Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry from @mygrangerchurch on Vimeo.

WHAT IS STEPHEN MINISTRY?
Stephen Ministry is an extension of pastoral care.  It is a religious and educational system of training and organizing lay-persons for caring ministry.  It was named after Stephen, one of the first deacons in the early church who was commissioned by the disciples to care for the needs of the community.  [Acts 6] It is a one-to-one ministry by trained, caring lay members.

WHAT KIND OF NEEDS DOES A STEPHEN MINISTER ADDRESS?
*   People facing any of life’s transitions
*   People who are experiencing grief
*   People who are hospitalized
*   People who are lonely
*   People who are separated or in the process of divorce
*   People who are dying, and their families
*   People experiencing loss of job
*   People who are struggling to help their children find the right way
A Stephen Minister is a trained Christian caregiver who is commissioned by the church to do confidential, in depth caring. He or she is not a pastor, or a professional counselor, or a social worker.

HOW IS STEPHEN MINISTRY DIFFERENT THAN A COUNSELING CENTER?
Whereas in a Counseling Center you will pay to meet with a professional, credentialed therapist who is trained to explore deep emotional and behavioral patterns in your life, a Stephen Minister is a lay-person who has been trained to offer support to people who are experiencing loss or overwhelming change. A Stephen Minister is NOT a trained therapist and is not equipped to offer therapy or counseling. Stephen Ministers are trained when to refer a care receive to a counselor, and Stephen Ministry can work in conjunction with counseling or as a transition out of therapy. If you are seeing a counselor or therapist, please make sure  that he or she knows you are involved with Stephen Ministry.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
Stephen Ministry is a response to Christ’s instructions to “Love one another, as I have loved you.” [John 13:34] When anyone knows of someone hurting, who may benefit from a caring, Christian friend to “walk with him or her through a troubled time,” they refer that potential care receiver to a Stephen Leader who then explains the program to that person. With mutual agreement, a Stephen Minister is assigned to that person.  They will usually meet once a week for about one-hour. The partnership can last as long as one year, before it is reevaluated, and determined if a new Stephen Minister should be assigned that care receiver, or if it is time to end the official caring relationship.

IF YOU NEED A STEPHEN MINISTER OR WANT TO BE A STEPHEN MINISTER:
Please contact one of the following so we may establish a time to pursue this with you: Wayne & Lucy Kerby, Rev. Earl Smith.

WHAT DOES STEPHEN MINISTRY TRAINING INCLUDE?
Fifty hours of intensive training in such helping skills as: Feelings, Listening. Assertiveness Training, Confidentiality, Crisis Theory & Intervention, Telecare, Use of Prayer and the Bible in Healing, Professionalism, Ministering to Those Who Grieve.

Following training, Stephen Ministers are commissioned by the church into active, caring ministry.  They will meet once or twice a month with Stephen  Leaders and other Stephen Ministers in a supervision group for continuing education and support for their ongoing ministry.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Stephen Ministers abide by the rule that “All interactions, observation or impressions and all records made concerning the care receiver are and must remain strictly confidential.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT STEPHEN MINISTRY:
http://community.michiana.org/smnet