Stephens Ministries

[BJClark]

I'm curious, do any of your churches have a Stephens Ministry?

ours recently started one, and our pastor is extremely grateful,
as it removes some of the stresses he has as a pastor.

He knows that having so many people in a congregation, he can't do it all, and that when there is an emergency in a family their needs after the actual emergency are still great, and he is being called away to yet another congregants emergency and in turn felts as if he was some how neglecting the additional needs of that person and was feeling burdened by the weight of it all.

but now, with a Stephens Ministry started, knowing they are trained to go in and minister to those who are still in need, when the pastor is called away, it removes that burden from his shoulders knowing they are still being cared for.

So I was just curious how many of the folks here have this ministry at their churches as a to help their pastors?

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by BJClark]

 

[jaybird0827]

This sounds like diaconal work. The Diaconate should be under the oversight of the Session; not simply the pastor. The deacons could be seeing that this gets done, involving others, subject to the Session.

 

[BJClark]

jaybird0827,

This sounds like diaconal work. The Diaconate should be under the oversight of the Session; not simply the pastor. The deacons could be seeing that this gets done, involving others, subject to the Session.

They have others they minister to as well, but again, even they can't do it all, so lay people are trained to assist one on one with others who are hurting.


here's a link to their website if you want to see what they are about:

http://www.stephensministry.com/stephenministry/default.cfm/917

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by BJClark]

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by BJClark]

 

[BJClark]

But more importantly, can a deacon continually go week after week after week to the exact same person who just needs a listening ear?

Or do they have other people they are being called on to help?

I know in our congregation, we have over 1000 members, and the deacons can't spend six months of their time week after week after week going to listen to all the people in need of a listening ear who are hurting, there aren't enough hours in a day or week for them to do that and still tend to their own lives.

And that is where Stephens Ministers come in, they go week after week after week for months on end, when others can't.

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by BJClark]

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by BJClark
But more importantly, can a deacon continually go week after week after week to the exact same person who just needs a listening ear?

Or do they have other people they are being called on to help?

I know in our congregation, we have over 1000 members, and the deacons can't spend six months of their time week after week after week going to listen to all the people in need of a listening ear who are hurting, there aren't enough hours in a day or week for them to do that and still tend to their own lives.

And that is where Stephens Ministers come in, they go week after week after week for months on end, when others can't.

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by BJClark]

Another good testimony to the fact that we shouldn't have congregations that large.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Originally posted by WrittenFromUtopia

Originally posted by BJClark
But more importantly, can a deacon continually go week after week after week to the exact same person who just needs a listening ear?

Or do they have other people they are being called on to help?

I know in our congregation, we have over 1000 members, and the deacons can't spend six months of their time week after week after week going to listen to all the people in need of a listening ear who are hurting, there aren't enough hours in a day or week for them to do that and still tend to their own lives.

And that is where Stephens Ministers come in, they go week after week after week for months on end, when others can't.

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by BJClark]

Another good testimony to the fact that we shouldn't have congregations that large.

Or perhaps they just need more deacons

 

[BJClark]

Another good testimony to the fact that we shouldn't have congregations that large.

Or perhaps an excellent testimony of God working in and growing a church body that Glorifies Him?

[Edited on 8-17-2006 by BJClark]

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by BJClark

Another good testimony to the fact that we shouldn't have congregations that large.

Or perhaps an excellent testimony of God working in and growing a church body that Glorifies Him?

[Edited on 8-17-2006 by BJClark]

This is fallacious. You wouldn't call Lakewood Church in Houston an example of this (not to mention the Eastern Church or Roman Catholicism or any other number of Churches that far and away outshine the membership of any Reformed Church).

Sure, they could use more deacons, or they could spread out through their region so as to not out-grow their effectiveness and ministerial reach to communicant members.

[Edited on 8-17-2006 by WrittenFromUtopia]

 

[BJClark]

WrittenFromUtopia,

This is fallacious. You wouldn't call Lakewood Church in Houston an example of this (not to mention the Eastern Church or Roman Catholicism or any other number of Churches that far and away outshine the membership of any Reformed Church).

Actually, I don't know what ministries their churches offer that reach out God's hand to others. So I really can't comment as to why those churches grow.

Sure, they could use more deacons, or they could spread out through their region so as to not out-grow their effectiveness and ministerial reach to communicant members.

Could you explain this comment?



I'm curious, For those who say this is only the deacons responsibility, how much if any formal care-giving training do your deacons have?

I know our deacons haven't had any formal training to serve in their positions, something that teaches them how to just be there to listen to someone who is deeply hurting. But from my understanding they and the Elders will soon be taking the Stephens Ministry training, not to be Stephens Ministers per se' but to more effectively serve in their own positions.

How long do your deacons commit to being there for just one person who is struggling through the death of a spouse? death of a child? a divorce? Or even someone who is dying?

Do they typically meet with the same person for an hour a week for six months to a year or longer if that is what the person needs? Not to counsel or offer much advice, but just to sit and listen to the person talk about what ever they need to talk about.

[Edited on 8-17-2006 by BJClark]

[Edited on 8-17-2006 by BJClark]

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

I'm not making a comment on what is who's responsibility. I'm just saying that ministering to a church with 1000 people is not practical or familial, in the Biblical Reformed context. Just my opinion, though.

My deacons sent me a rather large check following all of the surgery and pain I have gone through the last two months, so I'd say they are doing a pretty good job. Of course, we only have a couple of deacons and our church has 90 members. I can't complain.

 

[BJClark]

WrittenFromUtopia,

I'm not making a comment on what is who's responsibility. I'm just saying that ministering to a church with 1000 people is not practical or familial, in the Biblical Reformed context. Just my opinion, though.

I agree it's not practical.

Our church started 20 something years ago, meeting in the living room of someone's house until they could rent space, when they rented store front property, they went from something like 20 members to some 100 members. One of the members donated property to build on, when they moved again, the church grew even more, and has continued to grow over the years. And in that growth, various ministries have started as to use the spiritual gifts of all it's members.

Most all of our members use their spiritual gifts in some capacity of serving within our church, I don't believe there has been a time that I have been at this church (4 years) where there has been a shortage of people who are willing to serve. The pastor mentions the need and people step up to serve.

We even have a high teen volunteer rate in our church, during the Holidays when they do food baskets for various families, the kids are there helping get them together. Many of them go on missions trips during the summer, others take the Conventant care class and help in the Nursey and during VBS, while yet others come along side some of the junior high kids to help disciple them in their walk. There have even been some who have gone on to become Missionaries overseas.

My deacons sent me a rather large check following all of the surgery and pain I have gone through the last two months, so I'd say they are doing a pretty good job. Of course, we only have a couple of deacons and our church has 90 members. I can't complain.

For things like that we have small groups, Mercy Ministry and even now the Stephens Ministry. The small group they belong to gets together and makes a schedule of providing meals for the family. They also find out what other needs the family has, like if they need help with childcare, or getting their children to and from school, and if someone if the small group can't do it, the small group leader gets with the deacons to let them know what the needs are and they in turn call on other church members for assistance. If they need finacial assistance they contact the Mercy Ministry that handle things like the food bank or financial assistance, and they take it from there to provide for those needs.

And in that you had surgery, if you needed someone to talk to before or after your surgery about your fears of having the surgery, or even things you may struggle with after your surgery, that is where the Stephens Minister would come in, they would meet with you for an hour a week for as long as you needed.

Stephens Ministers agree to serving for 2 years, so if it takes meeting together weekly for two years, as you work through whatever issues, like for example if your surgery made it so that you could not work or that your employment had to change, and you wanted to just talk to someone about any fears you had as you worked through those issues, that is what they would do, they are there to listen.

If they felt you needed something more than they could offer such as professional counseling they would go to the Stephens leaders and make that recommendation, and they in turn would help locate a counselor who could best meet your needs and any financial barriers.

A Deacon doesn't have the kind of time or even the training to minister to many of those needs, where as a Stephens Minister has 50 hours of initial training, and continue to meet together every other week for two years, with their Supervision group getting continual training, support, and accountablity.

They pray, and discuss the needs of the care reciever, how things are going, and if they are having any difficulties within that caring relationship, and gain insight from each other on how to better minister to that person, they don't mention the name of their care reciever, only the Pastor, the Stephens Leader, the Stephens Minister and the care reciever who is ministering to them know who they are meeting with.

Not all the care recievers are members of our church, some are brought to the attention of the Pastor and he goes to the Stephens leaders to determine if it's an area they could help with, if so, he in turn contacts the person to see if they would even be interested in meeting with a Stephens minister, and if so, he again contacts the Stephens leaders to let them know, then they pray about and meet with the person themselves and determine which stephens minister would best be able to meet this persons needs.

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone else had this ministry within their church.

[Edited on 8-18-2006 by BJClark]

[Edited on 8-18-2006 by BJClark]