What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is designed to equip and empower a team of volunteers at FAC who can provide Christ-centered care to people experiencing various challenges, including grief, unemployment, hospitalization, loneliness, divorce, financial stress, illness and more. It’s a care system that’s been used by thousands of churches over decades to increase care and outreach to hurting people, coming this Fall 2024 to FAC.
People trained through this program become “Stephen Ministers” who are then part of the Care & Support community at FAC who don’t just care but are also cared for through discipleship, continuing education, accountability and community.
Before we launch Stephen Ministry at FAC, you’re invited to explore and develop your spiritual gift of compassion at a one-day training retreat this spring:
Christian Caregivers Retreat
Saturday, June 15, 2024
9:00 am-3:00 pm, Discovery Theatre, FAC Deerfoot
Cost: $25 per person (includes materials & lunch)
Topics Include:
- The identity of a Christian caregiver
- Why Christian care?
- The process of care: communication, boundaries, continuity
- Caring for ourselves and others
- Crisis management
- Using mental health and community resources
- Caring in special circumstances
More About Stephen Ministry
Who is involved?
Anyone can train to become a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministers are volunteer caregivers who have engaged in high-quality training through FAC in Christian caregiving, including topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness, confidentiality and continued learning.
Care receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are people from our church or community who are experiencing grief, loss of a job, divorce, loneliness, illness, or other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers meet with their care receivers at a time and place they agree on, usually once a week for the period the care receiver needs it.
What do Stephen Ministers do?
Stephen Ministers are caring Christians who listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a difficult time in life.
Are Stephen Ministers counselors?
Stephen Ministers are not counsellors; they are trained caregivers. They support, listen and care. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognize when a care receiver’s needs fall outside what they are equipped to provide—at which point they help connect the care receiver with the appropriate outside resource with a recommendation from a Pastor.
Why the Name Stephen?
In the Bible, the disciple Stephen was one of the first to be commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need (Acts 6).
What Is The Stephen Ministers’ Role?
While Pastors will always be the primary caregivers, Stephen Ministry provides them with support in their caring ministry. God has called all of us, not just pastors, to minister to one another. Stephen Ministry multiplies care ministry by equipping people to work alongside pastors to provide care. This process also benefits caregivers as they are part of a community that looks out for them as well.
Where did It all start?
Stephen Ministry has been around since 1975, when Kenneth Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, began it to multiply the caregiving in his congregation in St. Louis, Missouri.
What is the process for becoming a Stephen Minister?
Training to become a Stephen Minister at FAC will be offered this coming Fall, 2024. Please contact us to express your interest.
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