Stephen Ministry

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There was an old man who lost his wife after over 50 years of marriage. He was very sad. He was having trouble coping with the loss. He spent a good part of his day crying over his loss. Finally one day he went to his minister for help.

    The minister said, you need a Stephen Minister.
    The man said,  what is that?  
    The minister explained the Stephen Ministers are a group of volunteers that went through a lot of training so they could help people in crisis like him. Any kind of crisis, loss of a love one, terminal illness, divorce, loss of a job, empty house syndrome,  sometimes someone just moved to a new town and having trouble coping.
    How does it work?
    The minister said, first you talk to a Stephen leader fill out a little paperwork They will explain how everything is confidential nothing you say will ever be repeated. and then they will assign a caregiver to you.
    A what? the man said.
    A caregiver. That is what Steven Ministers call themselves. and the people they are helping are care receivers.    
   Men are assigned to men and women to women. It works better that way
   Then what? the man said.
   Then the care giver will call you and set up a meeting. Usually at your house. Usually for the next day.
   When the care giver comes over he will go over the confidentiality thing again and then ask you questions.
   Then you start talking and he will listen. He is trained to listen and is very good at it. He will not judge you or be critical of anything you say. He will try and help you find you own answers. He will not try to heal you. He will bring you to God so God can heal you.
   What if I don't feel like talking?
   He will let you have your silence. If you feel like crying he may even have a good cry with you. Also he will pray with you. He will ask you what you want to pray about then he will pray about it with you. You might also talk about Bible verses and Bible stories. 
   Well how often do I have to talk with Him?
   He usually set up weekly appointments that last for an hour. It can be adjusted depending on you needs. He will also give you his telephone number so you can call him if you need to.
   How long do these appointments last?
   It depends on care receiver. some last only a few months others might last 2 years. God will let you and your caregiver know when it is time to end it and how to end it.    
   What if I have a problem with my care giver?
   Then you go to the Stephen leader explain your problem. she will try and work it out with you and the caregiver and if that doesn't work she could even assign another caregiver to you.
   What if I really like my care giver and I want to give him a gift to show my appreciation?
   He is not allowed to receive gifts while he is working with you. he cannot even go out to lunch with you. It goes back to the confidentiality thing. If he was seen with you someone might figure out he is your caregiver and that is the last thing he wants.
   One more thing. All the Stephen Ministers get together ever 2 weeks, it is part of their training. Also they talk about their care receivers, but never mention any names. They ask for help and prayers from the others. It is a 
learning experience for them. It helps them to be better caregivers. The only people that will ever know you are being helped are your caregiver and the Stephen leader. After they are through helping you the Stephen leader destroys all documents pertaining to you. 
    The old man agreed to try it.
    If you or anyone you know is having trouble coping with life's problems. Talk to you church minister. They can tell you where the nearest Stephen Ministers are.  For more information go to  www.stephenministries.org
  
     

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