Make a difference to those in poverty!

Starfish Ministries has programs designed to help you and your church get involved in the lives of those in your community who are struggling. We come alongside you to provide training and oversight as members of your congregation coach a struggling family in the areas of budgeting, employment, housing, education, parenting, spirituality or any other area of their lives they desire to see changed.


Starfish Ministries now has two programs to help churches or small groups engage with and positively impact struggling families in their communities.

Starfish Adopt-A-Family involves 3-4 main volunteers and is designed to minister to one family at a time.

Starfish Circles of Support involves a much larger and more varied group of volunteers and is designed to minister to multiple families.

Struggling families need relationships with churches and church members.

“After years of allowing the government to be the conduit of care for the poor, the church as seen the hopelessness of assistance without relationship… People in struggle need relationships with people…

“…[R]elationship means working with a person or family. It means working in such a way that helps them overcome their problems. This involves:
· long-term, tough-love care
· a plan leading to as much self-sufficiency as possible.
· networking with other services and support functions,
· strong accountability, and
· most importantly, sharing the hope we have in Christ.”
[From Needed: Welfare with Relationships, by Andy Ryskamp, Just Welfare, published by CRWRC, 1995.]

Churches may be aware of these needs and want to help but don’t know how without creating dependency. Starfish Ministries offers your church and your members two proven ways to help those families who truly desire to make positive changes in their lives —

Starfish Adopt-A-Family (SAF) matches one family with a church who recruits 2-3 main volunteers to act as coaches to the family. The family sets goals and the coaches are given training on how to encourage the families as they work toward their goals. “Coaches are not experts or know-it-alls – they are ordinary Christians who have the opportunity and privilege of coming alongside others and helping them succeed in fulfilling their God given potential.”
[From Coaching 101, Discover the Power of Coaching, by Robert E. Logan and Sherilyn Carlton with Tara Miller, published by ChurchSmart Resources, 2003.]

Other volunteers could also become involved by:
– providing transportation,
– providing child care,
– teaching a skill,
– doing simple repairs, or
– a variety of other ways.

The family may have physical needs, such as household goods, clothes or furniture, or financial needs. The church is encouraged to find community resources for these needs if possible. If the resources cannot be found elsewhere, the church may, if it has the means, help with these needs.


Starfish Circles of Support (SCS) -- begins by bringing struggling families together with church members in a large “circle” where they can get to know and learn from one another. The families, called “participants”, and the volunteers, called “allies” meet together regularly over a meal which is provided by the church. The church also provides childcare.

Allies are taught to recognize that they have “social capital” which can be a valuable resource to help families reach self-reliance. For instance, an ally might become aware of a job opening which seems to fit one of the participants. Through this connection, the participant may get a job he/she might not otherwise get.

Once allies and participants have been involved in the larger meeting, they are given the opportunity to be matched in a Circle of Support — one participant family and 2-3 allies. The allies provide support and encouragement to the family as they work toward their goals of self-reliance.

Why do we do what we do? When life is most difficult, we all tend to suffer in isolation. This is especially true of people living in poverty. Christ calls His followers to help the “poor” in our midst. Our vision is to connect caring churches with families living in poverty within effective accountability structures.

How do I learn more? Contact Bonnie Smith at 651-457-2477 or Bonnie@StarfishMN.org.