Stephen Ministry

What Exactly Is Stephen Ministry?

Trained and supervised lay persons in our congregation, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.

Who Is Involved?

Stephen Leaders 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. We currently have four Stephen Leaders: Pat Turner, Nancy Hines, Darlene Seippel, and Janet Wheeler.

Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They receive 50 hours of training in general topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness, and using Christian resources in caregiving. Specialized training for ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved, and aging is also provided. Our current active Stephen Ministers are: Joyce Carter, Ellie Greenland, Margrete Stein, Carolyn Thomson, Ken Cross, Don Irey, Bill Turner, Lonna Smith, and David Petr.

Care receivers are people from our church or our community who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of a job, loneliness, hospitalization, terminal illness, or any of life's difficulties. Stephen Ministers usually meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour for as long as the care receiver benefits 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. 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.

For more information on this important ministry, contact Pastor Joe Condro or Pat Turner.