STEPHEN MINISTRY AT OUR CHURCH

 

Stephen Ministry is a system of caring ministry we have here at Overlake Park.  In it, Stephen Ministers, specially trained congregation members, provide one-to-one Christian care to people who are experiencing a life challenge or crisis.

 

There are over 7,000 Stephen Ministry congregations from over 90 denominations worldwide.  Stephen Ministry was developed in 1975 by Dr. Kenneth Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, who saw that a pastor alone could not provide for all the caring ministry needs in a congregation.  The 50-person staff of Stephen Ministries, St. Louis, produces and delivers resources and training to support Stephen Ministry in thousands of congregations.

 

We have had Stephen Ministry since 2004 and in that time have trained 8 of our members as Stephen Ministers, as well as the 5 people who have received Stephen Leader training.  All of these caregivers are still currently involved.  Currently, we plan to train our next class of Stephen Ministers beginning in the spring.

 

Our pastors and referrals coordinator pair up each Stephen Minister with a member of the congregation or community who needs care.  Stephen Ministers are trained to provide care to people experiencing divorce, the death of a loved one, hospitalization, loss of a job, a terminal illness, a relocation, the birth of a child, an empty nest, the transition into retirement, loneliness, a spiritual crisis – the list goes on and on.  Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry.  The only people who know the identity of a care receiver are that care receiver him/herself, his/her Stephen Minister and the pastor or referral coordinator who linked the two together.  The Stephen Minister meets with that person in a private, one-to-one, confidential setting for about an hour a week and may touch base on the phone once or twice a week.

 

Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders get together twice a month for continuing education and supervision.  This is a way for Stephen Ministers to be always learning, growing and enhancing their care giving ability.  Supervision also allows Stephen Ministers to guide and support one another in their ministry and provide the best care possible to their care receivers.  Confidentiality is a major emphasis of supervision.  Names are never mentioned and details are never discussed.  The focus of supervision is not what is going on in a care receiver’s life, but on the relationship between the Stephen Minister and the care receiver.

 

These are the basic components of Stephen Ministry.  It is important to note that this ministry is an ongoing ministry and Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers are trained as needed.

 

Stephen Ministry also fits in with the mission of our congregation.  Our mission statement tells us in part “Giving in Christ, we offer our Lord’s comfort to one another”.