Who are the Stephen Ministers?

A Stephen Minister IS…

A child of God who truly cares about people who are hurting;
A caring Christian friend who really listens;
A lay person who has received over 50 hours of training in how to provide distinctively Christian care.

A Stephen Minister is NOT…

Judgmental; casual; a counselor or therapist;  a problem-solver.

The Stephen Ministers at Christ The King are obeying Jesus’ command to love one another. Through one-to-one caring relationships that are totally confidential those who are hurting receive the love and care they need to support them. As trained listeners, they do not pass judgment and will help their care receivers overcome any uneasiness about discussing their situation. They can help them understand their problems and feelings until they choose together to end the relationship.

Stephen Ministers go through a 50 hour training period, and after being commissioned, they meet every other week for supervision and further honing of their caring skills. When assigned a care receiver, the Stephen Minister will usually spend about an hour a week with the care receiver, not counting the time in prayer that is so important to this