Stephen Ministry
760.753.1026 ext. 13

 
Lenten Season It's Okay to Be Human . . .
An important theme of the Lenten season is the humanity of Christ. In Jesus, God became human and fully experienced the wide range of emotions we all encounter in life. Jesus experienced times of loneliness, sadness, hurt, anger, disappointment, grief, and abandonment. That is part of being human. Another part of being human is needing help from each other. God never intended us to be completely self-sufficient. Part of God's plan is for each of us to turn to others for help when we need it.  So when you are experiencing difficult times, don't struggle alone. Our Stephen Ministers will walk with you, listen to you, encourage you, pray with you, and provide confidential one-to-one care to help you through tough times. Stephen Ministers can bring the love of Jesus back into your life. To learn more about Stephen Ministry, talk to Molly Hall, ext. 13. Our Stephen Ministers are ready to care for you! 
 

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.

Christ Centered Caregiving

Jesus has given us a commandment to "love one another as I have loved you" John 13:34

The apostle Paul urges Christians to "bear one another's burdens" Galatians 6:2

Stephen Ministry is designed to carry out these commands of our Lord. A Stephen Minister is called to be a caregiver bringing love and care in the name of Jesus to someone who is going through a change in his/her life.

Can a Stephen Minister Help Me?

When we face changes in our lives, having someone to care, to listen, to share God's love, to pray for and with us helps us get through the confusion, stress or loneliness.
Stphen Ministers are available to those who are experiencing:

seperation / divorce
parenting stress
birth of a child
terminal illness
serious illness / hospitalization
grief over the loss of a loved one
any changes in health
job crisis / unemployment / new job
new to the area / community / church
depression
"empty nest" syndrome
loneliness


Who is a Stephen Minister?

Someone who is:

a child of God
a lay person
called to be a caregiver
a caring listener
one who shares God's love with another
one who prays for / with another
committed to the caring relationship
receives special training
a volunteer

A Stephen Minister is Not:

a counselor or therapist
an ordained minister
a problem solver
a casual visitor

How do I become involved in this Ministry?

volunteer
call the Stephen Ministry at ext. 13
receive Stephan Series training;
a training program which prepares interested men and women to become Stephen Ministers. The 50 hour training includes topics such as:
the art of listening
process vs, results
confidentiality
crisis theory / prevention
distinctively Christian caring
many others

Following training, the Stephen Minister is commissioned by our congregation into active, caring ministry and will continue to receive on-going education and supervision.


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