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In Galatians 6:2, Paul extols the virtues of helping one another saying, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” As church members, we are called to love one another and support each other. But, how do we do that? How do we know when a person is struggling and needs a helping hand? Sometimes we can anticipate help is needed: the arrival of a baby, when someone has been in an accident or been hospitalized. Typically, someone calls the church to inform the staff of these types of needs. But sometimes an individual or family struggles without sharing, leaving them alone to try to cope. With Stephen Ministry, no one need suffer in silence.
My first experience with Stephen Ministers was through a former patient at a counseling center. My patient recently moved and he had medical problems which limited his capacity to manage independently. His wife called their church and requested a Stephen Minister to visit her husband. The Stephen Minister came to to visit him in their home weekly and helped my client significantly, because he felt he had someone to listen to him and accept him without judgment. His quality of life dramatically improved and he felt able to deal with changes in his health.
Perhaps you have had an experience like this: you have a problem that is really weighing on you and then happen to run into an old friend and sharing your concern helps ease the burden. Stephen Ministers are trained, ready and willing to help. I have enjoyed the opportunity to be a caregiver through Stephen Ministry and would encourage anyone who needs a helping hand, to reach out to one of our ministers, David Lee, or Rebecca Eldridge to have a Stephen Minister contact you. These visits are confidential, and arranged at a mutually agreed time.
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