Community Partnerships
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Stephen Ministry
Jan/Feb Newsletter Article Go On ThroughYes, though I walk through the (deep, sunless) valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod (to protect) and Your staff (to guide), they comfort me. (Ps. 23:4) Knowing God personally requires trusting Him through the hard times in life and not running away from trials. It requires being faithful to do whatever He says to do, being steadfast while waiting for Him to work out our problems. We see how faithful and how good God is when we see His deliverance in our lives. Our faith increases by going through tough times and seeing His presence make a difference. Don’t run away from God during tests and trials; draw near to Him, and listen for His voice of assurance and you will open up a door so He can draw near to you. God shows His loving kindness and protecting power to those who need Him. Our God is the Good Shepherd. Ron and I have walked through a valley this last year. We had to put our Faith in Jesus. We have our Stephen Ministers who walked with us. They were our comfort, along with Jesus. They even protected us, through Jesus. They were the staff of God and we knew they were there. If you have gone through a valley in 2008, please seek out the Stephen Ministry and let some one walk with you, listen to you, pray with you, and give you that special touch from Jesus. This is all confidential. Don’t start a new year off by yourself. Open your heart to God and trust Him through a friend in the Stephen Ministry. If you have any questions, please call Pastor Ron at the church. He will be glad to talk to you and get you connected with a Stephen Minister. In Galatians 6:2 Paul tells us, Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. In His Name Marlene Phillips WHAT DOES A STEPHEN MINISTER DO?I am glad you asked. Stephen Ministry gives churches an effective way to train and organize members to provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals struggling with any type crisis such as grief, divorce, loneliness, relocation, hospitalization, terminal illness or unemployment. A Stephen Minister goes through 50 hours of training. Some of our modules include the art of listening, Christian caring, being assertive, and maintaining boundaries, confidentiality, and a number of other modules. I believe all of us have even used the training in our own life situations.
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