“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up . . . Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14

What is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a system through which members of First Baptist Church are trained and organized to provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.

Who Are Stephen Ministers?
Stephen Ministers are members of First Baptist Church who have gone through 50 hours of training in providing high-quality Christian care to individuals experiencing a crisis or challenge such as divorce, grief, loss of a job, hospitalization, relocation, or loneliness. If you would like more information on how to become a Stephen Minister or to receive care from one, please contact Mary Barton or Frank Granger.

What Do Stephen Ministers Do?
Stephen Ministers are caring Christian friends who listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a crisis or a tough time.

Are Stephen Ministers Counselors?
Stephen Ministers are not counselors; they are trained lay caregivers. Their role is to listen and care—not to give advice or counsel. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognize when a care receiver’s need exceeds what they can provide. When that happens they work with care receivers to help them receive the level of care they really need.

Can I Trust a Stephen Minister?
Trust is essential to a caring relationship, and Stephen Ministers are people who can trust. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry, and what a care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence.

How Does Stephen Ministry Work?
When someone requests a Stephen Minister our Stephen Ministry Referrals Coordinators, Mary Barton and Frank Granger will make contact with individual, explain what Stephen Ministry is, and help determine whether Stephen Ministry is the kind of care that person needs. Our Referrals Coordinators then match that person with one of our available Stephen Ministers. The Stephen Minister will then call that person and begin meeting with him or her for around an hour each week as long as the need is there. Everything a care receiver says to his or her Stephen Minister is kept confidential. The Stephen Minister doesn’t try to solve problems; rather, he or she listens, cares, prays, and helps the care receiver find his or her path to healing and wholeness.
 

Four New Stephen Ministers
Join Stephen Ministry Team
50 Hours Training Completed

Four First Baptist members have just completed Stephen Ministry training. These are: Ann Gillespie, Lamar Houston, Evelyn McNair, and Helen Mills. Our final session provided the opportunity for each of these to confirm their commitment and calling as a Stephen Minister of First Baptist Church. Stephen Ministers are trained to provide Christian caregiving to others in one-to-one relationships. The extensive training equips Stephen Ministers to provide high-quality Christian care to individuals experiencing a crisis or challenge such as divorce, grief, loss of a job, hospitalizations, relocation, or loneliness. This is all done in a strictly confidential manner. If you or someone you know, might have interest in receiving care through this ministry, please contact either, Mary Barton  or Frank Granger.