Stephen Ministry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redeemer Church is dedicated to providing a culture of care, acceptance and warmth for members of our church as well as anyone living in the greater Parker area. This is accomplished through the church's Stephen Ministry. In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul provides a succinct vision, a clear definition, of the work of care ministry with the body of the church: “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. The whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

 What is Stephen Ministry?

Sometimes we may perceive “care ministry” as reserved for people who are especially troubled in some way. Not so.Stephen Ministry is a distinctively Christian ministry that provides confidential, high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care for people are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. Our Stephen Ministers have gone through extensive training program called the Stephen Series. The Stephen Series trains lay people in the basic skills necessary for helping others. Through lecture, discussion, and experiential learning, people learn everything they need for this caring ministry—how to be an effective listener, specific techniques for ministering to grieving people, and more.

What is a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained by Stephen Leaders to offer care to people going through tough times. A Stephen Minister usually provides care to one person at a time, meeting with that person once a week for about an hour. Twice a month, Stephen Ministers gather with their Stephen Leaders for supervision and continuing education. Stephen Ministers walk alongside their care receiver to encourage and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are experiencing a difficult time.