Purpose:
Stephen Ministry is a lay-caring ministry used by more than 13,000 congregations worldwide. Its primary mission is to bring help, hope, and healing to hurting people through emotional and spiritual care. Our congregation’s Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide one-to-one care for people in our congregation and community who are experiencing grief, health issues, divorce, spiritual crisis, job loss, infertility, or other life difficulties. Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry; the identity of those receiving care and everything they discuss with a Stephen Minister remain private.
Who may receive care:
Stephen Ministry is for those in our congregation or community who are facing a crisis or difficulty and would benefit from a caring friend to walk alongside them and provide emotional and spiritual support.
How Stephen Ministers care:
A Stephen Minister is a member of our congregation who has been carefully selected to serve in this role because of his or her caregiving gifts. Each one has completed 50 hours of training in providing high-quality, distinctively Christian care. These lay people serve as a caring Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages. They meet faithfully each week with their care receiver for about an hour as long as there is a need.