What is the purpose of the Stephen Ministry? …

The purpose of the Stephen Ministry is to equip lay persons for effective and lasting care giving, and to ensure that quality follow-up care is available for as long as it is needed. Through this ministry, our church is able to -

•provide quality care to more members
•mobilize lay persons to be partners in caring ministry
•enable the entire congregation to own responsibility for Christian caregiving instead of considering it solely the "pastor's job"
•build healthy and healing relationships among church members
•care for those in the community who are not yet members but who look to the congregation for pastoral care
Why have our clergy and lay leaders attended a Leader's Training Course? …

The course equipped them to train future Stephen Ministers. Together, they form the Stephen Ministry Leadership Team, and they will be working together to provide training and supervision to Stephen Ministers, as well as administrate the program. In the future, we hope that others in our congregation will experience a call to be Stephen Leaders as well. We currently have six lay persons who attended the Stephen Ministry Leader's Training Course.

Who will perform this ministry? …

Stephen Ministers are lay Christians selected, trained, and supervised by Stephen Leaders to provide effective Christian care to others. This involves a 2-year commitment, an initial 50+ hours of training, meeting for about an hour once a week with the care receiver for as long as the person needs this level of care, and meeting monthly for supervision and continuing education. Stephen Ministers are named after St. Stephen, one of the first deacons (servants) in the early church, commissioned by the apostles to care for the needs of people in the Christian community (Acts 6-8).

Who can be helped through the Stephen Ministry? …

Those who are bereaved, elderly, lonely or discouraged, terminally ill and their families, home-bound or institutionalized, disabled and their families, in job crisis, affected by the loss of employment, experiencing a spiritual crisis, facing life transitions, separated or divorced, experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, affected by accidental or natural disaster, new members in the congregation or community, imprisoned and their families, parents with children leaving home, experiencing the birth or adoption of a child, single parents, experiencing the stress of moving … to name only a few life challenges! Note that some of the "needs for care" are positive events in peoples' lives - having a baby, becoming new members of a community, etc. Change of any kind, for the better, or the worse, may create a "need for care" situation.

Who is eligible to receive this caring ministry, and how can a Stephen Minister be obtained? …

All are welcome and invited to receive this ministry - congregation members, their families and friends, and members of the community. A phone call to the Caring Ministries office will begin the referral process. The referral process can also be initiated by contacting our clergy or any Stephen Minister wearing the distinctive blue Stephen Minister name badge.

What kind of care do Stephen Ministers give? …

Stephen Ministers provide:

•One-to-one ministry as trained, caring church members reaching out to others in time of need
•Confidential ministry: continuous, conscious effort is expended to maintain the bond of trust between the person receiving care and the caregiver
•A caring relationship that focuses on the unique needs of each person and lasts as long as the needs exist
•Lay ministry under the guidance and supervision of the pastor(s) and Stephen Ministry leadership team
When do Stephen Ministers enter into caring relationships with people in need? …

Stephen Ministers who have completed the 50+ hours of training and are commissioned in a congregational ceremony are ready to provide care and participate in bimonthly supervision and monthly continuing education meetings. The Stephen Minister is linked with a care receiver. Stephen Leaders prayerfully match gifts of Stephen Ministers with needs of care receivers and the caring bond quickly grows.

Why do we need lay caregivers when we have pastors, counselors, and other mental health professional?...

The need for professionally trained care providers will always be required in certain situations; and, as part of their training, Stephen Ministers are taught to recognize and respect a possible need for referral. Counselors have received special training in mental health and intervention. Stephen Ministers are equipped to listen, care, and spiritually "walk with" their care receivers. Stephen Ministers work with individuals. They do not work with children, groups, or families. Since they are caregivers, not counselors, they do not work in situations that require the skills of a training helping professional. In some circumstances, Stephen Ministers will provide care to a person who is already involved with a professional, but only with that professional's knowledge and permission.

Is confidentiality a problem? …

No. The primary reason is that Stephen Ministers are thoroughly trained by their Stephen Leaders to recognize the importance of confidentiality and how to maintain it.

Are lay people willing to commit to the training and supervision necessary to serve as a Stephen Minister? …

This question was asked over 25 years ago when the Stephen Ministry began. The answer, for over 250,000 Stephen Ministers in 6,000 congregations, has been YES! Those candidates who are selected for the Stephen Ministry commit enthusiastically to the weekly initial training, the weekly care they provide, and monthly supervision and continuing education. A great many Stephen Ministers also continue servicing beyond their first two-year commitment.

Where do I go for further information? …

Please call the church office at 788-1507 and ask to speak to Pastor Vic Calcote or Diane Mulanax.
You can also go the the Stephen Ministry website at Stephenministries.org