GROWING SEEDS: "Stephen's Ministry"

Stephen's Ministry

As I became an adult, Mom and I became best friends.....called each other every day....took trips together each year.....and prided ourselves on being the most fun and most entertaining people at wedding receptions.  So when she passed away after a long illness, a piece of my heart was buried in that casket alongside her.

A few weeks after saying good-bye to Mom, I received a note in the mail.  It was from Oleta Gann and included a book on grieving.  She was my first experience with Stephen's Ministry.  Over the course of the next 6 months, I received three more books from Oleta and with each one, came the most heartfelt, tender note I had ever received.  It was through this experience; the sincere, genuine and from-the-heart love Oleta showed me, that I learned what Stephen's Ministers were all about. 

I discovered that Stephen's Ministry is a volunteer outreach program that many different denominations embrace and adopt.  It's a ministry that brings Christ's healing love on a one-to-one basis to people suffering everything from illness and grief to family troubles and job loss.  It was named after young Stephen in the Bible.  He was the dude the Apostles asked to be the very first layperson to care for the needs of the early congregation (Acts 6:1-6).  Stephen Ministers are provided 50 hours of training to learn the art of listening, sensing others' feelings, maintaining confidentiality, praying with people and most importantly, they learn they are only CAREgivers; Christ is the CUREgiver.  I just love that!!

Being a Stephens Minister may not be for everyone, but if you have the gift of compassion, understanding and empathy, this just may be what God is calling you to do.  Contact Barb Olson at 903-946-3816 or bjblueeyes@gmail.com or Jackie Stempel at 903-860-3955 or jjstudio@peoplescom.net.

And as for those wonderful series of books on grieving Oleta so graciously sent me.........I'll be sharing them with my dear friend who just lost his wife this week.  Pay it forward.......

"Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. 

Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return, 

just know in your heart it will be returned."

— Steve Maraboli