WHEN SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS IN NEED...

STEPHEN MINISTERS CARE.

 

  

 

Stephen Ministry is grounded in Jesus’ command to love one another. Through

confidential one-to-one caring relationships, those who are hurting receive the love,

care, and support they need.

 

 

 

Sue Elliker

757-495-1021 

 

 

·         You are hurting and in need of Christian care.

·         You may also call about a friend or relative (someone other than yourself, with their permission)

·         With your permission, a Stephen Minister will be assigned to you.

·         The Stephen Minister will contact you directly to schedule a first meeting.

·         The Stephen Minister continues to provide distinctively Christian care for you in strict confidentiality.

 

Dear friends, since God so loves us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. - 1 John 4:11-12

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2

Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:14b

 

Cast your cares on the LORD, and He will sustain you. - Psalm 55:22a

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28

 

For more information, please contact:

 

SUE ELLIKER

757-495-1021

 

For more information on the Stephen Ministry organization nationwide, click here to visit the national website:

 

 

Stephen Ministers are members of CUMC who are recruited, selected, trained, commissioned, and supervised by Stephen Leaders to provide one-to-one Christian care to persons in need on behalf of the congregation. Stephen Ministers typically are assigned one care receiver at a time and meet with that person for about one hour each week. Stephen Ministers usually serve for two years, which includes an initial 50 hours of training followed by twice-monthly supervision and continuing education sessions.

 

Stephen Ministers do not function as counselors, but as Christian friends with specific training in giving care. Stephen Ministers are wonderful listeners. They will pray with you, be with you, talk with you and simply spend time with you. A Stephen Minister’s role is not to “cure”, but to care, and care is what they do so well.

 

 

There are times when each of us needs the care of another person, a Christian friend – a Stephen Minister!

 

These needs may include but are not limited to:

 

Trust is essential to a caring relationship, and Stephen Ministers are people you can trust. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry, and what a care receiver tells their Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence.

 

 

The name Stephen comes from St. Stephen, who was the first layperson commissioned by the Apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need (Acts 6).

 

Stephen Ministry has been around since 1975, when Kenneth Haughk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, began it to multiply the caregiving in his congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. Community UMC has had Stephen Ministry since 2002. Today there are more than 10,000 Stephen Ministry congregations from more than 150 Christian denominations, in all 50 states and 24 other countries. Stephen Ministries St. Louis, the organization behind this international ministry, is headquartered in Missouri. Click here to visit the national website:

 

Begin by talking to one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers and they can tell you more. We usually train a new class of Stephen Ministers annually, and we plan to begin our next training class in January 2010. Stephen Ministers make a 2-year commitment to train and serve.

 

 

Sue Elliker

757-495-1021