What is Stephen Ministry all about? 

Have you ever noticed that when you are in great distress or emotional pain, or are experiencing a life crisis of any kind . . .you feel better when you talk about it?  Even if you just talk out loud to yourself in the car, or talk to your dog . . . it just helps to say it out loud.  Somehow verbalizing your thoughts and feelings helps you to sort them out.

Have you further noticed that when you want to talk to an actual person about things, you seek out those who will really listed to you, without judgement or soapboxes?  And while you might, in fact want this person's opinion and advice, you want to fully express yourself before getting it?  And finally, have you noticed that there are times when you don't want anyone to solve your problem for you, or tell you all the hundreds of ways you could have avoided it in the first place . . . you just want them to LISTEN to you while you talk?  And when you find a person like that, it's like coming home.  You never forget it. 

We all have times in our lives when we are hurting or feeling desperate or feeling lost.  Or even times when we are so emotionally spent, we basically feel nothing at all.  These are the times when we most need a true listener.  To be heard is one of the many avenues to be healed. 

Who are the Stephen Ministers?

Stephen Ministers are lay people who go through specific training to equip them to access their "true listener" skills.  The ultimate goal of Stephen Ministry is to show Christ's love through gentle, caring, confidential one-to-one contact with those who request it.  And who among us doesn't sometimes need that?