This week four members of Messiah Lutheran Church joined the ranks of the Stephen Ministers. Mary Mast, Jacquie Fry, Sarah Walker, and Barbara Azzam completed the 50 hours of required training and were commissioned to serve among us in this caring ministry.
Stephen Ministries‘ Core Purpose is summed up in the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
“To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).
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.
If you would like to learn more or would like to discuss the possibility of becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact Claire Strand.