Stephen Ministry - An Opportunity to Serve Others and to be among 'People who Care'Our church has an inter-personal ministry, the Stephen Ministry, to give extra support to those with special needs. Many trained Stephen Ministers are now working with members of the congregation.What is Stephen Ministry? Stephen Ministry endeavors to reach out to the congregation and community, including but not limited to, the ill, grieving, and needy. As Christ's ambassadors, Stephen Ministers are grounded in Jesus' command to love one another. Through one-on-one caring relationships, Stephen Ministry reaches out to those who are hurting so that they receive love, care and support in times of need. A Stephen Minister is … • a child of God who walks beside a hurting person; • a caring Christian friend who really listens; • a lay person who has received 50 hours of training in how to provide distinctively Christian care. A Stephen Minister is NOT… • a counselor or therapist; • a problem solver; • a casual visitor. Stephen Ministers help meet the needs of individuals who are … • hospitalized; • terminally ill; • bereaved; • in a job crisis; • new members of a church; • disabled; • homebound; • lonely; • in a spiritual crisis; • looking for a caring, Christian friend. Who Needs a Stephen Minister? Everyone goes through difficult times. Having someone to care, to listen, to share God's love with you, can help you through the confusion, stress, or loneliness you may be experiencing. • Is life more than you can handle alone right now? • Is your health, your attitude, or your relationships suffering? • Are you adjusting to a new job, change in marital status, a serious illness, the death of a loved one, a recent move? • Would you like to have someone in your life who really cares? Consider allowing a Stephen Minister to walk with you on your journey to wholeness. For more details about the Stephen Ministry, click here. Becoming a Stephen Minister Becoming a Stephen Minister involves several months of training. Under the leadership of Pastors Garrard and Denning and Jan Garrard, Beth Ash, Marcia Pitkin, Ruth Hunter, and Sharon Ratliffe, Stephen Ministry training takes place on a regular basis. If you feel called to this caring ministry, contact any one of them for more information. Preparation for Stephen Ministry takes 20 weeks (50 hours of training are needed to minister to persons in crisis) and every minute is worth the effort. If you would like to learn more about how you can become a Stephen Minister at PDCPC, you can reach Elder Marcia Pitkin at 564-6373 or Pastor Doug Garrard at 346-8195. What Can You Do to Help the Stephen Ministry? To better be 'people who care', we need YOU to inform us of any need or concern you have, or if you know of a need that someone else has. Pastors and members are committed to living out God's love by serving one another. Please let us know how we can minister to you or someone you know. A call to the church at 346-8195 will connect you to staff and volunteers who are eager to assist. "Christ has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: apostles, prophets, the evangelists and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the stature of Christ." Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 For more information, go to the Stephen Ministry website: click here. |
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