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Stephen Minister Commissioning Reception
June 26, 2005
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Stephen Leaders |
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Anne Bennett |
Jerry Riddle |
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If you feel you are in need of a Stephen Minister,
More Blessings Than I Expected Here’s what one Stephen
Minister has to say about Stephen Ministry: “At first I wasn’t sure about
all this care-giving stuff. I mean didn’t I love others enough already?
Then I finished my Stephen Ministry training and met with the person I was
going to provide care for. Now I know what Christian love is all about. I
didn’t expect the wonderful gifts of love and friendship that God gave me
through my caring relationship. What a wonderful ministry this is!” |
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What Exactly Is Stephen Ministry? Stephen Ministry is a ministry in our congregation in which trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties. Why the Name Stephen? The name Stephen comes from St. Stephen, who was the first lay person commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need as recorded in Acts 6. Who Is Involved? Stephen Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry. They recruit, select, train, organize, and supervise our Stephen Ministers, identify people in need of care, and match them with a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian caregiving, including general topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness, and using Christian resources in caregiving. Care Receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are people from our church who are experiencing, grief, loss of a job, loneliness, hospitalization, terminal illness, or any of an endless number of other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers usually meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour for as long as the care receiver will benefit by the relationship. What Do Stephen Ministers Do? Stephen Ministers are caring Christian friends who listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a crisis or a tough time. Stephen Ministers are not counselors; they are trained lay caregivers. Their role is to listen and care—not to give advice or counsel. Can I Trust a Stephen Minister? Trust is essential to a caring relationship, and Stephen Ministers are people you can trust. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry, and what a care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence. Where Did It All Start? Stephen Ministry has been around since 1975, when Kenneth Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, began it to multiply the caregiving in his congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. Trinity is one of more than 7,000 Stephen Ministry congregations from more than 90 denominations. Stephen Ministries St. Louis, the organization behind this international ministry, is headquartered in Missouri.
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