Requesting a Stephen Minister
If you believe that you or a loved one might benefit from a Stephen Minister, please contact Pastor Laura Johnson or click the button below to fill out the form.
All requests are kept confidential.
Stephen Ministry
What Is Stephen Ministry?
Stephen Ministers are church members who are highly trained to provide high-quality, confidential, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting. Stephen Ministers meet with their care receivers once a week for one hour to listen, encourage, and pray for them. They are not counselors or therapists; rather, they are Christian caregivers who provide spiritual and emotional support in challenging times. They are equipped to care for people experiencing life’s difficulties such as:
- Grief
- Medical Crises, such as a difficult diagnosis or surgery recovery
- Job-related Crises, such as unemployment or underemployment
- Divorce or Separation
- Chronic Illness
- Terminal Illness
- Caregiving
- Major Life Transitions, such as marriage, new baby, adoption, empty nest, vocational change, relocation, retirement
- Financial Difficulties, such as bankruptcy or debt
- Family-Related Struggles, such as post-birth adjustment, infertility, miscarriage, adoption and fostering, single parenting, loved ones with addictions, loved ones with mental health issues, family conflict
- Incarceration
- Spiritual Crisis
Learn more about Stephen Ministry
Apex UMC is proud to be one of the 13,000 Stephen Ministry congregations worldwide. Over 600,000 people have been trained as Stephen Ministers, and they have collectively served one and half million care receivers.
Check out:
- Stephen Ministry website for more details.
- These videos to hear more about the experience of care receivers.
Becoming a Stephen Minister
Stephen Ministers undergo extensive training (50 hours) and are afterward supervised by the Stephen Ministry Leadership team (Chris Kiper, Suzanne Coats, Ray Teague, Pastor Laura Johnson). Before being accepted into the training program, candidates must complete an application and be interviewed by the Stephen Ministry Leaders. After successfully completing the training, candidates are commissioned as Stephen Ministers and commit to serving for at least two years. If you feel called to serve as a Stephen Minister, contact Suzanne Coats.