Stephen Ministry - God's Love In Action
Call (361) 578-2701
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What is Stephen Ministry?
Our congregations Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.
A Stephen Minister is........
- A child of God who walks beside a person who is hurting
- A congregation member with gifts for caregiving who was carefully selected to serve in this role
- A lay person who has received 50 hours of training in providing emotional and spiritual care
- A caring, Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages
- Someone who will "be there" for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there's a need
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Stephen Ministers Care For People Facing Tough Times
We all experience challenges in life-- times when we could benefit from the support of a caring Christian friend. Stephen Ministers are ready to provide the emotinal and spiritual care we need when faced with a crisis or difficulty such as--
- Loss of a loved one
- Hospitalization
- Divorce or separation
- Loneliness or discouragement
- Spiritual crisis
- Unemployment or a job crisis
- A terminal illness
- Incarceration
- Aging
- Birth, adoption, miscarriage, or infertility
- A chronic illness
- Relocation
- Recovery after an accident or disaster
- And many more
Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry: The identity of those receiving care and what takes place in each caring relationship remain private.
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STEPHEN MINISTRY IS YOUR MINISTRY
You play an important role in our Stephen Ministry. Here's what you can do:
- Pray for God to bring hope and healing to hurting people through our Stephen Ministry.
- Accept care from a Stephen Minister during your time of need. God doesn't expect you to bear your burdens alone.
- Tell a friend, neighbor, coworker, or relative who is hurting about our Stephen Ministry
- If you are a good listener and a compassionate person, prayerfully consider becoming a Stephen Minister
Stephen Leaders Are......
Trained leaders in our congregation who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry.
- If you -- or someone you know -- could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister.......
- If you are interested in possibly becoming a Stephen Minister.......
- If you have any other questions about Stephen Ministry........
..... talk with one of our Stephen Leaders
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Joye Tripson
Stephen Leader
Training, Referral Coordinator
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Lori Koonce
Stephen Leader
Training, referrals, Continuing Education Coordinator
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Members of FUMC who are trained Stephen Ministers serve for 2 years and then may become inactive. All those who have been trained are not active at the present time, but are listed below:
Class of 2000: Dee Skeet, Dorothy Ryan, Becky McKenzie, Gene Martin, Jeannie Martin, Kathy Hunt, Wanda Gilstrap, Robert Gilstrap, Don Eastham, and Randy Mahoney
Class of 2002: Ken Ballard, Cliff Carter, JoNell Carter, Janet Killebrew, and Jan Mahoney
Class of 2008: Ann Roddy, Beth Hammack, Mary Cheatham, and Debbie Durham
New Stephen Minister :
Paul Primm, trained Stephen Leader and new member of FUMC. Paul received his training in 1990 while attending St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. He was an active member for 3 years, then moved to Los Angeles where he studied and received his Masters Degree in Psychology. He has a BS degree in history and psychology from Southwesten University in Georgetown, TX.
