into a system of care where they can use their valuable services! 

This model adapts to the resources and size of any faith community. If you are a church of 10-50 people, and have only one other person besides yourself to help you, then you have a team.  Jesus set the model for this. Initially he was teaching and healing by himself.  Then slowly he built his team.  Our hope is to encourage you to recruit and train volunteers. Once a small group of you have the training, you can begin to meet the needs of your community more effectively. We want you to succeed!  We provide free resources for getting started after training.  We teach you how to start small by partnering with local community and support groups who already have resources and programs, rather than reinvent the wheel or require years of specialized training before you can get started. Inviting local partners into your setting can bring recovery and mental health education programs from groups like AA, Al-Anon, NAMI, hospitals, libraries, law enforcement, and much more. Collaboration saves time and resources while building community relations. Keeping the process simple and adapting to the needs of your setting expands your reach. 

TCC keeps the cost for training very affordable through our generous donors.  If you need scholarship, let us know or call your church’s denominational local leader for help with scholarship.  We have found that most denominational leaders are eager to support this effort. 

No. Although our model of care began in the United Methodist Church, we are a separate non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and have trained church leaders across denominations. We welcome the opportunity to customize our care model for any organization, faith based or secular,  wanting to establish an effective care system for their employees and their communities.

Cost varies depending upon the type of training and number of participants. On the Training page of our website you will see courses as low as $100 for our "Caring for People in Crisis" course - a four video bundle in our online TCC Academy.  Individuals can take our introductory Basic CCM course starting at $250 through our on-demand self-paced TCC Academy online or in a live-streamed webinar setting for just $275, offered at least 3 times a year. Group discounts are also available for Webinar Watch Parties.  

Our in-person two-day seminars for Basic CCM care training are perfect for large groups and start at $6,000 plus speaker travel and books - where you choose the dates that work for you. We are happy to assist host churches with strategies on how to offset expenses by securing potential funding from church districts, conferences and/or inviting area churches for a small registration fee.  As a non-profit organization we can sometimes offer low-cost training to small churches who can't afford it through scholarships, grants and donations. Contact us to learn more about how we can customize training to fit your needs.  Email us for custom quotes.