Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry provides one-to-one pastoral care for individuals experiencing a wide range of life’s stressors– loss of a loved one, hospitalization, separation or divorce, loneliness or discouragement, spiritual crises, unemployment or job crises, a chronic illness, a terminal illness, incarceration, aging, relocation, recovery after an accident, birth, adoption, miscarriage, and / or infertility, at no cost to the receiver.

Stephen Ministry is designed to train and organize lay persons to provide one-to-one Christian care in and around congregations, with emphasis on confidentiality. Started by Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, a St. Louis Pastor and Clinical Psychologist, this ministry is named after the first lay person chosen by the Apostles to care for the needs of that early congregation (Acts 6:1-6); his name was Stephen.

This program has been implemented in more than 9,000 congregations representing more than 100 Christian denominations. More than 450,000 laypersons have been trained as Stephen Ministers, who in turn have ministered to nearly a million care receivers. Go to www.stephenministries.org for more on the history and programs of Stephen Ministries.

Are you interested in volunteering as a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministers receive 50 hours of intense training in how to provide distinctively Christian care. After training, a Stephen Minister is assigned to a care receiver of the same sex with whom they will meet once a week. They also attend group supervision meetings every two weeks. Please contact us for more information.