> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thefaithapp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pastoral Care connects private requests to follow-up

> Members can confidentially ask for care while authorized church staff coordinate ownership, notes, tasks, and resolution.

# Pastoral Care connects private requests to follow-up

*July 24, 2026*

[Back to changelog](/changelog/index)

Members can now open `Pastoral Care` from the mobile Connect page and share a
confidential need directly with their church.

## What's New

* Members can request general care, a hospital visit, counseling, benevolence,
  grief or illness support, crisis support, or pastoral follow-up.
* Members can choose urgency, privacy, and a preferred contact method, then
  review, edit, or withdraw an open request.
* Authorized staff have one care queue for assignment, follow-up dates,
  confidential notes, tasks, activity, and resolution.
* Prayer care handoffs can become linked care cases without copying the source
  prayer text.

## Privacy by Default

Sensitive content is encrypted, ordinary and pastoral-only cases have separate
permission boundaries, and staff access is recorded. Notifications use general
language without member identity, request text, contact details, or care notes.

After a request is resolved or withdrawn, the private content is removed at the
end of the church's configured retention period while a minimal accountability
history remains.