Compassionate Christian Personal Caregiving
Faith’s Stephen Ministers have been trained in topics including listening, feelings, assertiveness, and confidentiality. When ministers finish their training and are ready to serve a care receiver, men are assigned to men and women are assigned to women. They minister to people in transitional situations such as divorce, terminal illness, grief and childbirth. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognize when a care receiver’s needs go beyond the care a Stephen Minister can provide. They then know where the care receiver can seek additional care.
CONFIDENTIALITY is a cornerstone of Stephen Ministry because it is absolutely essential for building safe, healing, caring relationships.
Stephen Ministers don’t reveal what their care receivers have told them: Not to the pastor, not to Stephen Leaders, not to spouses or friends, and not to other Stephen Ministers. This assurance builds trust and creates a safe place where care receivers can risk revealing their most painful issues. Confidentiality helps create a relationship that promotes healing and hope.
If you or someone you know could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, please call Janet Hernandez in the church office at 618-632-5562.
In Acts 6, the Bible refers to Stephen, full of faith and power, did wonders among the people. Stephen Ministry was founded in 1975 by Dr. Kenneth Haugk, pastor of a St. Louis Lutheran congregation. Pastor Haugk saw needs for care that exceeded what he could provide by himself. He trained 9 congregational members to work with him in providing a caring ministry. By 2005, the program was used in 9268 congregations representing over 108 Christian denominations. Find out more at http://www.stephenministries.org/