Episode Summary: In this conversation,
Key Ministry’s founder Dr. Steve Grcevich talks with Dr. Jim Sells—psychologist, professor, and co-director of the Charis Institute at Regent University—about how churches can respond when hurting people walk through their doors. Together they explore the biblical call to hospitality, the “CARE” model for mental health ministry, and how the local church can be a healing community for those in pain.
In This Episode
- Why mental health care is central to the church’s mission in the 21st century.
- The heart behind the book When Hurting People Come to Church (coauthored with Shaunti Feldhahn).
- Understanding the “CARE” model for churches and how it serves different levels of need.
- How ordinary church members can become “present in pain” even without clinical training.
- Practical ways churches can partner with professionals and support groups like Celebrate Recovery or Grace Alliance.
- Why mental health ministry is also evangelism—meeting people in their suffering with the hope of Christ.
“The church should be responsible for the idea of loving people well. That’s why people come—to be known and guided to Jesus.”
“Hospitality isn’t just making a nice lasagna. It’s being able to be present in someone else’s pain.”
Building a Culture of Care
Dr. Sells describes Regent University’s
Charis Institute as a bridge between the gospel and the world of mental health practice. Their mission is to train clinicians and equip churches to work hand in hand—so that the local church becomes the first responder to emotional and spiritual suffering.
His new book,
When Hurting People Come to Church, calls for a culture shift: that pastors and lay leaders alike would see themselves as vital agents of God’s comfort, not just referral points to professionals. While professional counseling is essential for some, most people need the faithful presence of believers who can walk with them through their pain.
The CARE Model
In the book, Dr. Sells introduces the
CARE model—a simple framework designed to help churches serve people at every level of need:
- Top Tier (10%) – Those with serious mental illness who need medical and professional intervention.
- Middle Tier (30%) – Individuals managing chronic conditions with ongoing support through ministries like Celebrate Recovery, AA, or Stephen Ministry.
- Base Tier (60%) – People facing everyday pain who simply need loving relationships and a listening presence.
Rather than automatically referring people out, churches can strengthen lay members to respond compassionately and wisely within their means—creating pathways from crisis to community.
“We want the church to be the place where people experience love, not just a place that points them somewhere else.”
Presence in the Pain
Dr. Sells illustrates the power of presence through the story of his grandmother—an eighth-grade-educated woman who ministered to young mothers around her kitchen table with nothing more than a Bible, a coffee pot, and compassion. She wasn’t a clinician, but she was faithful. That’s the kind of ministry he envisions for today’s church: believers equipped to sit in others’ pain with gospel hope.
This model applies across generations. He points to examples like
Young Life, where volunteers simply show up in the lives of teenagers—at games, over pizza, in everyday spaces—to build relationships that open doors for the gospel.
Mental Health as Mission
Both Dr. Grcevich and Dr. Sells emphasize that mental health ministry isn’t separate from evangelism—it
is evangelism. Just as Billy Graham used television to reach a wounded, post-war generation, today’s church can meet a culture fluent in the language of mental health with the redemptive message of Christ. People find identity in their pain, but the gospel offers a new identity in Jesus.
When the church learns to speak into that pain with love and truth, mental health care becomes a powerful entry point for discipleship and spiritual renewal.
Resources Mentioned
- When Hurting People Come to Church by Dr. Jim Sells & Shaunti Feldhahn (Forward by Carey Nieuwhof)
- The Charis Institute at Regent University
- Mental Health Grace Alliance
- Celebrate Recovery
- Stephen Ministries
- Young Life
About the Host & Guest
Dr. Steve Grcevich is the founder and president of Key Ministry, a nonprofit equipping churches to welcome and include individuals and families impacted by disability, mental health, and trauma. A child and adolescent psychiatrist by training, he is the author of
Mental Health and the Church.
Dr. Jim Sells serves as Professor of Counseling and Psychology at Regent University and co-director of the Charis Institute. He is the Hughes Endowed Chair of Christian Thought and Mental Health Practice and a leading voice in integrating faith and mental health within the local church.
Read a Brief Transcript Summary
Dr. Sells shares how churches can partner with professionals to address mental health from a gospel foundation. He explains the “CARE” model as a tiered approach to helping people in different levels of distress—emphasizing that most people simply need relationship, empathy, and spiritual community. The conversation concludes with a vision for the church to lead a cultural shift, treating mental health ministry as a primary avenue for evangelism and discipleship in a hurting world.
