Stephen Ministry
Vision Statement
“As part of our caring family of faith, we are equipped to provide and dedicated to offer Christ-centered care so that no one among us is left to suffer alone. “ Stephen Ministry care giving is available to PCB members, families, friends and neighbors in the community.”
About Us
Stephen Ministers work alongside our pastors 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.
Stephen Ministry is a not-for-profit Christian Educational organization based in St. Louis, Missouri. Our congregation’s Stephen Ministry program has been active in this church for the last 14 years. Our Stephen Leaders equip lay people to provide one-to-one Christian Care to people in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.
Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry. The identity of those receiving care and everything they discuss with a Stephen Minister remains private.
History
Most of you are familiar with Stephen Ministry – at least, you have a pretty good idea what it’s about. But did you know that Stephen Ministries St. Louis has been training Stephen Ministers for more than 40 years? That’s a long time and a lot of experience!
The first 9 Stephen Ministers were commissioned in 1975 in founder Kenneth Haugk’s St. Louis congregation. The first 14 Stephen Leaders were trained only 3 years later in 1978. A very short nine years later, the Stephen Leader training was expanded nationwide to include six training sessions each year.
During that 40 year span, Stephen Ministries St. Louis has trained 73,420 Stephen Leaders and more than 600,000 Stephen Ministers. There are now 12,796 congregations around the world that have enrolled in Stephen Ministry. They represent more than 170 Christian denominations and come from all 50 United States, 10 Canadian provinces, and 29 other countries.
Stephen Ministry has brought Christian lay care to millions of care receivers around the world – what a great story!
Stephen Ministry Video
First Presbyterian Church of Evanston (IL) created a wonderful, short video that details Stephen Ministry – what it is, what it does, and what it all means for you. Please take a few minutes to watch this meaningful video to learn more about this wonderful ministry – a ministry program that is available right here through Presbyterian Church of Barrington. You can hear firsthand from people who have been care receivers in Stephen Ministry. We extend our grateful thanks to the Stephen Ministry team at First Presbyterian Church of Evanston for their permission to share this video: Stephen Ministry: Its Work, Its Goals and Its Meaning.
Learn More
If you are interested in serving our congregation as a Stephen Minister you need to sign up for our next training class. Training involves 50 hours of in-class sessions along with reading assignments. It is a comprehensive training that equips and prepares you for this Christian care giving. Contact the church office to find out when the next training class begins.
Download our Stephen Ministry for more information and useful resources: Stephen Ministry Brochure