Stephen Ministry
Welcome to our two new Stephen Ministers!
It is an honor to introduce you to our two new Stephen Ministers: Karalee Turner-Little and Harry Geehreng. They have completed their 50 hours of training, and that tally of hours does not even include the amount of time each had to put into keeping up with their challenging reading list. As a congregation, we are grateful for the dedication of these two disciples who have deepened their commitment to God through their service in this care-giving ministry. We also owe their families a huge “thank you” for the adjustments and accommodations that they experienced to allow Karalee and Harry to proceed more easily through their training. They will be commissioned as a group with their other classmates at a banquet on February 20. Each church also holds a commissioning ceremony for their new Stephen Ministers. DUMC will hold its commissioning ceremony on Sunday, February 26th at both services. Please join us. This is also recruiting Sunday for our Stephen Ministry.
Karalee Turner- Little
Karalee is originally from NC, and her husband, Brad, is from TN. They have two children---Lydia (11) and Isaac (6). Karalee has worshipped at DUMC for 13 years and she is a member of the Lovefeast Sunday School class. She has worked for MCPS since 1998; initially as an 8th grade social studies teacher. She has also worked as an Instructional Specialist, and currently as a Staff Development Teacher at Northwest High School. She loves ACC basketball, reading great books, and trying new recipes for company. She ran the Philly marathon in November--this experience made her hope that her children will one day experience the thrill of accomplishing something that seems impossible. Her favorite quote is from Nancy Thayer--"It's never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise."
Harry Geehreng
Harry and his wife, Kathy, have been residents of Damascus since 1977. Their three sons all graduated from Damascus High School and now have families of their own. Harry spent 29-years in law enforcement and retired from the Montgomery County Police Department in 1994. He then spent the next 12-years driving a school bus for MCPS. For the past four years, Harry has enjoyed teaching driver training for the I Drive Smart company. Harry also is a volunteer in the emergency room at Montgomery General Hospital.
Training to become a Stephen Minister focuses on the importance of prayer and listening, and on learning how to provide support and encouragement without rushing in as an adviser or problem-solver. Stephen Ministers are not trained or expected to be counselors or therapists. Stephen Leaders, trained in a different capacity than Stephen Ministers, attend a week-long training. Stephen Leaders oversee the ministry, including the supervision of the Stephen Ministers and the referral of individuals into the program to become care receivers. Stephen Leaders encourage involvement with and raise awareness about the ministry within their churches and their communities. Stephen Leaders also create the continuing education programs for the ministry members. One does not need to have been a Stephen Minister in order to become a Stephen Leader, although several ministry members are trained in both capacities. Our church covers the cost of the training.
Training will begin again in the Fall of 2012, and will continue until February of 2013. This year the training for Stephen Ministers will be held on Thursday evenings. It is very likely that DUMC will be one of the training locations once again this year since our major construction projects are completed. Are you called to this ministry? Is there a stirring in your heart to find out more? If you’d like to discuss becoming a Stephen Minister and/or a Stephen Leader Please contact Pam Colborn at cell (301) 524-5223 pjcolborn@comcast.net or stephenministrydumc@yahoo.com.
Did you ever talk to someone and feel that that person just wasn't listening? Stephen Ministers are trained to listen well. They will hear what you have to share, and respond lovingly and non-judgmentally——rather than tell you what you should or shouldn't have done. If you need someone who will really listen to you as you work through a problem in your life, consider Stephen Ministry.
If you would like more information on how to become a Stephen Minister, or if you or a loved one is in need of one-to-one Christian care through difficult and/or changing times, please contact a pastor or one of our Stephen Leaders. To request a Stephen Minister, call our Referrals Coordinator, Pam Richardson Colborn, at 301-524-5223 or email her at pjcolborn@comcast.net.
YOU can play an important role in our Stephen Ministry . . .
. . . Because you may know of a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or relative who is going through a difficult time 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: [Pam Colborn, Bonnie Custer, Linda Motter, Janet Cornelius, Jan Mullinix, Hazel Strahorn, or Jan Jaremko]. Pam is the leader who is our referral’s coordinator. She can be reached at the following: (301) 524-5223 or email her at pjcolborn@comcast.net or stephenministrydumc@yahoo.com.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Stephen Ministry
What exactly is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministry is a ministry in our congregation in which trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.
Who is involved?
Stephen Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry. They recruit, select, train, organize, and supervise our Stephen Ministers, identify people in need of care, and match them with a Stephen Minister.
Stephen Ministers are the caregivers. They have been through 50 hours of training in Christian caregiving, including general topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, assertiveness, and using Christian resources in caregiving. In addition, their training covered specialized topics such as ministering to the divorced, hospitalized, bereaved, and aging.
Care receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers' care. They are people from our church or community who are experiencing divorce, grief, loss of a job, loneliness, hospitalization, terminal illness, or any of an endless number of other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers usually meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour for as long as the care receiver will benefit by the relationship.
What do Stephen Ministers do?
Stephen Ministers are caring Christian friends who listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a crisis or a tough time.
Are Stephen Ministers counselors?
Stephen Ministers are not counselors; they are trained lay caregivers. Their role is to listen and care — not to give advice or counsel. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognize when a care receiver's need exceeds what they can provide. When that happens, they work with care receivers to help them receive the level of care they really need.
Can I Trust a Stephen Minister?
Trust is essential to a caring relationship, and Stephen Ministers are people you can trust. Confidentiality is one of the most important principles of Stephen Ministry, and what a care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strictest confidence.
How can someone receive care from a Stephen Minister?
Pam Colborn is our Stephen Leader who coordinates referrals. If you or someone you know could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, you can talk to Pam, to one of our pastors, or to any of our other Stephen Leaders. Any of our Stephen Ministers would also be happy to help you through the process. (If you want to talk about Stephen Ministry for someone else, make sure you get his or her permission first.) To reach Pam, call her at (301) 524-5223. You can also reach her by e-mail at pjccolborn@comcast.net.
How much does it cost?
Stephen Ministry is a caregiving ministry available to our members and community free of charge.
How can someone become a Stephen Minister?
Begin by talking to one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers and they can tell you more. We usually train a new class of Stephen Ministers from September through February. Stephen Ministers make a two-year commitment to train and serve.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
How did the Stephen Ministry Get its Start?
Ten Reasons to Become a Stephen Minister
Stephen Ministry Training Classes
Harry Geehreng and Karalee Turner-Little have begun Stephen Ministry training! Please pray for them to be gifted with the skills and wisdom necessary to become great Stephen Ministers. Let’s all give thanks to our trainees’ families, who have agreed to sacrifice their time with Harry and Karalee, and pick up the torch while they attend class or are busy studying! Special thanks to Harry’s wife, Kathy, and Karalee’s family; husband, Brad, and children Lydia and Isaac.
DUMC is part of a local network of several churches that have Stephen Ministries. As a result, the network is able to combine resources for the 50-hour training course which has just begun. The churches involved share their facilities and trainers with one another. The Stephen Leaders who train the new ministers have all had additional training to help facilitate this training process and to direct the ministry in their congregations.
At present the class is held on Monday nights from 7:30 until 9:45 p.m. In addition to the class time, our trainees have a pretty hefty reading list (two training manuals and three separate books are used) which helps them to be prepared for the upcoming week’s training.
Training focuses on the importance of prayer and listening, and on how to provide support and encouragement without rushing in as an adviser or problem-solver. “The simple act of listening can be very empowering,” according to Jeff Grimes, a Plymouth Congregational Church, Des Moines, IA, Stephen Leader. “When people speak their concerns, they no longer shoulder that burden alone.”
Once a training candidate successfully finishes the training, they are commissioned with their entire class at a commissioning banquet, and then again at their individual churches. Once they are commissioned, they are matched with a care receiver. This selection is made with much prayer and discernment by the referrals’ coordinator (Pam Colborn at DUMC). Stephen Ministers are asked to serve for two years. Many stay on beyond that time. The ministry is modeled after the works of St. Stephen, who was the first lay person commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need (as recorded in Acts 6).
There are new Stephen Ministry training classes each year. For more information, please contact our training coordinator, Bonnie Custer at 301 270-3384, talk to a pastor, or any one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers. You can find printed information and applications in the Narthex.
The 50 hours of Stephen Ministry training is broken down into twenty 2 ½ -hour sessions.
Here are some of the varied and interesting topics that are covered in training:
- Feelings: Yours, Mine, and Ours
- The Art of Listening
- Distinctively Christian Caring
- Assertiveness: Relating Gently and Firmly
- Maintaining Boundaries in Caregiving
- Confidentiality
- Ministering to Those Experiencing Grief
- Caring for People before, during, and after Hospitalization
More than a quarter-million people have gone through Stephen Ministry training in more than 10,000 churches worldwide since the ministry began in 1975.
“We’re definitely part of something big,” says Stephen Leader, Jan Mullinix. “The impact of Stephen Ministry on our congregation has been tremendous. People whose needs might otherwise slip through the cracks are coming face to face with Jesus’ love through their Stephen Minister. Each new class will help us touch that many more lives with the Gospel.”
Stephen Ministry Meeting Times:
Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders meet for Continuing Education on the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the DUMC Youth Chapel.
Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders meet for Supervision on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7pm in the DUMC Youth Chapel.