Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry is a free confidential service offered by our church to those in need of special, temporary care.  It is primarily a listening Christian ministry provided by trained lay members of PCPC who are called Stephen Ministers.

Who may need a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministry is a service offered to those who are undergoing some sort of difficult situation in their lives, such as:

• Serious illness of self or a family member
• Bereavement
• Divorce or separation
• Loneliness
• Family frustrations and challenges
• Job crisis
• Any other stressful condition

You do not have to be a member of PCPC to receive this ministry.

Who are Stephen Ministers?

Stephen Ministers are lay members of PCPC who have received extensive training in care-giving skills.  They are committed to providing one-on-one confidential, non-judgmental care for their care receivers.  Our church program is affiliated with the trans-denominational, international Stephen Ministry organization which supplies Christian training and resource materials for the programs at local churches.

Stephen Ministers are not:

• Counselors
• Therapists
• Problem solvers
• Casual visitors

How does the process work at PCPC?

• Someone is hurting (you, a relative, or a friend) and in need of Christian care.
• The PCPC Stephen Ministry Coordinator (currently Bill Wallof) learns of this need from a pastor, you, a relative, or a friend.  This is only done with the permission of the hurting person.
• The Coordinator contacts the hurting person to discuss the possibility of a establishing a caring relationship.
• If the hurting person approves, the Coordinator assigns a Stephen Minister to that person.  (Note that men are matched with men and women with women.)
• The Stephen Minister will then meet with their care receiver on a regular basis, usually for about an hour, once a week.  Typically the need for a Stephen Ministry relationship lasts for a period of a few months.
• During these visits, the care receiver shares their feelings and thoughts with the Stephen Minister.  The Stephen Minister mostly listens, responds in non-judgmental ways, and may ask questions designed to help the care-receiver.  Their conversations are considered confidential.
• In addition to these contact periods, the Stephen Minister regularly prays for the hurting person.

Contact Information

If you are interested in having a Stephen Minister or becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact the PCPC Stephen Minister Coordinator, Nicole Partin.