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| STEPHEN MINISTRY is | |
| A caring Christian -- | desiring to offer his/her support to others in time of need. |
| A sharing Christian -- | desiring to bring who he/she is to each helping relationship, as a partner in another's life experiences. |
| A trained Christian -- | having developed his/her helping skills through intensive coursework. |
| A dedicated Christian -- | commissioned by our parish for confidential, in-depth caring. |
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WON'T SOMEONE LISTEN ? What you should know about Stephen Ministry |
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| It is so easy to say the wrong thing to someone who is suffering.
People urge widows to banish their grief and go socialize, as if a
lifetime of love was merely a memory. They try to comfort mothers who
miscarry by telling them to get pregnant again soon. They want to hear
those who are sick laugh when what the sick may need is to weep. And perhaps the most cruel blow when the crisis strikes is that suffering persists long after the doctors, the clergy, family and friends have returned to more pressing needs. Stephen Ministry was started to provide ongoing contact for those people left to suffer in silence. And an important aim is to insure that the lay ministers caring for people in emotional and spiritual pain do not make things worse by saying the wrong thing. St. Paul said we should bear one another’s burdens. Doing this is not limited to crisis situations. For instance, it may be thought that older people don’t need much help. |
Their lives are in order. But the challenges of aging and loss are very difficult. Stephen Ministers also call on people who are feeling lonesome, or experiencing one or more of many numerous difficulties, then sit and listen so those being listened to can usually resolve for themselves whatever are their particular problems. Stephen Ministry’s name came from Stephen in the Bible’s Acts of the Apostles. He was the first layperson asked to care for the needs of that first Christian congregation. Although open to all adult ages, Stephen Ministry is especially rewarding for active mature people who find themselves with the time and inclination to reach out to others. A potential Stephen Minister fills out an application, then is interviewed, with any/all questions answered. If agreed, he or she receives 50 hours of training, after making make a two-year commitment to serve. Finally, a match is made between someone who has requested Stephen Ministry help, and a trained Stephen Minister. |
The match is gender sensitive - male-to-male and female-to-female, and always confidential. Stephen Minister training includes practical advice on how often to visit or call. The help session lasts usually about one hour per week as long as needed. Stephen Ministry is simply doing what’s really most important: being there, listening, and caring. If not for yourself, maybe you have a friend, neighbor, coworker, or a relative going through a difficult time. Consider letting a Stephen Minister help. As stated above, a Stephen Minister is trained to provide emotional and spiritual care to whomever is hurting by listening, caring, encouraging, and praying while walking alongside the person experiencing his or her difficult and/or possibly life-changing situations. See the reverse side of this sheet for concrete examples of the CRISES that go on in our lives and the lives of our neighbors. If there is more than one crisis happening at the same time, add the crises number values together. |
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Won't Someone Listen ??
WHAT CAUSES CRISES?
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The Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale provides insight into what events can bring about
crises and rates the severity of the crises. While all situations cannot be
shown here, a determination can be made where a particular crisis might
rank.
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A crisis may cause a temporary loss of faith. People may strongly sense that God has abandoned them. They may forget God’s love, care, and forgiveness. Even Jesus called out from His crisis on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46b). People in crisis may also feel angry with God for letting the crisis ever occur. Destructive ways to deal with their anger at God include hostility towards others who trust in God, dropping out of church, and becoming deeply depressed. Constructive ways include telling God about it, talking to a friend, or with a trained caregiver – a Stephen Minister. Want to learn more? Want to help yourself? Want to help others? Then consider joining the weekly Stephen Ministry training class on various topics to learn the art of providing emotional and spiritual care. Or, if your life, or that of someone you know has shifted out of balance,
Stephen Ministry is ready to help. call:
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STEPHEN MINISTRY
