Stephen Ministry
Dedicated to Caring:
Specially-trained members of Saint Andrew provide one-on-one caring, confidential relationships with those who are hurting or who are in need of Christian companionship and compassion. Stephen Ministers care, listen, and share God’s love to help individuals get through stress, confusion, loneliness, or just plain difficult times.
Making contact: Are you or someone you know hurting or in need of ordinary care? We invite you to take a step toward caring by contacting our Associate Pastor, Pastor Kyle Otterbein, or our referral coordinators, Gail Hockom and Bill Ford.
Monthly Stephen Ministry Programs are open to the whole congregation. All St. Andrew members are invited to attend Stephen Ministry Continuing Education hour (7:00 pm) which are usually held on the first Thursday of each month.
Why Stephen Ministry?
We have many needs for care in our congregation and community: people experiencing divorce, grief, a terminal illness, loss of a job, relocation, an empty nest, retirement, hospitalization, loneliness, and many other stresses or challenges. Often people with needs suffer silently or do not request or receive the level of care they really need. With only Pastor Bob and Pastor Kyle available for a congregation that numbers over 1000 members, you can quickly see why it is impossible for our pastors to meet the needs of every single person without the help of trained Stephen Ministers. Stephen Ministry expands the care Saint Andrew can offer by equipping and organizing members to provide Christian care.
Would you consider becoming a Stephen Minister? You will be trained in skills which will last a lifetime. A new class starts this fall. Please consider stopping at the Welcome Table in the Narthex and filling out an application.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Stephen Ministry
What Exactly is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a ministry in at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church 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 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. In addition, their training covered specialized topics such as ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved, and aging. We currently have more than 20 active Stephen Ministers.
Care receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministey 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 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.
Are Stephen Ministers counselors?
Stephen Ministers are NOT counselors; they are trained lay caregivers. Their role is to listen and care, not to give advice or counsel. Stephen Ministers are 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 strict 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 is the pastor’s role?
Pastors will always be the primary caregivers, but there is no way pastors can meet all the needs for care. God has called all of us, not just pastors, to minister to one another. Stephen Ministry multiplies ministry by turning pastors into equippers, so they can enable lay people to provide caring ministry as well.
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