Read about C.A.R.E. Revealed below. Note the opportunity for training.
Click HERE to submit a C.A.R.E. Revealed Card online.
ABOUT C.A.R.E. REVEALED
Introduction
Our desire at First Baptist Church is to see God's people understand the Great Commission and for them to have opportunities to exercise their God-given spiritual gifts to C.A.R.E. for those around them.
The Great Commission is more than just outreach. It consists of in-reach (teaching) and outreach (baptizing). Our Church cannot reach out and neglect reaching in, and it cannot reach in at the expense of not reaching out. C.A.R.E. Revealed allows us to do both and to engage every member of FBC in the ministry.
A Ministry, Not a Program
C.A.R.E. Revealed is not a program because programs come and go. It is not meant to be numbers or growth perpetuated. Programs and activities will be accomplished under the banner of the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry, intended to be a living, breathing ministry that helps to define the culture of our Church. C.A.R.E. Revealed is a ministry that exists so that members of our congregation can use their respective gifts consistently and continually in meeting the needs of people inside and outside of our Church.
C.A.R.E. Revealed is not simply outreach or visitation. Although outreach is a very important avenue of the ministry, it is not the only avenue. There is a focus on meeting needs through other avenues such as in-reach, prayer, hands-on support, and hospitality. Not all of our people will use their gifts in the area of outreach because, in a typical Church like ours, only about 10% have the gift of evangelism. C.A.R.E. Revealed is an all inclusive ministry that allows our whole congregation to be evangelistic by using their gift in obedience to the Great Commission.
Benefits are Many
C.A.R.E. Revealed will give First Baptist people an opportunity to come together and minister together. Many people will get to know other members better than they have known them before. This will build health and unity among our congregation. Programs and activities that are now meeting needs will not be abandoned, but will be enhanced and strengthened by the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry. And people who would normally be unnoticed will have a platform for using their gifts, for bringing glory to God, and in building a testimony.
C.A.R.E. Revealed is Inclusive
The C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry also involves using the gifts of our students and children. Teens will take an active role in meeting the needs of their peers. Students may also C.A.R.E. along side of adults. This will help to further build relationships among our students and the adults in our Church. Children also have a place to serve within the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry. As an example, children can write cards and letters to all of the missionaries within our denomination to affirm C.A.R.E. to those serving around the world. Children may also write to the elderly and shut-in in our Church. Imagine one of our members finding out that their elderly mother, who is confined to a nursing home, received eighteen cards, three potted plants, and two visits last month. What a testimony of C.A.R.E. Revealed that would be!
An Opportunity for Use of Spiritual Gifts
The powerhouse of the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry is waiting in the pews of our Sanctuary. Each believer is an untapped resource of gifts and abilities. We do not wish to have the problems of many churches that revolve around inactivity among the congregation. Rather, our ministers desire to help members discover their God given gifts and to involve more of the Church body in active ministry. It is a fact that every believer has been gifted by God to serve for His glory. Each and every member is an important piece of the puzzle that makes up the true picture of how effective a caring Church can be. In Matthew 28:19 the command is given to go. It is a command given to every believer. God wants us to be about going and as we go, we are to use our gifts to minister to those around us. Along with the command to go, God has given gifts to His people to aid in carrying out His commission. One of the main jobs of our ministers is to help the members of our congregation to discover their gifts and put those gifts into active use. This is where the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry will show itself valuable, enabling our people to see where they are gifted and also providing for them fresh, varied, and ongoing opportunities to use those gifts. It is rather straightforward and hands on. We all can find where we fit in and begin to C.A.R.E.!
C.A.R.E. Revealed Relates to Small Groups
This ministry has the potential to revolutionize most small groups for several reasons. One, most of our classes do not need work in the area of teaching; they need work in the area of application. C.A.R.E. Revealed will allow members to apply what they learn. Two, it will allow class leaders an outlet for meeting needs. These needs can be met by class or group leaders both directly and indirectly through this ministry. Three, it will promote unity among the members of the class or small group as they work side by side accomplishing ministry by using like gifts. Four, it will open lines of communication.
How Will C.A.R.E. Revealed Work at FBC?
C.A.R.E. Revealed will have a organizational focus on Wednesday evenings at our Church, but the work through the ministry will be done at many times and places. The Wednesday evening activity will last a little over 2 hours and will include the following:
· 5:15 p.m. - A simplified meal together
· 6:00 p.m. - Fifteen minutes of devotion and worship together
· 6:15 p.m. - Instructions and celebration of completed C.A.R.E. Revealed opportunities
· 6:30 p.m. - Disperse to serve in various ministry opportunities
· 7:30 p.m. - General adjournment
C.A.R.E. Training
A central component of the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry is the Bible-based training that will be provided. Three units of study and discussion will be addressed: Basic Christian Doctrine, Spiritual Discipline, and Personal Outreach. Click HERE to see the scope and sequence of topics to be covered during the training.
Avenues of Service Within C.A.R.E. Revealed
The different service aspects of the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry are briefly described in the following sections. The names for these areas may change, but the avenue of service will be a part of the whole ministry effort.
Reach In Teams
This avenue of C.A.R.E. Revealed is ministering and meeting needs within our Church. We must not reach out at the expense of our own people. Our people need to know that a giant push is taking place to impact the community, but that their needs will not be sacrificed. This avenue of C.A.R.E. Revealed will increase the health of our Church. In history every great nation has fallen from within. We should not allow this to happen to our Church. Some examples of demonstrating in-reach through C.A.R.E. Revealed include administrative efforts of card sorting, resource management, Wednesday setups, communications, promotions, cleanup, food planning and preparation, followup, childcare, creative card making, quilting, service to members, sending birthday cards, a phone call of appreciation or concern to the elderly, a hospital visit, a note of encouragement, a special reminder of an upcoming Church activity, or a personal visit.
Reach Out Teams
The most recognizable avenue of the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry is community outreach. One of our most important functions as a Church body is to transport our C.A.R.E. outside of the four walls of the Sanctuary. Refer once again to the great commission found in Matthew 28:19. We should be about the business of going out. The C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry embraces this New Testament command. The ministry effectively covers a wide span of outreach needs and is a vital and active component of this ministry. Outreach activities may include card writing, card design, sewing, cooking, quilting, phone calls or visits to prospects, follow up on requests by recent guests to hear more about our Church or the Gospel message, and response to direct requests for assistance from persons outside FBC that are in need.
Reach Up Teams
The most vital avenue of the C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry is prayer. How many times have our best laid efforts failed as a result of not bringing them before the throne of God? Prayer is the grease that will keep this ministry on the move. You will find that by praying for our C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry, you will empower the efforts of your own and other ministry teams. Prayer is an area in which each and every born again member of our Church is qualified to participate. Prayer is our power source. A light cannot shine unless it is plugged into an outlet of power. Without its source of power, it is little more than a stumbling block in a dark room. In the same sense, our C.A.R.E. Revealed ministry is completely dependent upon prayer. It makes the difference between having a good ministry and an excellent and effective C.A.R.E. ministry.
Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known unto God.” Philippians 4:6
God desires our prayers. He is concerned and conscientious about our needs and the needs of our community. Participants in this avenue of C.A.R.E Revealed will pray for many things including our Church family, the ministries of our Church, and general and specific needs in our community. Teams may also participate as desired in prayer walking, C.A.R.E. Revealed curriculum development, and training of the trainers.
More Information
For more details on C.A.R.E. Revealed or to discuss how you can prepare to be involved in this vital aspect of our Church, call Chester Yuan at 434.296.6195, or email Chester.
735 Park St. // Charlottesville, VA 22902 // 434.296.6195 
