"Love one another as I have loved you." John
15:12
Jesus speaks these words to all who would follow Him.
Love is the essence of His teaching [John 13:34-35; Matthew 22:36-40]. And love
is the essence of God's character [1 John 4:16]. Out of His love for sinful and
fallen mankind God sent Jesus to take on human flesh and die for the sins of
the world [John 3:16-17]. Jesus reached out especially to those who were
hurting, downcast, shunned and lonely. He extended Himself to them in selfless
acts of love, giving them His full attention, speaking words of comfort and
encouragement, and often healing them of their afflictions.
All people
experience challenging and difficult times in their lives: sorrow and grief at
the death of a loved one, frustration over a debilitating illness, stress and
confusion at the unexpected loss of a job, anxiety about a difficult surgery
and recovery, pain and loneliness of a broken marriage, etc. Sadly, people
often choose to suffer life's difficulties silently and alone. A true sign of
inner strength is to acknowledge your need and desire for help when things are
not going well for you ... and to allow God's people to reach out to you with
understanding, encouragement, and prayer. God's people need not suffer silently
and alone!
What
is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is an intentional
one-to-one ministry of Christ-centered caring during especially challenging and
difficult times in a person's life. It is an extension of the caring ministry
provided by Redeemer's pastors.
Who are Stephen Ministers?
Stephen
Ministers are volunteer Christian caregivers specially trained to help. They
share God's love by listening, encouraging, comforting, and praying with
someone having special needs for Christian care. They are concerned and
compassionate men and women of Redeemer who have a heart for those who are
hurting and have received special training to help.
Stephen Ministers are
not professional counselors. They do not replace the help provided by trained
and educated therapists and counselors.
How can I arrange for the care of a Stephen
Minister?
If you or someone you know would benefit
from the loving care of a Stephen Minister,
contact Pastor Richert by phone
(248.644.4010) or
email him at
crichert@redeemerbirmingham.org.
He will discuss your concerns, answer your questions about Stephen Ministry
and refer you to a Stephen Leader, who will contact you. All information shared
will be kept confidential.
Personal Testimony of someone served by
Redeemer's Stephen Ministry: When hopes and dreams are shattered, one feels the
burden of frustration and loneliness. God heard my prayers and sent a caring
member of Redeemer's Stephen Ministry to comfort and strengthen my faith during
the most difficult time in my life, caring for my loved one. My heart was heavy
with grief and sadness when the Lord called him home. My Stephen Minister
visited weekly, listening, reading the Scriptures and praying to assure me of
God's love. My Stephen Minister was trained, caring and dedicated to comfort me
as a child of God. Thanks and praise to God for all the faithful servants of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What if I'm interested in becoming a Stephen
Minister?
Pastor Richert will be happy to speak with
you about all that is involved in becoming trained as a Stephen Minister.
contact Pastor Richert by phone
(248.644.4010) or
email him at
crichert@redeemerbirmingham.org.
He may also suggest that you speak with other Stephen Leaders or Stephen
Ministers.
More about Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministry is named after the
martyr Stephen [Acts 6-7], who had been chosen by the apostles to minister to
the special needs of people in the early Christian Church in Jerusalem. He
became a bold witness to the love and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
and Savior of the world. In time he was stoned to death for refusing to deny
Christ.
Stephen Ministries St. Louis was founded as a not-for-profit
religious organization in 1975 by Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, a pastor and clinical
psychologist. Dr. Haugk founded Stephen Ministries St. Louis to equip
congregations to train their church members for caregiving ministry. Redeemer
is one of more than 7,000 congregations enrolled in the Stephen Series. Stephen
Ministries St. Louis serves congregations from more than 90 denominations. Over
30,000 Stephen Leaders have been trained at Stephen Series Leader's Training
Courses, and over 200,000 Stephen Ministers have been trained in local
congregations. It is estimated that Stephen Ministers have cared for at least a
half million care receivers. For more information about Stephen Ministries, go
to their website at
stephenministries.org
|