Recently commissioned into the Stephen Ministry in Fairfield are (left-right): Gayle Carpenter, Pam Zornosa, Randy Maness and Vicky Cheek. (Courtesy Photo)
On July 30, 2023 Pastor Mike McVey on behalf of First United Methodist Church commissioned four (4) Stephen Ministers. Ministry leader, Gayle Carpenter and three others: Randy Maness, Vicky Cheek and Pam Zornosa. All have completed their training for the implementation of the Stephen Ministry for the Fairfield community.
Stephen Ministries offers a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of congregation members—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.
Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained by their Stephen Leaders to offer confidential care to people who are experiencing a crisis, facing a challenge, or simply going through a tough time.. A Stephen Minister typically has one care receiver at a time and meets with that person once a week for about an hour. They listen, they care, they encourage and support you. You are not alone on your journey.
The Stephen Ministry received its name through the Bible, In Acts 6, Stephen was among those chosen to provide caring ministry to those in need. Since Jesus’ time, caring ministry has been a hallmark of the Christian faith community. You’ll find Stephen Ministry in congregations from more than 190 Christian denominations, across the U.S. and Canada and in 30 other countries. Stephen Ministry is built to last—going strong for decades. Since Stephen Ministries was founded in 1975:
–More than 13,000 congregations have enrolled in Stephen Ministry.
–More than 75,000 pastors and lay leaders from those congregations have been equipped as Stephen Leaders.
–More than 600,000 laypeople have received Stephen Minister training.
–More than one-and-a-half-million people have had a Stephen Minister to walk with them, providing one-to-one Christian care during tough times
Life Difficulties can include but not limited to any of the following: Loss of a job or job stress, Loss of a home, Loss of a loved one, Infertility, Trauma caused by an accident, Family Care Giver stress, Financial stress, Deployment, Spiritual stress, Divorce, Empty nest, Cancer or major illness diagnosis, Natural disaster, Loneliness or so much more. If you are experiencing a crisis and want to receive support from a Stephen Minister, call the FUMC office, 903-389-2225 to connect with the Stephen Minister Leader.
