STEPHEN MINISTRY
If you are interested in being involved with Stephen Ministry, please contact the church office. Email us at gracemko@hickorytech.net or call the church office at 345-4248.
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. Grace Lutheran has 8 trained Stephen Ministers.
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. John and Marilyn Fitzner are our current Stephen leaders.
Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian caregiving, including topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness, and using Christian resources in caregiving. Their training also covers specialized topics such as ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved, and aging.
Care receivers are the recipients of a Stephen Minister's care. They are people from our church 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 difficult time in their life. 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 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.
How can someone receive care from a Stephen Minister?
If you or someone you know could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, you can talk to Pastor Erickson, or Marilyn Fitzner (one of Grace’s Stephen Leaders). The Pastor or any of our Stephen Ministers can also help you receive the care that is requested. (If you want to talk about Stephen Ministry for someone else, please make sure you get his or her permission first, always remembering the importance of confidentiality in Stephen Ministry.)