I was uncertain of the season when signs of this unusual spring came so early this year. Now, as I am hearing more sounds of birds and seeing leaves budding, I am sure that spring is here! In this season of growth, our congregation is now in the midst of exciting happenings in the area of lay- caring ministry. As you know, many of our dear friends are in need of care and we have limited numbers of Stephen Ministers. So we are offering Stephen Ministry Training this spring and the registration is this coming Sunday, March 25th. We need to find both men and women of our congregation who are willing to answer Jesus’ call to serve as Stephen Ministers, beginning with 50 hours of stimulating and useful training in Christian Care skills. This training will be led by 3 trained Stephen Leaders and will include a variety of topics such as listening, Christian assertiveness, maintaining boundaries in caregiving, and grief. The training is distinctively Christian and focuses on God as the one who cures as we care.
When the Stephen Ministers have completed their training, they will be commissioned and ready to begin their ministry. Working under supervision, these Stephen Ministers will be available to meet weekly with people experiencing such problems as these, and many more.
- Bereavement
- Terminal illness
- Single parenting
- Long-term hospitalization
- Job loss
- Natural disasters