Expanding Our Care: Insights from Stephen Leader Training

Stephen Ministry

Offering Christ-centered emotional and spiritual care.

Expanding Our Church’s Care

Since 2020, when COVID made in-person conferences impossible, Stephen Ministries, St. Louis has adopted online sessions to train Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders. Recently, I attended a two-hour Stephen Leader Continuing Education course on offering people a Stephen Minister’s care.

I would like to share some important basic ideas from that session:

  • Expanding Care: Stephen Ministry expands our church’s caregiving so more people get the emotional and spiritual care they need.
  • Lay-Ministry: It provides a meaningful opportunity for people to help others through a well-trained lay ministry.
  • Biblical Foundation: Bible passages illustrate God’s desire for us to be interdependent (see Ephesians 4:12-13 and Galatians 6:2).
  • Christ-Centered: Stephen Ministers use scripture and prayer in their own lives and with care receivers, if wanted.
  • Shared Experience: Stephen Ministers have been through difficult times as well, and are able to validate care receivers’ feelings.
Stephen Ministers Group

Overcoming Hesitations to Care

During the session, attendees from across the U.S. shared common hesitations they hear regarding accepting care, along with helpful responses:

“I think I can handle this on my own.”

It can be less of a burden when you have someone to talk to rather than try to wrestle alone with the thoughts in your head.

“My problems aren’t big enough.”

Big or small, if it’s impacting your life and on your heart, then it’s big enough.

“I’m not sure it will really help me.”

Stephen Ministry isn’t about fixing everything. Rather, a Stephen Minister is there to meet with you for an hour each week, to provide a listening ear and a caring heart, and to help you through tough times.

How You Can Help

All of us leaders agreed that we fervently pray for people to be open to this care. Will you help?

If you know someone who would benefit, talk with her/him about Stephen Ministry and let Pastor Trozzo or me, Sue Kuhn, know.

— Sue Kuhn, Stephen Leader