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Stephen Ministry
Helps Churches Bring Christ
into Ongoing Disasters
Derek Maul, for Stephen Ministries
Even a year after the hurricanes in 2004, life is still a crisis for many who lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. Crises can last years longer than the news coverage, and Stephen Series congregations continue to care long after others have moved on.
Four major hurricanes--Charley, Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan--slammed into Florida in 2004, causing incredible destruction. Thousands of people still face profound personal loss, unfinished repairs, unresolved insurance claims, and long-term emotional trauma. The 2005 hurricane season--Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Wilma--was even worse, leaving thousands more homeless, displaced, and devastated. Reconstruction will take years.
Still a Crisis a Year Later
Ivan richly earned the name "Ivan the Terrible." Few were prepared for the destruction the Pensacola area suffered. "Ivan was so overwhelming that at first we didn't even think about the impact to caring relationships," said Debra Tallman, coordinator of health ministries and supervisor for Stephen Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Pensacola, Florida. "Support was mostly practical--repairing roofs, feeding hungry people, drying out flooded homes. In my neighborhood alone, 30 of 32 homes sustained serious damage and half had entire rooms destroyed.
"A year later we are still adjusting," Tallman said. "It's the heaviness, the weight of things still not being right. Lives are slowly coming back. We're better equipped to care for one another because we're a Stephen Ministry church."
Christmas 2004: Just Another Casualty
For many of those struggling in the aftermath of the hurricanes, Christmas 2004 came and went almost without recognition. In Punta Gorda, Florida, which had been ravaged by Hurricane Charley in August 2004, many who had homes in the North returned to those homes rather than face Christmas amid such devastation.
But for many, a safe, comfortable home just wasn't an option.
At Pensacola's Trinity Presbyterian Church, heavily damaged by Ivan, church operations were severely curtailed for months. Christmas 2004 was "a nonevent for many care receivers," said Wendy Davis, a Stephen Minister at Trinity. "When families suffer, Christmas is just another casualty. The holidays were like, ‘So what?' No decorations, nothing."
Continuing Stress
For those struggling to bring order out of the chaos of their lives, the approach of the 2005 hurricane season brought new dread.
Hurricane Dennis hit Pensacola directly on July 11, building on those fears. "You could feel the anxiety and apprehension settle like a cloud," said Debra Tallman. "Dennis didn't do much physical damage, but it certainly set a tone."
Apprehension gripped the Gulf Coast from June through late November. "We became sick and tired of hearing about hurricane anything," commented Wendy Davis.
Despite the damage to the church, Stephen Ministers at Trinity were busier than ever, providing support for one another as well as for others in need of care.
Stephen Ministry Congregations Reach Out to Others Even in the Midst of Their Own Crises
Punta Gorda took the brunt of Hurricane Charley in August of 2004. People lost loved ones--as well as homes, livelihoods, and treasured possessions. The storm also destroyed much of First United Methodist Church.
Members of First UMC, a Stephen Ministry congregation, were deliberate in reaching out beyond their doors. "We made ourselves available," said Nancy Lambert, minister of congregational care. "We're a community, and we're a community church."
In the midst of the chaos, the Stephen Ministry Team at First UMC faced a major decision. Before Charley, the team had planned to host a Stephen Ministry conference for area churches on January 29. Now they had to decide whether to move forward with it.
They decided to host the conference. "This was something we needed to do," Lambert said. "We were trying to get our lives back together. After Hurricane Charley, the lives of everyone in our community were in various levels of disorder. Surrounded by damaged buildings, downed trees, piles of trash and blue tarp-covered roofs, we were a somewhat disheartened group."
Their decision--difficult as it was--was the right one. "We had one of the best workshops ever," Lambert said. "We thank God for his presence and for his direction each step of the way. . . . More than 300 Stephen Ministers in the Southwest Florida area attended the workshop."
The conference helped equip area Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders to continue to reach out to those suffering from the long-term devastation. Even when they themselves are suffering, Stephen Ministry congregations provide "a cup of cold water" to others in need.
Ways Stephen Ministers Care in a Crisis
Stephen Ministry churches report the following factors that help them cope with disaster.
- The "We're all in the same boat" phenomenon. When tragedy is a community-wide event, the simple presence of others sharing the burden lessens the load.
- Stephen Ministry churches have a culture of caring that extends beyond the trained ministers. "Because of our Stephen Ministry, our entire congregation is more willing to care for others than we would have been otherwise," said Reverend Kimberly Uchimura, associate pastor for nurture and evangelism at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Brandon, Florida.
- People are more willing to admit they need help. "We're visible; people see that we're available to care for them," said Punta Gorda's Nancy Lambert. "That draws people to our church."
- Congregation members feel more confidence in one another. "People realize what a loving family they're involved with," said Lambert. "They know they can plug in."
- Pastoral staff aren't as overwhelmed with the burden of care. Pastors deeply appreciate being able to share the caring load with Stephen Ministers.
- In a disaster of these proportions, thousands of people are simultaneously dealing with major loss. Stephen Ministers can provide a ministry of presence for them. Caregivers can't bring back homes or precious possessions. They can't magically solve pain and grief. But they can be there for people and share their pain. And when they do, they bring Jesus to those who are hurting.
Stephen Ministry Creates a Culture of Care
in a Congregation
Brandon, just east of Tampa, narrowly escaped the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. Brandon churches of all denominations have sent teams to help in areas from Punta Gorda to Lake Wales to New Orleans. Stephen Ministry and ChristCare Ministry help congregations create a culture of care that equips them to respond generously to others' needs.
"With a hurricane, all the support structure is wiped away at once," said Rev. Uchimura of St. Andrew's United Methodist Church. "That makes people extremely vulnerable. Having a Stephen Minister to talk to provides one place of stability; it helps them rebuild their lives."
Rev. Tim Black, pastor of discipleship and nurture at First Presbyterian Church in Brandon, arrived just in time for Florida's first 2004 storm. He's been involved with the relief efforts, coordinating the congregation's financial response, lining up care packages, plugging volunteers in with other agencies, and encouraging members to pray. In particular he's been organizing work teams to connect with Presbyterian disaster relief. "We hope to have an opportunity every month," he said.
First Presbyterian is sending a team of workers to Mississippi on December 18, and they'll send a team to a disaster area for a full week every month--"for the duration." Stephen Ministry congregations care for the long haul.
"A huge crisis damages a person's entire being," Rev. Black said. "People face really basic needs, emotional, spiritual. Walking through a crisis with someone is essential." Stephen Ministers fit this role perfectly: "They are called to accompany people. It's hard to be alone."
Both Stephen Ministry and ChristCare Small Group Ministry are active at First Presbyterian. Together, they craft a culture of care throughout the congregation. "It pervades who we are as a body," Rev. Black said. "But it is done quietly. Because of confidentiality we don't talk much about what we do; people don't always realize what we're doing, but we're like the skeletal system that holds the congregation together."
Apostles Lutheran Church in Brandon, also a Stephen Ministry congregation, has listed more than 30 Florida counties that need volunteer help for disaster relief, and members are committed to providing that care. "The people of Apostles demonstrate an understanding of the second of Jesus' two great commandments," wrote Pastor Handlee Vige. "By these acts of generosity, we are showing our love for Jesus himself."
The lessons of the past 18 months are still being sorted out. The vital role Stephen Ministry plays in such crises, however, is clear: Stephen Ministry empowers a congregation to weather the storm and help others do so too. Stephen Ministry provides training and intention to help congregations fulfill the church's imperative to "be the presence of Christ in the world."
Crisis or Christmas, that's a great goal for any church.