Stephen Ministry is a distinctively Christian ministry based on the biblical principle that Christ cares for people through people. Perhaps the most important part of what a Stephen Minister does is to simply listen, thereby allowing a care receiver to recognize and accept their feelings.

A Stephen Minister gives those in need the opportunity to express their feelings in order to find hope and healing in the midst of pain.  All this is in a Christ-centered environment.

Throughout the training process, care givers learn about numerous areas where they are taught to provide a listening and spiritual experience for care receivers.  They include the following:

Ministering:       

• To those who are dying, or their family or friends;

• To those who are experiencing a major medical crisis;

• To those experiencing challenges related to aging;

• To those in need of long-term care;

• To those experiencing divorce;

• To those experiencing difficulties resulting from starting or adding to a family, or separation from family.

Stephen ministers are also able to adapt their training to any variety of situations where the care receiver can benefit from a process approach to the situation, letting God be an ever present companion to the caring relationship.

In some cases, a conversation with the pastor is a good place to start.  You might also speak with any member of the Stephen Ministry team or the care coordinator, Sue Erickson (cserickson4@gmail.com; 701-541-0847).

The request will be reviewed and an appropriate care giver assigned.  The assigned care giver will then set up an initial appointment with weekly visits to follow.

If the request for a care giver is on behalf of another person, make sure that person has agreed to an initial meeting with a Stephen Minister.  

Stephen Ministers are trained to provide Christ-centered care for a variety of situations for which someone needs a non-judgmental listening ear.  This relationship might be a few weeks, several months, or in some cases years.  There is no prescribed time commitment, only a promise that the relationship will run a natural course. 

After a request for care is reviewed, an appropriate care giver is assigned.  The assigned care giver then sets up an initial appointment with weekly visits to follow. After the initial meeting, the care receiver is free to determine if this is a good relationship fit for the specific need. 

One thing the care receiver can be sure of is confidentiality.  This means the care receiver can safely discuss anything on their mind.  Even the care receiver’s identity is kept confidential.

The mission statement of St. John Lutheran Church is

Welcomed in Christ.  Called to community.  Sent to serve.

All three elements describe Stephen Ministry. As care givers, Stephen ministers offer Christ-centered care to those in our congregation and in our community, serving the needs of those experiencing life difficulties.  Our care-givers often work hand-in-hand with our church pastor to ensure that all who reach out are given one-on-one, non-judgmental care, allowing God’s spirit to be the helping hand to guide them through the difficulties they are facing.

Stephen Ministry is named after St. Stephen, the first layperson commissioned by the Apostles in Acts 6: 1-7 to provide caring ministry to those in need. Like the biblical Stephen, Stephen Ministers are trained laypeople who offer confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals experiencing difficult times.

In addition, Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Stephen Ministry offers a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of congregation members—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.