Stephen Ministry provides lay, one-to-one Christian care to individuals going through a difficult time. Some examples of situations suitable for Stephen Ministry are loss of a job, birth of a baby, death, divorce, depression or illness. Fifteen trained Stephen Ministers and two Stephen Leaders currently make up our ministry.
Stephen Ministers go through 50 hours of training during which they learn listening and caring skills. They also learn about typical issues encountered in Stephen Ministry and appropriate ways to help a person in those situations. After the initial training is completed, they go through monthly continuing education and peer supervision. The purpose of this is to ensure that we maintain quality and effectiveness in our caregiving.
A person receiving care through Stephen Ministry is always assigned a Stephen Minister of the same sex. They meet weekly for about an hour each week. The things a Stephen Minister will do best are listen, encourage and walk alongside the struggling person.
Confidentiality is a key component of Stephen Ministry. A care receiver may tell anyone they wish about their Stephen Minister, but a Stephen Minister will never reveal to others who their care receiver is. In the monthly supervision meetings, they will share about the caring relationship and how it is going, but they will not share the name of the care receiver. You can be assured that what is said to your Stephen Minister will be kept private.
If you or someone you know could benefit from having a Stephen Minister, please contact Mara Marsman, 698-3170. She will then meet with the individual to assess whether Stephen Ministry is appropriate and to determine the best match with a Stephen Minister.
Our Stephen Ministers are excited to serve you. If this sounds like a ministry you would enjoy serving in, please contact Mara.