“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 NRSV
What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry offers a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of congregation members—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.
What do Stephen Ministers do?
Stephen Ministers are caring Christian friends who listen, understand, accept, encourage, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a crisis or a tough time. They are trained caregivers. They are not counselors, problem solvers, casual visitors, or someone who runs errands or helps with chores. A Stephen Minister typically meets with his or her same-gender care receiver for an hour each week.
Stephen Ministers provide emotional and spiritual care for persons who are facing challenges that include: loss of a loved one; hospitalization; divorce or separation; loneliness or discouragement; unemployment or job crisis; terminal or chronic illness; aging; relocation, recovery after an accident or disaster, issues involving birth, adoption, miscarriage, or infertility; or any combination of things that are overwhelming.
Trust is essential to a Stephen Ministry relationship. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry! Even the care receiver’s identity is confidential. What a care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence.
If you are interested in learning more or receiving care from someone on the Stephen Ministry team at Trenholm Road please feel free to contact Pastor Joel Jones or our Stephen Leader Mark Donnelly.
More Information about Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry that takes place in congregations. More than 13,000 congregations from over 180 Christian denominations are now involved.
Media Fact Sheet—A concise, detailed summary about the Stephen Ministry system of one-to-one lay caring ministry (in PDF format).
Stephen Ministry Statistics—A map of the United States and Canada, showing the number of Stephen Ministry congregations in each state and province (in PDF format).
What Is Stephen Ministry?—An overview page that describes what Stephen Ministry is and how it works.
Stephen Ministry Stories—Video stories of people describing what it has meant to receive care from a Stephen Minister during a difficult time in life.
Who Are Stephen Ministers?—Laypeople who have trained and served as a Stephen Minister share their experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions—Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Stephen Ministry.