Stephen Ministry

The Stephen Ministry is. . .

• A lay caring ministry in which one person reaches out to another in time of need.
• An ongoing helping relationship--people who need help, get help.
• A meaningful way for our congregation to more fully use our talents in sharing one another's burdens and joys.

A Stephen Minister is. . .

• A caring Christian--desiring to offer his/her support to others in time of need.
• A sharing Christian--bringing who s/he is to each helping relationship, as a partner in another's life experiences.
• A trained Christian--having developed his/her helping skills through intensive coursework.
• A dedicated Christian--commissioned by our congregation to confidential, in-depth caring.

A Stephen Minister is not. . .

• A professional counselor, psychologist, or therapist.
• A social worker providing lots of physical services.
• An expert in law, finance, church doctrine, etc.
• A brief, superficial visitor, "touching base" with people now and then.

What is the Stephen Ministry?

• It is a one-to-one ministry by trained, caring parishioners.
• It is a long term helping relationship focusing on the unique needs of each person.
• It is a commitment to caring and supporting one another, to build a Christ-centered, sharing community.
• It is a response to Christ's instruction . . .

"to love one another as I have loved you."

• It is a religious and educational system of training and organization, which is already working in many congregations throughout the country.
• It is a ministry named after St. Stephen, the first deacon in the early church, commissioned by the apostles to care for the community's needs.

Who is a Stephen Minister?

• A lay person, who through training will learn skills and develop his/her gifts for bringing Christ's healing love to people who are lonely, grieving, strangers, new parents, ill, or experiencing other stresses in life.
• A caring and sharing person who reaches out a supporting hand to the spiritual, social, and emotional needs of our community.

What kinds of needs does the Stephen Ministry address?

• People who are hospitalized
• People who are grieving the loss of a loved one
• People who are lonely
• People who are depressed
• People who are separated or in the process of divorce
• People who are shut in
• People experiencing the birth of a child
• People who are dying, as well as the families of those who are terminally ill
• People experiencing loss of job, or financial setbacks
• People and families of those who are in trouble with the law
• People who are new to our community
• People who are inactive members of our congregation
• People who are struggling with their faith with God

How does the Stephen Ministry work at CLPC?

• A Stephen Ministry training program prepares interested men and women to become Stephen Ministers, equipping them to care for the many needs in our congregation.
• Their 50 hours of training includes topics such as:
• feelings
• listening
• assertiveness training
• confidentiality
• crisis theory and intervention
• telecare
• use of prayer and the Bible
• being professional
• the "small step" approach
• other specialized "needs" topics on grief, divorce, depression, older persons, stress, etc.
• Each Stephen Minister works in continual supervision and consultation and receives ongoing education in the helping ministry.