📝 Worksheet 9.5: Practical Need and Deacon Referral Worksheet

📝 Worksheet 9.5: Practical Need and Deacon Referral Worksheet

Purpose

This worksheet helps Church Community Chaplains respond wisely when people bring financial, housing, transportation, food, employment, medical, recovery, or practical needs. The goal is to care with dignity while avoiding private dependency, hidden financial help, favoritism, overpromising, or bypassing the deacons and church care structures.

A Church Community Chaplain may listen, pray, encourage, notice needs, and help connect people to proper support. The chaplain does not become a private benevolence system, case manager, lender, rescuer, or replacement for deacon-led mercy ministry.

1. Scripture Reflection

Read Acts 6:1–4:

“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service. The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables. Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.’”

Reflect:

• What practical need appeared in the early church?

• Why did the church create an accountable structure for mercy ministry?

• What does this passage teach about spiritual care and organized practical care working together?

• How can a Church Community Chaplain honor deacon ministry instead of bypassing it?

Write your reflection:

2. Personal Discernment

When someone shares a serious practical need, what is your first inner reaction?

Check any that apply:

☐ I want to fix it immediately.
☐ I feel guilty if I cannot help.
☐ I want to give my own money privately.
☐ I feel overwhelmed.
☐ I want to avoid the situation.
☐ I assume the person is irresponsible.
☐ I feel suspicious.
☐ I feel protective.
☐ I want to call the pastor right away.
☐ I want to handle it quietly myself.
☐ I want to connect them to the deacons or care team.
☐ I am unsure what my church process is.

What does this reveal about your own strengths or risks in mercy-related care?

3. Practical Need Inventory

When a person shares a practical need, listen with dignity and do not interrogate. Ask only what is needed for the next faithful step.

What kind of need is being shared?

☐ Food
☐ Rent or housing
☐ Utility bill
☐ Transportation
☐ Medical need
☐ Prescription or healthcare access
☐ Employment
☐ Childcare
☐ Clothing
☐ Recovery support
☐ Funeral-related need
☐ Emergency shelter
☐ Domestic violence safety need
☐ Immigration or legal-adjacent need
☐ Mental health support
☐ Family crisis
☐ Other: _______________________________

Briefly describe the need in respectful, factual language:

4. Role-Clarity Check

Mark each statement as Within My Chaplain Role or Beyond My Chaplain Role.

1. Listening with compassion when someone shares a financial need.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

2. Praying with the person by permission.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

3. Promising that the church will pay the bill.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

4. Helping the person connect with the deacon or benevolence process.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

5. Giving private money repeatedly without church awareness.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

6. Asking clarifying questions needed for referral.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

7. Making an independent benevolence decision for the church.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

8. Helping the person identify local food pantry, recovery, housing, or community support options approved by church leadership.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

9. Creating a secret arrangement so the person does not have to talk to the deacons.
   ☐ Within My Role
   ☐ Beyond My Role

10. Encouraging the person toward accountable, dignified next steps.
    ☐ Within My Role
    ☐ Beyond My Role

5. Deacon Partnership Map

Who handles practical needs and mercy ministry in your church?

Deacon leader or mercy ministry contact:

Benevolence request process:

Food pantry or meal ministry contact:

Transportation help process:

Recovery ministry contact:

Pastoral care contact for complex family or spiritual concerns:

Emergency assistance process:

Community agency or nonprofit referral list:

Soul Center or local ministry partner:

If you do not know these answers, your next faithful step is to ask a pastor, elder, deacon, or care ministry leader before trying to handle practical needs alone.

6. Dependency and Boundary Warning Signs

Check any warning signs that may require deacon involvement, pastoral awareness, or careful boundary review.

☐ The person asks you not to tell anyone.
☐ The person wants money directly from you.
☐ The person repeatedly asks only you for help.
☐ The person refuses normal church process.
☐ The person pressures you emotionally.
☐ The person says, “You are the only one who cares.”
☐ The need involves safety, housing instability, abuse, addiction, or crisis.
☐ You feel responsible for solving the whole situation.
☐ You are tempted to hide your involvement from church leaders.
☐ You are becoming emotionally exhausted.
☐ You are giving more than you can wisely sustain.
☐ You are unsure whether the need is urgent or ongoing.
☐ The person’s request involves legal, medical, or financial advice beyond your role.

What warning sign do you most need to watch for?

7. Sample Phrase Practice

Practice responses that protect dignity and role clarity.

Situation A

A church member says, “Can you lend me $300? Please don’t tell the deacons. I’m embarrassed.”

Wise response:

Situation B

A single mother says, “We are almost out of food, and I don’t know what to do.”

Wise response:

Situation C

A man in recovery says, “I need a place to stay tonight, but I don’t want to go through any program.”

Wise response:

Situation D

A member says, “The deacons never help anybody. You should just help me directly.”

Wise response:

8. Minimum-Necessary Sharing Practice

A chaplain should not gossip or overshare. But practical needs often require appropriate communication with deacons or church leaders.

Write a respectful minimum-necessary referral note.

Example:

“Deacon team, I spoke with a member today who is facing a food and transportation need this week. They gave permission for me to connect them with you. Could someone from the deacon team follow up?”

Now write your own:

What details should you not include unless needed?

9. Referral Discernment

Which support pathway may be appropriate?

Need: ___________________________________________

Possible next step:

☐ Pray and encourage only
☐ Connect with deacon or mercy ministry
☐ Connect with pastor or elder
☐ Connect with food pantry
☐ Connect with recovery ministry
☐ Connect with financial coaching or budgeting support
☐ Connect with housing or shelter resource
☐ Connect with medical support
☐ Connect with licensed counselor
☐ Connect with emergency services
☐ Connect with domestic violence support
☐ Connect with community agency
☐ Other: _______________________________

Who should be contacted first?

Does the person give permission for referral?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Not yet
☐ Safety concern may require escalation even without permission

10. Next Faithful Step

Before serving in practical-need conversations, I need to:

☐ Learn my church’s benevolence policy.
☐ Meet with a deacon or mercy ministry leader.
☐ Learn what I am allowed and not allowed to promise.
☐ Build a list of approved referral resources.
☐ Clarify when to involve pastors or elders.
☐ Clarify emergency procedures.
☐ Learn how to document or report concerns if required.
☐ Set boundaries around private financial help.
☐ Practice sample phrases.
☐ Pray for wisdom and humility in mercy ministry.

My next faithful step is:

Target date:

11. Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, give me a compassionate heart and wise boundaries. Help me notice practical needs without becoming a private rescuer. Teach me to honor the deacons, pastors, elders, and care structures of the church. Help me protect dignity, avoid favoritism, refuse secrecy, and connect people to proper support. Give me courage to say what I can do and humility to admit what I cannot do. Make our church a place of truthful mercy, accountable care, and Christ-centered love. Amen.