The mission of the Stephen Ministries organization is summed up in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
“To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12–13).
Stephen Ministers are laypeople—Christian men and women—trained to provide one-to-one care to people experiencing a difficult time in life, such as grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, relocation, or separation due to military deployment.
A Stephen Minister comes alongside a hurting person and meets with that person on a weekly basis to listen, care, encourage, pray, and provide emotional and spiritual support. Men are paired with men; women with women.
Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life. Their commonality? A passion for bringing Christ’s love and care to people during a time of need. “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12 RSV).
Stephen Ministry is now in more than 12,000 congregations from more than 160 Christian denominations, in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and 24 other countries. Trenton First United Methodist Church has Stephen Ministers ready to care for you. Contact Pastor Rena Whitcher at rena.whitcher@gmail.com.
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