Stephen MinistryStephen Ministry
The Core Purpose of Stephen Ministries International
Stephen Ministries' Core Purpose is summed up in the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
"To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13).
The Core Values of Stephen Ministries
Stephen Ministry has been functioning at St. Luke's since 2004, as an extension of pastoral care. As suggested in the above-referenced statement, we are a group of trained lay people who provide one-on-one confidential, Christian care to people who are dealing with low self-esteem, issues of aging, illness, job loss, hospitalization, loneliness, divorce, moving due to job or health reasons, or simply a sense of feeling overwhelmed about a situation in his or her life.
Our Stephen Ministers
The following excerpt from the Stephen Ministry website (www.stephenminitries.org) sums up our purpose:
The greatest need people have today is not for someone who will solve their problems for them, but rather for someone who will listen empathetically to the darkest and deepest wounds of their inner selves. We may feel as though we were useless and not particularly helpful to a friend in the midst of a crisis, and yet he or she will say in gratitude, "You were there when I needed you."
I need a friend, Lord, someone who will just listen. Not someone who will try to fix me or attempt to solve my problems, but someone who will accept me for who I am. Not someone who will become anxious, suspicious, or frightened when I share the deepest feelings of my soul, but someone who will accept me. Not someone who will give chatty advice or scold or judge me, but someone who will quietly point me to you. I need someone to listen, Lord, someone like you. John Gugel Cries of Faith, Songs of Hope: Prayers for the Times of Our Lives.
Stephen Ministers are assigned one person, of the same gender, at a time and meet with that person for about one hour per week to assist that person through their time of need. Our Stephen Ministers have completed 50 hours of training which provides the skills needed to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ; we also meet monthly for peer supervision and support.
Stephen Ministers in Peer Supervision
Please do not hesitate to contact a Stephen Leader or a member of our clergy team if you feel that you would benefit from a Stephen Minister. We also welcome anyone who would like to become a Stephen Minister by contacting us and completing an application.
Stephen Ministers in Peer Supervision
Click here to download an application to become a Stephen Minister at St. Luke's