Our
Stephen
Ministry
ChristCare
Small Groups
Breakthrough
Leadership
Grief
Resources
Courses
and More- Christian Caregiving--
a Way of Life - Caring Evangelism: How to Live and Share Christ's Love
- Discovering God's Vision for Your Life: You and Your
Spiritual Gifts - Spiritual Growth through
Spiritual Gifts - Leader Killers: How
to Identify and Deal
with Antagonists in
Your Organization - Antagonists in the Church: How to Identify and Deal with Destructive Conflict
- Caring for Inactive Members: How to Make God’s House a Home
- Christian Caregiving--
About
Us
Stephen Minister's Essential Training Library
Biblical Equipping:
God's Word in Your World
Price: $11.95
Caring for Inactive Members Leader's Teaching Kit
Price: $49.95
Discovering God's Vision for Your Life Participant Manual (Certificate Included)
Price: $11.95
ChristCare Equippers' Sharing the ChristCare Series Kit
Stephen Ministries Definitions
Biblical Equipping
Biblical Equipping is a life-transforming process in which ChristCare Group members follow an 8-step cycle of hearing, discussing, reflecting upon, and living the Scriptures, not only when they are together as a group, but between group meetings.
Breakthrough Leader
Breakthrough leaders are focused, disciplined servants who are committed to growing as persons and as effective leaders, and who share their gifts, vision, and passion so that others--the people and organizations they lead--can be transformed.
Breakthrough Leadership Conference (BLC)
A five-day training course to equip leaders of all types to lead with excellence in their companies, congregations, or organizations.
Caregiver's Compass
A recurring element throughout the Stephen Ministry Training Manual that defines the character of a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministers use the four points and center of the compass to guide their caring ministry and chart their continuing growth as caregivers who are compassionate, full of faith, skilled, trustworthy, and Christ-centered.
Caring Ministry Workshops
Half-day workshops held throughout the U.S. and Canada at which participants receive a sample of Stephen Minister training and learn how to begin Stephen Ministry in their congregation.
Care Receiver
A person experiencing a life crisis or challenge who receives the caring ministry of a Stephen Minister. The needs of care receivers may include divorce, loss of a loved one, hospitalization, terminal illness, loneliness, relocation, unemployment, retirement, empty nest, and other life transitions.
ChristCare Equipper
Pastor or lay leader who has completed a ChristCare Series Equipper's Training Course and directs ChristCare Small Group Ministry in his or her congregation. Most congregations will have a team of three or more Equippers working together to coordinate small group ministry.
ChristCare Group (ChristCare Small Group)
Gatherings of 5-12 people who meet on a regular basis (usually once a week or twice a month) with a trained, commissioned, and supervised leader in order to grow as Jesus' disciples. ChristCare Groups participate in four main activities: community building and care, Biblical Equipping, prayer and worship, and missional service.
ChristCare Group Leader
Congregation members who are selected, trained, commissioned, and supervised to lead ChristCare Groups. ChristCare Group Leaders receive an initial 40 hours of training and then receive ongoing support and continuing education as they lead their groups. ChristCare Group Leaders can extend their service well beyond their two-year initial commitment.
ChristCare Group member
A person who regularly attends a ChristCare Group in order to grow in relationship with other Christians and with Jesus Christ.
ChristCare Series
A complete system that includes thorough resources for training ChristCare Group Leaders and for organizing and managing ChristCare Small Group Ministry in a congregation.
ChristCare Small Group Ministry (ChristCare Group Ministry)
The life-transforming ministry that happens in the growing number of small groups within congregations that implement the ChristCare Series system.
Community Building and Care
One of the four main activities within a ChristCare Group by which group members care for and support one another through the regular ups and downs of everyday life.
Continuing Education (for Stephen Ministers)
Ongoing training that Stephen Ministers participate in after commissioning that helps them grow as Christian caregivers. Resources for the first 17.5 hours of continuing education are included in the Stephen Ministry Training Manual.
Continuing Education (for ChristCare Group Leaders)
After ChristCare Group Leaders have been commissioned and begin leading their small groups, they receive ongoing training to grow as small group leaders. Resources for the first 20 hours of continuing education are included in the Group-Based Manual for ChristCare Group Leaders.
Easygoing Supervision™
At Stephen Ministries St. Louis we practice easygoing supervision, which means that everyone treats one another with kindness and respect while holding one another accountable for being highly productive. Both supervisors and supervisees take responsibility for their supervisory relationships, and they help one another to serve God and the church as effectively as possible.
Enrollment (Stephen Series)
When congregations first begin Stephen Ministry, they pay a one-time enrollment fee. This provides access to the Stephen Series materials and training, ongoing phone consultation with the pastoral and program staff of Stephen Ministries St. Louis, and regular updates and support to all Stephen Leaders (those who have attended a Leader's Training Course) through mailings and special Web site access.
Enrollment (ChristCare Series)
When congregations first begin ChristCare Small Group Ministry, they pay a one-time enrollment fee. This provides them access to the ChristCare Series materials and training, ongoing phone consultation with the pastoral and program staff of Stephen Ministries St. Louis, and regular updates to all ChristCare Equippers (those who have attended an Equipper's Training Course) through mailings and special Web site access.
Equipper's Training Course (ETC)
A one-week event taught by the faculty of Stephen Ministries St. Louis in which pastors and lay leaders receive the skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to begin and direct ChristCare Small Group Ministry in their congregations.
Equipper's Manual
The primary resource used by ChristCare Equippers to begin and manage ChristCare Small Group Ministry. The Equipper's Manual is actually a file drawer of information organized into 45 file folders containing administrative tools, leadership materials, publicity samples, and instructions for implementing and maintaining the ChristCare Series; and two books, Group-Based Training Presentations and Continuing Education Training Presentations, which comprise the presentations for training ChristCare Group Leaders. Each Equipper's Manual also includes copies of the Group-Based Manual for ChristCare Group Leaders and the Beginnings: A ChristCare Group Experience Leader Guide and Group Member Guide. The Equipper's Manual is available only to those who have attended an Equipper's Training Course.
Group-Based Manual for ChristCare Group Leaders
The primary text ChristCare Group Leaders use during the 40 hours of initial training and the first 20 hours of continuing education. It contains preclass readings and outlines for the in-class sessions. It is a rich resource for ChristCare Group Leaders throughout their service.
Leader's Manual
The basic resource used by Stephen Leaders to begin and manage Stephen Ministry. The Leader's Manual is actually a file drawer of information, containing over 400 documents organized into 68 file folders in four color-coded sections. It includes presentations for training Stephen Ministers, administrative tools, leadership materials, publicity samples, and instructions for every step of the Stephen Series system. Each Leader's Manual also includes a copy of the Stephen Ministry Training Manual and the Supervision Group Facilitator Manual. Leader's Manuals are available only to those who have attended a Leader's Training Course.
Leader's Training Course
A one-week course taught by the faculty of Stephen Ministries St. Louis in which pastors and lay leaders are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to begin and direct Stephen Ministry in their congregation.
Missional Service
One of the four main activities within a ChristCare Group by which the group reaches out with Christ's love to meet the needs of people outside the group.
Prayer and Worship
One of the four main activities within a ChristCare Group by which the group worships God and group members grow in their ability to pray with and for one another.
SEA (Support, Encouragement, Accountability)
A method for supervising ChristCare Group Leaders that provides them with encouragement, support, and accountability that will help them lead their ChristCare Small Groups. In SEA Groups, ChristCare Group Leaders care for one another and work together to keep their ChristCare Small Groups focused on the mission of the congregation.
Stephen Leader
Pastor or lay leader who has completed a Stephen Series Leader's Training Course and directs Stephen Ministry in his or her congregation. Typically a congregation will have two or more Stephen Leaders who work together as a team, each overseeing different aspects of Stephen Ministry.
Stephen Minister
A congregation member who is recruited, selected, trained, commissioned, and supervised by Stephen Leaders to provide one-to-one Christian care to persons in need on behalf of the congregation. Stephen Ministers typically are assigned one care receiver at a time and meet with that person for about one hour each week. Stephen Ministers usually serve for two years, which includes an initial 50 hours of training followed by twice-monthly supervision and continuing education sessions.
Stephen Ministries St. Louis
The not-for-profit religious and educational organization working transdenominationally and internationally that develops and administers the Stephen Series system of lay caring ministry, the ChristCare Series System of small group ministry, and many other resources "to equip God's people for the work of ministry."
Stephen Ministry
All of the caregiving and leadership that the Stephen Series brings about in a congregation is often referred to as Stephen Ministry. The one-to-one caregiving that Stephen Ministers provide is also known as Stephen Ministry.
Stephen Ministry Training Manual
The primary text Stephen Ministers use during their 50 hours of initial training and first 17.5 hours of continuing education. It contains preclass readings and outlines and notes for in-class sessions. It is a rich resource for Stephen Ministers throughout their service.
Stephen Series
A complete system of training and organizing laypersons for caring ministry in and around their congregations.
Supervision (Stephen Ministry Small Group Peer Supervision)
As part of their deep commitment to quality Christian caregiving, trained Stephen Ministers participate in twice-monthly Small Group Peer Supervision. Stephen Ministers meet together in order to support, encourage, and help one another to provide the best distinctively Christian care possible for care receivers.