This is the season of Resurrection and I am excited about a resurrection that is taking place at FUMC.  First Church has a long history of laity involved in a specially trained ministry known as Stephen Ministry.  In Stephen Ministry congregations, lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers) provide one-to-one Christian care to the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated, and others facing a crisis or life challenge.  Stephen Ministry helps pastors and congregations provide quality caring ministry for as long as people need it.

A few years ago we had to put our Stephen Ministry Program on the back burner due to a lull in leadership and in care receivers.  In October we started the journey to resurrect this ministry by participating in an ecumenical training event where new Stephen Ministers received 50 hours of training.  That training is coming to a close and in a few weeks First United Methodist Church will have Stephen Ministers ready to receive care receivers.

Check out the Stephen Ministry website at www.stephenministries.org.  A bright Blue Brochure is available to further convey to you what Stephen Ministry is all about.  You may pick up a Blue Brochure in the church office.

Below is a real life example of how Stephen Ministers reach out and make a difference in the life of a community. 

In addition to meeting regularly with a care receiver, a Stephen Minister often encounters situations in day-to-day life in which he or she uses Stephen Ministry skills. Below, a Stephen Minister tells about a chance encounter in which she used her Stephen Ministry skills with a neighbor.

Last week in the checkout line at a store near my home I ran into a woman from my neighborhood.  I didn't know her all that well; mainly we crossed paths from time to time when we were each out taking morning walks.

It had been a month or more since I had last seen her, so I said, "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

When she looked at me, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and she then told me that her husband had died two weeks ago.

Immediately my "Stephen Minister instincts" took over, and I began caring for her.  The cashier caught on to what was happening--my neighbor and I were the only two in the line--and said, "Take all the time you need."  He put the chain across the line and moved to a different aisle.

So my neighbor and I stood there in the checkout line talking for more than an hour.  She did most of the talking while I listened and cared.  As we got ready to leave, I told her that if she needed to talk more, she should just give me a call.  I also told her about Stephen Ministry at our church and the possibility that we could match her up with someone to meet with her and care for her on an ongoing basis.

Afterward I realized again how valuable my Stephen Ministry training was.  When you ask someone "How are you," you're really not expecting much of a response.  Prior to becoming a Stephen Minister, I'm not sure what I would have done.  Probably I would have stumbled along for a little bit and then come up with a reason to cut off the conversation.  But since I've had my Stephen Minister training, I knew what to do, and I had some level of confidence jumping in and doing it.

I have no doubt this was one of those God-things--which God planned for our paths to cross in the checkout line.  I'm so glad that I was able to be there and listen to her when she needed it.  I really felt I made a difference in her life. 

Do you know someone that might benefit from a Stephen Minister?  If so, please contact either Steve Roach or myself and we will see that a care giver will be assigned.

Shalom,
Stan