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Someone recently asked me a really important question:
“Will Christian Healthcare Ministries share my medical bills… if I haven’t been to church in a while?”
If you’re already a CHM member (or you’re thinking about joining), this is one of those details you want to understand before you ever have a big medical event—because with Christian health shares, there are often faith-based requirements that impact whether a need is eligible for sharing.
So instead of guessing or relying on what someone heard online, I always recommend the same thing:
Read the member guidelines.
Quick answer
Based on the CHM Member Guidelines (in the version I’m referencing, page 6), CHM ties sharing eligibility to “regular worship attendance,” with an exception when health prevents attendance.
In plain English:
- If you’re not attending worship services regularly (and it’s not due to health), CHM says submitted medical bills can be deemed ineligible for sharing.
- If your health prevents you from attending, that’s the stated exception.
What the CHM guidelines say about church attendance
In the Member Guidelines, CHM lists “requirements” that apply both to being a member and to having medical bills shared.
One of those requirements is “regular worship attendance” (with a reference to Hebrews 10:25). Then it explains that violating the personal testimony guidelines can result in medical bills being deemed ineligible for sharing, and that future sharing eligibility may also be reviewed.
That wording matters.
Because it means this isn’t just a “values statement” or a “nice-to-have.”
It’s presented as an eligibility requirement.
What this means in real life
If someone is not meeting the personal testimony requirements—like not attending worship regularly (without health being a factor) – CHM is telling you in writing that those needs can be considered not eligible for sharing.
So if your question is:
“Will CHM share my medical bills if I’m not going to church regularly?”
The answer, based on the written guidelines, is:
No – unless health is the reason you aren’t attending.
The health exception
CHM’s wording includes an important qualifier: worship attendance should be “as health permits.”
So if someone can’t attend due to health reasons, the guidelines indicate that’s treated differently than simply choosing not to attend.
If you’re in that situation, don’t guess -reach out to CHM directly and ask how they document or evaluate “as health permits,” so you don’t find out during a stressful moment.
If you haven’t been attending church, what should you do
If you’re hearing this and thinking, “Okay… what do I do now?” — you have options.
Option 1: Return to regular worship attendance
If you want future needs to remain eligible for sharing within CHM, then based on their stated requirements, you’d want to return to attending worship regularly—as health permits.
This isn’t about guilt or pressure. It’s about alignment.
If you want a program whose eligibility is tied to church attendance, CHM may be a good fit if that matches your real life.
Option 2: Consider a different health share that fits your lifestyle
If you don’t want church attendance connected to whether needs are eligible for sharing, you may want to look at a different community.
That could include:
- Christian-based health shares that don’t tie eligibility to church attendance in the same way
- Non-religious health share communities that don’t include church attendance requirements at all
The big idea is simple:
Choose a community whose guidelines match your lifestyle and your healthcare needs.
Why you should always read member guidelines before joining any health share
Here’s the truth:
The guidelines—not the marketing—tell you what makes a need eligible, and what can make it ineligible.
And this applies to more than church attendance. Guidelines often explain things like:
- lifestyle requirements
- pre-existing condition rules
- restrictions related to certain services
- timelines, documentation, and submission steps
- limits per need or per incident
You don’t need to memorize every page. But you do need to understand the rules that could impact you.
A few questions to ask before you join any faith-based health share
If you’re considering a Christian health share, here are some practical questions you can ask upfront:
- What personal testimony requirements exist?
- Are there any requirements tied to church attendance?
- How does the program define “regular” attendance?
- If health prevents attendance, what does the program require as documentation?
- If someone falls out of compliance, how does that affect future sharing eligibility?
- Are needs evaluated only at the time of submission, or can eligibility be reviewed later?
If a program’s rules feel unclear, get answers in writing from the program directly.
Final takeaway
If you’re with Christian Healthcare Ministries, or considering joining, don’t overlook the personal testimony requirements.
Based on the CHM Member Guidelines, regular worship attendance is tied to eligibility for sharing, with an exception if you can’t attend due to health.
That doesn’t make it “bad” or “good.”
It just means you need to be honest about fit – because fit is what prevents surprises later.
Don’t forget to do this!
If you’re researching CHM, don’t skip this: read the Christian Healthcare Ministries reviews. And if you’ve been a member, add your review—your one comment could save someone months of confusion.
Health shares are not insurance and do not offer insurance coverage. Membership in a health share does not guarantee the payment or reimbursement of medical expenses. Each organization operates under its own membership guidelines, which determine what expenses may be eligible for sharing. This publication is for informational purposes only and is not provided by an insurance company. For state-specific notices and full program details, please visit the respective health share’s official website.
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