Stephen Ministry FAQs        Meet Our Stephen Ministers

Are you interested in becoming a Stephen Minister?

HELP is available through the care of one of our Stephen Ministers.

What is Stephen Ministry?

Is Stephen Ministry unique to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church?

How often does a Stephen Minister meet with a care receiver?

Are my conversations with a Stephen Minister confidential?

What does it cost to receive care from a Stephen Minister?

How do I set up a care-receiver relationship with a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministry gives churches an effective way to train and organize parishioners to provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals struggling with a crisis such as grief, divorce, loneliness, relocation, hospitalization, a terminal illness, or unemployment.  As Christians we are called to care for and love one another – it is not just a calling for priests and deacons.  By equipping our parish lay people with training, they can fulfill their calling as Christians and also expand the amount of caring ministry available to the parishioners of St. Stephen’s.  

No.  Stephen Ministry was founded in 1975 by Dr. Kenneth Haugk, pastor of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church and a clinical psychologist in private practice in St. Louis, Missouri.  Dr. Haugk could not meet the need for ongoing care in his congregation, and so he trained nine of his parishioners to meet this need.  His program was so successful that other congregations asked him to help them implement the program in their churches.  Today, more than 9,000 congregations are involved in Stephen Ministry, representing over 100 Christian denominations throughout the United States and 22 countries.  More than 48,000 ministers and lay persons have been trained as Stephen Leaders, who in turn have trained more than 450,000 church members as Stephen Ministers.

Stephen Ministers meet with their care receivers for about an hour a week to listen, pray, and help bear burdens. They provide care, not a cure. The relationship continues by mutual agreement between a Stephen Minister and his/her care receiver as long as need be.

Absolute confidentiality is a cornerstone of this ministry.  The identity of those receiving care, and what takes place in each caring relationship, remains confidential.

There is no cost to the care receiver who accepts a Stephen Minister.

Call the church office at 303-364-3186, send an email or speak to one of our Stephen Ministers, identified by their blue badges bearing the Stephen Ministry logo, before or after a Sunday Service.

 Sandy Bahr
I believe that the Stephen Minister program is an important ministry to any parish community and I am glad to be part of the Stephen Ministry group at St. Stephen's.
 

Rosalee Benallo
I feel the whole point of living is to be needed. I want to be as prepared as I can should someone need me.

George Biedenstein
I entered the Steven Ministry program because I was asked to.  The longer I have been a Stephen Minister, the more I realize what a vitally important ministry this is to both the care receiver and the caregiver.

The Rev. Sandy Blake†
Stephen Ministry at St. Stephen's makes a huge difference.  It means everyone gets cared for that wants to be cared for.  Folks don't fall through the cracks any more.  And blessings in this relationship between caregiver and care receiver go both ways.  It clearly is the Holy Spirit at work in our church community.

Jean Burkhart
My family and I have received so much love and support from our faith community over the years.   I want to be able to walk with others as they sort through their issues.  Stephen Ministry provides such wonderful guidelines, resources and training.

Lu Burton
I am a Stephen Minister because I strongly believe that all of us are on this Earth to help each other through our journeys.

Jill Goforth
Stephen Ministry has given me spiritual growth and made me a more understanding Christian.  I consider my time with my care receivers as a true blessing.

Susan Horne*
Stephen Ministry has equipped me to serve fellow parishioners.. As I pray, listen, and walk with those who are in need of Christ's presence and love, I find that I am equally blessed in the caring relationship. Working with care receivers as a Stephen Minister and with all our Stephen Ministers as a Stephen Leader has deepened my faith and brought joy to my life.

Bill Latchford
Stephen Ministry gives me the opportunity to serve Christ through serving others.

Chuck Markesbery

Charlotte Peterson*
Being a Stephen Minister for many years has enriched my life, both on a spiritual and secular level.  Through learning to listen carefully and empathetically to others and trying to open my heart to allow God to speak through me, the Stephen Ministry program has allowed me to grow in very special ways.

Mike Peterson*
As both a Stephen Minister and a Stephen Leader, I have learned a lot about people and about myself.  This has led me to be a better Christian and to be able to help people, and myself, get over the rough spots in life.

Lucille Reilly
I was widowed in 1993.  Alongside the grief from this loss, my "youth" at that time was challenged by friends my age who couldn't relate to my experience, and so I was often alone.  Through Stephen Ministry, I can walk alongside someone in her time of need, offering God's love through comfort, hope and cheer.

Mary Jane Seese
I am a Stephens Minister because I feel this is my way to give back for the many blessings I have received from St Stephen's Church.

Frank Shaw
Being involved in a ministry that helps people at critical times in their lives allows me to fulfill a need I have: to feel that I am answering God's call to minister to the needs of others.  By serving the least of "these my brethren," I am serving Christ.

*Stephen Leader (coordinator of Stephen Ministry Program at St. Stephen's)
†clergy advisor to Stephen Ministry at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Contact the church office (303-364-3186) and a Stephen Leader will be in touch with you.