Stephen Ministry is Christ caring for people through people.
What Is a Stephen Minister?
Stephen Ministers are lay congregation members trained to provide one-to-one care to those experiencing a difficult time in life, such as grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life, but they all share a passion for bringing Christ’s love and care to people during a time of need. Since 1975, more than 600,000 people from more than 14,000 congregations and other organizations have been trained as Stephen Ministers.
Stephen Ministers are lay congregation members trained to provide one-to-one care to those experiencing a difficult time in life, such as grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life, but they all share a passion for bringing Christ’s love and care to people during a time of need. Since 1975, more than 600,000 people from more than 14,000 congregations and other organizations have been trained as Stephen Ministers.
What is the Stephen Ministry at Avon United Methodist Church?
AUMC has trained Stephen Ministers that are prepared to meet with you one-on-one as you are experiencing difficult times, grief, or loss.
All meetings are confidential and at no cost.
How are Stephen Ministers trained?
Each Stephen Minister undergoes 15 weeks of training designed by the national Stephen Minister organization.
Stephen Ministries are required to adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines. Conversations with you are not
shared with other team members, family, or church staff.
How is confidentiality maintained?
Your initial contact with a Stephen Minister will be between you and the serving Team Coordinator.
The coordinator will review your request with you and then check for an available Stephen Minister.
That Stephen Minister will contact you to set up a meeting time. From that point, any conversation
and identification are between you and the assigned Stephen Minister.
Do I need to be a member at AUMC to be assigned a Stephen Minister?
No. Membership at AUMC or identifying as a Christian is not required.
The Stephen Ministry is a service for any person dealing with difficult times and issues.
What does this service cost?
There is no cost for Stephen Ministry services.
The Stephen Ministry team is committed to the call from Jesus to serve and comfort.
How do I contact the Stephen Ministry team for assistance?
- Connection options:
- You can call the church office at 317-272-4068 who can put you in contact with the Stephen Minister Team Coordinator.
- Complete the form below and the Team Coordinator will contact you directly.
- Approach one of the Stephen Ministers and they will put you in contact with the Team Coordinator.
- The Team Coordinator will contact you for a confidential discussion to determine how a Stephen Minister can be of assistance.
- The Team Coordinator will contact a Stephen Minister to determine their availability.
- Once an available Stephen Minister is found, the Team Coordinator will share the Stephen Ministers name with you and your name and contact information with the Stephen Minister.
- The Stephen Minister will contact you to set up your first meeting with them.
Stephen Ministry Team Leadership:
Michele Pitts-Feld – Stephen Leader Team Coordinator
Michele Pitts-Feld – Stephen Leader Referrals Coordinator
P. Z. Sinclair – Stephen Leader Communication Coordinator
Kerry Locke & Susan Parsons – Stephen Leader Training Co-Coordinators
Contact us by calling the church office at 317-272-4068
For More Information about the National Stephen Ministry headquartered in St. Louis, visit their web page at: https://www.stephenministries.org/default.cfm
