It was an exhausting but enriching week. I learned more about Stephen Ministry and am even more thrilled with our program here at Grace. In the sessions, they gave LOTS of examples of what to do and what not to do. Grace's leaders and Stephen Ministers do an excellent job- I found myself having to refrain from bragging :)
Sadly, I did not see Stephen Orlando last week! But I did meet a lot of wonderful, caring people. I was amazed at how many people (over 400) gave up a week of their time to learn how to equip others to do caring ministry. And this week is only the beginning for so many of them, who now have returned home with a BIG task ahead of them. And all out of their love for Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the center of this ministry. He is why we do Stephen Ministry. We walk with others because he came to walk with us, to be with us in suffering, and to suffer himself. But he also came to heal, to rise from the dead, and to give us hope. One mantra of Stephen Ministry is "Jesus is the curegiver, we are the caregivers."
I pray that you will be open to having a Stephen Minister if you ever need one. If you are mourning, going through a sickness, loss of job, divorce, trouble with family, or are hurting in some way, please let a pastor or Stephen Leader know if you'd like a Stephen Minister. They listen, pray, and walk with you as needed. If you are curious to learn more about what this means, also feel free to ask. We don't bite! :)
May God the curegiver bless our Stephen Ministry program!
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