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Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.
-Galatians 6:10
I have been asked several times what the purpose of Stephen Ministry is. Our church each Sunday makes available to anyone in the congregation access to a Stephen Minister after each service, to listen to any concerns of a person who is troubled by anything.
While this is one service that we provide, it is just the tip of the iceberg. Stephen Ministry was created to assist our lay staff with trained people, who can minister care to those who have troubles or issues in their lives. This can be almost anything that they are dealing with, whether it is the loss of a loved one, a divorce, loss of job, health issues, end of life, anything that creates an emotional challenge to deal with.
Stephen Ministers go thru a rigorous training process; eight months, every week training for at least 2 hours. Homework and preparation add more time. We study different situations that we may be exposed to and go thru role play, to hone our skills in assisting those that need help with that particular situation. We listen, ask questions, and try to help a person to help themselves. Our relationship with our Care Receivers is also private; we do not share who we are providing care to and our discussions are kept private, even amongst our fellow Stephen Ministers.
We also are trained to understand what we do NOT do, but where resources are that fill those gaps.
As Christians, giving help to others is perhaps one of our greatest opportunities to live our lives the way the Lord would want us to; and for me, one of the greatest rewards. With that said, we hope that you now have a better understanding of our purpose and are prepared to help with challenges you may face, when that may occur.
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