Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministry is a lay care-giving ministry that supplements pastoral care. The program teaches laypersons to provide one-on-one care for individuals who request support.
The confidential care-giver and care-receiver relationship, usually conducted by weekly visits, may continue for months or years.
Reasons for requesting a Stephen Minister’s visits may range from grieving the loss of a loved one, experiencing a major illness, going through a divorce, job loss, struggling with substance abuse, or other life difficulties.
The central offices of Stephen Ministry are located in St. Louis, Missouri. Congregations which choose to participate in Stephen Ministry programming pay a fee to the central organization to cover the cost of intensive on-site training of lay leaders. These lay leaders then become instructors for the 50 hours of training for small groups of Stephen Ministers. After this initial training is completed, Stephen Ministers participate in twice-monthly peer-to-peer supervision meetings. Supervision groups, which may be led by a pastor, are an essential component of support for and guidance to lay ministers.
The mission of the Stephen Ministries organization is summed up in St. Paul’s 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). [1]
During life’s journey all of us have times in which there are many challenges. It may be a change in jobs, financial difficulties, relationship problems, or other concerns in which a person needs to talk with someone about the situation. Sometimes we think we can go it alone or with a life partner but sometimes it is good to get another perceptive.
Prayer and talking with God can help and frequently God provides answers or solutions to our situations. However, we as humans want to express ourselves to others and get their perspective.
A possible solution to our challenges is to request or seek a Stephen Minister at OLIH and St. Luke’s. A Stephen Minister has been well trained (50 hours of training) and supported by our parish. A Stephen Minister will meet with you frequently (usually weekly) to listen to you and to pray with you. The experience with a Stephen Minister is Christ-Centered.
Many individuals who have had a Stephen Minister say the minister listened to their issues, cared about them, cast no judgment, prayed with them and for them, and was most encouraging. The Stephen Minister was someone they could trust and held their conversation confidential.
The Stephen Minister let them share their concerns without prying for more information and never judged. The Stephen Minister helped them to move forward with their life and helped them move out of the valley they were in. The minister always showed up to listen each week.
Could someone you know benefit from Stephen Ministry?
We need your help in identifying a friend, neighbor, coworker, relative, or parish member who may be going through a difficult time and would benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister.
Listen to others that have a concern or struggle and suggest the idea of a Stephen Minister.
Tell the person about Stephen Ministry. Tell them about laypersons who have been trained to come alongside individuals during difficult times. Provide them a brochure (available in the gathering space at OLIH or St. Luke’s) about Stephen Ministry. Share a Stephen Minister spotlight from the OLIH bulletin.
Get permission to pass along the person’s name and phone number or encourage them to connect with our Stephen Minister Coordinator’s. They can ask any questions they may have with coordinators.
If the person doesn’t want to contact a coordinator, offer to contact Stephen Ministry yourself. The coordinator will be in touch with the individual to follow up. Sometimes taking the first step can be hard.
Stephen Ministry is a way congregations can provide high-quality care and outreach to people during some of life’s difficulties. Ministers are matched by men with men, and women with women and they meet weekly to listen, care, pray, and encourage.
Stephen Ministry is known to be dependable, trustworthy, caring, confidential, prayerful and encouraging. Often people certainly have friends and realize the value of friendship, but know a Stephen Minister can see more objectively. Life can be a roller coaster of emotions and problems, but a Stephen Minister may bring some stability to life.
So, if you are going through a valley of life’s journey, consider contacting a Stephen Minister from OLIH or St. Luke’s.
To contact Stephen Ministry:
Men: Paul Arend 515-314-2326
Women: Joyce Clawson 515-710-7645
Diane Hamilton 712-830-0032
A Stephen Minister is available after weekend Mass at Our Lady’s at the southwest prayer corner of the sanctuary for prayer and blessings.
Further information on our parish website
To learn more about Stephen Ministry, visit the website.
Life’s Journey
Ups and Downs
Peaks and valleys of life
Challenges often addressed by Stephen Ministers:
· Grief
· Health Issues
· Personal Crisis
· Divorce
· Terminal Illness/End of Life Issues
· Spiritual Crisis
· Caregiver for a Loved One
· Financial Difficulties
· Job Loss
· Infertility
· Anxiety/Depression
· & others
[1] Stephen Ministry Wikipedia