In October 2016, Immaculate Conception began the Stephen Ministry to prepare lay people to provide quality one-on-one Christian care to those facing a variety of personal crisis.

Stephen Ministry is grounded in Jesus’ command to love one another. It is a distinctly Christian service ministry, and through one-to-one caring relationships, those who are hurting receive the love and care they need to support them throughout their time of pain.  **Stephen Ministers are not therapists or counselors; we are caring Christian friends.

PARISHIONERS play an important part in our Stephen Ministry…

because you may know of a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or relative who is going through a difficult time, such as divorce, loss of a loved one, unemployment, a terminal illness, loneliness, or the birth of a child, and who could benefit from the focused care, encouragement and support of a Stephen Minister.  If you know of someone who is hurting, talk with one of our Stephen Leaders–Kathy or Donna.  They can talk with you about how we can connect the person you know with one of our well-trained Stephen Ministers.  It is a great way for you to show how much you care.

WHAT DO STEPHEN MINISTERS ACTUALLY DO?

Stephen Ministers are members of Immaculate Conception Church, who have gone through 50 hours of training to provide this confidential, one-to-one Christian care.  A Stephen Minister meets with his or her “care receiver” once a week for about an hour, to listen, cry, pray, and provide emotional and spiritual encouragement.  Men are matched with male Stephen Ministers, and women are matched with female Stephen Ministers.

THE MOTTO OF STEPHEN MINISTRY is…

“Christ Caring for People Through People”! The Stephen Minister’s role is, first and foremost, to share God’s love in the midst of pain and crisis, imitating what Jesus did so often during his earthly ministry.  To accomplish this mission, Stephen Ministers listen, care, support, encourage and, most importantly, PRAY with and for a person who is hurting.  And in this exchange between two children of God, God’s healing love comes pouring forth through the grace of the Holy Spirit!

ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES TO OUR ICC STEPHEN MINISTRY LEADERS:

KATHY COHEN (321-446-5644) & DONNA VAN PATTEN (321-727-3498)