Additional Leadership Resources | Units 17–20

Unit 17 | Stephen Ministry and Mental Health Issues

This unit looked at how the topic of mental health connects to Stephen Ministry—including the boundaries of Stephen Ministry care and how Stephen Leaders work with mental health professionals as needed to connect hurting people with the right kind of care for their needs.

Key Leader’s Manual Resources

This unit drew on the following in your Leader’s Manual—check out these resources for more ideas.

• T-11, “Using Mental Health Professionals and Other Community Resources”

• S-4D, “Making Referrals Outside of Stephen Ministry”

Additional Resources from the Stephen Leader Online Toolkit

• T-11, “Using Mental Health Professionals and Other Community Resources”: The T-11 section includes links to a number of outside resources that may provide useful information on mental health issues, so take some time to see what’s available.

• A Concise Introduction to Stephen Ministry for Mental Health Professionals (S-4D): You can share this resource with mental health professionals your congregation works with, giving them a picture of what Stephen Ministry is and how it works.

Unit 18 | Planning Your Next Steps

This unit provided an opportunity for you to plan specific actions to take in different areas of your Stephen Ministry after training.

Depending on which planning areas you looked at for this unit, you will benefit most from exploring different parts of the Leader’s Manual and the Stephen Leader Online Toolkit. Review your outline for Unit 18—the Focus Notes for the different planning areas will help you identify many good places to start.

Featured Resources

The new Devotional Edition of Joy Comes with the Morning, a Care Classic®, is a collection of short devotions that affirm and encourage those who are facing a life crisis, as well as those who are called to care.

Cries of Faith, Songs of Hope: Prayers for the Times of Our Life builds on the foundation of a classic resource. This collection of heartfelt prayers, stories, and Scripture nourishes the spiritual lives of all who read it.

You can find a variety of other spiritual growth resources here.

Units 19 & 20 | Seven Keys to a Thriving Stephen Ministry, Parts 1 & 2

These units concluded your Stephen Leader training with practical guidelines for establishing and maintaining an effective Stephen Ministry, ensuring you can continue to meet needs in the congregation and community for decades to come.

Key Leader’s Manual Resources

These units drew on the following in your Leader’s Manual—check out these resources for more ideas.

• L-1, “Build a Stephen Leader Team”

• L-2, “Pastors as Vital Members of Your Leadership Team”

• S, “The Stephen Ministry System”

Additional Resources from the Stephen Leader Online Toolkit

• Using Inquiry instead of Advocacy on Your Stephen Leader Team (L-1): This resource describes how your Stephen Leader Team will benefit most from an inquiry approach—with everyone working together to examine all available data and identify the best possible solution.

Featured Resources

Written by Rev. Anthony Thompson, the husband of one of the victims of the 2015 shooting at Emanual AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Called to Forgive offers a powerful look at the theology and practice of forgiving others.

In Hope beyond an Empty Cradle, marriage and family therapist Hallie Scott shares from personal and professional experience to provide healing, guidance, insight, comfort, and hope for those who have lost a child.