Stephen Ministries presents:

“Stephen Ministry Boundaries in the Face of Mental Illness”

A Retreat for Stephen Ministers & Trainees, Stephen Leaders, Clergy & Caregivers at all levels

Saturday, November 6, 2010
9:00 am to 3:15 pm

click here for more information

click here for the registration form

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT STEPHEN MINISTRY

What exactly Is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a ministry in our congregation in which trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.

Who is involved?
Stephen Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry. They recruit, select, train, organize, and supervise our Stephen Ministers, identify people in need of care, and match them with a Stephen Minister.

Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian care giving, including general topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness, and using Christian resources in care giving. In addition, their training covered specialized topics such as ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved, and aging. We currently have 12 active Stephen Ministers

Care Receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers' care. They are people from our church or community who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of a job, loneliness, hospitalization, terminal illness, or any of an endless number of other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers usually meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour for as long as the care receiver will benefit by the relationship.

What do Stephen Ministers Do?
Stephen Ministers are caring Christian friends who listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a crisis or a tough time.

Are Stephen Ministers Counselors?
Stephen Ministers are not counselors; they are trained lay caregivers. Their role is to listen and care, not to give advice or counsel. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognized when a care receiver's need exceeds what they can provide. When that happens they work with care receivers to help them receive the level of care they really need.

Can I trust a Stephen Minister?
Trust is essential to a caring relationship, and Stephen Ministers are people you can trust. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry, and what a care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence.

Why the Name Stephen?
The name Stephen comes from St. Stephen, who was the first lay person commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need as recorded in Acts 6.

What is the Pastor's Role?
Pastors will always be the primary caregivers, but there is no way pastors can meet all the needs for care. God has called all of us, not just pastors, to minister to one another. Stephen Ministry multiplies ministry by turning pastors into equippers, so they can enable lay people to provide caring ministry as well.

Where did it all start?
Stephen Ministry has been around since 1975, when Kenneth Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, began it to multiply the care giving in his congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. Cross of Christ Lutheran Church is one of more than 7,000 Stephen Ministry congregations from more than 90 denominations. Stephen Ministries St. Louis, the organization behind this international ministry, is headquartered in Missouri.

How can someone receive care from a Stephen Minister?
Betty Reusch is our Stephen Leader who coordinates referrals. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, you can talk to: Pastor Jon Reusch, Mary Lou Temple.  Also, any of our Stephen Minister would be able to help you through the process.

How Much Does It Cost?
Stephen Ministry is a care giving ministry available to our members and community free of charge.

How Can Someone Become a Stephen Minister?
Begin by talking to one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers and they can tell you more. We usually train a new class of Stephen Ministers once a year, starting in the fall. Stephen Ministers make a two year commitment to train and serve, they can continue to serve after their commitment for as long as they desire.

What Does the Stephen Series Logo Mean?
The Stephen Series logo consists of a cross and circle together with a broken person and a whole person. The broken person behind the cross symbolizes the brokenness in our lives due to our sin and imperfections. The whole person stands in front of the cross because it is only through the cross of Jesus that we are made whole. The circle symbolizes both the wholeness we receive through Christ and God's unending love for us.

Send email to Stephen Ministry Leader Betty Reusch at email or call (248) 932-5374 or (248) 646-5886