Christian care
Christian Care and Health
Christian care is the long tradition of Christians caring for the sick, the grieving, and the vulnerable, from the earliest hospitals to today's health systems, counselors, and support ministries. The first thing to know is simple: real care comes first. Licensed medical and mental-health treatment is essential and irreplaceable, and faith walks alongside it, never in place of it. This guide points you to trustworthy help and to communities who will not let you carry it alone.
What this is
For two thousand years, following Jesus has meant caring for people in need. Many of the world's first hospitals were founded by Christians, and today large faith-based health systems, counselors, recovery programs, and support ministries continue that work. This hub gathers plain, honest guides to the main kinds of Christian care and how to find real help.
- Christian hospitals and Christian health systems
- Christian counseling, how to find a counselor, and mental-health resources
- Recovery and addiction recovery
- Grief support and hospice
- Disability ministries, deaf ministries, senior ministries, and caregiver support
- Pregnancy resource centers
On every page here, we keep one line bright and clear. Clinical care, from a doctor, nurse, therapist, or accredited program, is medical care. Pastoral and spiritual support is something different, and precious in its own right. The two work best together, but faith is never a substitute for treatment, and no one should ever be told to pray instead of seeing a professional.
If you need help right now
- If you are thinking about ending your life, or you are in danger right now, call or text 988 in the US, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
- For free, confidential help finding treatment and support, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 (1-800-662-HELP), open 24 hours a day, every day.
- If you are outside the US, contact your local emergency number or a local crisis or health line.
You do not have to carry this alone, and you do not have to decide anything about faith to reach out for help. Help first.
How to find help
If you are looking for care near you, start here:
- Find help near me, practical and local support close to where you are.
- I need help, a gentle place to say what you are carrying and be pointed onward.
- Find a church, a nearby community that can walk with you over time.
For anything clinical, a licensed professional, a doctor, therapist, or accredited program, is the right place to begin. A church, a chaplain, or a pastoral counselor can walk alongside that care, not replace it.
A word to hold
If you would like someone to pray with you
None of this depends on what you believe. The help above is for you either way. But if, alongside the care you need, you would like someone to pray with you or simply to sit with what you are carrying, that door is open too, with no pressure and nothing to prove. Christians believe God is especially near to those who are hurting, and that no one is meant to carry the weight alone.
Ask for prayerFind a church near youA word of hopeThe Lord is near to the brokenhearted.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Christian care mean faith instead of medical treatment?
- No. Christian care means treating the whole person. Licensed medical and mental-health care is essential and comes first. Faith, prayer, and community walk alongside that care; they never replace it, and no one should be told to stop treatment.
- Are Christian hospitals only for Christians?
- No. Faith-based hospitals and health systems, such as Catholic and Adventist ones, care for everyone regardless of belief. Their mission is rooted in Christian compassion, but their doors and their medicine are open to all.
- Where do I start if I need help now?
- For anything urgent or clinical, contact a licensed professional or, in a crisis, call 988 in the US. For local and community support, see Find help near me, I need help, and Find a church.