Health Care Sharing Ministry Affirms Its Greatest Priorities: Loving God and Loving Their Neighbor Through Their Health Care
January 3, 2022
As the New Year begins, members of Samaritan Ministries International (samaritanministries.org) continue their determination to redeem their health care through health care sharing.
As the Samaritan website explains, “Samaritan Ministries is a Biblical solution to health care. It is not insurance. We deliver authentic, compassionate, and personal service in the name of Christ to enable and inspire members to provide for one another’s medical needs through prayer, encouragement, and financial support.”
Samaritan Ministries gives Christians an effective, Bible-driven health care community in which approximately $30 million in medical needs is shared person to person every month. Over the past 27 years, Samaritan Ministries members have shared more than $3 billion in needs while also praying for and encouraging fellow members through personal notes, cards and letters.
“The ministry is reaffirming our commitment to our purpose and to our mission,” said Anthony Hopp, Samaritan Ministries’ chief purpose officer. “This includes the original intent of our founder, Ted Pittenger, for the ministry: to redeem our health care.”
Samaritan Ministries’ Purpose
“To glorify God by growing and equipping disciples of Jesus Christ to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love and care for their neighbor as themselves.”
“Our members serve one another well by staying right on purpose,” Hopp continued. “The three parts of our purpose are discipleship, loving God, and loving others. Loving God and loving others really define discipleship. Jesus says in John 13:34-35 that He’s giving His followers a new commandment, that they love one another just as He loved us. He says that’s the way the world knows we belong to Him, that the hallmark of discipleship is our love for one another. So when we talk about serving our members or serving our staff, it’s one and the same. That’s how we serve our members and our staff, is our love for one another, which in turn is discipleship.”
Samaritan Ministries’ Mission
“To redeem health care by helping the Body of Christ love one another through sharing each other’s health care burdens while experiencing authentic Biblical community.”
“Our members demonstrate faithfulness by sharing with one another month after month,” Hopp said. “We show kindness and goodness by how we love and care for each other. Through any changes at Samaritan Ministries, there are some things that are going to remain central: Jesus and His Word, and our commitment to them.”
Samaritan Ministries often hears from grateful members about their experiences:
Michael and Heather, from North Carolina, shared:
“Samaritan has been amazing and a true blessing to our family! We had a maternity need this past year, and all bills have been shared. Samaritan made the process very easy.”
Ronnie, who lives in Texas, wrote:
“It is a pleasure to share other believers’ needs instead of paying expensive premiums to health insurance companies.”
Darla, from Ohio, said:
“Steve and I are so grateful for Samaritan Ministries. Thank you for this precious way of sharing needs across the nation into the Body of Christ.”
Samaritan Ministries currently has a membership of 282,201 individuals from 85,402 member households.
Unlike health insurance, Samaritan Ministries has no limited enrollment period. Government exchange-based health insurance requires signups to occur only during open enrollment periods unless one qualifies for a special enrollment period due to a “life event,” such as losing coverage, getting married, moving, or having a baby.
Samaritan Ministries health care sharingoffers several advantages:
- There are no network restrictions. When medical care is needed, Samaritan members choose the health care provider, hospital, and pharmacy that work best for them.
- The direct-sharing approach allows members to not only help fellow believers with their medical financial needs but to pray for and connect with them on a regular basis.
- Monthly shares are hundreds of dollars less per month than the cost of health insurance.
Learn more about Samaritan Ministries International here; visit the Samaritan website at www.samaritanministries.org, or follow the ministry on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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