Journeying through Grief
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Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart: How to Relate to Those Who Are Suffering
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The Promise of Hope: Coping When Life Caves In
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Yes, Lord
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God's Love in Action Bulletin Inserts--Finding Care Receivers
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Rev. Michael Welch, Former Stephen Ministries Pastoral Staff Member, and His Family Die in Automobile Accident 2/7/2008

This morning Stephen Ministries staff members received the tragic news that the Rev. Michael Welch, his wife, Julie, and their children Jesse, age 14, and Hannah, age 11, died in an automobile accident. The accident happened in Lafayette, Tennessee, where Michael was pastor of Lafayette United Methodist Church.

Michael served on Stephen Ministries' pastoral staff from January 1994 through June 1997. Many Stephen Leaders came to know him as their LTC conference director and remember his graceful leadership, insightful teaching, and great sense of humor.

Michael Welch was a man who left a mark. Ten years after he left his work at Stephen Ministries in St. Louis to return to his beloved Tennessee, he is still loved and missed here.

Michael also made a difference. His duties on the pastoral staff at Stephen Ministries included leading conferences of 400 to 600 participants. As a pastor who'd earned a master of social work degree, Michael taught about various aspects of the Stephen Series--a lay caregiving program being used in more than 10,000 congregations--including a presentation on "Stephen Ministry and Mental Health Issues," which was videotaped and is still used to train thousands of church leaders and lay caregivers every year. When he wasn't directing conferences, Michael worked with Stephen Ministries' human resources department, where his strong people skills made him an excellent judge of potential employees' character and ability.

Since leaving Stephen Ministries, Michael continued to spread the word about the Stephen Series by conducting half-day Caring Ministry Workshops around the country. He told many hundreds of congregations about the Stephen Series and expressed his passion for seeing that people in pain receive the care they need.

Michael was perhaps best known for his storytelling and his sense of humor--all with a Southern touch. He could tell one story after another, and his stories always entertained while also conveying truth about life and about his deeply cherished Christian faith.

In October of 2006 and again a year later, Stephen Ministries asked Michael to serve as the Celebration Banquet speaker at the first two Breakthrough Leadership Conferences in St. Louis. Michael spoke about "Four Things the World Needs from Leaders: Life, Light, Love, and Laughter." His stories about why he doesn't play golf and about a rusted wreck of a pickup truck along the side of a country road with a sign that read "NOT for Sale" brought fun and humanity to participants' understanding of leadership. It also was clear that Michael lived the life, light, love, and laughter that he spoke about so eloquently.

Michael was a deeply committed Christian. He strove to be the best, most obedient follower of Jesus he could be, and he dedicated his considerable gifts to helping others do the same.

Michael and his family will be missed--here at Stephen Ministries, in his church in Lafayette, and by the thousands of people who were blessed by his humor and his passion.

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