Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministers are lay persons who provide confidential, Christian, one-on-one care to those who are hurting. Stephen Ministers have been willing to commit to 50 hours of training, learning how to provide support to those who are experiencing difficult transitions or stressful situations. We currently have 25 active Stephen Ministers at Faith Lutheran. Stephen Leader, Lisa Hertrich, is happy to talk with anyone who would like to consider meeting with a Stephen Minister, or recommending someone for Stephen Ministry.
What is a Stephen Minister?
A Stephen Minister is...
- a Child of God who walks beside a hurting person
- a caring Christian friend who really listens
- a lay person who has received 50 hours of training in how to provide distinctively Christian care
A Stephen Minister is NOT...
- a counselor or therapist
- a problem-solver
- a casual visitor
How does the referral process work? When a person -- either yourself, a relative, a friend or even an acquaintance -- is hurting and may be in need of Christian care, you can call the church, or call our Stephen Leader, Lisa Hertrich directly and confidentially at 400-5262. With the person's permission, the Stephen Leader assigns a Stephen Minister to meet with the person regularly. The Stephen Ministry relationship continues for as long, or as short, as the need for a caring, Christian listener exists; the person receiving Stephen Ministry care can stop at any time.
Stephen Ministry helps meet the needs of individuals who are...
- hospitalized
- bereaved
- in a job crisis or experiencing job loss
- new members of the church
- disabled
- homebound
- lonely
- dealing with post-partum depression
- in a spiritual crisis
- dealing with issues related to child custody
- terminally ill
- struggling with challenges associated with aging
- looking for a caring Christian friend
If you would like more information on the Stephen Ministry program, contact the Adult Ministry staff at 296-0762 or call Stephen Leader Lisa Hertrich at 400.5262.