The Care Ministry Podcast

Laura Howe
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Building a culture of care in your church can feel as complex as the people you serve. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Laura Howe offers listeners practical resources and actionable strategies to support leader’s well-being, strengthen volunteer teams and equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to care for your community. With over 15 years of experience as a community mental health clinician, Laura, founder of Hope Made Strong specializes in Community Development Strategies. You will be encouraged as you listen to expert guests get real with how they overcame challenges and developed best-practice methods of reaching and caring for your church and community. If you want to develop a culture of care in your church and support your community without burning out your leaders? This is the podcast for you.

  1. E222. The Weight of Care: Why Ministry Feels So Heavy (and What to Do About It)

    1d ago

    E222. The Weight of Care: Why Ministry Feels So Heavy (and What to Do About It)

    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.orgSocials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    33 min
  2. E221. Mental Health in the Church: What to Do When You Feel Unprepared with Dr. Mark Mayfield

    Jun 4

    E221. Mental Health in the Church: What to Do When You Feel Unprepared with Dr. Mark Mayfield

    What do you do when someone shares something heavy… and you care deeply, but don’t feel equipped to respond? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mark Mayfield (or as he prefers, “just Mark”) to talk about the growing need for mental health awareness in the church, and the very real tension many leaders feel between wanting to help and not knowing how. Mark brings a unique perspective, having spent years in both ministry and clinical counseling. Together, we explore his personal story, what he’s seeing in churches today, and why so many leaders feel stuck in that middle space of “I know this matters… but what do I actually do?” This conversation is honest, practical, and hopeful. You’ll walk away reminded that you don’t need to have all the answers to care well, and with a clearer sense of what your next step could be. Quotes “I don’t believe church is about Sunday mornings. It’s a component—but it’s not the end-all, be-all. We have to think beyond Sunday mornings. We have to think about community and connection.” — Dr. Mark Mayfield “I think the hesitation is legit. It’s just we have to get them past paralysis.” — Dr. Mark Mayfield “People just want to have language to their struggles. That’s okay. They want to be seen.” — Dr. Mark Mayfield “The secret to good counseling is the therapeutic relationship… just creating space for people to be seen and to be heard.” — Dr. Mark Mayfield “You don’t need to be a counselor to care well—but you do need to know your role.” — Dr. Mark Mayfield Resources 📘 The Mental Health Handbook for Ministry by Dr. Mark Mayfield A practical, easy-to-use guide to help ministry leaders understand mental health, respond with confidence, and know when to refer. HMS Amazon Store 🇨🇦LinkHMS Amazon Store 🇺🇸Link 🌐 Mental Health Made Simple Free tools, assessments, and training resources to support churches in mental health care Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.org Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    42 min
  3. E220. Building Care That Grows With Your Church

    May 28

    E220. Building Care That Grows With Your Church

    Build care that grows with your church by balancing relationships, systems, and sustainable support. In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe is joined by Laura Mulligan, Care Coordinator and Chaplain for a slightly different kind of conversation; less coaching, more shared learning. Laura reflects on 10 years of building care ministry at Grace Fellowship, growing from a few simple teams to supporting a church of over 5,000 people. As the church continues to grow, they explore the tension between relational care and scalable systems. This episode is for leaders asking: How do we care well as we grow? How do we support our teams? And what needs to evolve next?   Quotes “Ministry, and especially care ministry, is built at the speed of relationship.” Laura Mulligan “I don’t want to continue moving forward in ministry with a small church mindset.” Laura Mulligan “We don’t want anybody to fall through the cracks.”  Laura Howe   Resources Care Protocol: Receive, Respond, Report, Follow-Up Grace Fellowship Community Church HMS Amazon Store 🇨🇦LinkHMS Amazon Store 🇺🇸Link   Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.orgSocials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    1h 9m
  4. E219. Mental Health Isn’t a Program: Rethinking Discipleship in the Church

    May 14

    E219. Mental Health Isn’t a Program: Rethinking Discipleship in the Church

    In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe and Rebecca Bailey explore a question many churches are asking right now: we care about mental health… but what do we actually do with it? As awareness has grown, the challenge has shifted from understanding mental health to integrating it into the life of the church. But with so many resources and approaches available, many care leaders feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. Laura and Rebecca unpack this tension and offer a simpler way forward—one that moves beyond programs and focuses on integrating mental health into discipleship through relational presence. Instead of trying to fix or have all the answers, they highlight the power of listening, curiosity, and being with people in the middle of their struggles. This episode is especially helpful for care leaders who want to support mental health in a way that is clear, sustainable, and rooted in everyday church life. Quotes “We’re not called to know more… we are actually called to be with people.” Rebecca Bailey “It’s harder to sit in the uncomfortable, messy space of someone struggling than it is to have a solution.” Rebecca Bailey “We don’t need more programs—we need a clearer way to care for people.” Laura Howe “There’s a difference between caring for people and carrying everything for them.” Rebecca Bailey Resources Mental Health Sunday Resources The Attuned Listener Course Email for more info at hello@hopemadestrong.org Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.org Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    54 min
  5. E218. More Connected, Yet More Lonely: Rethinking Discipleship with Rebecca Taguma

    May 7

    E218. More Connected, Yet More Lonely: Rethinking Discipleship with Rebecca Taguma

    In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe is joined again by Rebecca Taguma from the American Bible Society and the Trauma Healing Institute. Together, they explore what many churches are quietly experiencing—everyday overwhelm, loneliness, and emotional exhaustion—and how this is shaping the way we care for and disciple people. This conversation reframes emotional resilience as part of discipleship, not a separate ministry, and offers a hopeful, relational path forward for churches. They also introduce Anchored in Hope, an accessible resource designed to help churches build connection, resilience, and support in everyday life. This episode is especially helpful for leaders who feel stretched, are carrying more than they should alone, and are looking for practical ways to build a culture of care. Quotes “It’s really easy to be lonely in a crowd if it doesn’t feel safe.” — Rebecca Taguma “Church leaders are struggling right now… it’s been unrelenting.” — Rebecca Taguma “God created us to be in relationship with one another—and to heal in relationship with one another.”  —  Rebecca Taguma “Care happens in relationship. Programs are just the vehicle.” — Laura Howe Resources Anchored in Hope – Trauma Healing Institute Healing the Wounds of Trauma Small Group HMS Amazon Store 🇨🇦LinkHMS Amazon Store 🇺🇸Link Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.org Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    45 min
  6. 217. From Global to Local: Next Step with Global Hubs

    Apr 30

    217. From Global to Local: Next Step with Global Hubs

    In this episode of The Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe is joined by David Barter, pastor, ministry coach, and the lead for Hope Made Strong’s work in Australia. David shares how his own experience with depression, anxiety, and burnout shaped his passion for helping churches care well. Together, Laura and David talk about the reality many churches face—they want to help, but often aren’t sure how. This conversation also introduces Hope Made Strong’s next step toward global hubs, starting in Australia. Not as a new organization, but as a way to deepen connection, offer culturally relevant support, and better serve care leaders in their local context. This episode is especially helpful for leaders who feel like they are carrying too much alone and are looking for a more shared, relational approach to care. Quotes “I really started to think about it—well, what am I doing that maybe not that I shouldn’t be doing, but that somebody else could do?” David Barter “People need to be empowered across the church to do the work of the ministry.” David Barter “The work of the ministry basically is to care for people and disciple each other.” David Barter “We’ve always had a global community at Hope Made Strong… but this is about making that feel more connected, more relational, and more rooted in local context.” Laura Howe Resources A Better Way - Website The Church Mental Health Summit Email David - david@hopemadestrong.org HMS Amazon Store 🇨🇦LinkHMS Amazon Store 🇺🇸Link Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.orgSocials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    40 min
  7. E216. The Power of Referral: Building an Ethical and Effective Community Partner Network

    Apr 9

    E216. The Power of Referral: Building an Ethical and Effective Community Partner Network

    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. Quotes “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 Resources  Hope Made Strong Model of Care Three Steps to Building a Sustainable Care Ministry Care Protocol Download Episode 187 - Types of Mental Health Professionals HMS Amazon Store 🇨🇦Link HMS Amazon Store 🇺🇸Link Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.org Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    43 min
  8. E215. How Churches Can Serve Their Communities With Humility and Impact with Kent Annan

    Apr 2

    E215. How Churches Can Serve Their Communities With Humility and Impact with Kent Annan

    How Churches Can Serve Their Communities With Humility and Impact 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. Resources Mentioned Slow Kingdom Coming  CAN Link / US Link When Helping Hurts   CAN Link / US Link Haiti Partners Spiritual First Aid Slow Kingdom coming Discussion guide Quotes from the Episode “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 Connect with Hope Made Strong Website: HopeMadeStrong.org Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

    47 min
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About

Building a culture of care in your church can feel as complex as the people you serve. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Laura Howe offers listeners practical resources and actionable strategies to support leader’s well-being, strengthen volunteer teams and equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to care for your community. With over 15 years of experience as a community mental health clinician, Laura, founder of Hope Made Strong specializes in Community Development Strategies. You will be encouraged as you listen to expert guests get real with how they overcame challenges and developed best-practice methods of reaching and caring for your church and community. If you want to develop a culture of care in your church and support your community without burning out your leaders? This is the podcast for you.

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