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Stephen Ministry
Our congregation has a group of people skilled in caring for those facing challenges in their lives. These people, called Stephen Ministers, have undergone extensive training to develop and nurture their caring skills. Our Stephen Ministers are ready to work with people who are experiencing many different kinds of crises and stress in their lives.
A Stephen Minister is an After Person…after a loved one dies, after the pink slip arrives, after the doctor delivers bad news, after a relationship has ended, after your family and friends are tired of hearing about it…that’s when a Stephen Minister can step in and provide one-on-one care and support. Stephen Ministers are trained in active listening and compassionate care.
Each of us has times when we are lonely, grieving, hurt, or in need of care. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that such troubles can bring spiritual growth to the sufferer. But when we who are in Christ suffer, we also find comfort through Christ, and one of the ways we find this comfort is through others who have found Christ’s care and comfort in their sufferings (2 Corinthians 1:4-6). Our Stephen Ministers offer this Christ-like care to those in need.
Think about your life and the lives of the people around you. Are you going through a time of crisis or challenge? Do you know someone who is suffering from grief or loneliness? Is one of your friends struggling to find meaning in life after he or she has retired or after all the children have gone? Could you or someone you know benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister?
When someone in need contacts the church, they are assigned to a Stephen Minister who will then meet with them for about an hour each week to listen, to care, and to provide emotional and spiritual support.
The ministry is named after St. Stephen, the first lay person commissioned by the Apostles to care for those in need (Acts 6). Stephen Ministers receive 50 hours of initial training before being commissioned. They then participate in twice-monthly continuing education and supervision sessions.
In 1975 Rev. Kenneth Haugk, Ph.D., a pastor and clinical psychologist, started the program in St. Louis when he trained nine members of his congregation to provide one-on-one confidential care to people going through difficult times. Today there are Stephen Ministry programs in more than 10,000 congregations in all 50 states and around the world.
For more information about the Stephen Ministry program, or to request a Stephen Minister, please call the church office and ask for Jo Ann (281-492-8520), or stop by the church. New Hope Presbyterian Church is located at 1350 North Mason Road in Katy, just north of I-10.
Stephen Ministry Featured on PBS
The PBS "Religion and Ethics" news show recently aired an eight-minute feature on Stephen Ministry that vividly describes the life-changing ministry happening in thousands of congregations.
View the Stephen Ministry feature on the PBS Web site, where you'll also find several bonus features--including a nine-minute interview with Stephen Ministries' founder and executive director, Kenneth C. Haugk.
