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Stephen Ministry
Good Shepherd is beginning a new
ministry called Stephen
Ministry. You
probably have quite a few questions about what this is and how it works.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
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.
Who
Is Involved?
Stephen
Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry.
They recruit, select, train, organize, and supervise our Stephen Minister,
identify people in need of care, and match them with a Stephen Minister. We
have five Stephen Leaders. They are Kathy Wagner, Cheryl Roets, Patrick and
Michelle Downey, and Pastor Groth.
Stephen
Ministers are
the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian
care-giving, including general topics such as listening, feelings,
boundaries, assertiveness, and using Christian resources in care-giving. In
addition, their training covered specialized topics such as ministering to
the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved, and aging.
Care
receivers are
the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are people from our church
or community who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of a job,
loneliness, hospitalization, terminal illness, or any of an endless number
of 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.
Are Stephen Ministers
Counselors?
Stephen
Ministers are not counselors; they are trained lay care-givers. Their role
is to listen and care -- not to give advice or counsel. Stephen Ministers
are also trained to recognize when a care receiver’s need exceeds what they
can provide. When that happens they work with care receivers to help them
receive the level of care they really need.
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.
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.
What’s
the Pastor’s Role?
Pastors
will always be the primary care-givers, but there is no way pastors can
meet all the needs for care. God has called all of us, not just pastors, to
minister one another. Stephen
Ministry multiplies
ministry by turning pastors into equippers, so they can enable lay people
to provide caring ministry as well.
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 care-giving in his congregation in St. Louis, Missouri.
We are one of more than 9,000 Stephen
Ministry
congregations from more than 100 denominations. Stephen Ministries St.
Louis, the organization behind this international ministry, is
headquartered in Missouri.
How
Much Does It Cost?
Stephen Ministry is a care-giving ministry
available to our members and community free of charge. However, the costs
of getting started were and are quite significant. These costs were paid
for by one of our members who is committed to this ministry. Thanks be to
God!
How
Can Someone Become A Stephen Minister?
Begin
by talking to one of our Stephen Ministers and they can tell you more. We
will begin training a new class of Stephen Ministers on Thursday, September
4th, 2008. Stephen Ministers make a two-year commitment to train and serve.
What
Does The Stephen Series Logo Mean?
The
Stephen Series logo consists of a cross and circle together with a broken
person and a whole person. The broken person behind the cross symbolizes
the brokenness of our lives due to our sin and imperfections. The whole
person stands in front of the cross because it is only through the cross of
Jesus that we are made whole. The circle symbolizes both the wholeness we
receive through Christ and God’s unending love for us.
There’s
much more information to come. Suffice it to say, Stephen Ministry
is going to be a wonderful addition to the mission and ministry of Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church!
Pastor
Groth
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