STEPHEN MINISTRY

Throughout the week-long Leadership Training Course for Stephen Ministry that Pastor Vige and I attended in January, I couldn’t stop thinking about my very first Care-Receiver that made Stephen Ministry real to me some 16 years ago.  She was and is a very special lady who blessed me then and remains in my heart even now.  And what did I do for her?  I was her Stephen Minister…..I showed up!  I visited her on a regular basis; I listened to her feelings; I held her hand and let her cry; and in a very real way, I brought Christ to her during a time of hurt, loss and pain.

And that, in a nutshell, is what Stephen Ministers do…..they provide “distinctive Christian care-giving” to people in all kinds of situations; they “show up.”  In joy as well as in sorrow, there are times in people’s lives when stress, anxiety and frustration can severely impact their ability to cope.  While the pastor is often the first person that is consulted for listening or for help, the pastor cannot provide a regular, intentional, one-on-one ministry to every person that might seek and need his aid and counsel.  Stephen Ministers can and do provide that regular, intentional, one-on-one ministry for as long as that Care-Receiver needs that listening ear, that caring response, Christ’s care in human form.

Stephen Ministry is an intentional, disciplined program that requires a two-year commitment that includes 50 hours of training and small group peer supervision on a regular basis throughout the caring relationship.  Stephen Ministers are not fixers, counselors or mental health professionals; they are highly trained laypeople who “show up” and provide a quiet, confidential ministry, knowing that they have been equipped to provide care, but that only God can provide a cure!

Over the next weeks and months, you will be hearing a great deal about Stephen Ministry.  While several of you may choose to become Stephen Ministers, the ministry is not confined to only those people who choose to make the initial two-year commitment.  Stephen Ministry is a ministry of Apostles Lutheran Church and therefore, will require the awareness, encouragement, support, understanding and knowledge of the entire congregation.

I invite you to support Stephen Ministry with your prayers, remembering both the Care-Givers and the Care-Receivers who are blessed by this intentional ministry of Apostles Lutheran Church.  I invite you to consider your gifts and your ability to be present for people, caring for them as Jesus would, choosing to actively commit yourself to Stephen Ministry.  And I invite you to become knowledgeable about Stephen Ministry to share, suggest and invite people who might need distinctive Christian care-giving to reach out and consider the quiet, confidential ministry of Stephen Ministry.

Using the Caregiver’s Compass

A Stephen Minister is compassionate, full of faith, skilled and trustworthy!  These four points on the Caregiver’s Compass remind Stephen Ministers to be caregivers who are:

The Stephen Ministry Team  continues to meet regularly and faithfully every other  week, gaining strength, support and skills for a ministry that reaches out to care for people in a distinctively Christian way.

Is God calling you to Stephen Ministry? Speak with Pastor Vige or Gerry Brown for information about becoming a Stephen Minister.

Stephen Ministry is Christ Caring for People Through People!

As you become aware of people who could benefit from the distinctive Christian caregiving of a Stephen Minister, please share your caring concern for that person with Pastor Vige or Gerry Brown and enable them to offer the blessings of Stephen Ministry.  All referrals are completely confidential, and no Stephen Minister is assigned without the understanding and consent of the care receiver.  Care and comfort are often provided by Stephen Ministers because YOU knew someone could benefit from this very special caring relationship and said something.  Thank you for caring enough to suggest Stephen Ministry!