What is Stephen Ministry ?

The Stephen Ministry is Christ caring for people through people. Stephen Ministers are highly trained lay people that provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Stephen Ministry is an extension of Pastoral Care and complements other nurturing ministries at First Broad Street. There are no fees or charges for this ministry.

What is a Stephen Minister?

• a child of God who walks beside a person who is hurting
• a congregation member with gifts for care giving, who was carefully selected to serve in this role
• a lay person who received 50 hours of training in providing emotional and spiritual care
• a caring, Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages
• someone who will “be there” for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long there is a need

What do Stephen Ministers do?

Stephen Ministers care for people facing tough times. They are ready to provide the emotional and spiritual care in situations such as:

Crisis Situations: Death, or traumatic injury of a family member or close friend, loss of a job, child birth, moving to a new job or community

Follow-up situations: death, grieving process; divorce recovery

Chronic Care Situations: Incurable, debilitating illness; chronic pain; long term care, special child

Preventative Situations: retirement, job change, downsizing; empty nest, 1^st child, engaged to be married

Stephen Ministers: The After People

Frequently people ask, “I know we have a Stephen Ministry. Can you tell me exactly what a Stephen Minister is?” One way to understand their role is to think of Stephen Ministers as “After People.”

Stephen Ministers are there:

… after you’ve washed and returned the last casserole dish.

… after the divorce papers have been served and the bottom falls out of your life.

… after the last child honks the horn, waves, and drives away—and the house suddenly

    seems incredibly empty.

… after you arrive home following the funeral service and the emotions you’ve held

    at bay come crashing in on you.

… after the relationship has ended but the wounds are still bleeding and painful.

… after the doctors have said, “There’s nothing more we can do.”

… after the door has slammed shut—for the very last time.

… after the phone call you’d always hoped you’d never get.

… after you realize the hands on the gold watch you received at your retirement

    party move more slowly than you ever imagined.

… after the nursing home director shakes your hand and says, “Welcome to your

    new home.”

… after the gavel goes down, the handcuffs go on, and your loved one is led away.

… after the baby has arrived, putting more demands on you than you ever dreamed

    possible.

… after you find the pink slip inserted with what is now your final paycheck.

… after your family and friends have heard your story one too many times, but you still

    need to talk it out.

Stephen Ministers are the “After People.” They are there for people in times of crisis and need as an extension of the pastoral staff.

If you want to learn how a Stephen Minister might help you or a friend, contact one of the pastoral staff, or a member of the leadership team: John Brewster, Cindy Haskins, or Nick Grabar.

How do I make a referral for consideration of a Stephen Minister?

If you think you might need a Stephen Minister, please contact a member of the Pastoral Staff, the Parish Nurse or one of the Stephen Ministry Leaders.

Staff Comments on Stephen Ministry

Our Stephen Ministry

I believe the best kept secret in our church is our Stephen Ministry. A Stephen Minister is a lay person who has received 50 hours of intense training in providing emotional and spiritual care. A Stephen Minister is a child of God who walks beside a person who is hurting; a congregation member with gifts for care giving, who was carefully selected to serve in this role; a caring Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports and encourages. A Stephen Minister is someone who will “be there” for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, as long as there is a need.

We all have our times when we could benefit from the support of a caring Christian friend. Our trained Stephen Ministers are there to provide emotional and spiritual care when faced with a crisis or difficulty such as loss of a loved one, hospitalization, divorce or separation, loneliness or discouragement, spiritual crisis, unemployment or job crisis, a terminal illness, incarceration, aging, birth, adoption, miscarriage, or infertility, a chronic illness, relocation, recovery after an accident or disaster and many more.

Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry. The identity of those receiving care and what takes place in each caring relationship remains private.

Stephen Ministers are not there to take the place of the clergy/pastoral staff. They are an extension of our ministry that can provide more one-on-one support than the clergy staff in a large congregation.

If you would like to have a Stephen Minister please call one of the clergy staff, the Parish Nurse, Bill Crawford, Cindy Haskins, or Nick Grabar. The call will be kept very confidential.

Remember, the Stephen Ministry program is a ministry of First Broad Street and is there for you anytime you need someone ready to care. Make that call today!

Shalom, Jack Edwards (Former Senior Pastor)