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Caring for Inactive Members Leader's Teaching Kit
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Stephen Ministry Networks:
Staying Connected
Don Zerfas
Stephen Leader Don Zerfas found that the Stephen Series Leader's Training Course he attended in April 2000 was a time of tremendous learning and fellowship. After he returned home, he continued to enjoy the same connections with other Stephen Leaders that he'd experienced at the LTC. How? His congregation, Christ the King Lutheran Church, became part of the South Bend, Indiana, regional Stephen Ministry network.
"I didn't know anything about Stephen Ministry until a month or two before the LTC," Don said. "My pastor and I attended the LTC together, but in many ways I started out as a solo Stephen Leader. All that my pastor learned about the Stephen Series has been invaluable in terms of his support for the ministry, but as our congregation's sole pastor, he couldn't be involved in the week-to-week running of our Stephen Ministry. He needed to focus his attention on other ministries. Still, I never felt as though I was alone building this ministry. If I had questions or needed help, people in our Stephen Ministry network were there for me. Their support helped build my confidence and kept our Stephen Ministry moving forward."
Now, even with two additional Stephen Leaders on his congregation's team, Don still finds the network to be a wonderful asset.
"We have our Stephen Leader Team, and we can always call Stephen Ministries in St. Louis if we have a question, but the network adds another layer of help and assurance. Stephen Ministry networks bring together people who share the same vision, the same goals, the same commitment to ministry. Networks are a great resource for Stephen Ministry congregations."
Twelve Years of Networking
Marie Blunt, a Stephen Leader at Christ the King Lutheran Church in South Bend, started the network 12 years ago. Eight congregations are actively involved, and a ninth may be joining soon.
The network's goals are to support each congregation's Stephen Ministry and reach out to other congregations considering enrolling in the Stephen Series. "We've enjoyed real collegiality--strong and positive relationships with Stephen Leaders from other congregations," Marie said. "The network has definitely helped our congregation's Stephen Ministry succeed."
Support for Stephen Leaders
The Stephen Leaders in the network meet every other month. They also invite key leaders from nonenrolled area congregations who are interested in learning more about Stephen Ministry. At these meetings Stephen Leaders share their successes and their experiences in overcoming the challenges every effective Stephen Series congregation meets.
"These meetings are very productive," Marie said. "We focus on our common goal of supporting Stephen Ministry in each of our local congregations. Many of us have been meeting together for many years--we know and trust one another."
Helping with Referrals
Another important network activity is helping one another with referrals--Stephen Series congregations may share their Stephen Ministers with other enrolled congregations.
Sometimes a congregation will have more Stephen Ministers than they have care receivers, while another congregation will have more people who need care than they have Stephen Ministers. Other times a congregation has a care receiver whose situation needs an extra measure of confidentiality. The network makes it even more possible for those who need care to receive it.
"Working together as a network, we're really helping each congregation's Stephen Ministry be more effective," Don said.
Continuing Education
South Bend's Stephen Ministry network sponsors an annual continuing education event that enriches the training experience for Stephen Ministers from all the congregations. Giving Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers an opportunity to mingle and share experiences makes this half-day event a highlight of the year. By combining resources, the network can schedule and host a valuable event featuring a professional presenter much more easily than an individual congregation could.
Casting a Vision for Networking
Representatives from another cluster of Stephen Ministry congregations--located southeast of South Bend--attended the 2006 continuing education event with the idea of starting their own network. "Some Stephen Leaders from our network traveled down to their place," Marie said. "We discussed what our network is doing and how we're doing it. They seemed very interested. We want to help them do what will best fit their needs."
The Stephen Leaders from the South Bend network are very enthusiastic about the benefits they're experiencing from networking, and they encourage Stephen Ministry congregations from all over to discover for themselves the value of networks. "This support is especially helpful for solo Stephen Leaders--but it has a great benefit for everyone involved," Don said.
"There's an incredible amount of strength that comes from sharing this ministry with other people," Marie said. "In our network, we celebrate our joys together, face our challenges together, and bring new ideas home to our own congregations. Support from colleagues really helps each congregation's Stephen Ministry be the best it can be."
If your Stephen Ministry congregation would like information on building an area network, call us at (314) 428-2600--we can help you get started!
