Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Stephen Ministry

What exactly is Stephen Ministry?

Stephen Ministry is a ministry in our congregation in which trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.

Who is Involved?

Stephen Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct out Stephen Ministry. They recruit, select, train, organize, and supervise our Stephen Ministers, identify people in need of care, and match them with a Stephen Minister. We have two Stephen Leaders. They are Fr. Reeves and Annette Mayer.

Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian caregiving, including general topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness and using Christian resources in caregiving. In addition, their training covered specialized topics such as ministering to the divorces, hospitalized, bereaved and aging. We currently have 11 Stephen Ministers.

Care Receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are people from our church or community who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of a 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 will benefit by the relationship.

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 tough time.

Are Stephen Ministers counselors?

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 need exceeds 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 you can trust. 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 strictest confidence.

How much does it cost?

Stephen Ministry is a care-giving ministry available to our members and community free of charge.

How can someone receive care from a Stephen Minister?

Annette Mayer is our Stephen Leader who coordinates referrals. If you or someone you know could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, you can talk to her, Fr. Reeves or Fr. Reynolds. Any of our Stephen Ministers would also be happy to help you through the process. (If you want to talk about Stephen Ministry for someone else, make sure you get his or her permission first.)

223 Pearson Lane
Keller, Texas, 76248
(817) 431-2396 or (817) 431-2689
(817) 431-5407 FAX

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