The Care Ministry Podcast

What happens when a church becomes a place where people feel safe enough to be honest?

In this coaching episode, Laura talks with Jennifer VanCleve, a campus pastor at StoneBridge Christian Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Jennifer shares how care has been growing in her church through small groups, recovery ministries, grief support, mental health conversations, and a deep desire to help people feel seen, known, and loved.

Together, Laura and Jennifer explore how churches can create safe spaces for honest stories, support people walking through grief, addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges, and equip more leaders to step into care with confidence.

This conversation is especially helpful for churches asking how to build a culture of care that is relational, compassionate, and sustainable.

Quotes

“We have to remember grace abounds and love abounds.”
Jennifer VanCleve

“That’s what a church can be when people are loved unconditionally.”
Jennifer VanCleve

“Care ministry isn’t designed to be cookie-cutter to the church down the street.”
Laura Howe

“When people feel seen, known, and loved, care begins to take root.”
Laura Howe

“We have to start thinking about designing an onboarding strategy for leaders so that they feel supported and not just thrown into the mix.”
Laura Howe

Resources

StoneBridge Christian Church

Celebrate Recovery

GriefShare

MomCo

When Helping Hurts / The Chalmers Center

Slow Kingdom Coming by Kent Annan

Hope Made Strong Care Protocol

Care Ministry Coaching

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In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe and Rebecca Bailey discuss how churches can create safe pathways for families to ask for help before situations reach a crisis point.

Many families are carrying challenges related to parenting, grief, finances, mental health, caregiving, and relationships, but often hesitate to reach out for support. Laura and Rebecca explore the barriers that prevent people from asking for help and share practical ways churches can build trust, communicate care clearly, and make support easier to access.

Together, they discuss how churches can move from simply responding to crises toward creating cultures of care where families feel safe, supported, and connected.

Quotes

"If you aren't talking about mental health, recovery, financial problems, marriage, if those conversations are not coming up already in the normal rhythm of your church, then people are thinking, 'This isn't the place where I'm able to talk about this."
Rebecca Bailey

"All the more reason why, as churches, we want to make care accessible. We want to have intentional communication that is letting people know, 'We are here. We are here."
Laura Howe

"People are going to seek help if they know that their story is going to be handled with dignity and care."
Rebecca Bailey

"Asking for help shouldn't be the hardest part of getting help."
Rebecca Bailey

Resources

Care Ministry Assessment

Care Ministry Collective



Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org
Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

What if relationship skills are not just practical life skills, but part of discipleship?

In this episode, Laura sits down with Dr. Kelly Haer, Executive Director of the Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine University, to talk about Relationship IQ, a practical resource designed to help young adults build healthy relationships.

Kelly shares her own story of being drawn to counseling and relationship work from a young age, and how God opened the door for her work at the Boone Center. Together, Laura and Kelly explore why young adulthood is such a formative season, why many young people are longing for meaningful connection but have not always been taught the skills to build it, and how churches can help.

This conversation is hopeful, practical, and deeply relevant for pastors, parents, youth leaders, young adult leaders, and anyone who wants to help the next generation grow in healthy relationships with God, family, friends, dating, boundaries, conflict, technology, and more.

Quotes

“Technology changes how we relate and connect.”
Dr. Kelly Haer

“There are relational calories being consumed, but the quality of those relational calories are subpar.”
Dr. Kelly Haer

“So much of life happens in and around relationships.”
Dr. Kelly Haer

“Our greatest highs are around relationships, our greatest lows often happen through relationship.”
Dr. Kelly Haer

“This is a huge part of following Jesus, being able to relate well with those that we’re around.”
Dr. Kelly Haer

“My vision and heart is that young adults both are competent and feel confident.”
Dr. Kelly Haer

Resources

Boone Center for the Family
A relationship training center located at Pepperdine University that integrates psychology and theology to equip people with healthy relationship skills.

Relationship IQ
A curriculum from the Boone Center for the Family is designed to help young adults live out healthy relationships.

Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

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Care is already happening in your church so how do you build on what is already there

In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe is joined by Peggy Krueger, Care Coordinator, and Pastor Dennis Goff from St. Michael Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a real-time coaching conversation

Peggy and Dennis share what it looks like to build care ministry in a growing church context where many forms of care already exist but there is a desire to bring more intention, structure, and sustainability to it all

Together, they explore how to move from scattered efforts to a more connected and accessible approach while still maintaining the relational heart of care ministry

This episode is especially helpful for leaders who feel like they are building the plane while flying it and are looking for clarity on what the next step could be

Quotes

“Care is already happening. The question is how do we become more intentional with what is already in motion” Laura Howe

“Culture shifts at the speed of relationships” Laura Howe

“I have not heard anybody talk about this in church before” Dennis Goff

“We are building the plane while flying it” Peggy Krueger

Resources

Care Ministry Collective (Online Community + Office Hours)

Apply for Coaching on the next podcast- https://forms.gle/hu5Dd4Tv2gq33rAY6

Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org
Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe and Rebecca Bailey talk about the weight many care leaders are carrying right now.

Walking with people through grief, crisis, and everyday challenges can take a toll. It is not just the work. It is the stories, the responsibility, and the pressure to respond well. For many leaders, that weight can start to feel overwhelming.

Laura and Rebecca offer a simple but powerful reminder. Feeling this way does not mean you are disqualified. It means the work is heavy, and it was never meant to be carried alone.

Together, they explore the importance of recognizing early signs of burnout, inviting others into your process, and creating small, restorative rhythms that help you stay grounded.

This episode is a gentle invitation to pause, reflect, and receive care as you continue caring for others.

Quotes

“The weight that you’re feeling is not because you’re disqualified… it’s because this is really hard work.”

“This is really hard work… and you aren’t meant to carry this alone.”

“We make terrible accountability partners to ourselves.”

“The best way we can care for others is when we receive care ourselves.”

Resources

Care Ministry Collective (Online Community + Office Hours)

Keys to Resilience - Podcast Episode


Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org
Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube