What is Care-Sharing And How Can My Congregation Get Involved?

Every pastor knows the weight of shepherding a congregation, not only within the walls of Sunday worship but in the daily struggles of families outside those walls. Across our nation, more than seven million children are reported to child protection agencies every year*. Most of those reports don’t stem from abuse, but from poverty-related unintentional neglect; parents who love their kids but simply lack the resources to keep their homes stable.

Behind every statistic is a mom who fears losing her child, a father trying to rebuild trust, or a child who just wants to belong. These are families who don’t need another program as much as they need a community. They need the Church.

This is where Care-Sharing comes in.

What is Care-Sharing?

Care-Sharing is a new way of describing something deeply biblical: neighbors seeing and serving one another. Much like ride-sharing reimagined how people get from place to place, Care-Sharing reimagines how people in need and people with resources can connect.

It’s not charity. It’s ministry. It’s not a handout. It’s the hands and feet of Jesus at work. Care-Sharing replaces isolation with connection. It empowers churches to meet tangible needs while forming relationships that point people to hope.

In other words, Care-Sharing is the infinite possibility of restoration through connection.

What is CarePortal?

CarePortal is the tool God has given us to put Care-Sharing into action. It’s a technology platform that connects caseworkers and schools, those who see the needs firsthand, with churches ready to serve.

Here’s what it looks like in practice:
• A caseworker identifies a vetted need such as a crib for a newborn, rent support to keep a family housed, or a bus pass for a dad trying to keep his job.
• That need is entered into CarePortal.
• Churches in the community receive the request in real time.
• Someone says yes.

But the story doesn’t end with a crib or a bus pass. When a church member delivers that crib, they also offer prayer. When they help pay a bill, they often share encouragement. These are moments where God opens the door for relationship, discipleship, and restoration.

Why It Matters for Pastors

Every pastor longs to see their church embody Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” CarePortal gives churches a direct way to live out that call.

Since 2015, more than 6,000 churches have met the needs of over 500,000 children and families. That’s hundreds of thousands of moments when the Body of Christ showed up in love, preventing children from entering foster care and surrounding parents with support and dignity.

For pastors, CarePortal is more than a program. It’s discipleship in action. It’s the Great Commission lived locally. It’s an opportunity for your congregation to encounter Jesus as they serve Him in the lives of vulnerable families.

The Bigger Vision

While CarePortal is one platform, the movement of Care-Sharing is much larger. We believe God’s vision is to mainstream this model through His Church, first in America and then around the world, one meaningful connection at a time.

The vision is simple:
• Giving, reimagined — Generosity that is personal, direct, and rooted in obedience to Christ.
• Connection, redefined — Real-time, Spirit-led opportunities to serve neighbors.
• Families, restored — A glimpse of God’s heart for reconciliation and wholeness.

Just as worship teams are now commonplace in churches, we dream of Care-Sharing becoming just as common, a core expression of congregational life.

Why Now

We live in a moment of unprecedented disconnection. Families in crisis don’t just need help; they need a church nearby that is willing to step in. And churches don’t lack compassion. They often just lack a pathway.

CarePortal provides that pathway. It helps pastors disciple their people into the ministry of presence. It empowers congregations to be known in their community not just for what happens on Sundays, but for how they live out Jesus’ love every other day of the week.

Because in the end, the truth is simple: Connection changes everything.

By: Adrien Lewis, Founder of CarePortal

* Child Welfare League of America 2022 Child Maltreatment Report