Stephen Ministry

What do you do when you need to say Ouch!

Just about everyone of us has used a hammer, missed the nail, and mashed our thumb. The moment you hit your thumb, the feeling of pain begins racing toward your mouth and in a moment out comes the expression, “Ouch!”

This sort of thing happens all the time. Very few people hesitate to say “Ouch!” And when we say “Ouch!” very few people would think it strange or inappropriate that we say such a thing.

But when our life hits us with other kinds of hammers, we often hesitate to say the “Ouch!” we very much need to say. At one time or another, just about every one of us gets hit by one of life’s hammers. Cancer or some other serious illness, divorce, the death of a loved one, loss of independence. The list of hammers is a long one. And when one of these events takes place, instead of expressing the feelings that the event has caused, many people bottle those feeling up inside and don’t share them with anyone. But if left trapped inside too long, those feelings will take a terrible toll on a person’s emotional, physical and spiritual health. And if you are one of these people who need to say “Ouch!” please consider talking to a Stephen Minister. Or if you know someone like this, recommend Stephen Ministry to them.

What is a Stephen Minister?

A Stephen Minister is a Christian man or woman who has received training in how to listen and care when life delivers one of those hammer blows. Stephen Ministers share their gifts for bringing Christ’s healing love to people who are lonely, grieving, ill, divorcing, or experiencing any kind of crisis in their life. Stephen Ministers walk along side during the time of crisis as a friend and as someone who is interested in listening to the feelings with which a person may be struggling.

How does Stephen Ministry work?

A Stephen Ministry training program prepares men and women to become Stephen Ministers. Their 50 hours of basic training (plus continuing education) includes topics such as feelings, listening, confidentiality, as well as specialized topics on grief, divorce, aging, etc. People in need of support are matched with a Stephen Minister. It is always man-to-man, woman-to-woman care. Stephen Ministers are closely supervised and attend meetings twice each month for peer supervision and continuing education.

Mount Cross Lutheran Church has been providing the care of Stephen Ministers to the Camarillo area since 1995. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in receiving the care of a Stephen Minister, please contact: Mount Cross Lutheran Church at 805-482-3847. Or send us an email with "Stephen Ministry" as the subject. The pastor or one of the Stephen Leaders will answer your questions and arrange for a Stephen Minister to begin caring.

Interested in becoming a Stephen Leader or Stephen Minister?

Mount Cross’ commitment to Stephen Ministry is permanent. Therefore the need to find caring people to help lead and supervise this ministry is ongoing. Stephen Leaders are sent, at the church’s expense, for a week of training. Upon their return they help to train and supervise new Stephen Ministers. If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Leader, send us an email with "Stephen Minister Training" as the subject, and we will be in touch right away.

There is also an ongoing need to find caring people to serve as Stephen Ministers in our community. The next training class will begin in the Fall. If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Leader, send us an email with "Stephen Minister Training" as the subject, and we will be in touch right away.