STEPHEN MINISTRY
Stephen Ministry At St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Who Are Potential Care Receivers?
Who Are Not Potential Care Receivers?
How Is Confidentiality Maintained?
Process For Getting A Stephen Minister
What
Is Stephen Ministry?
-
Is
life more than you can handle right now?
-
Is
your health, your attitude, or your relationships suffering?
-
Are
you adjusting to a new job, change in marital status, a serious illness,
the death of a loved one, a recent move?
-
Would
you like to have someone in your life who really cares about you?
Everyone goes through difficult times. Having someone to care, to listen, to share God's love with you can help you get through the confusion, stress, or loneliness you may be experiencing.
Stephen
Ministers are trained and supervised lay-volunteers from our congregation.
They provide Christian caregiving to a care receiver of the same gender
as the Stephen Minister. A Stephen Minister cares for the care receiver
by listening, praying, encouraging, and helping the care receiver bear
their burdens and work through the crisis they are facing. Stephen
Ministers care for the care receiver; but God provides the healing, wholeness
and peace to the care receiver.
Many
people needing care do not require professional caregivers. Stephen
Ministers are qualified and able to meet the needs of a large majority
of those who need care and they are trained to recognize when a professional
caregiver is needed. Should a professional caregiver be needed,
the Stephen Minister will recommend a professional caregiver to the care
receiver and help with the referral.
Stephen
Ministry at St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian Church
-
A
Stephen Series enrolled congregation since 12 April 2000
- Pastor, Rev. Eddie Jenkins is the Director & Spiritual Growth Coordinator for the Stephen Ministry Team which is led by the following Stephen Leaders:
- Richard Crowder - Referrals Coordinator
- Brenda Jenkins - Publicity & Awareness Coordinator
- Susan Johnson / Daryl Johnson - Stephen Minister Training Coordinators
- Jonette LaRoque - Continuing Education & Resource Coordinator
- Mary Manning - Stephen Minister Applications & Support Coordinator
- Sherrell Manning - Stephen Ministry Leader
-
Our
first Stephen Minister training class began in January of 2001, and concluded
in May 2001.
-
Stephen
Ministry became operational at St. Luke Church on 1 June 2001, with the
Stephen Ministry Team shown below. Additional Stephen Ministers have
been trained and installed in May 2003.
-
The
Stephen Ministry service available at St. Luke Church is free; but all
potential care receivers must be an adult.
-
An
interested care receiver does not have to be a member of St. Luke
Church and the Stephen Ministry is available irrespective of gender, race,
religious beliefs or nationality.
-
Care
receivers must live in the Ft. Worth Metro area (specific boundaries to
be determined) and their needs must be within the scope of the training
and capabilities of our Stephen Ministers.
What
Do Stephen Ministers Do?
-
Provide
one-to-one, confidential Christian care
-
Care
by listening, supporting and encouraging, praying, being dependable and
trustworthy, and maintaining confidentiality in their caregiving.
-
Meet
privately with one care receiver of the same gender for about 1 hour each
week
-
Are
trained and supervised lay-volunteers, not professional counselors or therapists,
pastors, or physicians
-
Are
Christians who call and care in the name of Jesus Christ. They are
willing to talk about spiritual issues and St. Luke Church, if the care
receiver is interested, but this will not be forced on them.
-
Are
CAREgivers and God is the CUREgiver
-
Stephen
Ministers are not problem solvers, personal advisors, "gophers" or "babysitters".
Who
Are Potential Care Receivers?
-
Bereaved
-
Terminally
ill
-
Separated
or divorcing
-
Hospitalized
or convalescing
-
Single
parents
-
Experiencing
vocational stresses, such as relocation, reorganization, termination, or
starting a new job.
-
Refugees
-
Students
living away from home
-
Residents
of long-term care facilities
-
Inmates
of jails, prisons, or detention centers
-
Caretakers
of ill or disabled persons
-
Adjusting
to family changes such as remarriage, institutionalization of a family
member, or a new baby
-
Parents
whose children present exceptional challenges
-
Newlyweds
-
Homebound
-
Coping
with infertility
-
Entering
or reentering the job market
-
Retiring
-
Dealing
with adoption issues
-
Victims
of crime\New residents of a community
-
Preparing
for professional Christian care
-
Chronically
ill, in pain, or disabled
-
Survivors
of natural disasters or other catastrophes
You don't have to be a member of St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian Church to receive Stephen Ministry care. This ministry is offered, free of charge, irrespective of gender, race, religious beliefs, or nationality.
Who
Are Not Potential Care Receivers?
-
Minors
-
Couples,
families, or other groups
-
Those
who are suffering serious mental or emotional disturbances
-
Those
with personality disorders
-
Manipulative
individuals
-
Those
dealing with abuse issues
-
Substance
abusers or chemically dependent persons (e.g., drugs and alcohol)
-
Those
exhibiting suicidal behavior
-
Those
exhibiting violent behavior
How
Is Confidentiality Maintained?
There
are only three exceptions for breaking confidentiality and they are: abuse,
homicide and suicide. These exceptions are necessary when a person's
life is seriously threatened.
What
Is Peer Supervision?
Process
For Getting A Stephen Minister
by our Stephen Ministry or someone simply hears about our Stephen Ministry
and wants to contact our church about receiving care.
2. Talk
to the person who needs care about the Stephen Ministry at St. Luke
Cumberland Presbyterian
Church and how the Stephen Ministry could help with
the problem
or crisis he or she is facing.
3.
Ask the potential care receiver if he or she would be interested in receiving
one-to-one
, confidential, Christian caregiving from one of our skilled and
trained Stephen
Ministers and would they permit you to submit their name, in
confidence,
to our pastor (Rev. Eddie Jenkins or to our Stephen Leader
Referrals
Coordinator (Richard Crowder).
4.
Anyone interested in receiving Stephen Ministry care from St. Luke Church,
must contact,
in person or by phone, either Pastor Eddie Jenkins (817-293-
3778)
or Stephen Leader Referrals Coordinator Richard Crowder (817-297-
4150)
to get their name placed on a confidential potential care receiver list.
To ensure
confidentiality, no care receiver names will be accepted by phone
recorder,
mail, e-mail, FAX or any written communication.
5.
Either the pastor of the Stephen Leader Referrals Coordinator will initially
contact potential
(1)
briefly describe the Stephen Ministry available at St. Luke Church (2)
screen potential care receivers to determine if their need is within
the scope of our
Signed
____________________________________
Date ________________
care receivers.
The purpose of this initial contact is threefold:
6. All interested care
receivers must be approved and prepared to receive Stephen Ministry
care
(e.g., how
the Stephen Ministry works, boundaries, confidentiality, peer supervision,
referrals to
professional
caregiver, etc.) before they can start receiving care. Also, they
must sign the
"Agreement
for Receiving Care" document.
7. A candidate care receiver
approved for care will be assigned an appropriate Stephen Minister
of the same
gender as the care receiver. A Stephen Minister will be selected
and assigned to a
given care
receiver by the Stephen Leader Referrals Coordinator as soon as possible.
This
assignment
will depend on the needs of the care receiver as well as the strengths,
interests, and
availability
of the Stephen Minister.
8. The person approved for our
Stephen Ministry care will be put on a waiting list if a suitable
Stephen Minister
is unavailable for immediate assignment. In such case, the
Stephen Leader
Referrals
Coordinator will stay in touch with the person approved for care to determine
if their
needs change
and to notify them when a Stephen Minister is available to
care for them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGREEMENT
TO RECEIVE CARE
I,
____________________________________________, understand the description
of Stephen Ministry as explained in this agreement, and I desire
to receive care from a Stephen Minister from St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian
Church. I further understand confidentiality in Stephen Ministry
as explained in this agreement. I give my permission to my Stephen
Minister and to the Stephen Leader and pastor of St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian
Church (Ft. Worth, Texas) to give and receive supervision and to obtain
consultation as described in this document.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen
Ministry Photos
Stephen Leader Team at Stephen
First Stephen Minister Training Class
Ministry Dinner on 5/20/01
at Stephen Ministry Dinner on 5/20/01
First Stephen Minister Training Class in
Session (Jan - May 2001)
Pastor
Eddie Jenkins recognized Susan
Stephen Minister Class of 2003 after
and Daryl Johnson for training the Stephen
the installation service on 5/25/03
Minister Class of 2003 at the installation
Front Row (L/R): Carolyn Guthrie,
service on 5/25/03
Toni Duncan and Connie Hansen
Back Row (L/R): Jack Guthrie and
Mike Sherman
Want
To Become A Stephen Minister?
-
Must
be a member of St. Luke Cumberland Presbyterian Church or a member of another
"Stephen Ministry Congregation" (i.e., the church is registered with the
Stephen Ministries of St. Louis, MO).
-
Receive
50 hours of initial training usually in 2.5 hr. sessions
-
Attend
all training sessions
-
Commit
to at least two years of service after the 50 hours of initial training
-
After
commissioning, attend all continuing education training sessions and participate
in twice-monthly small group supervision (Meets on 2nd and 4th Sundays
from 5:00 - 7:30 PM; NOTE: Meeting covers both continuing education and
peer supervision)
-
Meet
with assigned care receiver for at least 1 hour weekly
-
Compassionate,
full of faith, skilled and trustworthy
-
Tell
other about the Stephen Ministry at St. Luke Church
-
Support
and strengthen the Stephen Ministry at St. Luke Church
This is a very demanding ministry that will take a lot of time and dedication. You can expect a "special bonding" with your Stephen Minister training class and all those involved in the Stephen Ministry. It will be a rewarding experience you won't forget. You will be blessed because you will be doing what Jesus commanded all of us to do: "... love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister at St. Luke Church, please call Pastor Eddie Jenkins at 817-293-3778 or talk to one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers. Plans and schedule for the next Stephen Minister training class are pending.
Who
Is Stephen Ministries?
Stephen Ministries is an independent, non-denominational organization. They will provide you free information about their programs. Visit their website:
Stephen Ministries
or write:
Stephen Ministries
Call: 314-428-2600 or FAX: 314-428-7888
2045 Innerbelt Business Center Drive
St. Louis, MO 63114-5765
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