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Friends Packet
Values-Driven Leadership: Discovering and Developing Your Core Values for Ministry
Price: $17.95
Caregiver's Compass Lapel Pin
Price: $5.95
The Heart of Stephen Ministry - DVD
Price: $7.95
Reviving a Dormant Stephen Ministry Kit
Price: $12.95
Bringing New Pastors Up to Speed with the Stephen Series
Congregations regularly experience changes in pastoral leadership.
- If you receive or select a new pastor, how can your Stephen Leader Team best help him or her get on board with Stephen Ministry?
- If you're a new pastor who finds yourself leading a congregation well established in Stephen Ministry but you know very little about this lay caregiving ministry system, how can you find out what you need to know to help the ministry thrive?
Here are some valuable ways Stephen Leader Teams can help new pastors get "up to speed" with Stephen Ministry.
- Provide your new pastor with an up-to-date Friends Packet.
- Show him or her the video The Heart of Stephen Ministry (also available on VHS).
- Encourage your new pastor to explore the Stephen Ministries Web site at www.stephenministries.org to get familiar with what the system involves. New pastors can find a great deal of information about
- Direct your new pastor to the page titled "Especially for Pastors" in the "Basic Information" section of the Stephen Ministries Web site. He or she can browse through facts and insights of special interest to pastors.
- In the Stephen Leader Pages you'll also find a section called "Especially for Pastors." On that page is a document called "Recommended Leader's Manual Documents for Pastors." Share some or all of those documents from your Leader's Manual with your pastor. The first three documents in your
S-1A file folder, "Pastoral Support for Stephen Ministry," will be of particular importance in getting your pastor on board:- "Overview: Pastoral Support for Stephen Ministry"
(S-1A[1]) - "How Pastors Can Tangibilify Their Support for Stephen Ministry" (S-1A[2])
- "Pastors' Perspectives on the Stephen Series" (S-1A[3])
- Use the information in "Educating Pastors Who Are Not Stephen Leaders about the Referrals Process" on the "Especially for Pastors" page in the Stephen Leader Pages (and perhaps the Referrals CD as well) to help your pastor understand what you need from him or her in identifying and preparing care receivers for Stephen Ministry.
- Glance over the other information on the Stephen Leaders' "Especially for Pastors" page and share what you believe will be of special interest to your pastor.
- Remember: If your pastor hasn't attended an LTC, he or she won't have access to this "Especially for Pastors" page--only the "Especially for Pastors" page in the Basic Information section of the Stephen Ministries Web site. Consider printing out information you think will be of particular value.
- "Overview: Pastoral Support for Stephen Ministry"
Of course, the absolute best way for pastors to get on board with Stephen Ministry is by attending a Stephen Series Leader's Training Course.
Many pastors will want to schedule an LTC as soon as possible if they'll be overseeing Stephen Ministry. By understanding what Stephen Ministers do and how Stephen Leaders direct and lead the system, pastors can readily understand the ways Stephen Ministry can help them in their pastoral care--and how they can provide the pastoral support to help the system thrive.
Other pastors may not be able to fit an LTC into their schedules for a while. That's okay, too. By providing a basic introduction to Stephen Ministry (through the Friends Packet, The Heart of Stephen Ministry, and the basic information about Stephen Ministry on our Web site) and by sharing a selection of important resources from your Leader's Manual with your new pastor, you can bring him or her up to speed in no time!
A friendly caveat: Remember that new pastors typically have a lot on their plates when they arrive at a new congregation. Provide the information they need in manageable portions. Don't come in with a stack of documents a foot high and leave it on his or her desk--they'll never be read! Keep a steady stream of information coming--and provide a little background for each piece that you leave with your new pastor. He or she will appreciate your consideration.
And of course, if you or your pastor has questions, call us at (314) 428-2600 and ask to speak with a consultation staff member. We'll be glad to help!