Many of us here at Trinity have experienced the faithful, caring presence of our clergy during times of crisis or major challenges in our lives. We are indeed blessed with pastors who are there for us in a heartbeat when we need them most – when there is a death in our family, or when someone we love is in the hospital, for example.
But as much as we value the pastoral support we have come to count on during times of crisis, we only have two clergy, and they can’t possibly remain with us day in and day out for the many weeks and months we often need to recover during these difficult times. There just isn’t enough of our clergy to go around! Is there another way that Trinity can provide nurturing, Christian care to meet the needs of people in the Trinity community who are experiencing a time of major transition or crisis in their lives?
In response to this question, we are pleased to introduce you to a new ministry being developed in our parish called Stephen Ministry. The mission of Stephen Ministry at Trinity is:
. . . to recruit, train, and support lay volunteers (Stephen Ministers) to be present for and bring Christ’s love to people going through significant transitions and or recovering from challenges in their lives – for as long as it takes.
To prepare to bring this new ministry to Trinity, Judy LaCroix, Glenda Strother, Laurie Trotto, Rick Chamiec-Case, Pastor Kathie and Pastor Carol joined 300 pastors and congregation leaders who participated in a Stephen Series Leader's Training Course held April 19th through the 25th in St. Louis, MO. Participants in this training came from across the U.S. and Canada to learn how to implement and direct Stephen Ministry in their congregations.
Stephen Ministry has been designed to provide support for adults in a congregation who are:
· grieving the loss of a loved one
· going through an important life transition
· undergoing a long-term hospitalization
· in need of long-term care
· facing job loss/unemployment
· dying
· divorcing
· struggling with single parenting,
· experiencing childbirth for the first time
· family or friends of persons going through similar transitions or challenges
Stephen Ministry began in 1975. Currently, 10,450 congregations or organizations representing 154 denominations are enrolled in Stephen Ministry. More than 500,000 people are trained as Stephen Ministers, who have provided support for more than 1,000,000 care receivers to date.
Caring relationships within Stephen Ministry typically involve one-hour (per week) one-to-one visits, often in the home of the care receiver, and relationships often last for up to a year, although sometimes they can last somewhat longer.
Stephen Ministers at Trinity will be recruited from among parishioners, who will be carefully interviewed to ensure a good fit between the gifts of each candidate and the roles and responsibilities of being a Stephen Minister. The protection of the confidentiality of the care receiver is one of the most important emphases of Stephen Ministry. All Stephen Minister candidates receive 50 hours worth of training before being commissioned, after which they will be matched with a care receiver while participating in peer supervision every two weeks. Stephen Ministers serve two-year terms. We are hoping to be able to assign our first set of Stephen Ministers to care receivers in the congregation by about April, 2010.
If you are interested in applying to be considered as a Stephen Minister at Trinity, you can pick up an application from the church office and/or contact any of the Stephen Leaders (Pastor Kathie, Pastor Carol, Judy LaCroix, Glenda Strother, Laurie Trotto or Rick Chamiec-Case).
Please pray for us as Stephen Leaders and for Stephen Ministry as we seek to follow God’s guidance in the development of this important new ministry at Trinity.
