Stephen Ministry

Our congregation is enrolled in the Stephen Series System of Lay Caring Ministry, developed by Stephen Ministries, a nonprofit religious and educational organization based in St. Louis, Missouri.  Three members of our congregation attended the extensive, week-long leadership training for Stephen Ministries held in Portland.  They graduated and were commissioned as our Stephen Leaders.  During this last summer nine candidates from our church spent 50 hours in training-coming together each Monday morning for two and one-half hours of lectures and role playing.  In addition to this formal classroom training, each person read three assigned books as homework.  These nine newly graduated Stephen Ministers were then commissioned by the congregation. Each was then assigned a care-receiver. First Christian’s Stephen Ministers are Ann Hudson, Duane Hesketh,Lois Watson, Jennie Lee, Mary Anne McComb, Tom Chamberlain, Patrician Henifin, and Ester Edwards.

First Christian Church is developing a lasting program of distinctively Christian caring ministry based on the Stephen Ministry’s system of training and organization.  This model is already working in thousands of congregations throughout North America and is equipping lay people to minister to others who are in need.