Chapter 6 and 7 of the Book of Acts tell the story of Stephen. It states that Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and he was one of the disciples chosen to attend to the needs of the widows.
Who are the ministers in our church? Our weekly bulletin tells us that we who are saved by the grace of Christ are the ministers. As a minister, our Lord has a special purpose for our lives. Might the purpose for your life be to minister to those who are in need, as Stephen did?
Every day someone around us is faced with an upheaval in his or her life. It may be from a breakup in a relationship; a serious illness; the death of a loved one; or the loss of employment. Disappointments and struggles abound in life. Think about some of the elderly people in nursing homes who haven’t anyone to reach out to and all they want is for someone to spend an hour with them talking about life and the love of Christ.
As Christians, we believe that all the brokenness has one origin: our brokenness from God. Because we are broken from God, we are also broken from one another. In our hearts, we hunger deeply to be put back together, to be reconciled with God and with one another. If we could somehow cut the heart of the world in half, we would find a God-shaped hole.
Jesus Christ came to feed that hunger and to bridge the gap between God and us. Stephen Ministers are people who know brokenness first hand. But we also know the wholeness that comes through faith in Jesus. Stephen Ministers do not cure peoples’ hurts. We do not solve their problems. Our task is to be a loving, life-giving presence of Jesus Christ in their midst. Through listening, caring, loving and compassion, we accompany hurting and broken people on the long journey toward wholeness. Ours is a very intentional association with one in need that takes great skill and faith. Its effectiveness is not found in method, but in conveying Christ’s love. Success is as sure as the Christ who promises to be present with us.
When we establish trusting, compassionate relationships with hurting people in the name of Jesus, healing begins. How healing it is to know someone is listening and really hears and understands and does not judge. This is the fertile soil in which broken lives begin to grow strong. It is not salvation itself, but it can surely open the door to faith.
It is our prayer that the Stephen Ministry will be reestablished at Cross of Hope. Two years ago the ministry deactivated after three recruiting efforts did not produce volunteers who felt called to the ministry. We need people who are willing to train as leaders and will go to one of the Leader’s Training Courses for one week. The leaders will in turn train people to be Stephen Minister caregivers. The training is once a week for sixteen weeks after which you will be commissioned.
Stephen Ministers offer a gift in the name of Jesus Christ. It is a gift without price and without measure. Take up the challenge and experience the Holy Spirit working through this ministry first hand. A deep commitment for the ministry and a heart-filled desire to help others is required. Would you like to know more? If so, contact Pastor Dale at the church office or Kay Hendrickson. Information will also be available at the Connection Table.