Tell me more about
Stephen Ministry!
■ Why the name ‘Stephen’?
In the book of Acts, chapter 6, Stephen was
chosen to provide caring ministry to those in
need. Since the time of the Apostles, caring
ministry has been considered a hallmark of the
Christian faith community.
■ What is Stephen Ministry?
It is the one-to-one lay caring ministry that
takes place in parishes that use the Stephen
Series System. Stephen Ministry parishes
equip and empower lay caregivers—called
Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality,
confidential, Christ-centered care to people
who are hurting.
■ What are Stephen Ministers?
Stephen Ministers are laypeople trained in
the parish by their Stephen Leaders to
provide one-to-one Christ-centered
confidential care to hurting people. These are
people with a compassionate heart who’ve
been equipped with the skills to listen,
encourage, and offer support when someone
is in need. A Stephen Minister typically has
one care receiver at a time and meets with
that person once a week.
■ What kind of training do Stephen
Ministers have?
Stephen Ministers have 50 hours of training
and meet monthly for ongoing training and
supervision. Training includes: pre-class
reading, devotions, lecture, video
presentations, discussion and skill practice.
Training topics include: listening, healthy
boundaries, feelings, crisis intervention,
confidentiality, how and when to refer,
spiritual care, ministering to those in grief,
loss, depression, divorce, and illness, among
others.
■ What types of caregiving situations are
Stephen Ministers used in?
Stephen Ministers provide high-quality, oneto-one Christian care to individuals facing a
variety of crises or life challenges—people
who are experiencing grief, divorce, cancer,
financial difficulties, hospitalization, chronic
illness, job loss, disabilities, loneliness, a
spiritual crisis, or other life struggles.
■ Do Stephen Ministers care for people
outside a congregation?
Yes. Stephen Ministers often provide care for
people in the broader community—relatives,
friends, and coworkers of parish members;
nonmembers whom the parish serves; as well
as military personnel and their families. This
is a powerful way that Stephen Ministry can
enhance and expand a parish’s outreach.
■ How does Stephen Ministry benefit
pastors?
Pastors tell us that Stephen Ministry deepens,
expands, and extends the caregiving capacity
of their parishes. A team of Stephen Ministers,
together with a pastor, can provide ongoing
care to more people than the pastor could
alone.
■ Partnership with Manakin Episcopal
Church
St. Luke’s is partnering with the Stephen
Leader and Ministers from Manakin in
training and supervising Stephen Ministers.
This partnership enables us to work together
to provide confidential Christian caregiving to
members of both churches and to our
communities.
■ How do I become a care receiver?
Talk with your pastor to explore the
possibility of being linked with a Stephen
Minister. If you know of someone in the parish
or community who could possibly benefit from
having a Stephen Minister, talk it over with
your pastor.
■ How do I become a Stephen Minister?
Talk with your pastor to explore your
readiness and calling to be a Stephen Minister.
In addition to the initial 50 hours of training,
Stephen Ministers meet monthly for on-going
training and for supervision. Care visits are
generally scheduled for once a week.
Occasional phone contact with a care receiver
is also part of the commitment. For this reason,
a Stephen Minister works with only one care
receiver at a time.
■ Is there any cost for this ministry?
There is no charge for care receivers. Stephen
Ministers pay for their own books and
materials. A Stephen Leader is sponsored by
the parish to be trained and the parish covers
the cost of this extensive training and the cost
for being enrolled in the Stephen Ministry
program. Currently, we are supervised by the
Stephen Ministry Leader at Manakin Episcopal
Church and there is no cost for us to be
enrolled. As this ministry grows at St. Luke’s,
we will consider enrolling as a parish and
sending our own Stephen Leader for training.
We all experience
challenges in life
Stephen Ministers
are ready to care!
and times when we could benefit from
the support of a caring Christian friend.
Volunteers are ready to provide the
emotional and spiritual care we need
when faced with a crisis or difficulty
such as –
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loss of a loved one
hospitalization
divorce or separation
loneliness or discouragement
spiritual crisis
unemployment or job crisis
a terminal illness
a move
aging
birth, adoption, miscarriage,
infertility or abortion
chronic illness
recovery after an accident or
surgery
substance abuse or addiction
and many more.
Stephen Ministry is a confidential
ministry. The identity of those receiving
care and what takes place in each
caring relationship remains private.
Welcome to
Stephen Ministry at
St. Luke’s
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
2245 Huguenot Trail
Powhatan, VA 23139
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Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you
will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, NRSV)
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
2245 Huguenot Trail
Powhatan, VA 23139
(804) 794-6953
www.stlukespowhatan.org
stlukeepiscopalpowhatan@gmail.com