Stephen Ministry Being Revived at TTUMC After 20 Years

It has been 20 years since TTUMC had a vital Stephen Ministry, but those who were involved still feel the passion for the ministry burning inside.

Now a core of newly trained Stephen Leaders are ready to spread the same compassionate fire by beginning to train Stephen Ministers at TTUMC once again.

What Is Stephen Ministry?

Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. A Stephen Minister is a congregation member with gifts for caregiving who is carefully selected to serve in this role.

How It Caught Fire Again

In the past year, Pastor St. Clair Moore became intriqued with the possibilities of Stephen Ministry. In November, after having some discussions with Lois Mazur and others who expressed an interest in Stephen Ministry, Pastor called a meeting.

It was an open dialogue with the prior Stephen Leader, Lois Mazur, and with prior Stephen Ministers Jane Latina and Jane Reynolds, as well as with those who had an interest in exploring the revival of this ministry at our church. Eleven gathered at that meeting, where they learned about the love-centered caring, commitment and challenges experienced when TTUMC was engaged in the ministry approximately 20 years ago.

The spark was lit, the interest grew. As they listened to the proud voices communicating the meaningful care giving that was provided, along with the spiritual growth for both care giver and receiver, a question lingered….why weren't we doing this ministry today? The flame was ignited and the team voted to move forward to pursue re-launching, or reviving, Stephen Ministry.

Upon attending a Stephen Ministries workshop in St. Petersburg the following week, Pastor got additional insights from Stephen Minister representatives from the St. Louis organization. He received the necessary approvals to proceed--and here we are, ready to go!

Do It All in Jesus' Name: Attend the Stephen Ministry InfoAwareness Session Jan. 31 at 12:15pm in Fellowship Hall

Stephen Ministers bring distinctively Christian care to those in need. They use both words and deeds to express Christ's care for others--listening and comforting, calling on the training they have received and employing the tools of faith. If this job description fits your personal goals for ministry, consider becoming a Stephen Minister.

Join our Stephen Leaders’ Team and learn all about this vital ministry of Christ-centered, one on one caregiving, provided by lay persons. Come and hear testimonies and get the details on the recruiting process, training schedule and more…..applications will be available.  Refreshments will be served!

Feel free to speak to one of these Stephen Leaders for additional details, or to obtain a Stephen Minister application.

Stephen Leaders: Andy Arace, Shields Clark, Lois Mazur, Yvette Moore or Cindy Ross