Stephen Ministers are lay congregation members who provide high quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to those experiencing life difficulties through listening, talking, and providing emotional and spiritual support. Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life, but all want to bring Christ’s love and care to others during a time of need.

• Stephen Leaders: May be church staff, lay leaders, or pastors trained to provide ongoing leadership for their congregation’s Stephen Ministers. They have participated in the Stephen Leader Training Course (25 hours).
• Stephen Ministers: Laypeople who provide one-to-one care for those in crisis. They have participated in the Stephen Minister Training Course (50 hrs). Stephen Ministers are matched with a person experiencing a life crisis. They meet with that person on a weekly basis to listen, care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support.
• Care receivers: Individuals in the congregation or community who are experiencing crisis or life difficulty.

Since 1975, more than 600,000 people from more than 14,000 congregations and other organizations have been trained as Stephen ministers. We have trained about 300 Stephen Ministers at Village since 1995. Trainees are equipped with essential caring and relating skills and learn how to listen to, care for, and walk with those going through difficult times in life. They learn to remain non-judgmental and maintain confidentiality in the care relationship.

• Required Training: The 50 hours of initial training covers essential caregiving topics that provide trainees the needed skills for offering distinctively Christian care. Some of these topics include “The Art of Listening,” maintaining boundaries in caregiving, confidentiality guidelines, caring for those with depression, how to make your first care visit, and much more.
• Continuing Education: Continuing education helps Stephen Ministers to develop additional caregiving skills. They may include ministering those who are dying and their family and friends, caring for people experiencing a major medical crisis or challenges related to aging, crises related to starting or adding to a family, and more.

• Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one care relationship.
• Stephen Ministers are matched with care receivers who are experiencing life difficulties.
• Care receivers and their Stephen Minister meet approximately once a week for an hour.
• The caring relationship lasts as long as the need for care exists. This could be weeks, months, or years.

• Grief from loss of a loved one
• Medical crisis – chronic illness or a long-term disability, cancer, or other terminal illness
• Divorce
• Empty-nester parents
• Life transitions – downsizing homes, moving to assisted living facility, moving to a new town, elderly relative moving in, etc.
• Families with special needs children
• Recovering from an illness or continued rehabilitation
• Facing infertility, adoption, birth of a child, or an unplanned pregnancy
• Loss of a job, job related stress, or significant financial setback
• Family members of deployed military personnel
• Facing retirement or in retirement
• Experiencing a spiritual crisis
• Affected by natural disasters, accidents, or violence
• Family member or caregivers of those experiencing a life difficulty

Stephen Ministry is NOT:

• Therapy or counseling
• Friendship
• Spiritual direction
• Peer-aided recovery or support

Stephen Ministry is not appropriate for:

• Serious relationship troubles
• Serious mental or emotional problems
• Severe depression
• Long term personality disorders
• Highly manipulative disorders
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Substance abuse or chemical dependency
• Suicidal or violent behavior
• Medical problems that need immediate attention