one-to-one lay caring ministry  Stephen Ministry (Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers) enhance and equip the laity of the church to become informed and emboldened shepherds whose ministry provides one-to-one caring relationships with people in need and crises.

Stephen Ministry provides trained and supervised lay-care givers who multiply the opportunity to provide care for those in need, allowing the elders of the church to oversee differently, freeing them up to implement God's design for biblical elders and deacons.

Stephen Ministers are people who have spiritual gifts in areas such as faith, mercy, teaching the faith, encouragement, and knowing. Stephen Ministers are people who listen, care, and have great empathy. They are patient, dependable, nonjudgmental, and don't try to fix things or tell people what to do. They can keep things confidential, and they have the time to commit to this ministry.

• The Stephen Series is now in more than 8,000 congregations from 100 Christian denominations, in all 50 states, 9 Canadian provinces, and 21 other countries.
• More than 40,000 pastors, church staff, and laypersons have been trained as Stephen Leaders (those who oversee and direct Stephen Ministry in the congregation) at a Stephen Series Leader’s Training Course.
• More than 300,000 people have trained as Stephen Ministers in their congregations.
• Nearly a million people have received the structured care of a Stephen Minister in a one-to-one caring relationship, and millions more have received care in informal ways.

who benefits from Stephen ministry

• care receivers
• leadership (elders & deacons)
• Stephen leaders and Stephen ministers
• our congregation
• the church

Do you need the care of another person, a Christian friend, a Stephen Minister, to provide distinctively Christian one-to-one care for walking alongside you in your time of need?  Call the church office Stephen Ministry line (540-433-3051, ext. 180) or contact one of these Stephen Leaders.

• Donna Baker
• Greg Becker
• Joyce Bentz
• Mark Bentz
• Mark Hogan
• Karen Montgomery
• Chandra Palmer

Stephen Leaders match Stephen Ministers with care receivers who have requested a Stephen Minister.  Each Stephen Minister typically has one care receiver at a time and meets with that person once a week for about an hour.

A Stephen Ministry caring relationship lasts as long as the need exists.  Some relationships last a month or two.  Others, such as caring for a person experiencing grief, may last a year or more.  The Stephen Minister may care for the care receiver by bringing in other ministry resources, e.g., Mercy Ministry, Listening and Prayer team (for emotional and spiritual needs).

Stephen Ministers meet twice a month for supervision and continuing education.

who's who

• care receiver  A person experiencing a life crisis or challenge who receives the caring ministry of a Stephen Minister. The needs of care receivers may include divorce, loss of a loved one, hospitalization, terminal illness, loneliness, relocation, unemployment, retirement, empty nest, and other life transitions. 
• Stephen leader  Pastor or lay leader who has completed a Stephen Series Leader’s Training Course and directs Stephen Ministry in his or her congregation. Typically, a congregation will have two or more Stephen Leaders who work together as a team, each overseeing different aspects of Stephen Ministry.
• Stephen minister  A congregation member who is recruited, selected, trained, commissioned, and supervised by Stephen Leaders to provide one-to-one Christian care to persons in need on behalf of the congregation. Stephen Ministers typically are assigned one care receiver at a time and meet with that person for about one hour each week. Stephen Ministers usually serve for two years, which includes an initial 50 hours of training followed by twice-monthly supervision and continuing education sessions.

becoming a Stephen Minister at Covenant Presbyterian Church

1. Sign up through the church office (via the Stephen Ministry extension, 433-3051 ext. 180) or contact a Stephen Leader.
2. Attend the 50 hours of training.
3. Be recommended to the diaconate to become a Stephen Minister.
4. Be commissioned as a Stephen Minister before the congregation.

Upon completing the 50 hours of training, candidates are eligible to be commissioned by the Covenant Presbyterian Church Session.

 

 

• addiction
  • addictions: a fruit of the heart
  • Stephen ministry talk on addiction
    
    
• divorce recovery presentation
  
  
• pregnancy & infertility
  • resources for pregnancy issues
  • miscarriage resources from Focus in the Family
  • infertility presentation
  • infertility resournces from Focus on the Family
    
    
• self deceptiom
  • self deception presentation
  • self deception handout
    
    
• spiritual depression
  
  
• transitions: children caring for aging parents