What is Stephen Ministry? Stephen Ministry is a way congregations can provide high-quality care and outreach to hurting people in the congregation and community. Stephen Ministers are congregation members who have gone through 50 hours of training to provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care. Each Stephen Minister is matched with a hurting person—men are paired with men, women with women—and meets weekly with that person to listen, care, pray, and encourage. Stephen Ministers care for those dealing with grief, divorce, job loss, hospitalization, financial struggles, loneliness, convalescence, terminal illness, and many other life difficulties.
“My Stephen Minister walked with me through a really dark part of my life, pointing me to the truth and love that is in Christ. I thank the Lord for my Stephen Minister who did not try to solve all my problems but lovingly, as a Christian brother, walked along with me through this valley in my life.”
SEPTEMBER 2024
We currently have two men and four women trained as Stephen Ministers, with three Stephen Leaders (including the pastor) facilitating the training and overall program. To date, four of the six Stephen Ministers are assigned to a care receiver, visiting once a week for an hour or more, providing Christian care during times of difficulty. Each of our people involved in this ministry are in regular peer supervision, helping them hone their listening and caring skills. If you need a caring, confidential Christian caregiver, or are considering being trained as a Stephen Minister, contact pastor McDowell at pastorjeffmcd@yahoo.com or call the office.
