What Is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a lay care ministry in which trained congregation members—called Stephen Ministers—provide one-to-one Christ-centered care to people who are hurting or going through tough times.
How Stephen Ministry Works
Care Givers – Stephen Ministers
A Stephen Minister usually provides care to one person at a time, meeting with that person once a week for about an hour.
A Stephen Minister is:
- a child of God who walks beside a hurting person;
- a caring Christian who really listens;
- a congregational member who has received intensive training in providing Christian care;
- a trustworthy confidant who will keep everything you say - and even your identity - confidential;
- and someone who will faithfully meet with you weekly.
A Stephen Minister is NOT…
- a counselor or therapist;
- a problem-solver;
- someone who runs errands or helps with chores;
- or a casual visitor.
Care Receivers
Care receivers are people—congregation members and others in the community—who receive care from a Stephen Minister. These are people struggling through a difficult time in life—experiencing grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or some other life crisis.
Some important guidelines for this caring relationship protect both the care receiver and the Stephen Minister:
- The relationship between a care receiver and a Stephen Minister is confidential.
- Men are matched with men; women with women.
- When a care receiver’s needs exceed what a Stephen Minister can provide, a referral is made to an appropriate resource.
CEDAR SPRINGS CARE COORDINATORS AND LEADERSHIP TEAM
CARE COORDINATOR
Jeannette George, 865-291-5239, jeannette@cspc.net
Apply to Become a Stephen Minister
If you are considering becoming a Stephen Minister, download the application, or fill out and return to the church.
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