Steven Ministry was created by an LCMS Pastor to provide caring through
listening to those experiencing a life crisis. The intent is to provide a caring Christian
relationship emphasizing spiritual growth and confidentiality.
Christ The King Lutheran Church
Stephen Ministry
Steven Ministry was created by an LCMS Pastor to provide caring through
listening to those experiencing a life crisis. The intent is to provide a caring Christian
relationship emphasizing spiritual growth and confidentiality.
What exactly is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry in our congregation is conducted by trained and supervised Stephen
Ministers who provide one-to-one Christian care to members facing life challenges or difficulties.
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.
Who is involved?
Stephen Leaders: Marcia Bails, Cindy Jurgensen, and Gary Osing, oversee and
build our Stephen Ministry under the direction of Pastor Neugebauer and Pastor
Goble. They
recruit, select, train, organize and supervise our Stephen Ministers, identify
people in need of care and match them with a Stephen Minister.
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At CTK there are 18 Stephen Ministers 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 covers specialized topics such as ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved and aging. Care receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are CTK members who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of 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 benefits from the relationship. |
Are Stephen Ministers counselors?
No, 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 recognize when a care receiver’s needs
exceed 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
who can be trusted. 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 the 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 a caring ministry to those in need as
recorded in Acts 6.
To learn more about Stephen Ministry go to http://www.stephenministries.org/.
If you feel the need for a caring Christian friend or if you are willing to serve as a Stephen Minister contact: Pastor Neugebauer, Pastor Goble or Marcia Bails.
