Stephen Ministers

Soon our congregation will commission our Stephen Ministers. Throughout history, when God has called people to special ministry, members of their community have commissioned them for the important new work they are taking on. Now we invite you to help carry on that biblical tradition by being a part of commissioning those who have responded to God’s call to be part of our congregation’s Stephen Ministry.

Our Stephen Ministers have already completed substantial training to equip them for their task. We now lay hands on them, pray for them, and send them out to minister, asking for God’s blessing and the Spirit’s wisdom and power.

This commissioning service offers an opportunity to show our support for this ministry. Our Stephen Ministers will be depending on our support in the time ahead as they assume the duties of their ministry. How can we help?

First of all, we can pray for our Stephen Leaders, our Stephen Ministers, and their care receivers. This ministry calls for both time and effort. At times they may feel tired, discouraged, or convinced that they are not accomplishing anything. The assurance for our prayers and appreciation will help them keep moving forward.

We can also affirm and show our appreciation for this valuable ministry. We can tell them how much their hard work means to us, tell others how much we value our Stephen Ministry, and focus attention on our Stephen Ministers to bless and affirm them in special ways – as we do with our commissioning services.

We can become involved in this ministry in many ways. Some of us may recognize a call to use our special gifts in this ministry and may apply to be a Stephen Leader or Stephen Minister. Others may accept the care of a Stephen Minister. We can be ministers of referral, watching for people in need and suggesting a Stephen Minister’s care. We all can give our enthusiastic support by keeping Stephen Ministry always before us and by praying for and affirming those who have answered God’s call to serve in this way.

As we commission our newly trained Stephen Ministers:
Bill Blaker
Stephanie Brandt
Bill Farley
Bekki Hazelrigg
Katja Ierome
Dorothy Krumbholz
Trisch Moy
Fred Pfeil
Pat Ruha
let us thank God for all that they will bring to this congregation in providing care to others and let us promise them our daily prayer and support as we send them out to minister among us.

Our Stephen Ministers are taking on a variety of cases, from working with individuals in nursing homes to those who have come back severely disabled from Iraq.

You may need a Stephen Minister if you have lost a loved one, are shut in at home or in a nursing home, are going through a divorce, have lost your job, are new in town, or have had the last child go off to college. If you know of someone who fits in any of the categories and is not a member of our congregation, please feel free to tell them about our program. We are standing by, waiting to help with any of these problems and more.

If you are someone who enjoys working with one person at a time, our organization may be just what you are looking for. The need is great. We are hoping to start another evening training class sometime in October. Please contact Bogie Jones or the church office if you need a Stephen Minister or would like to become one.