Honest answers before you trust a care tool.
Pastoral care is too important to be scattered, forgotten, or handled casually. These practical answers explain the need, the workflow, the trial, and the boundaries.
Questions that help your church decide with confidence.
TendWell should be easy to understand before anyone signs in. These answers focus on fit, privacy, the trial, active care records, and how TendWell works beside the systems your church already uses.
TendWell is for churches that already have names somewhere, but need a trustworthy rhythm for active care: prayer, visits, visitors, private notes, follow-up, assignments, and weekly review. It is strongest when leaders are trying to keep real people from slipping out of view.
A spreadsheet can store rows and a notes app can capture thoughts. TendWell connects the care story: person, household, prayer wording, private context, visits, assignments, due dates, and review. The value is not storage alone. The value is seeing the care priority and what should happen next.
No. Keep your broad directory, spreadsheet, or church-management system where it already works. TendWell is the focused care workspace beside it. Start with the people currently being followed for care, prayer, visits, visitor follow-up, or a next pastoral action.
Yes. During launch, TendWell can help churches turn a spreadsheet, contact export, or simple directory file into a focused active care list. The goal is not to move every record on day one; it is to bring in the people who need prayer, visits, visitor follow-up, assigned care, or a next pastoral action during the trial.
An active care record is a person currently being followed for care, prayer, visits, visitor follow-up, elder or deacon ownership, or a next pastoral action. It is not your total attendance number and it is not meant to become your entire church directory.
TendWell keeps public-safe prayer wording distinct from private pastoral context. That means leaders can prepare prayer lists and reports without casually exposing details that should stay guarded. Role-based access also helps churches limit what trusted helpers can see.
TendWell gives authorized owners and admins practical recovery tools: church data export, encrypted recovery packages, checksum manifests, package verification, and clear guidance for storing recovery files under the church's own policy.
Yes, with careful setup. Pastors and administrators can keep the fuller care picture, while elders, deacons, secretaries, or other helpers can be limited to assigned people, assigned follow-ups, and public-safe context.
Use the trial for a real church rhythm: add an active care list, capture Sunday conversations, create follow-ups, invite another leader if needed, run a weekly review, and prepare a care report. By the end, your church should know whether TendWell made care more visible.
Most churches should trial the Church plan first because it gives enough room to test shared care without overbuying. Solo fits one primary leader. Care Team fits churches with more structured elder, deacon, staff, or visitor follow-up ownership. You can adjust before payment.
No. TendWell does not require a long contract. You can cancel anytime. Monthly plans remain available through the paid month, and yearly plans remain available through the paid year.
No. TendWell supports memory, order, privacy, and follow-through. It does not replace pastoral wisdom, confidentiality practices, reporting duties, or broad church administration. It gives active care a focused place to stay visible.
When the flock is in view, the next step is clearer.
Start with the care already on your mind and build a steadier rhythm for prayer, visits, follow-up, and leadership review.