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Hurting?
Struggling? Discouraged? Stressed? Confused? Broken?
Stephen Ministers are ready to care.
We
all experience challenges in life-times when we could benefit from the support
of a caring Christian friend. Stephen Ministers are ready to provide the
emotional and spiritual care we need when faced with a crisis or difficulty,
such as, loss
of a loved one, hospitalization,
divorce
or separation, loneliness or discouragement, spiritual crises, unemployment or a
job crisis, terminal illness, incarceration, aging, chronic illness, relocation,
recovery after an accident or disaster, birth, adoption, miscarriage or
infertility.
South
Tulsa Baptist Church became a Stephen Ministries congregation in
August of 1999. We became one of
over 8,500 congregations world wide to provide high quality, distinctively
Christian care to people.
Stephen
Ministers are persons trained by Stephen Leaders who receive an initial 50 hours
of training to provide one-to-one care to their “care receivers.” After these individuals have completed
their training and been commissioned by the South Tulsa congregation, they meet twice
monthly with the Stephen Leaders for supervision, support and continuing
education. South Tulsa has trained 19 Stephen Ministers since
1999, and currently has 14 active Stephen Ministers serving the
congregation.
Stephen
Leaders are individuals trained at a seven-day Leadership Training Conference
who are commissioned by the church to lead the Stephen Ministry of the local congregation. This
is accomplished through training, ongoing supervision and continuing education
of the Stephen Ministry Team. South
Tulsa has trained five Stephen Leaders since 1999, with four active
Stephen Leaders currently serving the congregation.
We at
South Tulsa believe in Stephen Ministry and the tremendous benefits it
can provide not only to individuals needing care, but also to the caregivers and
our congregation as a whole.
We are
constantly looking for those people that God is calling to this ministry. Please
pray about whether God is calling you into this valuable ministry of our
church. If you are interested in
serving in some capacity of the Stephen Ministry at South
Tulsa, or feel you would benefit from meeting with a Stephen
Minister, please contact a Stephen Leader or Philip Stephens through the
South Tulsa Baptist Church Office (918-299-0904) or send an email to the Stephen Ministry Team.
Other
ministries supported by the Stephen Ministry include:
Resources:
The
Tristesse Center for Grief Counseling of Tulsa – A
community grief recovery center for individuals experiencing grief. A variety of non-denominational programs
are available through their facility located at 1717 South Baltimore
Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For more information, visit their
website at www.thetristessecenter.org.
Operation
Stephen’s Touch – A
free nationwide ministry for spouses, parents, siblings or adult children
grieving the loss of a military family member who died in the line of
duty. For more information, please
visit their website at www.stephenstouch.org.
Grief
Share
– A 13-week program providing valuable information as to the process of grief,
as well as a support system of others who have experienced or are currently
walking through a grief journey.
The groups meet weekly at STBC and individuals are encouraged to join at
any time throughout their grief experience. For more information, contact the STBC
Church Office or visit their website at www.griefshare.org.
Care
Notes – These
booklets provide opportunities for the STBC family to offer care in a
non-threatening, caring manner to those individuals experiencing crisis or loss,
as well as to comfort those members who are personally walking through times of
difficulty or loss. This material
is located just outside the Atrium between the Worship Center and Educational
Building.
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