Caring

The Stephen Ministry at Grace provides confidential one-on-one support to members and other individuals who have been through devastating life-changing events such as grief, diagnosis, divorce, job loss, estrangement, birth and other events. Stephen Ministers are lay Christians who provide private sustained care to individuals as a way of helping them get back on their feet.

The current class of Stephen Minister trainees are well into their 50 hours of education. Currently they have completed training in these subjects:

• The Person of the Caregiver
• Feelings: Yours, Mine and Ours
• The Art of Listening
• Distinctly Christian caring, and process versus results in care giving.

“The Person of the Caregiver” introduces the trainees to each other and their training material, as well as acquire prayer partners.

“Feeling: Your, Mine and Ours” is concerned with helping care receivers recognize, accept and express their feelings, and then trust God to give them healing and wholeness.

“The Art of Listening” is concerned with training Stephen Ministers to help care receivers understand what feelings are in action in their lives.

“Distinctly Christian Caring” is central to Stephen Ministry training, emphasizing the tools of faith in caring for another.

“Process Versus Results in care giving” teaches that the Stephen Minister cannot “fix” another’s problems. God is the “cure giver” and the Stephen Minister is the “caregiver.”

Dave Lincoln and Barb Dickman are actively involved in the training of new Stephen Ministers from a number of area churches. We ask for your continuing prayers for all the instructors and students of the current class.

If you have questions or insterest in the Stephen Ministry, please contact: Pastor Jay Click 3007pastor@gracepresby.org 703-451-2900, Craig Crooks ecrooks@verizon.net 703-455-6198, Judy Crooks jscrooks@verizon.net 703-455-6198, or Barb Dickman dickmanbsd@aol.com 703-866-0784.

For more information about Stephen Ministries, please browse their website at www.stephenministries.org/

Congregational Care Committee

The Congregational Care Committee provides support to Grace members in need with meals, cards, calls and in many other ways. If you have any questions, comments or interest in joining, please contact any of the following members: DeeDee Faulkner (Chair), Janet Little, MaryEllen Davis, Barb Dickman, Jenell Phillips, Precittia Taylor, Mary Helmantoler, Bernie Elwell, Marie Lawall, and Fran McLaren.