Are you hurting? Are you struggling? Are you discouraged? Are you stressed? Are you confused? Are you broken?

We all face challenges in life--times when we could benefit from the support of a caring Christian friend. We don’t have to “go it alone”!

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 or a friend · hospitalization · a chronic illness· being homebound, disabled, or having a terminal illness. · recovery after an accident or disaster · divorce or separation in your family · loneliness or discouragement · spiritual crises · unemployment or a job crisis · military deployment or relocation · incarceration or other legal issues · aging, “empty nest” issues, or retirement · birth, adoption, miscarriage, or infertility

Could you or someone you know (friend, neighbor, coworker or relative) benefit from the confidential, one-to-one care and support of a Stephen Minister? Call 541-345-0395 to speak to a pastor.

Interested in Becoming a Stephen Minister?
If you are a Christian, you are a Minister. This proposition is absolutely basic to any contemporary understanding of Christian faith. The Christian faith is not made up of spectators listening to professionals. It is not for individuals who are seeking, primarily, to save their own souls. Rather, it is made up of persons who are called to serve as representatives of Christ in the world. To serve means to minister. Stephen Ministry is doing that which we as Christians are about: equipping God's people for the work of ministry. The symbol of Stephen Ministry shows the cross between a whole person and a broken person. In Stephen Ministry, the cross is a reminder that God is active in transforming people into wholeness. For Stephen Ministers, Jesus provides purpose and power in caring relationships. Jesus was broken on the cross because of sin, but because of God's love, he became the source of wholeness for all. This means that God's love, through Jesus' death and resurrection, is always available to us.

Our caring is an expression of God's love. Most importantly, it is God's love that provides the cure through our care. Stephen Ministry is a ministry of Christian caring that, since 1983, belongs to the members of Central Lutheran Church. Stephen Ministry is a way of training and enabling people for a Christ-centered, one-to-one caring ministry in our congregation and community. It provides fifty hours of classroom training in care giving skills. Stephen Ministry assigns appropriate care givers to appropriate care receivers (and assigns men to men and women to women). Care is provided in the context of complete confidentiality. Contact the pastor if you are interested in becoming a Stephen Leader.

This text was taken from the Stephen Ministry Owner's Manual, released by Central Lutheran Church.