About five years ago, I first heard Chaplain Ted talk about CarePortal. The ministry sounded incredible, but at the time our church wasn’t quite ready to take that step.
I attend Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in the small beach community of Pacifica, California. On an average Sunday, about 40 people gather for worship. We are a small congregation, and like many small churches, we sometimes wonder how much of a difference we can really make in a community as large and complex as ours.
But God has a way of using ordinary people who are simply willing to say yes.
Last Christmas, we partnered with a local foster care program to provide gifts for children. During that outreach, the name CarePortal came up again. This time, we decided to learn more and become a responding church so we could support foster families and families experiencing hardship throughout the year—not just during the holidays.
We’ve been involved with CarePortal for less than three months, and already we have experienced what I can only describe as the hands of Jesus at work.
A Simple Gift Card Becomes a Story of Redemption
One of our first CarePortal requests came from a young mother with two boys who were in foster care.
She was requesting a Target gift card so she could purchase items for her sons during her weekend overnight visits. She was working hard toward sobriety, and it was clear that God was doing a beautiful transformation in her life.
Instead of simply handing her a gift card, I asked if she would allow me to shop with her.
That simple decision changed everything.
As we walked through Target, we talked about her life, her struggles, her hopes, and her faith. The shopping trip became a ministry opportunity. By the time we reached the parking lot, we were both hugging and crying.
Before we left, she asked if she could attend our church.
She and her boys have been coming every week since.
Recently, our church celebrated one of the most beautiful moments we’ve experienced. She and her boys were baptized. She has regained custody of her children, and God has also restored her relationship with her father.
A simple gift card became an opportunity for friendship, faith, restoration, and a family being reunited.
More Than Meeting Needs—Building Relationships
That first experience showed us that this ministry is about much more than providing resources. It is about people.
Another request came through the care share network from a mother raising four children after her husband was removed from the home because of inappropriate sexual behavior toward the children. She was struggling to provide enough food for her family and requested a Safeway gift card.
Through this network, our church and several anonymous donors came together to provide a $500 grocery gift card. We also delivered shoes and toys for the children. One of the boys had a large hole in the bottom of his shoe and desperately needed a new pair.
When we presented the gift card, she was overwhelmed with gratitude.
We prayed with her, invited her children to our Vacation Bible School, and they attended. We continue to stay connected with this family and are preparing to help with back-to-school supplies.
The need was groceries, but what she received was also encouragement, prayer, and a reminder that God sees her.
Helping Families Build a Home
Another family had experienced homelessness for many years before finally securing permanent housing.
When they moved into their new apartment, they needed something simple but meaningful—a kitchen table and chairs.
A table is more than furniture. It is a place where families gather, share meals, and create memories.
We were able to find a free table and chairs through an estate sale and deliver them along with blankets, dishes, and artwork to help make their new apartment feel like home.
We didn’t have the opportunity to pray with them that day, but we shared hugs, encouragement, and the love of Christ through a practical act of kindness.
Supporting Life and New Beginnings
We also had the opportunity to partner with Alpha Pregnancy Center, a Christian nonprofit serving low-income women in San Francisco who are looking for support and options during pregnancy.
One of their clients needed about $70 worth of items for her newborn baby.
We ordered the supplies through Amazon, had them delivered directly to the center, and followed up with a phone call.
Sometimes ministry looks like a conversation in a parking lot.
Sometimes it looks like groceries for a struggling family.
Sometimes it looks like a table, a pair of shoes, or supplies for a newborn baby.
Every act of kindness is an opportunity to show someone the love of Jesus.
Small Churches Really Do Make Big Differences
Serving our community by using the CarePortal has been one of the greatest blessings our church has experienced.
We may average only 40 people on a Sunday, but God has provided everything we need to help those who are hurting.
What we love about the network is that it is truly a boots-on-the-ground ministry. The needs are real. The opportunities are immediate. We can prayerfully choose how we respond and personally become the hands and feet of Jesus.
In less than three months, we have seen a family restored, children reunited with their mother, practical needs met, and new relationships formed.
We have learned that the size of a church does not determine the size of its impact.
God is not looking for the biggest church. He is looking for willing hearts.
We simply said, “Yes.”
And God has done the rest.
Small churches really do make big differences.
— Mychelle Fitzgerald
Lead Contact, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church