| What is
Stephen Ministry? Stephen
Ministry is grounded in Jesus' command to love one another. Through one-to one
caring relationships, those who are hurting receive the love and care needed to
support them.
Everyone goes through difficult times.
Having someone to care, to listen, to share God's love is the core service of the
ministry.
Why is this lay caring ministry
called Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is named for Stephen,
whose story is told in the sixth chapter of the book of Acts. The apostles, guided
by the Holy Spirit, commissioned a group of individuals to work with them to do acts of
caring ministry. Stephen was one of those persons, one of the first lay persons to
be sent out to do caring ministry. Because Stephen ministers are commissioned
to do acts of caring, it seemed appropriate for this ministry to be named in honor of
Stephen.
Stephen Ministry: A
One-to-One Christian Care Giving System
The Stephen Ministry Program is a complete
system of training and organizing lay persons for caring ministry in and around the
congregation. A Stephen Minister is a lay person who has completed 50 hours
of training and is commissioned to provide support to those in need. A Stephen
Leader has received additional training to provide leadership to Stephen Ministers and
the Stephen Ministry Program.
Lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers)
provide one-to one Christian care to the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill,
separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated, and others facing a crisis or life challenge.
Stephen Ministry helps pastors enhance caring ministry by ensuring that quality
follow-up care is available for as long as it is needed. |
