Facilitator: Amy & Danny Dwight

Meeting Times: TBD after training

Meeting Place: TBD

Sign up for 6-month-long training conducted at Acton UMC by 8/31. Classes start in October.

In a nutshell, Stephen Ministry is “Christ Caring for People through People."

It is a lay ministry that provides confidential, one-to-one Christian care to people who are going through a difficult time. Stephen Minsters are the “after people." We will come alongside you after you have packed the last box for your last child leaving home; after the last dish has been washed and everyone else hasgone home after the memorial service; after all of your friends and family have heard the story of your traumatic job loss over and over; after you have moved in to your new house in a new town miles away from home and wonder what’s next…….

Stephen Ministry is always church based and Christ centered, however, we care for anyone who wants help, regardless of church affiliation or any other criteria. Stephen Ministers receive 6 months of training before being commissioned to begin service. Women Stephen Ministers are paired with women care receivers, and men Stephen Ministers are paired with mencare receivers. Our care receivers are referred to us from friends, pastors, fellow church members, hospice chaplains, and so on. Care receivers agree to have a Stephen Minister in their life, and therefore understand that we are not professional mental health workers. We are trained to listen with empathy andcompassion, and we are here for the duration.

Stephen ministry relationships often last for years, and morph from “official capacity” to just plain friends as the time of crisis and trauma eases. We make it very clear that we are not the people who solve problems or offer a way out. We show up, listen, and don’t try to fix it. We are care givers, not cure givers.

Confidentiality is one of the most important precepts that we work under. What they tell us, stays with us. Stephen Ministers also meet as a group on a regular basis to provide support for each other, and to receive help and direction when needed from other Stephen Ministers and from the Stephen Leaders. Should asituation arise with your care receiver that you are not sure how to handle, or that you just need to talk through, the Stephen Leaders in the group are available to help.