Stephen Ministry
What Is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministers are there to care as you are going through a difficult time—physically, emotionally, spiritually, or relationally. Stephen Ministers are trained caregivers, ready to listen and encourage you, pray with and for you, and provide confidential one-to-one Christian care. Stephen Ministers provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care and support to people experiencing grief, divorce, cancer, job loss, loneliness, disability, relocation, and other difficult life circumstances.
ZUMC is one of more than 13,000 congregations from more than 180 Christian denominations that now have Stephen Ministry. Over 600,000 people have been trained as Stephen Ministers, a number that grows by tens of thousands each year. More than one-and-a-half million people across the United States, Canada, and the world have been touched by God’s love through a Stephen Minister. Through all these people—including our own 22 Stephen Ministers and their care receivers—the story of Stephen Ministry continues.
Important Notes
Stephen Ministers are not counselors. They are trained to be lay Christian caregivers. Their role is to listen and care, not to counsel or advise.
Stephen Ministry is a supervised ministry. Stephen Ministers engage in twice-monthly supervision, led by their Stephen Leaders, to ensure that they are providing the best Christian care they can.
Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry. What a care receiver tells a Stephen Minister stays between the two of them. Even in supervision, the names of care receivers and specific details are never discussed.
If you think you might be interested in becoming a Stephen Minister, or feel you would benefit from having a Stephen Minister, please contact Kim King at kking@zumc.org.
Additional information about Stephen Ministry is available at stephenministries.org