STEPHEN MINISTRIES' RESPONSE TO COVID-19

All of us with Stephen Ministries pray you and your loved ones are safe and healthy in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.  The pandemic is impacting us all, raising our level of stress and anxiety.  The difficulties experienced by individuals prior to the Covid-19 may be magnified at this time.  Stephen Ministers are equipped to provide one-to-one, male to male or female to female, confidential, Christian care to people experiencing struggles in their lives, such as loneliness, grief, relationship issues, illness, etc.  Stephen Ministers spend an hour to an hour and a half with their Care Receivers weekly, listening, praying, supporting and encouraging, as long as needed.

The need for social distancing poses challenges for Stephen Ministries’ in-person care, yet we have made adaptations by using phone and video calls.  Part of our Stephen Ministers’ fifty hours of training included a two-hour unit entitled “Telecare: The Next Best Thing To Being There.”  Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Telecare involved using the telephone only when personal contact was impossible due to illness, emergency, travel, etc.  When studying this unit, little did we know to what extent we would be using Telecare in the future.        

Stephen Ministries is operating at full force, providing the emotional and spiritual care people may need.  If you feel as though you could benefit from a regular telephone call from a Stephen Minister through this most difficult period of time, please contact one of our leaders, either Susan Ellis (517) 673-7865 or Linda Herman (517) 662-0385.

Why Stephen Ministry?  Because the Bible tells us to:

  “Love one another as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)

  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfil the law of Christ.” 

(Galatians 6:2)

  “Encourage one another and build one another up.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

  “Rejoice with those who rejoice: weep with those who weep.”  (Romans 12.15)

  “Through love, be servants of one another.”  (Galatians 5:13)

  “Be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble.” 

    (1 Peter 3:8)

  “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven 

you in Christ.”  (Ephesians 4:32)