Stephen Ministry

Christ caring for people, through people.

What is Stephen Ministry?

Stephen Ministers provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.

Are you going through a difficult time—emotionally, spiritually, or relationally? Are you lonely, experiencing a crisis, or simply stressed by everyday life? You don’t have to suffer alone. Our Stephen Ministers are trained caregivers, ready to listen, care for and encourage you, pray with and for you, and provide free, confidential care to help you through whatever it is that you are facing. To find out more, talk with a pastor or contact the Referrals Coordinator below.

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Care Receivers Tell Their Stories

A Stephen Minister comes alongside a hurting person and meets with that person on a weekly basis to listen, care, encourage, pray, and provide emotional and spiritual support. Men are paired with men; women with women.

Over the years, well over one-and-a-half million people have benefited from the one-to-one, Christ-centered care of a Stephen Minister. This care is entirely confidential—no one knows the identity of a care receiver except for his or her Stephen Minister and the pastor or Stephen Leader who paired the two together. The care receivers featured here stepped forward willingly to share their stories.

“Connected with God in a Way I Never Felt Before”

“My Stephen Minister listens—really listens. He doesn’t judge me or tell me what to do but walks side by side with me. I never realized how helpful and healing that can be. With his care and support, I’m making it through.” – Brian

“Refusing to Give Up on Me”

Questions & Answers About Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry is a ministry in our congregation in which trained and supervised laypeople, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals facing life challenges.

Stephen Leaders are the ones who oversee and direct our Stephen Ministry. They recruit, select, train, organize, and supervise our Stephen Ministers; identify people in need of care; and match them with a Stephen Minister.

Stephen Ministers are volunteer caregivers. They have engaged in high-quality training in Christian caregiving, including topics such as listening, feelings, boundaries, and assertiveness.

Care receivers are the recipients of Stephen Ministers’ care. They are people from our church or community who are experiencing grief, loss of a job, divorce, loneliness, illness, or other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers meet with their care receivers once a week for about an hour for as long as the care receiver needs it.

Stephen Ministers are caring Christians who listen, understand, accept, and pray for and with care receivers who are working through a difficult time in life.

Stephen Ministers are not counselors; they are trained volunteer caregivers. Their role is to listen and care, not to give advice. Stephen Ministers are also trained to recognize when a care receiver’s needs fall outside what they are equipped to provide—at which point they help connect the care receiver with the appropriate outside resource.

The name Stephen comes from St. Stephen, who was the first layperson commissioned by the apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need (Acts 6).

Pastors will always be the primary caregivers—and Stephen Ministry provides them with support in their caring ministry. God has called all of us, not just pastors, to minister to one another. Stephen Ministry multiplies ministry by equipping laypeople to provide care while pastors handle the caring needs they can best address.

Stephen Ministry has been around since 1975, when Kenneth Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, began it to multiply the caregiving in his congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. We have had Stephen Ministry here at Trinity Waconia since 2023.

Rachel Ash is our Stephen Leader who coordinates referrals. If you or someone you know could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, you can talk to her, one of our pastors, or any of our other Stephen Leaders. Any of our Stephen Ministers would also be happy to help you through the process. (If you want to talk about Stephen Ministry for someone else, make sure you get his or her permission first.)

Begin by talking to one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers, and they can tell you more.

The broken person behind the cross symbolizes the brokenness in our lives due to our sin and imperfections. The whole person stands in front of the cross because it is only through the cross of Jesus that we are made whole. The circle symbolizes both the wholeness we receive through Christ and God’s unending love for us.
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You Can Play an Important Role in Our Stephen Ministry

Becoming a Stephen Minister at Trinity is a life-transforming experience—an opportunity to serve God, help others, and grow in faith. There is joy and freedom when we put the needs of others ahead of our own. Stephen Ministry provides this kind of joy and freedom through caring ministry. If you’ve ever thought about bringing Christ’s love to those who are hurting, contact one of our pastors or Care Ministry Director, Rachel Ash to find out more about becoming a Stephen Minister.

Rachel Ash
Care Ministry Director
Main Office: 952-442-4165
Direct Line: 952-856-1640
Email: rachel.ash@trinitywaconia.org