Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry


Parkway’s Stephen Ministry

 

Stephen Ministry is a Christ centered caring ministry we have at Parkway.  Stephen Ministers are not counselors but are specially trained congregation members who provide one-to-one Christian care to people (care receivers) who are experiencing a life challenge or crisis.  A care receiver must be at least 18 years old and the Stephen Minister and care receiver are the same gender.  The name Stephen comes from Stephen in the Bible, who was the first lay person commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need as recorded in Acts 6.  Stephen Ministers are caregivers who are:  Compassionate – able to share the sufferings of their care receivers; Full of faith – rely solely on God to be the one who heals all wounds; Skilled – know how to listen, understand, and empathize; and Trustworthy – maintain confidentiality, visit care receivers regularly, and remain committed to their ministry.

 

There are five types of needs for care that Stephen Ministers can provide to care receivers in our congregation and community.  The five types are crisis care, follow-up care, chronic care, preventive care, and supportive care.  Crisis care is the caring ministry people think about first in describing pastoral care.  Follow-up care is commonly needed by people recovering from a major life crisis.  Stephen Ministers focus on one care receiver and can continue the caring relationship for as long as the care receiver needs it.  Chronic care is for a long-term problem; chronic illness or suffering can be like a crisis that never ends.  Preventative care helps people anticipate and prepare for potentially difficult upcoming events.  Supportive care is caring for the care-giver.  A Stephen Minister can provide vital support to anyone facing the challenge of caring for a loved one who is going through a life crisis or transition.

 

We currently have five active Stephen Leaders (Pastor Bill Ford, Norm Baker, Jan Parkes, Marcia and Richard Tidwell).  Stephen Leaders receive a comprehensive seven day Leaders Training Class taught at several locations around the country by Stephen Ministries of St. Louis.  The Stephen Leaders provide 50 hours of training at Parkway to trainees who are then commissioned as Stephen Ministers.  We currently have six active Stephen Ministers (Stefani Baskam, Joan Brown, Julie Cordry, Betsy Hunter, Nanette Kicker, and Wilma Plourde).  Our Stephen Leaders are also trained Stephen Ministers except for Pastor Bill Ford.

 

Parkway has had Stephen Ministry since 2000, and in that time we have trained six classes (2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008-2009, and 2010-2011).  Stephen Ministers have a two-year commitment including the 50 hour training period.  The two-year commitment can be extended per approval.  We usually train new Stephen Minister classes when we have enough volunteer candidates with the right spiritual gifts.  A Stephen Minister Training class of seven Parkway members (James Ashley, Matthew Barranco, Stephen Edge, Brenda Helmly, Shannon Moore, Norman Plourde, and Bonnie Vaughan) and one from St. Brendan’s Catholic Church (Lorraine Arlotta) began in mid August, 2011 and will complete their training in early February, 2012.  Then Parkway trainees will be commissioned as Stephen Ministers at a worship service in February.

 

If you would like more information about Stephen Ministry, become a Stephen Minister, or if you or someone you know might benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, please contact Pastor Bill Ford, Phone 770-889-8694, E-mail:  Bill.Ford@parkway-church.org  or Norm Baker, Stephen Leader, Phone 770-886-0439, E-mail:  normanmaryb@bellsouth.net or one of our other Stephen Ministers or Leaders.


Click here to view answers to common questions about Stephen Ministry

 

Stephen Ministers Commissioning

 

On February 26, 2012, Pastor Bill Ford will commission seven new Stephen Ministers   (James Ashley, Matthew Barranco, Stephen Edge, Brenda Helmly, Shannon Moore, Norman Plourde, and Bonnie Vaughan) at our 9:00 AM worship service and introduce them at the 11:00 AM worship service.  At the 9:00 AM service prior to the commissioning prayer we will invite  active and inactive Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers, Ministers of the Word and Sacraments, elders, and deacons to come forward and lay their hands on those being commissioned as Pastor Ford prays for them.

 

Richard Tidwell was the Stephen Leader Training Coordinator responsible for training this Stephen Minister class.  Richard taught most of the training sessions and Pastor Bill Ford taught several of the training sessions.  This was our seventh Stephen Minister training class since we became a Stephen Ministry Congregation in 2000.  Training classes were held in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008-2009, and 2010-2011.  Stephen Ministers have a two-year commitment including the training period.  The two-year commitment can be extended per approval.  We usually hold new Stephen Minister classes when we have enough volunteer candidates with the right spiritual gifts.

 

Commissioning is a way for our whole congregation to recognize that we are sending out these trained caregivers to provide one-to-one distinctively Christian care on our behalf to people in need.  By commissioning our Stephen Ministers in our worship service, we are all recognizing that Stephen Ministry belongs to all of us—everyone at Parkway.  It is our ministry and a way we as a congregation care for the needs of people in our congregation and community.

 

After commissioning, our new Stephen Ministers will join the rest of our Stephen Ministry team—active Stephen Leaders:  Pastor Bill Ford, Norm Baker, Jan Parkes, Marcia Tidwell, and Richard Tidwell; and active Stephen Ministers:  Stefani Baskam, Joan Brown, Julie Cordry, Betsy Hunter, Nanette Kicker, and Wilma Plourde.

 

Our Parkway Stephen Ministers are not counselors but are there to meet the needs of people who are terminally ill, disabled, have lost a spouse or another loved one, are experiencing divorce, are in a job crisis situation, or find themselves in any of a variety of life circumstances.  We encourage both men and women (at least 18 years old) to experience the comfort of having a Stephen Minister.  The care is a Christian man caring for another man, a Christian woman caring for another woman with Christ at the center of the care.  Those receiving care can be certain that their identity and what goes on in the caring relationship will be kept strictly confidential.  If you are in a place of life where you need someone to listen and the hand of Christian love extended to you, our Stephen Ministry can play an important role in your life.

 

If you would like more information about Stephen Ministry or if you or someone you know might benefit from care of a Stephen Minister, please contact Pastor Bill Ford, Phone:  770-889-8694, E-mail:  Bill.Ford@parkway-church.org, or Norm Baker, Stephen Leader, Phone:  770-886-0439, E-mail:  normanmaryb@bellsouth.net or one of our other Stephen Leaders or a Stephen Minister.

 

Norm Baker
Email:norm.baker@parkway-church.org