Stephen Ministers are spiritually mature members of our congregation, many who have experienced and overcome difficulties in their own lives.  Because of God's grace and the love of people who have helped them heal, they have been called to serve others with "distinctively Christian care" in their time of need. 

After committing to two years of service and completing 50 hours of training, a Stephen Minister is commissioned by church leadership then assigned care receivers- one at a time- who have been referred.  Men care for men; women care for women.  They attend a peer supervision group twice a month for support, accountability, and guidance.  They also attend regular continuing education classes to enhance their caregiving skills and keep their ministry relevant.  

-  Meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour and may also check in by phone depending on the complexity of needs.  

-  Listen- really listen- as their care receivers talk through their difficulties.

-  Reflect what they hear from care receivers, ask open-ended questions and help care receivers recognize, express, process, and accept their feelings.

-  Remain process-oriented.  Stephen Ministers do not try to fix care receivers or their problems.  Stephen Ministers focus on the caregiving process and rely on God to achieve the results.

-  Relate assertively and maintain boundaries.  Stephen Ministers respect both care receivers and their needs while setting appropriate boundaries in the caring relationship so care receivers remain as independent as possible.

-  Recommend professional care when necessary.  Stephen Ministers are not counselors.  Therefore, they are not trained to care for those who have mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, addictions, abuse, suicidal tendencies, etc.  If Stephen Ministers recognize that the needs of their care receiver exceed the care they are able to provide, they refer them to a mental health professional.

-  Maintain confidentiality.  Care receivers need to know that what they say to the Stephen Minister will remain in confidence.  The only exception is when a care receiver expresses suicidal or homicidal thoughts.

-  Pray daily for their care receivers asking God to support them, to resolve the difficulty, to achieve the desired spiritual growth, and to remind them of His presence.