Ideas for Using the God’s Love in Action Resources

You’ll find many different ways to use these attractive resources—here are several ideas to get you started!

A Stephen Ministry Sunday

Introduce these new resources on a special Sunday built around the theme “Stephen Ministry: God’s Love in Action.” Suggest that your pastor use “God’s Love in Action” as the topic for the sermon. Ask one or two Stephen Ministers, and maybe a care receiver, to share how they’ve seen God in action in their lives. Put up the posters and introduce the pew cards. Distribute God’s Love in Action bookmarks or brochures to people before or after worship. (You can customize the God’s Love in Action brochure with specific information about your congregation’s Stephen Ministry—follow this link for a template and instructions.)

For more ideas on a Stephen Ministry Sunday, see “Ideas for a Stephen Ministry Sunday” (S-3[10] in your Leader’s Manual).

Recruiting Campaign

Build your next campaign for recruiting Stephen Ministers around these inviting resources. Include the God’s Love in Action “Recruiting Stephen Ministers” insert in your bulletin. (You can add customized information about your congregation’s Stephen Ministry on the back of the bulletin insert—follow this link for a template and instructions.) Hand out bookmarks before or after worship. Mail the God’s Love in Action brochure, along with a letter (see “Sample Recruiting Letter,” S-4A[7] in your Leader’s Manual), to potential Stephen Ministers. Increase your Stephen Ministry’s visibility by placing the posters in high-traffic areas of your church, and encourage congregation members to check out the pew cards and consider serving as a Stephen Minister.

A Campaign to Encourage People to Receive Care

Design a campaign around these resources to help people become more receptive to Stephen Ministry care—and to be on the lookout for people they know who might benefit from Stephen Ministry. Choose a Sunday to distribute the God’s Love in Action “Finding Care Receivers” bulletin insert. (You can add customized information about your congregation’s Stephen Ministry on the back of the bulletin insert—follow this link for a template and instructions.) Hand out bookmarks before or after worship. During worship, tell congregation members how they can be connected with a Stephen Minister and how they can pave the way for a friend, coworker, or neighbor to receive Stephen Ministry. (See Leader’s Manual file folder S-7B for additional ideas.)

Building Awareness and Ownership over Time

Remember, you don’t build awareness and ownership for Stephen Ministry by getting the word out every now and then—so don’t limit your use of these resources to a single Sunday or lone campaign. You will cast a vision and build support for your Stephen Ministry in a host of different ways over time. The God’s Love in Action resources can be a key part of your long-term efforts—helping to keep Stephen Ministry in the hearts and minds of congregation members.

Building Awareness beyond Your Congregation

In addition to providing care to people within your congregation, Stephen Ministry can be a powerful outreach in the community. Consider contacting local funeral homes, hospitals, hospices, long-term care centers, military bases, colleges, social service organizations, retirement homes, correctional facilities, police and fire departments, counseling centers, and other organizations or agencies in your community that could possibly be a source of care receivers. See the following items in your Leader’s Manual: “How to Covenant with a Community Organization” (S-7A[5]); “Exercises for Finding Care Receivers” (S-7A [7]), pp. 39-40; and “Ways to Identify Potential Care Receivers” (S-7A[18]), p. 99.

• Meet with directors, chaplains, or other contact people in these locations who may be involved in providing care.

• Tell them about Stephen Ministry, clearly communicating the boundaries to the type of care Stephen Ministers can appropriately provide.

• Explain the referrals process and—if they are open to working with you—develop a plan for how a referral from their organization to your Stephen Ministry would work.

• Provide them with God’s Love in Action posters, brochures, and bulletin inserts they can use to explain Stephen Ministry to potential care receivers.

Share Your Creative Ideas

Let us know about the creative ways you use the God’s Love in Action resources so we can share the best ideas with all Stephen Ministry congregations!