Stephen Ministers work alongside our priest to care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. If you would like to provide caring, encouragement, and listening, please prayerfully consider whether you want to be part of this exciting ministry. If you are interested, contact Father Rod or our Stephen Ministry Lay Leader Len Leber.
Stephen Ministry is your ministry. It belongs to all of us at St. Edward Church. Your help and support is important in a number of ways. Stephen Ministry needs your prayerful support. Our Stephen Leaders also need your help identifying people who might benefit from a Stephen Ministry relationship. There are also ways to support this important ministry with your gift of time and financial support. All members of the parish can help build and grow Stephen Ministry!
Pray for Stephen Leaders, Stephen Ministers, for care receivers, and for the healing that God provides in every caring relationship. Please ask God to grant wisdom and discernment to our Stephen Leaders as they guide others in this ministry. Pray for patience and have compassion for our Stephen Ministers as they continue their training and faithfully meet with their care receivers once a week. We ask for healing and peace for the care receivers as they courageously confront the challenges in their lives. Pray that the heart of others who are facing struggles will be opened to seek and accept help when they are in need. Help us to reach out with love to those in our midst who are hurting. Pray for God's blessings on this ministry.
We are the eyes and ears of Jesus on earth today. Our duty is to be watchful. We must listen to the people around us and recognize when they have care needs. If you find someone with a need, listen and care. If you find the need is something greater than you can meet, think Stephen Ministry. Tell the person about Stephen Ministry. Ask the person for their permission to refer them to this ministry or encourage them to talk to Father Rod about Stephen Ministry.
If you provide your name, phone, and email address, you are placed on a list of Stephen Minister supporters. When a need arises, people on that list are anonymously contacted and asked if they would like to help. You are never pressured to provide help. This allows members on the list to choose how often they help and what help they provide. Examples of needs that may arise are: help with planning, providing refreshments, working a Stephen Ministry event, brainstorming ideas, and providing feedback.
If you are willing to join the Stephen Ministry Helpers list, send an email to us.
Stephen Ministry Leadership welcomes any financial support that you can provide. This will help us grow the ministry by helping with the costs of training, purchasing materials to help those to whom we minister, maintaining our Website, building and maintaining a resource library, and getting the word out to those who can benefit from knowing about this ministry.
Stephen Ministry is currently looking for a few parishioners to join our publicity team! We are looking for anyone with interests, skills, or experience in any of the following areas:
Marketing
Advertising
Publicity
Public Relations
Fund-raising
Journalism
Writing
Call the St. Edward Church office or send an email if you might be able to help out.
