Caring that changes lives
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” – I Thessalonians 5:11
Stephen Ministry began at Our Savior’s in 2018 when two members attended a week long Leader Training. Fifteen Stephen ministers then completed 50 hours of training in emotional and spiritual care. Each Stephen Minister is equipped to provide confidential, one-on-one Christian care and support to individuals who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.
As a congregation we can play an important role in our Stephen Ministry:
- You can pray for God to bring hope and healing to hurting people.
- You can accept care from a Stephen Minister when you are in need. It is not your job to be alone.
- You can tell a friend, neighbor, coworker or relative who is hurting about our Stephen Ministry.
- If you are a compassionate person and a good listener, prayerfully consider becoming a Stephen Minister.
People to contact if you would like to have a Stephen Minister or know someone who could benefit from having a Stephen Minister: Pastor Karna Moskalik, Andrea Valley, or Becky Maier
What is Stephen Ministry?
- Lay congregation members with 50 hours of training in providing emotional and spiritual care.
- Individuals who provide one-on-one care to those experiencing difficult times in life.
- Meets with a care receiver on an ongoing basis, generally once a week for about an hour.
- Someone who is completely nonjudgmental.
- Someone who keeps things completely confidential.
Who might a Stephen Minister be seeing?
- Those grieving the loss of a loved one
- Terminally ill people and their families
- People who are homebound
- Victims of disasters
- The hospitalized
- New mothers or fathers
- New members in our congregation or community
- Those in a job crisis
- People facing major life transitions
- The aging and elderly
- Those who are lonely
- Those with a chronic illness or disability and members or their families
- People who are separated or divorced
- Those experiencing financial distress
- Incarceration
- People in countless other situations when they are experiencing a crisis or difficult time and could benefit from ongoing, one-on-one Christian care.
Stories of Care Receivers:
My Stephen Minister Is Truly a Gift
It’s OK to Ask for Help
Sometimes we are embarrassed to admit we could benefit from a caring person to just listen to us. We are supposed to be self-reliant and strong. We think that if we ask for help that makes us a weak person. Admitting we could benefit from help becomes a sign of weakness.
Our Stephen Ministers have trained so that they can be there for us and they want to be there for you. It is their ministry to our congregation and to you. So please ask for one or suggest to a hurting friend/family member that a Stephen Minister could be of help.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ – Galatians 6:2
FORMS:
To become a Stephen Minister, download, print and complete the application: Stephen Minister application
Place completed application in an envelope to the ATTN of: Stephen Ministry and return it to the church office by USPS or by dropping it off in the locked mailbox outside the west entrance.
To refer yourself or another person to receive a Stephen Minister: Contact the Stephen Ministry team