St. James Episcopal Church


	But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. James 1:22

Stephen Ministry Logo Stephen Ministry
Providing Love, Hope, & Comfort in time of need

Are you adjusting to a difficult time due to serious illness, death of a loved one, loss of your job, a change in marital status - or feeling lonely?

Stephen Ministry provides a one-on-one caring and confidential relationship with a trained lay person who will offer comfort, Christian love, and support during particularly challenging times. Working closely with our clergy, a Stephen Minister is...

A dedicated Christian carefully trained and commissioned to provide confidential in-depth caring.
Someone who will visit with you weekly, listen, offer resources and referrals if needed; pray with you for you.
A caring person - desiring to offer his or her support to help others deal responsibly with their feelings.
A trained lay person - having developed helping skills through intensive coursework and supported by the clergy.
A friend who comes in when the rest of the world goes out...

A Stephen Minister comforting a Parishioner

Consider allowing a Stephen Minister to walk with you on your journey to wholeness.

A Stephen Minister is not...
A professional counselor or psychologist, a social worker, an expert in law, or superficial visitor who is "touching base" one time ..... but a concerned Christian desiring to help a friend in time of need.

How do I request a Stephen Minister?
Please contact a member of your clergy staff or a Baton Rouge Stephen Leader:

St. James
Deacon Mark Hudson
225-270-3421
dmhudson@cox.net St. Luke's
Becky Williams, RN
225-926-5343
bwilliams@stlukesbr.org Trinity
Camille Wood
225-387-0396

You may confidentially discuss with them the need for a Stephen Minister for yourself or for someone you know. A Stephen Minister will be assigned only with the permission of the person in need.

A Bit of History: Stephen Ministry began in 1975 and has become a nation wide program as a lay caring ministry "to equip God's people for the work of ministry." The name comes from St. Stephen, who was the first lay person commissioned by the Apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need. (Acts 6:5)

The Logo consists of a cross and circle, together with a broken person and a whole person. The broken person stands behind the cross, the whole person in front as again we are made whole. The circle symbolizes both the wholeness we receive through Christ and God's unending love for us.

A Care Receiver's Perspective

I would like to express my appreciation to my church, the Stephen Ministry program, and my particular caregiver. Some time ago I went in for a routine visit to my family doctor, and came out with a terminal diagnosis. The prognosis: six to nine months to live. Since I was already past 50, part of my response was to set myself upon a spiritual journey.

The Stephen Ministry at St. Luke's has provided me with a partner in that jour-ney. My partner is an individual of deep spiritual conviction. We meet regularly to discuss the journey. My particular approach to spirituality is through reading the Bible.

But ultimately spirituality is about connecting to other people through the Church. The Stephen Ministry has helped me to do that. I have been more fortunate than my doctor forecast. During these months my Stephen Minister partner has helped me find the spiritual direction and strength that I needed.

Stephen Ministry is not a counseling program ... it is a caring ministry