If you’ve been at Faith for any length of time, you have probably heard about Stephen Ministry. But what is it exactly, and who can be involved? What does it take to become a Stephen Minister, and what does serving in the ministry look like? Today’s Q & A blog will answer some of the questions you may have about Stephen Ministry.
What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a ministry that provides one-to-one Christian care to people who are experiencing a life crisis or challenge. This is offered through trained Stephen Ministers.
What is a Stephen Minister?
A Stephen Minister is someone who has been trained in providing spiritual and emotional care for anyone going through a difficult life challenge. A Stephen Minister is not a counselor or mental health professional.
Who can be a Stephen Minister?
Any congregation member from age 18 to 118 can become a Stephen Minister. We love having a variety of ages on the team.
Can married couples serve together in Stephen Ministry?
Married couples can certainly take the training together and serve in Stephen Ministry together. However, they would each serve individually with their care receivers.
What is a care receiver and what kinds of things do care receivers need?
As you might guess, a care receiver is the person receiving care through Stephen Ministry. Any adult, from the church or the community, who is experiencing crisis or challenge can ask for a Stephen Minister. No one needs to suffer alone. The crisis or challenge might be the loss of a loved one, an illness or injury, a divorce, a rebellious child, the loss of a job, a difficult relationship, etc. Care receivers need someone to listen and care, to pray and encourage.
What is the training like? Where and when is it?
Stephen Ministry training is an engaging course that teaches principles and skills that are helpful in providing quality Christ-centered emotional and spiritual care for hurting people. The class meets weekly at Faith Church from late September to early March (with a break in December) and includes a variety of learning and relational experiences – presentation, video, group discussion, skill practice and spiritual growth activities. With all of this, it’s natural to form close friendships with others in the class.
Once I finish training, how long would I serve as a Stephen Minister?
The hope is that newly graduated Stephen Ministers would be able to serve in the ministry for at least two years. Of course, sometimes that can’t happen due to a move or health issues, etc., but most often Stephen Ministers will serve for two years and more.
What does a typical Stephen Ministry caring relationship look like?
Generally, a Stephen Minister will meet with a care receiver once a week for about an hour each time. Each relationship is a little different due to the nature of the difficulty or crisis or the specific needs of the care receiver.
Would I be obligated to care for anyone in any situation? What if I feel that I can’t care for people in certain situations?
A Stephen Minister always has opportunity to pray about a possible relationship and can say yes or no to that relationship. Even before that, Stephen Ministry leaders pray and think carefully about the best fit for both the Stephen Minister and the care receiver. We have been blessed so many times to see how God orchestrates just the right pairing.
I don’t feel very knowledgeable in Scripture, and I don’t feel comfortable praying out loud with people. Is that a problem for serving in Stephen Ministry?
I think most of us feel inadequate in a number of ways, but that is not a bad thing – we are very aware that we are dependent on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can help us listen with understanding and compassion, give us words to say, bring Scripture to mind, give us courage in talking about spiritual matters or praying, and so much more.
How can I become a Stephen Minister?
If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister or learning more about the ministry, email stephenministry@faithchurchfc.org or call the church office at 970-226-2095.
Janet Smith and her husband Dan have been members at Faith for 16 years. After years of homeschooling their four children and leading a homeschool group, she now works in the Faith office as Assistant to Care Ministry. She serves in Stephen Ministry and in Women of the Word.
Outside of work and ministry, Janet enjoys baking, reading, hiking, crocheting, and spending time with her kids and grandkids.