What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a program of one-to-one lay caring in which individuals experiencing difficulties of various kinds are linked to people who have received 50 hours of training to assist others through caring, listening and sharing.
These are some examples (but not all) of the types of situations where Stephen Ministers are trained to serve:
- Grief
- Pregnancy
- Financial stress
- Divorce
- Empty nest
- Relocation
- Job loss
- Parenting challenges
- Newly retired
- Medical crisis
- Aging issues
- Caregiver stress
- Spiritual crisis
- Job stress
- Chronic health issues
- Infertility
- Unemployment
Stephen Ministers offer to walk alongside a hurting person and:
- Commit to confidentiality
- Show compassion
- Show empathy
- Provide spiritual and emotional support
- Show up on a regular one-on-one and face-to-face basis (usually weekly)
- Like Jesus, offer grace-based acceptance
The Stephen Minister Training Course
- Teaches principles and skills that equip you to provide high-quality, Christ-centered emotional and spiritual care to others
- Gives you new insight into the thoughts, feelings, and actions of people who are hurting
- Equips you with relational and caring skills you can apply to all aspects of your life
- Helps deepen your faith as the Holy Spirit fashions you into a Christ-centered caregiver
- Builds a special bond of Christian community and camaraderie among all those in your class
- Is highly interactive, engaging, and a lot of fun!
If you would like to be connected to a Stephen Minister, or are interested in Stephen Minister Training, use the buttons below to send an email to the OSLC Stephen Leader:
To learn more, please use the links below:
Read more about Stephen Ministers – the “After” people