Courage Through Cancer Ministries

Barbara Linton is the founder and head of Courage Through Cancer Ministries. She answered the following questions concerning the ministry.

What made you start a cancer ministry? When did you start? What is your vision for it?

I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, married, raised two sons, and served on the staff of my local church for 16 years.  But, deep in my heart, I desired for God to use me in an even greater way for His glory.  With tears streaming down my face, in the spring of 2008, I prayed and asked God to work through me, to use me to make a difference for Christ. 

A short time later, after going for a routine physical, I received a phone call asking me to return for additional tests.  This began a new journey for me, which included multiple tests, an MRI, biopsies, and finally a cancer diagnosis.

Doctors began working on me physically and God began working on me spiritually, preparing me for a new ministry.  It was during this time, while undergoing chemotherapy treatments, that God put a vision on my heart for a Christian, cancer-support ministry.  Originally, I envisioned a ministry for women called “Women of Courage,” but God continued to reveal His plan for the ministry, which included children with cancer as well as a book chronicling my personal journey with cancer.

 A private, background-kind-of-person, I had no desire to make my personal life public.  But, as God continued working in my heart, I knew this was the path the Lord had for me.  The umbrella name for the ministry became Courage Through Cancer Ministries. I formed a board of directors, and the ministry incorporated in 2010.

You’ve written a book about your experiences with cancer … tell me about it …

I detail my journey with cancer in my new book, Living with Cancer.  Recently released by Crossbooks (a division of Lifeway), Living with Cancer shares my step-by-step journey -- the ups and downs, the challenges and the triumphs of living with a cancer diagnosis.  Even though the challenges varied, a constant in my battle was God’s faithfulness every step of the way. 

I wrote Living with Cancer in a devotional style and divided it by the various stages one may encounter in a battle with cancer. The book also shares the Scriptures God used in my life to encourage and strengthen me each day.  Living with Cancer is available online through Crossbooks, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Lifeway. 

Describe the ministry process Courage Through Cancer uses to provide ministry to cancer patients and their families. What made you decide on that particular format?

The mission of Courage Through Cancer Ministries is to shine God’s light into the darkness (the world of cancer).  We do this by:

1.  Sharing true hope in Jesus Christ with the hopeless (sharing the gospel message);

2.  Giving courage and strength to the weak (through spiritual support and prayer support); and

3.  Ministering in Jesus’ name to those touched by cancer.

In keeping with our mission and coupled with the new ministry tool, Living with Cancer, the first area of the ministry, the Cancer Care Line (call center), recently started.  With a toll-free number (1-855-6COURAGE) and four phone lines, the Cancer Care Line reaches across the miles to those in need of prayer and spiritual support during their journey with cancer.  The Cancer Care Line is open Monday – Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST.  We will continue to strengthen our volunteer base and training and continue to expand the ministry to a 24/7 call center, to meet the growing need for prayer and spiritual support among cancer patients, their families, and caregivers.

We've also recently begun using some of the resources from Endurance, the ministry of Dave and Jan Dravecky. One of the things we do is provide their Encouragement Bible to individuals who are terminally ill with cancer. 

Future ministries of Courage through Cancer Ministries will include the birth of Cancer Care Fellowships (support groups), the local arms of the ministry.  Networked across the country, the Fellowships will be the hands and feet of Jesus as they minister to those in their local areas.  CTC Ministries will also include a Women of Courage Ministry, Courageous Kids Ministry, Chaplain Ministry, Loaves and Fishes Ministry, Counseling Ministry, and more.  We will minister to all people regardless of race or religious background.  All local Cancer Care Fellowships will have an open door policy and reach out to people in their community, not just those in their local church congregations.

I'm not putting any limits on God. The ministry will be as far reaching as God would have it to be.  This is His ministry. 

For more information about the ministry or how you can be involved, please contact us at 850-590-3219. To refer someone to the ministry for spiritual support, prayer support or encouragement, call the Cancer Care Line at 1-855-6COURAGE.

How do you receive cancer patients to minister to … do people refer to you or how do folks find out about you?  How do you promote or advertise?

Courage through Cancer Ministries hosted the Our Journey of Hope® training, through Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) in 2011.  More than 75 people from the community and various churches in Tallahassee and the surrounding cities attended.  The local newspaper did an interview and an article with me about the ministry and the CTCA day of training. 

Our Mother’s Day outreach at a local hospital touched over 80 lives, as donated roses were given to all the ladies battling cancer.  The patients and the hospital staff were touched by the beautiful flowers and the loving support provided by the ministry.

Earlier this month, I met the administrator at the new Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Cancer Center in Tallahassee.  God prepared the way and the door is now open for Courage through Cancer Ministries to begin ministering to cancer patients at our local hospital.

With the release of the book, Living with Cancer, many people across the country are hearing about Courage Through Cancer Ministries.  The Cancer Care Line number is included in the book for reference in contacting the ministry for prayer and spiritual support.  The book is also being promoted through our local Lifeway Christian Bookstore as well as online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Crossbooks, and Lifeway.  The author website is being released by the publisher which will also promote the ministry and the book.

Churches in Tallahassee and in other areas have purchased the book for their church libraries for support for their congregations.  Courage Through Cancer Ministries also communicates through email to local churches.

Many of the referrals to our ministry are by word of mouth, from those who are already familiar with the ministry.

How many volunteers work with you … what kind of training process do you use?

Courage Through Cancer Ministries ministers through a wonderful group of compassionate volunteers, who have either been tuched by cancer personally or through a family member or friend.  From our board of directors to our Cancer Care Line, chaplains, prayer team, and those that help with research, development, design, and other areas of the ministry, we are blessed to have approximately 25 volunteers serving the Lord through the ministry.

To prepare us for hands-on ministry, we began with the Our Journey of Hope training in 2011.  We have also conducted additional training sessions for our Call Center volunteers and will continue to develop additional training as needed to strengthen the ministry.  We are also meeting with the volunteer chaplains, who are already ordained, to discuss their involvement in the ministry.

How many cancer patients have you been able to help, approximately?

Through the release of the book, Living with Cancer, the Mother’s Day Outreach, and now the opening of the Cancer Care Line, Courage Through Cancer Ministries has been able to minister to several hundred people who are battling cancer.  We will continue to develop our outreach to cancer patients and their families.

How do you raise funds for the ministry … can you give an idea of what the ministry costs to run each year?

We raised the funds needed for the Mother’s Day Outreach at our local hospital through Email Marketing.  In addition, we have individuals and monthly supporters.  As we continue to move forward with the ministry, we will develop a fundraising plan for operation.

What are some of the difficulties you’ve faced?

In keeping with our mission, we now need to develop our logo and website and begin branding and marketing the ministry.  Simultaneously we will need to expand our volunteer team and raise financial support to effectively minister to the growing number of people being touched by cancer each day.