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A Decade of Making a Difference:
Stephen Ministry at
First Presbyterian Church,
Greenwood, South Carolina
In 2005 First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood, South Carolina, celebrated ten years of Stephen Ministry. How has their Stephen Ministry made a difference?
A Beacon of Hope in Troubling Times
For the members of First Presbyterian, Stephen Ministry has been a beacon of hope in troubling times.
"The word is out that if you're going through a difficult time, it's very helpful to have a Stephen Minister," said Dr. George Wilson, visitation minister for First Presbyterian.
With ten active Stephen Leaders and 35 active Stephen Ministers, some of whom have served since the congregation enrolled, Stephen Ministry has provided care to more than 100 care receivers, with Stephen Ministers providing nearly 1,500 hours of care in a single year.
Stephen Ministers have been a real gift to people going through hard times.
Stephen Ministers were assigned, for example, to a man diagnosed with terminal cancer--and to his wife. "When a person is walking toward death, having someone to talk with is so important," Dr. Wilson pointed out. "Knowing the Stephen Minister won't break confidentiality allows the dying person to talk openly. What a fabulous ministry that is!"
When another man in the congregation became very ill, he was assigned a Stephen Minister. "He knew he was dying, and his Stephen Minister was there for him," said Stephen Leader Peggy Hammett. "Later his daughter confided in me that her father's Stephen Minister was the one who brought him to Christ before he died."
"Another person had to make a very difficult decision about a surgery because of the complications involved," said Dr. Wilson. "His Stephen Minister was there for him--not to make the decision, but to be someone he could talk with, to whom he could voice his fears and concerns as he made that difficult decision. That kind of ministry is very valuable."
A Blessing to Pastors
Stephen Ministers help lighten the load for pastors. "Many times there are needs that only the pastors know about," said Dr. Wilson. "A person may appear calm and collected in the pew on Sunday morning but is actually going through a very difficult time. Being able to say, ‘May I refer you to our Stephen Ministry?' and knowing the person will receive quality ongoing care is a great benefit to pastors.
"Stephen Ministry is valuable for any congregation--especially those with only one pastor," Dr. Wilson said. "In the past I was a solo pastor trying to care for the whole congregation, so I know how heavy the workload is and how lonely it can be. Stephen Ministry provides pastors with tremendous help and support--it's a wonderful ministry for pastors."
Stephen Ministers have been a blessing for pastors in extraordinary situations at First Presbyterian as well.
"We had an emergency situation on Easter morning," Dr. Wilson said. "A member of the congregation died suddenly, and the pastors learned about it after the early worship service. We were torn about what to do--whether to continue with the Easter activities or rush to the spouse's side. We decided to send two Stephen Ministers to be there until we could get there. They provided the immediate care that was needed."
Care That Reaches beyond Boundaries
The Stephen Ministry at First Presbyterian has sparked numerous other caring ministries and outreach events that have brought Christ's healing presence to hurting people throughout the congregation and community.
- A Stephen Minister sends the four Journeying through Grief books--at three weeks, three months, six months, and eleven months--to every congregation member who loses a loved one.
- As part of a Caring Communication ministry, a Stephen Leader sends a caring card to anyone experiencing a difficult time such as grief, divorce, loss of a job, or illness.
- For the past ten years, the congregation's Stephen Ministry has sponsored an annual Remembrance Service, held just before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, as an outreach to grieving people in the congregation and community.
- The congregation's Stephen Ministry has helped form a support group called H.O.P.E. (Helping Older People Effectively) for people caring for elderly loved ones.
- At the start of the war in Iraq, First Presbyterian's Stephen Ministry held a community prayer service for military personnel, their families, and others, with Stephen Ministers on hand to listen and pray individually with those who needed it.
- Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers have helped the school district provide care and support following traumatic deaths.
- Stephen Leaders present portions of Stephen Minister training--on listening, feelings, assertiveness, hospitalization, and grief--to older teens and young adults to help them deal more effectively with life situations. As part of this training, they read Speaking the Truth in Love and Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart.
Original Stephen Leaders Ruby Clark, Judi Churchill Opalak, and Peggy Hammett at the 10th anniversary celebration
In 2005 First Presbyterian celebrated its first decade of Stephen Ministry--and the congregation looks forward to many more years of caring. "I learned about Stephen Ministry twenty years ago but never participated in it," says Dr. Wilson. "So when I came here, I was excited to learn they already had Stephen Ministry. Now that I've been part of it and have seen Stephen Ministry in action, I've become a tremendous supporter. It's a powerful way to deliver pastoral care to our congregation and community."
Read about the ways First Presbyterian Church has found to use Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart and the Journeying through Grief books in "New Resources for a Caring Congregation."
When Peggy Hammett's pastor encouraged her to attend the Stephen Series Leader's Training Course and help bring Stephen Ministry to First Presbyterian Church, she worried that she wouldn't be up to the task. In "Heeding the Call to Ministry" read how God worked through Peggy and the rest of her team to bring Stephen Ministry to their church.