#404 Stephen Ministries: Equipping God's People for Ministry

Program and love on this exam was 31. This is going to have, how you doing this is the show that is for the about the family caregiver and hosted by the family caregiver were thrilled to have a part of the show today you member with Dr. Jenna's house on her show.

Even when we had Stephen ministries on the show Stephen ministers on the show several years back. Yeah, and an interview with Jeff and his thoughts were that his wife Greg about a month or so ago and she meant it meant mention that she had got involved. Would Stephen ministers and I think I said is that was so if I didn't know that none of 20 years.

I did know that as I read step back out to them at Stephen ministers. I wanted to have them on the show and talk about a little bit of what's going on during the quarantine. How are they adapting how they helping folks with what they do with their ministry. So I just want to bring them both on the show. I've got Job rupture who was also program director. There as well as Dr. Houck and so welcome.

Gentlemen, thank you for being a part of the show today yeah you that docket by saying it wrong. Houck yelled and how that's that's lessee I got – and second-guess myself John you told me about that moment my yarn on that I will first before we begin, because I wanted just give give as much time do you guys as I possibly can. Dr. Houck tell us the beginnings and the origin of Stephen is for those who have no idea what you guys are all about. I love your organization.

I love the heart and the passion of what you guys do tell us little bit how it started, what it is and then I got some very specific questions for both of I asked her soaking in the congregation and by profession on the pastor of our multiple clinical psychologist so a long time ago I found out that I couldn't do all the killing myself to get the Ghana quality care and needed so I trained nine people in the congregation to provide one to one care will work so well. Our congregation that at Stephen ministers the caregivers to me. Let's share this with other navigation well after while we did and that number is now open 13,000 congregation and there have been over 600,000 Stephen ministers trained in congregations all over the world and they provide one to one caregiving for a variety of life struggles when you started this I beat it when you look at those numbers now that that has to just be incredulous to you when you see the explosive growth of what happened with you guys now and I feel really good about that.

And it is a lot of fun. It is good diving into caring with our Stephen leaders when we drain and indirectly through Stephen ministers whom the Stephen leaders to well and my wife's was a direct recipient of one of the Stephen ministers you trained it did that's that's how we got tighter because of her that you guys for years, but then when it intersected us in a very critical time in our life. I was just so deeply moved by what you guys bring to the table what you offer and how your impacting people's lives. You don't every day around the world that with this it it's a whole different kind of ministry one that I absolutely wholeheartedly endorse in and and see such tremendous value in and I want to be able to introduce as many people as I can to what you guys do Joe tell us a little bit what you do not think I can then got involved in a ministry on the ground about what I was trained as a Stephen Minister at my church where I was going in Phoenix, Arizona, and it was a life-changing experience knew that was way back in 1987 trained as a Stephen Minister and serve the minister for many years there got down I came on board with the St. Louis and came to work at Stephen ministries down as a writer and editor and program developer and teacher all of the ministries were about 10 different We all work together well. So I started off in the front life and I'm working for the headquarters in this time. Now, as were dealing with this when when the country is so isolated and quarantine with family members in the churches and so forth. Dr. Houck, how has this changed the scope of what you guys do well what we're finding is congregation get involved in Stephen ministry are using their Stephen ministers to the fullest.

First of all, traditionally 1 to 1 caring and the 1 to 1 caring situations that were going on before the pandemic continue most of them are now by the formal resume or some other mechanism. So the one one caregiving continues and congregations are finding that people are needing more or more people are needing won the one caring so that an increasing number of encampment which is so cool is that when congregations in this pandemic and one were not meeting they want to keep in touch with our members as long as intended. Attendees were not terribly members they are marshaling the speaker ministers to call entire congregation just to check in with them to find their doing so. Stephen ministers are doing weekly 1 to 1 caring and congregations and there are also doing touching touching base with members and attendees. That's how if you had to encapsulated one sentence. What a Stephen Minister does what is the average Stephen Minister encounter look like, what would that be okay. I'll try to string together a long sentence negative, like the Germans through the German election string together similar words that go on seemingly prepared for paragraphs Stephen ministers listen they don't lecture, they share genes and the love they are the embodiment of Jesus.

They are present only present with individuals they share God's love with people and are now doing this over the phone, they may listen they provide a means by which people can pour their hearts out to them how they pour their hearts out when they have lost a loved one by death. They pour their hearts out when they are going through divorce or separation. There they pour their hearts and our child when they are terminally ill or other wise suffering. So Stephen ministers K wide variety of life crises and life situations that many of us go through at various times in our lives. You yourself was the recipient of this kind of care in your family. I yeah I was my wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and she had a minister who shall and I did to him from the perspective I was the caregiver I was suffering right alongside my wife and I would talk to a Stephen Minister share a lot of on my feelings with the with another person outside of the family and that was just fantastic feeling that was it a little bit surreal being the recipient of that care for you for somebody who envision this entire program that is now going on to such global reach and here you were finding yourself in that situation was that with now is that for you. I had just if it was matter-of-factly person who cared for me was someone whom I trained every one of our leaders training courses and I did not have any trouble because II know that in order to provide good care. My role was as it care receiver. I didn't need to take over Marin wax eloquent about anything. I was there to be talking to be listened to when and to share feelings surreal.

It was very, very gratifying at same time with a nervous. I just got asks Sadie to give them good notes. They were they were nervous.

Everything they do this for the band himself and with every did they feel self-conscious or they just jump right into it. III don't think he was nervous because I communicated very clearly that I was there to receive care and I think not like like in our staff at either ministries online.

There I'm I work very hard not to be bigger than life just to fit in, and that's how I did it with my Stephen Minister that that is that's that's wonderful to hear Joe what's changed with you now that were dealing with this global pandemic.

What are some things that you see as the core needs of people that have have risen to the surface and what what are some thoughts you have on this site before this whole thing.

Stephen ministers will already out there with the careless leaders who are going to light green for divorce or medical crisis or unemployment or whatever. The life challenge was now. This pandemic And the increase was needed for care that the person was already struggling with that life difficulty now on top of that the going all of your snail the isolation that's going on in the fear and anxiety or people losing their job or struggling financially or just the increased stress so that Stephen ministers will already provide net care and now that those care receivers there means that increased substantially. And so Stephen ministers themselves also are also feeling that tension of everything going on that we are all feeling like knowledge as you go through this and you know in a stamp 11 really unique part Stephen ministry is that Stephen ministers gets twice monthly peer supervision where they come together and they support each other in the ministry and actually bought the them really important right now during this crisis that the Stephen ministers one of providing that care. There also listing the care from each other. They go through when you are assume that you guys had to do a lot of things by telephone in an videoconferencing now do you see the impact of the not physically being in the same room or do you feel like that's been able to adapt pretty quickly.

I think I think still another sister adapting it still when somebody is going through any kind of life struggle. Nothing beats having a warm-blooded living breathing person standing right next to you, possibly holding your hand or give you that hand on the back of praying with you not to have that person right there is just so valuable and right now circumstances Stephen ministers can't do that and be there physically with that person so they are doing the adapting and doing the best bye-bye caring over the phone resume fish Skype or other electronic means to do the best I can and I think everything a minister in care and every Cherokee route. Looking forward to that day when they can get back together. Start meeting in person because that happened that person right next year to show helpful, but they're doing the best they can enable adaptive and adaptive really well to the challenges that that all this rotation might Let these two things it is I'm watching this whole our country, struggle with this whole thing and I know the scope of what you guys do and I know how important it is that I know how isolated and lonely people feel and now it's even his desk. Like you said Dr. Hackett's escalated even more work. I got a couple more questions. When asked if you hang onto the break.

This is Peter Rosenberger. This is hope for the caregiver were talking was Stephen ministers.

This is Dr. Kenneth Howe, who founded Joel Brescia, who is one of the program directors. There is over with her so much more to go over the caregiver.com. Have you ever struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you.

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This is a wonderful organization that is the ministry of presence. They listen they spend time with people who are hurting and the founder of this organization is Dr. Kenneth Howe and I have had the privilege of interviewing him several years back and just love the conversation he brought along a friend today with Joe Bratcher who was one of the program directors and it degas got time for a lightning round of questions as I got a lot of right so Joe will start with you if somebody wants to volunteer and be a part of what you guys are doing what are you looking for what type of person you looking for what what are you looking for a minister is somebody who is patient and caring is along the left son somebody who jump in and try to fix things for the person because we can't fix another person but is just to be a conduit of God's love and then make that they would work with the local congregation. They would Stephen ministers were very trying before they go into the genocidal chair of the fever so really, if there's somebody who wants to be a faithful caring less nurse even if you don't feel you got the precise number.

When I became a Stephen Minister.

I wondered I really do. This is very well-trained, very well supported. The over 600,000 people over the years have not been trained as ministers so they don't have to be theologians. They don't have to have all this vast reservoir of knowledge. They just have to tear and and have a sincere faith. I just want to be able to care for folks. You guys will handle the heavy lifting on all the training yeah exactly. The Stephen ministry for caregiver and God's picture together that you focus on the process of listening and caring and embodying Christ present. Let God work to bring about the healing that could kill us to the needs that that is that is also okay Dr. Halbert churches participate in this is in any type of church any type of denomination and independence you got it.

Everything is any any church that wants to get involved with this is that the case and any Christian church. We acquired around the world live there are Christian churches of over 180 denominations that are involved in Stephen ministry so well world from where Catholics and Seventh-day Adventist Lutherans and independent congregation, you name it Stephen Minister in the know churches sorry I don't know this, but that's what I'm asking do you have a program that specifically connects to pastors with the Stephen ministry emphasis on that pastor who pastors need this kind of care and you have something like that. Well, a lot people who come to our one week leaders training course is all pastors and then they go back and sometimes they service deepen leaders and at other times they like laypeople one people ministry may provide referrals to Stephen ministers in terms of pastors degenerate in the draft.

I question number of years ago I wrote a book which is now in its second edition called antagonists in the church how to identify and deal with destructive conflict and pastors love that book because it talks about the 1% of the congregation that might be troublemakers.

Very unhealthy individual so in essence we do. You know you can significant ministry to that book directors I know a couple passes any sin that book to you, wherever two or three are gathered there will be problems but but I see now is is the country is struggling now on what this pastoral care look like what does ministry look like and I see you guys emerging as is a tremendous already. You're already tremendous resource, but now it's even exponential of what you guys can bring to the table because I think people are just so unsettled and there so fearful and and and troubled and in these things and you guys are ready to step in. You been ready for this year's did Nestlé know you're being ready for pandemic, but that despite your still ready for because you been preparing for dealing with these kinds of things for for a lifetime. And so I just love what you guys do this extraordinary ministry. If people want to get in touch with you guys. What's the best way for him to do it not call us at 314-428-2600 or they could just look us up on the web. Stephen ministries.org or just Google Stephen ministry subject to our website. I do appreciate very much. You guys take the time to call in today and it is is an extraordinary ministry and it's a it's is a powerful work we have been recipients of this in my family and I am very grateful to to you all for what you do and I would put this out on the podcast will put this out on a website and I want as many people as possible to touch and connect with you all, because I think that the it not just to receive your care, but also participated what you're doing and be trained by you guys and go out and continue this great work. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for what you did for my family. What you continue to do and and for some the other families out there and and I just am just grateful for you.

Nice to hear a great way. Oh so she's rocking. She's got a new right. Thank you for that. It's called resilient and she is indeed resilient, but she you know she got the coronavirus and now, but she punched through it and she is is doing much better and were still working on the theaters. I think it made a little bit tired already.

She just tired of me and I don't know none that went down in the market survey says 50 got real God's will Dr. help.

Thank you very much about put this on the podcast with the settlement on the webpage. Thank you for taking the time to call him Sunday afternoon.

I really do appreciate what you guys do okay thank you I will see this is hope for the caregiver. This Peter Rosenberger. This is the show for you as a family caregiver to help the caregivers make better characters. This is how we do it is learning to connect with folks who bring this level of ministry in care.

I lovingly say they don't try to fix