Deacon care groups

CrossPoint & Niagara Falls Campuses

Deacon Care Groups extend the capacity of our Deacons by connecting them with participants who are willing to step in and help meet the needs of individuals and families within our church. When a need arises, participants may be called upon to offer prayer, encouragement, connection, practical support, or help through one of our 5 lanes of care.

This is an opportunity for the body of Christ to be the body — to share our abilities, gifts & resources to care for the needs of one another.

Our vision is to grow a culture of care that looks increasingly like the Acts church: the body caring for the body, neighbors helping neighbors & followers of Jesus having everything in common, meeting the needs of those around them.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
“Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” – Galatians 6:10
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. There was not a needy person among them.” – Acts 4:32 & 34a

care group lanes

Select a lane to see what participants enjoy and how they help.

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters” – Hebrews 13:1

request process

  1. 1 Requests come in & are triaged for urgency & lane assignment
  2. 2 A Deacon contacts the recipient and builds a care plan based on their needs
  3. 3 The Deacon will contact their care group members to ask for help when needed
  4. 4 Care group member/s will offer assistance & work to meet the need/s of the recipient
  5. 5 Care group members will follow up with their Deacons on any additional needs
“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.. and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:12,14

participant expectations

  • If a request comes in with needs pertaining to your lane, a Deacon will message the group asking for assistance.
  • Occasionally a Deacon may ask you individually, or contact a smaller group for help if you are a perfect fit for the specific need at hand.
  • If you are available to assist with the need, you will reply back to the Deacon lead and they will coordinate the specific details with you from there.
  • Most often, you’ll work in pairs or alongside a Deacon to fulfill each request.
  • Some training and shadowing may be available to you on a limited basis.
  • Often times, lanes will overlap & work together on fulfilling the same request

Yes! You will have the choice to say yes or no to the requests that are sent to your specific group. You may accept or decline the ask depending on your availability and whether you feel that the type of support needed is within your abilities or skill set.

  • There will be an expectation that each care group member remains an active participant within the group that they are a part of
  • Right now, no specific quota has been defined
  • You will remain active as long as you volunteer your assistance a couple of times per year (ex. maybe accepting 1 out of every 5 or so requests on avg.)
  • If you are consistently unavailable to assist with requests within your lane, one of the Deacon leads may have a conversation with you about whether your availability lines up with the needs of the group or is suited better for another instead.

Some roles may require a background check and/or training prior to participation and will be coordinated with you as needed by one of our Deacons.

Finding your care group lane

Next step:

If you’d like to become a care group member:

  • Fill out the interest form below indicating the lane/s that you believe suits you best (two lanes max. to start).
  • You will then receive an email with further instructions. This will include a SHAPE test assessment that will tell us:
    • what your spiritual gifts are
    • what your personality type is
    • what heart passions & acts of service interest you within the lane/s you have chosen
    • what life experiences you’ve walked through
    • what certified trainings or skill sets that you’ve acquired

Final steps:

  • Deacon Review of Shape test information
  • Contacted by a Deacon Care Group Leader
  • Additional training on processes and procedures

shape test

  • S Spiritual Gifts
  • H Heart
  • A Abilities
  • P Personality
  • E Experience

A wholistic view of who God created you to be & how He has shaped you for missional living

interest form

Ready to become a care group member? Tell us which lane/s suit you best (two lanes max. to start) and a Deacon Care Group Leader will follow up with next steps.

Fill out the interest form