Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry is our congregation’s one-to-one care-giving ministry. Stephen ministers are trained Christian caregivers who walk with an individual while he or she passes through a rough period in life. Each Stephen minister has received 50 hours of training and has support and guidance from biweekly peer group meetings. Stephen ministers spend about an hour a week to meet with a care receiver, to be there for him or her, and to listen. We don’t provide solutions to problems – we leave that to God. What we DO provide is a “safe place” for a suffering individual – a reliable, nonjudgmental friend, a skilled and empathetic listener – all in complete confidentiality. NPC Stephen ministers try to follow that new commandment Jesus gave us. Bad things sometimes happen to good people, and we can all look back on times when we were glad that someone was there for us. We cannot understand why God allows pain to enter people’s lives, but we can imitate His love and care. This is a central tenet of the Stephen Ministry. 

Stephen Ministers care for people who are:

• Grieving
• In a crisis
• Experiencing Aging Difficulties
• Divorcing
• Hospitalized
• Dying
• Experiencing job loss

Stephen Ministers are trained to:

• Listen
• Explore feelings
• Pray
• Share Christ’s love
• Maintain Confidentiality
• Attend to the care giving process and leave the cure-giving to God