"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).
Stephen Ministry is a lay ministry that provides one-to-one, confidential, Christian care to hurting people. Everyone goes through difficult times, and sometimes it helps to talk with someone who isn’t family, someone who isn’t necessarily a close friend or a pastor, a teacher or a counselor. It’s for those times and for those who are hurting that First Presbyterian Church will be offering Stephen Ministry to members of our congregation and community.
Stephen Ministry at First Presbyterian Church of HaddonfieldWe are excited to be launching this powerful ministry of care here at First Presbyterian Haddonfield. An important first step in the process has been completed with the training of Carol Carty, Lisa Hurd and Joyce Stout as Stephen Leaders. These individuals have received 50 hours of training in the tools and resources provided by Stephen Ministry-St. Louis and will be working with Reverend Nikki Passante, who will serve as advisor and Referrals Coordinator for the Ministry.Over the next few months, they will be presenting information about the program to Church staff and Boards and will host an information session for those interested in exploring the possibility of serving as a Stephen Minister in early May 2022 and will run the application and recruitment process through June. Stephen Minister training is slated to begin around Labor Day and will run through January, 2023, at which time Care Receivers will be paired with Stephen Ministers and the program will officially be underway! Please be in touch with Carol, Lisa, Joyce or Pastor Nikki if you have questions or would like to have a conversation about this important caring ministry. The Stephen Ministry email address is stephenministry@haddonfieldpres.org.
The Stephen Ministry Program was begun in 1973 by Dr. Kenneth Haugk, a Methodist minister and clinical psychologist, and has served over 12,000 congregations. Any Christian denomination is welcome to participate in the program. The Stephen Ministry program gets its name from the book of Acts, (Chapter 6) in which Stephen was chosen to provide caring ministry to those in need. There are currently over 12,000 enrolled congregations worldwide, more than 600,000 Stephen Ministers have been trained and 1.5 million people have had a Stephen Minister walk with them and provide confidential Christian care during tough times. For more information about the Stephen Ministries organization, click here:What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministers are lay congregation members who receive extensive training to minister to people experiencing a crisis, facing a challenge, or simply going through a tough time. They typically meet with their care receivers once a week for an hour and are trained to listen patiently, without judging, to assist their care receivers process feelings. They participate in regular support and supervision twice a month under the guidance of trained Stephen Leaders for purposes of ongoing evaluation and continuing education. Stephen Ministers are committed to preserving the confidential nature of the caring relationship.Note that a Stephen Minister is not a counselor or therapist and does not take the place of a pastor.
Please click here to see Stephen Ministry in action: "A Listening Ear You Can Trust"
Stephen Minster Training
Referral Process
First Presbyterian ChurchOF HADDONFIELD
Christ's Joy, Justice, and Compassion in All, Through All, and For All
20 King's Highway East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033(856) 429-1960