101 Ways to Help People in Need
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Caring for Inactive Members Leader's Teaching Kit
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Caring Criticism: Building Bridges Instead of Walls
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More than a Parting Prayer: Lessons in Care-Giving for the Dying
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The Heart of Stephen Ministry - DVD
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Hurricane Katrina

The Face of Christ in the Midst of Loss

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina tore into the Gulf Coast, ravaging huge areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and flooding 80 percent of New Orleans. More than a million people fled the affected area; many of them evacuated to Houston, Texas.

When thousands of evacuees arrived in Houston, many Stephen Ministry congregations welcomed and cared for them. Churches in many other cities did the same.

The following stories are three among thousands--they tell how Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders showed the face of Jesus to those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Grace Presbyterian Church

When evacuees poured into Houston, Grace Presbyterian Church, a Stephen Ministry congregation of 4,000 in southwest Houston, was ready. The congregation became a disaster relief center, providing shelter and making referrals to community resources.

Over Labor Day weekend and on subsequent Sundays, the church served meals and distributed necessities. "Stephen Ministers went from table to table," said Stephen Leader Sue Studley. "They put a hand on a shoulder, sat down and listened, provided a calming, caring presence."

"They need to tell their stories and express their feelings, and we give them a safe place to do that," said Michele Shultz, Stephen Leader and director of Older Adult Ministries. "Our job is to listen and to walk alongside them. We aren't enablers or fixers, and we can't take care of all their problems. Our Stephen Ministry training has taught us to recognize when they need more than we can provide. We refer them to appropriate resources and just continue to let them know we are there for them."

Reaching Out to Find Others

Grace members didn't just care for those who came to them; they also worked to find others who needed help. "We wondered if evacuees might be at the extended stay and regular hotels near the church," Michele said. "We found that many evacuees were trying to live there, but were running out of money. At one hotel, families were gathered in the parking lot. They had stacked their belongings around the cars so that they could sleep inside their cars at night.

"We took lunches and snacks to those standing in Red Cross, FEMA, or employment lines. We took a liver transplant recipient to a center where she could be checked. Others had spent a long time in contaminated floodwaters, and we found a clinic where they could receive vaccinations."

"People couldn't believe it," Sue said. "They were just sitting or standing where they were, not knowing where to turn, and then we came. They said that God sent us to them."

Long-Term Care

Grace has adopted 69 families, nearly 200 people, and committed to help them for up to six months. Stephen Ministers interviewed families to assess needs and gather personal information, then helped move them into apartments. Grace Presbyterian provided furniture, bedding, clothing, and food.

Evacuees are struggling. Devastated by the loss of loved ones, careers, homes, and possessions, they've had to begin again in a strange city--and then they've faced evacuation once more.

On September 23, Hurricane Rita approached Houston, forcing yet another evacuation. Michele said good-bye to the family that had lived in her house for 12 days. She'd gathered donations of furniture, diapers--all they needed to resettle; now she helped them pack everything in a moving truck and waved good-bye as they left for a new home in Mobile, Alabama. Then she loaded her own truck and prepared to evacuate Houston herself. She said, "Our motto continues to be 'Pray, be patient, and persevere.'"

Lakewood Church

Seeing the devastation in New Orleans, leaders at Lakewood Church, a megachurch in central Houston, realized that thousands of evacuees were on their way to Houston. "Our Stephen Ministers were the frontline caregivers," said Stephen Leader Carolyn Clansy, Director of Pastoral Care Ministries. "By 6:00 P.M., about 100 of our 150 Stephen Ministers had come to the church. We did some brush-up training on crisis, brokenness and healing, and listening. At our midweek worship service that night, we announced that people would be available in a designated area of the church to help evacuees. The response was overwhelming! Without our Stephen Ministers, we wouldn't have been able to minister to those who came forward for help that night."

Stephen Ministers cared for people who had been through heart-wrenching experiences. "A mother and her daughter told about being airlifted to safety by a helicopter," Carolyn said. "While they were being rescued, they saw their husband and father have a heart attack and die. They watched his body float away in the water. Many told about bumping into dead bodies as they tried to get on the buses that would take them out of New Orleans.

"One young man was suicidal. If it hadn't been for Stephen Ministry training, that Stephen Minister wouldn't have had the confidence to ask the direct questions and get him the help he needed.

"We find that we are ministering to entire families--8, 10, 12 individuals in a group--and doing our best to listen to each person. No one wants to be separated from family. They are still in shock and are so broken and so in need. They just need someone to let them know they aren't alone."

Stephen Ministers have been available at the church seven days a week, in shifts, to provide evacuees with a listening ear, encouragement, and referrals to community resources.

As needs for physical help diminish, the church continues to provide spiritual support and long-term care through local relief agencies and shelters. "I'm so thankful that God used Stephen Ministry to raise up people to deal with this crisis. Stephen Ministers pray, they share encouraging Scriptures, they share their faith. Many evacuees keep coming back, and each time we see them, they look a little stronger and more hopeful."

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

On August 31, the Red Cross told Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, a 3,000-member Stephen Ministry congregation in southeast Houston, to expect 300 evacuees by that afternoon.

"Our Stephen Ministers were here immediately as volunteers," said Stephen Leader Shirley Arbet, Director of Care and Health Ministries. "They walked among the evacuees, offered to listen to them and pray with them. Evacuees needed to tell their stories, and the Stephen Ministers pulled up a chair, sat down, and really listened. They prayed with them and helped them to calm down."

Over the next four days, the church housed 400 evacuees in their gymnasium and provided necessities to more than 3,000 evacuees sheltered elsewhere. The church's Web site posted a daily journal describing ministry needs and accomplishments, resources for evacuees, heartwarming stories, and volunteer opportunities.

Gloria Dei has continued to serve evening meals, distribute supplies, and provide information about relief, food, and other assistance. They're also helping evacuees connect with resources that will help them find jobs and longer-term housing.

"The Red Cross can give out food, water, and clothing, but they aren't allowed to give spiritual help," Shirley said. "We are doing face-to-face ministry, which embodies the love of Christ. We can help evacuees know that God hasn't abandoned them."

Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders also need care. A recent supervision meeting focused on caring for the caregivers. "There's a real tendency for them to stuff their own feelings because they are so consumed by the disaster and its effects," Shirley said. "We encouraged them to process their feelings and what they have been going through."

As Houston itself prepared to evacuate, Pastor John Kieschnick's message on the church's Web site encouraged all to remember that "in the midst of our uncertainty stands a certain God. With this certainty we face the future, whatever it may bring. . . . And we commend ourselves to Him."

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