Stephen Ministry

To contact us:

First Presbyterian Church

525 N. Broadway

Wichita, Kansas 67214

Who Needs a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministers walk alongside those who need Life Challenge or Crisis Care, Follow-Up Care, Chronic Care, Preventative Care, and Supportive Care and the following are example of each:

Life Challenge or Crisis Care: Suppose you are hospitalized, diagnosed with a terminal illness, suffer the death of a loved one, lose you job, experience divorce, suffer a financial setback, retirement or the stress of moving. In other words if you are experiencing a crisis in your life, a Stephen Minister could be the support you need.

Follow-up Care: You will receive a visit from the Pastor, Pastoral Care committee, or the Parish Nurse. You may even get support from your family, neighbors and friends, but what about after the initial visits? What if the crisis or the aftermath of that crisis is still with you? A Stephen Minister could be the support you need.

Chronic Care: If you are someone who is living with a long-term problem or chronic illness: this can be someone who is disabled, homebound, living with a degenerative disease or perhaps someone in constant pain. This is a crisis that never ends and you could benefit from a Stephen Minister.

Preventative Care: Maybe you have a big event coming up, the birth of a first child, a child leaving for college or the armed services, or you know retirement is in the very near future. A Stephen Minister may be able to help you come to a realistic picture of what the upcoming event will actually be like and therefore prepare you for it emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Supportive Care: This is care for the caregiver, maybe you are the person who is facing the challenge of caring for a loved one who is going through a life crisis or transition. This person needs someone to care for them and a Stephen Minister could be that person.

Maybe you did not see yourself in any of these categories but you still feel like you need someone to listen to you, to pray with you, to support you. You could need a Stephen Minister. But how do you know if this is what you need/or how do you get connected with a Stephen Minister? Email or contact Lynn Buchanan or Louise Farmer at 263-0248.