WHAT IS STEPHEN MINISTRY? Our congregation’s Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.
A STEPHEN MINISTER IS…
1. A child of God who walks beside a person who is hurting
2. A congregation member with gifts for caregiving who was carefully selected to serve in this role
3. A lay person who has received 50 hours of training in providing emotional and spiritual care
4. A Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages
STEPHEN MINISTERS CARE FOR PEOPLE FACING TOUGH TIMES. We all experience challenges in life—times when we could benefit from the support of a caring Christian friend. Stephen Ministers are ready to provide the emotional and spiritual care we need when faced with a crisis or difficulty such as—
Loss of a loved one
Hospitalization
Divorce or separation
Loneliness or discouragement
Spiritual crisis
Unemployment or a job crisis
A terminal illness
Incarceration
Aging
Birth, adoption, miscarriage, or infertility
A chronic illness
Relocation
Recovery after an accident or disaster
And many more
Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry. The identity of those receiving care and what takes place in each caring relationship remain private.
FIRST REFORMED UCC STEPHEN MINISTRY CORE VALUES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Every person is a child of God. All God’s people have been blessed with spiritual gifts and God calls all of us to active ministry.
2. Every person shall have the opportunity to achieve wholeness and healing. We want our church to be a place where hurting people can receive compassion, care, and Christ’s healing love.
3. Every care receiver will be honored and confidentiality will be kept.
4. Every care giver will be given the necessary training and resources so that their ministry will be reflective of Jesus’ ministry of love and healing. We believe strongly in Ephesians 4:12, that the role of the pastor and other church leaders is to “prepare God’s people” for works of service.
5. God calls everyone to be his servant. God does not want any of us to suffer alone, but wants us to love, encourage, and care for one another.
FIRST REFORMED UCC STEPHEN MINISTRY VISION STATEMENT IS AS FOLLOWS:
Jesus Christ taught us to love each other as we love ourselves; and, that if we serve those who are hurting, troubled, and in need, we are serving God himself.
We at First Reformed United Church of Christ demonstrate these values by caring, loving, and encouraging members of our congregation and our community through the Stephen Ministry.
The table below shows a summary of all the caregiver contacts made by our Stephen Ministers from July 29, 2011 through February 2012. Categories of care receivers include shut-ins, hospitalizations, deaths of congregational members and other. Not shown are the two meetings a month that these individuals attend as they continue to improve their skills as caregivers. Thank you!
| Date Contacts Made |
Minutes Spent |
| July/Aug/Sept 2011 55 | 1630 |
| October 2011 37 | 1540 |
| November 2011 51 | 2940 |
| December 2011 44 | 1795 |
| January 2012 115 | 7141 |
| February 2012 105 | 7013 |