Stephen Ministry

Christian caring for the support of those in need

What is the Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry video clip featured on PBS

In the year 2002 the Stephen Ministry of Cookeville First United Methodist Church (FUMC) was created by church leaders and the congregation. Since that time, the Stephen Ministry has trained and prepared men and women to become Stephen Ministers in their church and community. Your Stephen Ministry at Cookeville FUMC has served scores of people in the church and community. The quality and depth of spiritual life has improved for many as a direct result of the Stephen Ministry’s emphasis on service. They are dedicated servants intensively trained and outfitted with the Christian tools necessary to care for those alone and in need of a friend’s guidance and care. Stephen Ministers are attentive and caring listeners who are confidential companions in their service to those who need a friend. The Stephen Ministry is sustained by the ministers, the congregation and the community not only in their encouragement but in their gifts and referrals to the Stephens Ministry. The Stephen Ministry embraces the belief that burdens should not be carried alone.

THE STEPHEN MINISTER’S FOCUS

Serving those who are:

• Grieving the loss of a loved one
• Encountering financial challenges
• Experiencing obstacles related to disabilities and unemployment
• Hospitalized
• Shut in
• Experiencing spiritual uncertainties
• Facing terminal illness
• Experiencing marital & parenting difficulties
• Trapped by drug and & alcohol abuse
• Depressed and without hope
• Institutionalized
• Crisis related to relationships
• Isolated

WHO IS A STEPHEN MINISTER?

• Intensively trained and prepared to serve those in need
• A giving and active Christian
• A person possessing a strong desire to serve others
• A caring servant
• A person aware of helping resources available to the care receiver
• A loyal care giver who is discreet and confidential within the care giving relationship
• A servant with the support and resources of other ministers and leaders

MORE ABOUT YOU STEPHEN MINISTRY PROGRAM AT COOKEVILLE FUMC

The name Stephen comes from the New Testament Book of Acts depicting the servant Stephen as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit caring for the needs of the community.

The Stephen Ministry belongs to you, to your church and the body of Christ. You support the Stephen Ministry by your gifts, your presents and the keen awareness of need. Without you, the Stephen Ministry would not be an integral part of Cookeville FUMC nor spiritually impact peoples’ lives.

The foundation of the Stephen Ministry is rooted in the Christian belief that we should bear one another’s trials and tribulations.

Your Stephen Ministry has been established to be a complement to regular care offered by the Church. It does not take the place of our ministers or other professionals in the community such as counselors and physicians.

A Stephen Minister is paired with another person who is in need of Christian care. The Stephen minister partners with the person who may be grieving, out of work, ill or hurt by life’s many challenges.

The Stephen Ministry is reliant largely on members of the congregation and community to alert pastors, Stephen Leaders and Ministers of individuals who may need a Stephen Minister. The Stephen Ministry is not an island unto itself but servants of the church and the community representing the love of Christ. The Ministry is dependent upon your active involvement.

OK, HOW DO I MAKE A REFERRAL?

Making a referral can be initiated and completed in a variety of ways; a phone call, a passing comment to a pastor, Stephen Leader, church office staff, Stephen Minister, the completion of a pew referral card placed in the offering plate or a simple note on a scrap sheet of paper. A referral is your way of serving and reaching out to ensure that a friend, relative, fellow church member or a complete stranger receives the care they may need. Your referral and the Stephen Ministry outreach will be kept confidential.
A self referral is also a common way to refer to the Stephen Ministry. Again, it is your Stephen Ministry and if you feel the need for support or guidance do not hesitates to refer yourself. There is no need to go it alone! Christ does not want us to go it alone. Call and refer yourself if you feel the need.

BEING COMFORTABLE REFERRING TO THE STEPHEN MINISTRY

The Stephen Ministry continues to serve congregants and the community by providing Christian care to those experiencing life challenges. As a church ministry, the Stephen Ministry belongs to each of us and as a result can be utilized by us as individuals. The Stephen Ministry as well as the other church ministries can act as special tools utilized as an available resource in your service to others. In the same way you would request prayer for a friend in need, the Stephen Ministry may be available to a friend that needs a listening ear. The Stephen Ministry is not solely for Stephen Ministers to provide Christian care. The Stephen Ministry is a servant resource for you to access for a friend with a crisis. Imagine for a moment that you have a neighbor in need. Their ability to cope is still in tact but they are hindered and troubled by one of life’s challenges. The hurt could be a divorce, a deteriorating physical condition, joblessness, disability, care giving demands, loss of a loved one and the list can go on. You may want to help this person but do not know how to reach out. There are easy and readily available options for you to consider and act upon. You may first want to contact Drew Shelley, John Lee or a Stephen Leader/Minister and present the situation namelessly to determine if a Stephen Minister referral and contact is appropriate. It is as simple as telephone call, completing a Stephen Ministry pew card or an informal meeting at church or perhaps even a grocery store. Another option is to discuss your concern with the friend and encourage them to contact the Stephen Ministry. If the person in need of a listening ear happens to be you, the process is the same. The Stephen Ministry is a confidential Christian care ministry. Remember, the Stephen Ministry is your ministry and if you are interested in serving as a Stephen Minster or making a referral, do not hesitate to call John Lee (526-8840) or Drew Shelley (526-2177).

WHO COMPRISES THE STEPHEN MINISTRY’S TEAM?

   Max Mayo, Senior Pastor
   Drew Shelley, Associate Pastor

   Becky Larson, Stephen Leader
   Barbara Tolleson, Stephen Leader
   Ginny Smith, Stephen Leader
   Beth Mannle, Stephen Leader
   Sherwell Tolleson, Stephen Leader
   Pam Edenfield, Stephen Leader

   Barbara Baert, Stephen Minister
   Diana Baranowski, Stephen Minister
   Janey Bassett, Stephen Minister
   Jarrell Blankenship, Stephen Minister
   Bill Bonner, Stephen Minister
   Jeanne Buck, Stephen Minister
   Carol Bullington, Stephen Minister
   Pam Coonce, Stephen Minister
   Karla Duke, Stephen Minister
   Barbara Dunn, Stephen Minister
   Larry Epps, Stephen Minister
   Tina Johns, Stephen Minister
   Pat Jordan, Stephen Minister
   Margena Maffett, Stephen Minister
   Susan Pangle, Stephen Minister
   Randal Petrie, Stephen Minister
   Noel Poston, Stephen Minister
   Sandra Ragland, Stephen Minister
   Cathy Travis, Stephen Minister

   John Lee, Referral Coordinator

The Stephen Ministers and Leaders met for their quarterly meeting on May 13th, 2010. Dinner was provided by Burton's Chapel UMC as a part of their efforts to raise funds for their church activities. Drew Shelley open the meeting with a prayer. John Schaefer provided the continuing education program. Also present was Sally McKibbon who was trained in the Presbyterian Church as a Stephen Minister in Orchard Lake, Michigan. Sally and her husband has since moved to Cookeville and are attending Cookeville FUMC. She is considering participating as a minister with Cookeville FUMC. The Stephen Leaders briefly met at the close of the training session to discuss new referrals. The Stephen Ministers will not meet for at large meetings this summer but will continue their Quarterly Meetings in the Fall. Group supervision will remain on schedule throughout the summer as per the group supervisor's desecration.

At the recent April 2010 Stephen Series Leader's Training Course in St. Louis, Missouri, Stephen Ministries trained the 60,000th person as a Stephen Leader. 60,000! This milestone is a testimony to the powerful impact Stephen Ministry has had on the church over the past 35 years. Sixty-thousand people--pastors, other church staff, lay leaders--who have been equipped to lead lay care giving ministry in more than 10,000 congregations and who have trained more than half a million Stephen Ministers to provide care. That's truly an achievement worth celebrating! The impact of the Stephen Ministry at Cookeville FUMC has also been felt as our ministry continues to grow and serve our church and community.