Stephen Ministry
“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
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 (Eph 4:12a). In the Book of Acts, Stephen was one of the first lay people in the early Christian church commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need (Acts 6:5).
The Peoples Church began training Stephen Ministers in September 2003 and commissioned 44 Stephen Ministers that year. In March of 2004, 35 more Stephen Ministers were commissioned and in 2007 another 32 Stephen Ministers joined the Ministry. Stephen Ministries St. Louis (
www.stephenministries.org) supports our congregation’s Stephen Ministry. We look forward to serving more and more of those who are needy and hurting in our midst.
Who is a Stephen Minister?
- A Stephen minister is a child of God in the congregation to care and walk beside a person that’s hurting.
- A congregation member with gifts for care giving, who was carefully selected to serve in this role
- A lay person who has received 50 hours of specialized training in proving emotional and spiritual care
- A Christian friend who cares, listens, prays, supports and encourages
- Someone who will “be there” for his/her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there’s a need
What do Stephen Ministers do?
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…
What you can expect from Stephen Ministers?
Stephen Ministers are trained to be caring, compassionate, respectful, encouraging and showing Christ like love to the care receivers. Confidentiality is the number one priority and each caring relationship remains private.
Why is Stephen Ministry so important?
Pastors will always be on the front lines of care, especially during times of crisis. But there are always many more needs for ongoing, one-to-one care than pastors can effectively meet by themselves. Stephen ministry provides a biblical solution- equipping God’s people for ministry. Gifted lay people are trained to support and extend the care that pastors continue to provide. Stephen Ministers reach out with God’s love to those who are hurting – both congregation members and non members alike (1 Thess 5:11).
How is Stephen Ministry your Ministry?
You play an important role in our Stephen Ministry. Here’s what you can do–
- Pray for God to bring hope and healing to hurting people through our Stephen Ministry.
- Accept care from a Stephen Minister during your time of need. God doesn’t expect you to bear your burdens alone.
- Tell a friend, neighbor, coworker, or relative who is hurting about our Stephen Ministry.
- If you are a good listener and a compassionate person, prayerfully consider becoming a Stephen Minister.
A congregation of our size requires about 200 Stephen Ministers to be able to serve all those needing care. Therefore we will continue training more Stephen Ministers. If you are interested, a training to become Stephen Ministers will commence in the Fall of 2008.
Contact Information:
If you have any questions or would like to receive counselling or refer a friend/loved one please contact Pastor Warwick Cooper at 416-222-3341 Ext. 116 or email: counselling@tpc-t.org to request an appointment.
