Friendship United Methodist Church is a Stephen Ministry Congregation.  Stephen Ministry is a program of our congregation that equips lay persons to provide distinctively Christian one-to-one care to those who are experiencing all kinds of life needs and circumstances, both in our congregation and community.

A Stephen Minister is… a committed Christian who :

• express God’s care through their lives to others;
• receive 50 hours of initial training in important caring ministry skills and concepts;
• are commissioned as Stephen Ministers after completing their initial training;
• visit another person regularly and dependably and offer Christian support and care;
• participate in regular support and supervision under the guidance of trained Stephen Leaders or Peer Supervision Facilitators;
• are committed to preserving the confidential nature of the caring relationship;
• serve for at least two years;
• receives continuing education and skill building throughout their years of service.
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Stephen Ministers care for people experiencing…

Illness	Families of the chronically ill
Terminal illness	Family frustrations and challenges
Loneliness	Loss of a loved one
Chronic illness	Financial setbacks
Aging	Struggling with faith in God
Loss of a job	Separation or Divorce
Low self-esteem	Facing life changes
Being shut-in	Retirement
Having a newborn	Miscarriage and Infertility

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To Obtain Care from a Stephen Minister

• Identify a need for distinctively Christian care for you, a friend, or a relative.
• Contact the Pastor or a Stephen Leader or Minister.
• A Referrals Coordinator will contact the person in need to explain Stephen Ministry and to
  get their permission to assign a Stephen Minister.
• A Stephen Minister will then be assigned to meet with the care receiver on a regular basis to provide
  distinctively Christian and strictly confidential care.
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Want to become a Stephen Minister?

Are you being called by God to help others?  You can answer that call by entering the Stephen Ministry here at Friendship UMC.  To learn more about how Stephen Ministry works in the congregation and the community, and how you can be a part of it, please speak with Greg Kernan, Paula Madden,  or any Stephen Minister.

Upcoming Training!

Good News….Stephen Ministry is now offering it’s leadership training course online!

Click the below link for information on Stephen Ministry and the new online course.

https://www.stephenministries.org/stephenministry/default.cfm/1754

If you have any questions, or are interested in becoming a Stephen Leader or Stephen Minister, please contact Pastor Tom Young, Greg Kernan or Paula Madden.