Stephen Ministry Training
- Week Day Training Sessions are held on Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
- Retreats are held on Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
- Supervision is at 6:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday for current Caregivers.
April - August 2007
Book Title Abbreviations
- SMTM = Stephen Ministry Training Manual
- STTIL = Speaking the Truth in Love
- CC-AWOL = Christian Caregiving-a Way of Live
- WAHTUMHR = When and How to Use Mental Health Resources
Wednesday - April 18
T-1 The Person of the Caregiver - km
- No Reading Assignment
T-2 Feelings: Yours, Mine, and Ours - km
- Read Feelings: Yours, Mine, and Ours in SMTM
T-3 The Art of Listening - rhv
- Read The Art of Listening in SMTM
- Read Introduction through Chapter 3 of STTIL
T-5 Process versus Results in Caregiving - rhv
- Read Process versus Results in Caregiving in SMTM
- Read Chapters 4-7 in STTIL
T-6 Assertiveness: Relating Gently and Firmly - Part 1 - km
- Read Chapters 8-12 in STTIL (Bring your book to class)
- Bring your copy of the book to class
T-6 Assertiveness: Relating Gently and Firmly - Part 2 - km
- Read Chapters 13-18 in STTIL (Bring your book to class)
- Read Preface through Chapter 7 in CC-AWOL
T-7 Maintaining Boundaries in Caregiving - rhv
T-8 Crisis Theory and Practice: Danger vs. Opportunity - rhv
- Read Maintaining Boundaries in Caring in SMTM
- Read Crisis Theory and Practice in SMTM
- Read Chapter 8-13 in CC-AWOL
T-4 Distinctively Christian Caring - Part 1 - both
T-4 Distinctively Christian Caring - Part 2 - both
- Read Chapters 14-20 in CC-AWOL (Bring your book to class)
- Read Distinctively Christian Caring in SMTM
T-9 Confidentiality - km
- Read Confidentiality in SMTM
- Read Introduction through Chapter 4 in WAHTUMHR
T-11 Using Mental Health Professionals
and Other Community Resources - rhv
- Read Using Mental Health Professionals and Other Community Resources in SMTM
- Read Chapters 5-7 in WAHTUMHR (Bring your book to class)
T-13 Dealing with Depression: The Stephen Minister's Role - km
- Read Dealing with Depression: The Stephen Minister's Role in SMTM
- Review WAHTUMHR (Bring your book to class)
T-14 Helping Suicidal Persons Get the Help They Need - rhv
- Read Helping Suicidal Persons Get the Help They Need in SMTM, pgs.308-325
T-12 Ministering to Those Experiencing Grief - both
- Read
Ministering to Those
Experiencing Grief in SMTM, pgs.257-266
T-10 Telecare: The Next Best Thing to Being There - km
- Read Telecare: The Next Best Thing to Being There in SMTM, pgs.185-191
T-15 Bringing the Caring Relationship to a Close - km
- Read Bringing the Caring Relationship to a Close in SMTM, pgs.344-358
Wednesday - August 1
No Class
Wednesday - August 8No Class
Wednesday - August 15T-17 How to Make a First Caring Visit - km
- Read How to Make a First Caring Visit in SMTM, pgs.437-460
T-16 Supervision: A Key to Quality Christian Care Part 1, 2 - both
- Read Supervision: A Key to Quality Christian Care Part 1, 2 in SMTM, 373-394
- Review The Structure of Small Grouop Peer Supervision in SMTM, pgs.405-427
T-18 Follow Me - rhv
- Read Follow Me in SMTM, pgs.473-484
- Bring both volumes of SMTM to class
Books used for Stephen Ministry training
- Stephen Ministry Training Manual (SMTM) - Volumes 1 and 2
- Christian Caregiving–a Way of Life (CC-AWOL)
- Speaking the Truth in Love (STTIL)
- When and How to Use Mental Health Resources (WAHTUMHR)
Stephen Ministry Vocabulary
Care Receiver
A person experiencing a life crisis or challenge who receives the caring ministry of a Stephen Minister. The needs of care receivers may include divorce, loss of a loved one, hospitalization, terminal illness, loneliness, relocation, unemployment, retirement, empty nest, and other life transitions.
Continuing education for Stephen Ministers
Ongoing training that Stephen Ministers participate in after commissioning that helps them grow as Christian caregivers. Resources for the first 17.5 hours of continuing education are included in the Stephen Ministry Training Manual.
Leader’s Manual
The basic resource used by Stephen Leaders to begin and manage Stephen Ministry. The Leader’s Manual is actually a file drawer of information, containing over 400 documents organized into 68 file folders in four color-coded sections. It includes presentations for training Stephen Ministers, administrative tools, leadership materials, publicity samples, and instructions for every step of the Stephen Series system. Each Leader’s Manual also includes a copy of the Stephen Ministry Training Manual and the Supervision Group Facilitator Manual. Leader’s Manuals are available only to those who have attended a Leader’s Training Course.
Leader’s Training Course
A one-week course taught by the faculty of Stephen Ministries St. Louis in which pastors and lay leaders are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to begin and direct Stephen Ministry in their congregation.
Stephen Leader
Pastor or lay leader who has completed a Stephen Series Leader’s Training Course and directs Stephen Ministry in his or her congregation. Typically a congregation will have two or more Stephen Leaders who work together as a team, each overseeing different aspects of Stephen Ministry.
Stephen Minister
A congregation member who is recruited, selected, trained, commissioned, and supervised by Stephen Leaders to provide one-to-one Christian care to persons in need on behalf of the congregation. Stephen Ministers typically are assigned one care receiver at a time and meet with that person for about one hour each week. Stephen Ministers usually serve for two years, which includes an initial 50 hours of training followed by twice-monthly supervision and continuing education sessions.
Stephen Ministry
All of the caregiving and leadership that the Stephen Series brings about in a congregation is often referred to as Stephen Ministry. The one-to-one caregiving that Stephen Ministers provide is also known as Stephen Ministry.
Stephen Ministry Training Manual
The primary text Stephen Ministers use during their 50 hours of initial training and first 17.5 hours of continuing education. It contains preclass readings and outlines and notes for in-class sessions. It is a rich resource for Stephen Ministers throughout their service.
Stephen Series
A complete system of training and organizing laypersons for caring ministry in and around their congregations.
Supervision
As part of their deep commitment to quality Christian caregiving, trained Stephen Ministers participate in twice-monthly Small Group Peer Supervision. Stephen Ministers meet together in order to support, encourage, and help one another to provide the best distinctively Christian care possible for care receivers.
