Six Roles, One Continuum: Your Church's Care Trellis

For Pastors and Church Leaders

Care reaches a whole congregation when the structure supports it. Using the trellis-and-vine picture and 2 Timothy 2:2, this course walks pastors through designing the six care roles (from group members to endorsed counselors), the training pathway for each, and the rhythms that keep the system healthy across generations of leaders.

1 hour

11 units

3 sections

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What You'll Work Through

Each unit is a conversation, not a page to read. The tutor asks you to explain, apply, and work with the material until it holds.

Chapter 1: The Trellis That Holds the Vine

Section 1.1: Structure That Supports Gospel Work

The trellis-and-vine picture of church structure
2 Timothy 2:2 as a four-generation relational handoff
Six roles on one continuum served by clear structure

Section 1.2: One Continuum, Mostly Preventative

One continuum from intentional to intensive, not two separate tracks
The 80/20 principle: guardrails at the top of the cliff, trauma hospital at the bottom

Chapter 2: The Six Roles of Care

Section 2.1: The Informal Layers (Friends, Members, Leaders)

The 80/20 principle: guardrails at the top of the cliff
Responsibilities of godly friends/members versus small group leaders

Section 2.2: The Escalating Layers (Coaches, Pastors, Counselors)

The coach's role: consulting, developing leaders, and triage support (directive to early corrective)
Endorsed biblical soul care counselors are vetted by elders for character, not just certified for competence

Chapter 3: The Equipping Pathway and Its Rhythms

Section 3.1: Training Levels, Rhythms, and Reading Your Trellis

The equipping pathway matches each training level (T1-T6) to its role and rhythm
Diagnosing the most underdeveloped level of a church's trellis and choosing the next training to run