The Practice of Care

The Practice of Care: Discipleship Through Respite Care
What does it look like when care becomes a path to deeper discipleship?
Through the story of a Respite Ministry birthed at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, this booklet invites churches to see caregiving not just as service to others, but as a powerful means of grace. Rooted in research and real-life ministry, The Practice of Care explores how caring for those living with dementia transforms volunteers into stronger disciples of Jesus Christ.
Churches today face the challenge of doing more with fewer resources. Yet this model shows how local congregations can meet critical community needs while simultaneously nurturing spiritual growth within their own members. As the early Methodist movement taught, acts of love and compassion are not peripheral to discipleship—they are central.
This resource offers hope, practical wisdom, and a compelling call for churches to see caregiving ministries as vital expressions of faith and pathways to joy-filled, fruitful discipleship.
22 pages.