What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a way for congregations to provide high quality care and outreach to people who are hurting in the congregation.
Stephen Ministers are congregation members who go through 50 hours of Christian Caregiving training. Each Stephen Minister is then matched with a person who is hurting and meets with that person weekly to listen, care, pray, and encourage. Caring relationships last for as long as the need persists. Stephen Ministers walk along side those dealing with grief, divorce, job loss, hospitalization, terminal illness and other life difficulties.
Stephen Ministers have one care receiver at a time. They meet with that person in a private one-on-one, confidential setting for about an hour a week and may be in touch on the phone during the week.
One of the key points of Stephen Ministry: it is a confidential ministry. The only people who know the identity of a care receiver are the care receiver him or herself, his or her Stephen Minister and the Leadership Team that made the assignment. No one else knows – not even the other Stephen Ministers. All conversations are confidential and may not be shared without permission. This way care receivers can feel assured that anything they tell their Stephen Minister will remain confidential.
Spirit of Grace currently has four Stephen Ministers.
