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For more information about Stephen Ministry, contact the Reverend Cliff Rigby at 770-532-0136 or crigby@fpcga.org.
Stephen’s Corner
The Stephen Ministry Leadership Team announces the start of Stephen Ministry Training on January 15, 2004. Some of you have let us know of your interest in this training, others will also receive a letter shortly requesting an indication of your interest in being considered for the training. The selection process will include completing an application and being interviewed. The interview is friendly. We note that the Spirit equips us differently with different gifts to build up the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:4-11). It is our prayer and hope that our selection process helps both the applicant and ourselves to more clearly perceive the gifts the Spirit has given each of us. There exist needs within our congregation right now for Stephen Ministers that we cannot meet until more are trained. Please give prayerful consideration that God might be calling you to this ministry within our church. When you read this notice, if you wish to add your name to the list of applicants, just call the church office and leave your name and interest with the receptionist or with Cliff Rigby at 770-532-0136, extension 29.
The Stephen Ministry at First Presbyterian Church, grounded in Jesus’ command to love one another, offers one-to-one caring relationships for those who are hurting to receive the love and care they need to support them.
Stephen Ministers are laypersons who have received 50 or more hours of training to provide distinctively Christian care. They are caring Christian friends who really listen. Stephen Ministers are not counselors or therapists; they are not problem-solvers; they are care-givers.
Stephen Ministers help meet the needs of those who are:
Hospitalized
Terminally ill
Bereaved
In a job crisis
New members of the church
Disabled
Homebound
Lonely
In a spiritual crisis
Looking for a caring, Christian friend
The Referrals Process
1. A person — you, a relative, or a friend — is hurting and in need of Christian care.
2. The Stephen Ministry referrals coordinator learns about this need for care — from the pastors, the person, or a friend – always with the person’s permission.
3. The referrals coordinator meets with the person to talk about Stephen Ministry.
4. With the person’s permission, the referrals coordinator assigns a Stephen Minister to meet on a weekly basis with the person.
5. The Stephen Minister continues to provide distinctively Christian care for the person with strict confidentiality.
The ChristCare Series Small Group Ministry
Much research has been done on what makes a church vital and vibrant in its life and ministry as a congregation, i.e., "successful." It is very clear that an absolutely key ingredient in this success is the role and influence of small groups within the church. Our church is adding to our existing small groups the ChristCare Series of Stephen Ministries. Their research has uncovered four basic needs that virtually everyone has— Spiritual Growth— people want relationships with God and one another that have depth, meaning, and challenge; Community— meaningful, multiple relationships resulting in real caring for one another in Christ, church and world; Mutual Care— real acceptance and caring for others in an "everyone for himself" world, as Jesus said, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."; Meaningful Ministry— people want to be involved in a mission bigger than themselves, where their time, talents and gifts of the Spirit can be used as they are needed for others. Our congregation has decided that one of the primary ways we will meet these needs is through the ChristCare Small Group Ministry. Groups of 3-10 persons will meet regularly with a trained, commissioned and supervised leader in order to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. Their activities will focus around four areas: building Christian Community, studying the Bible, prayer and worship, and performing missional service projects. If your curiosity is aroused by this description, contact Rev. Rigby at 770-532-0136 or crigby@fpcga.org and hear more!
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