Stephen  Ministries     

What is the difference between Care ministry and Stephen Ministry?  Care Ministry meets the short term needs of people.  They provide rides to appointments, meals upon the arrival of a new baby or a return from time in the hospital, flower delivery during the week to shut-ins or people who haven’t been able to be at church due to illness or other difficulties.  They send out birthday cards and deliver cookies and cards at Christmas.  Everyone in the church can be a part of Care Ministry.  

Stephen Ministry provides emotional care for the long term.  Stephen Ministers are members of the congregation who have gone through special training on how to develop relationships built of trust, where a care receiver can feel safe to express their deepest feelings.  Stephen Ministers know that God is the cure-giver and they are simply the caregiver.  Knowing this, they don’t feel that they have to fix the person but simply walk beside them, listen to their story, and provide emotional support for as long as needed.  

We hope to be starting our next Stephen Ministry training session in the Fall of 2008.  If you feel this call to ministry in your life or would simply like more information on Stephen Ministry training call Alison Jones, Skip or Leslie Armbruster or the Church Office. 

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