St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the patron saint of our parish, calls us to “Do what we can and God will do the rest. What seems so impossible to nature, is quite easy to grace.” A beautiful response to this call, is found in our parish’s Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry that takes place in faith communities that use the Stephen Series system. It is based on the premise that as Christians, we are called to help bear each other’s burdens and in the process, Christ uses our presence to impart his healing grace. Stephen Ministry equips and empowers lay caregivers to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting.

Who are Stephen Ministers and what do they do?
Stephen Ministers are men and women in our parish who have been well-trained to offer emotional and spiritual support to people going through difficult times. A Stephen Minister usually provides care to one person at a time – their care receiver — meeting with that person once a week for about an hour to listen, care, pray, and encourage. The relationship is completely confidential. Men are matched with men and women with women. Twice a month, Stephen Ministers will gather together with their Stephen Leaders for supervision and continuing education.

For what kinds of life challenges do Stephen Ministers offer care?
Stephen Ministers walk alongside people experiencing any number of life struggles. This may include loss of a loved one, a chronic or terminal illness, job loss, divorce, physical rehabilitation, long-term care, or other life crisis. When a care receiver’s needs exceed what a Stephen Minister can provide, the Stephen Ministry team makes a referral to an appropriate mental health professional or other community resource.

Below are a couple videos of care receivers who discuss how Stephen Ministry has impacted their lives. Similarly, a written testimonial of a care receiver’s journey can be found here.
Stephen Ministers care, God cures.

I joined the Stephen Ministry to help others and gain knowledge allowing me to provide faith and care support for my aging family. The Stephen Ministry has allowed me to grow in many more ways than expected and has improved everyday interactions with not only my family but everyone I encounter daily.”
— Kevin, Mother Seton Stephen Minister

The Gift of Empathy Book Discussion 
We have an exciting opportunity for personal and spiritual growth coming up soon that is open to all parishioners. Starting on Thursday, February 19, we’ll be launching a group study of an award-winning book from Stephen Ministries, The Gift of Empathy by Joel Bretscher and Kenneth Haugk. The book takes a fresh approach to a familiar yet underused skill, exploring what empathy is and isn’t, how to apply it to many different kinds of relationships, and practical ideas and real-life examples to help anyone make it part of their everyday living and relating.
No matter where we may be in life, all of us have room to grow in empathy, and all of us can benefit tremendously from improving the way we relate. Taking part in this study will be an excellent way to add to our caring skills and enjoy more Christ-like connections with everyone in our lives, both within the church walls and beyond.

The book discussion will run for 4 weeks on Thursday evenings, Feb 19, Feb 26, March 5 and March 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the John Paul II meeting room.  Each session will have assigned reading to prepare in advance.  To order the book and reserve a space in the study group, contact Anne-Marie Kim  at 301-924-3838×204 or stephenministry@mothersetonparish.org.
Please reserve your space by February 2 so we can be sure all book orders are available in a timely fashion.   We encourage you to think and pray about taking part and helping bring more empathy to our corner of the world. We’re excited to see how God will touch lives and strengthen relationships through this group!

“Being a Stephen Minister has enabled me to share talents given to me by God to do good. I do not consider my efforts a great deed, but recall the words of St Teresa of Calcutta ‘to do small things with great love.’ My care receiver is a reflection of God’s love. In her, I see glimpses not only of myself but of the God who put us together to bring about healing and hope. Being a Stephen Minister allows me to be Christ’s hands in the world. It is an enriching, humbling and rewarding experience. “
– Maureen, Mother Seton Stephen Minister

“I am well-prepared to be a Stephen Minister. All that I have learned in training will allow me to provide quality care to my future care receivers. I feel comfortable, I feel equipped and after commissioning will be one hundred percent ready to serve.”
–Symphosia, Mother Seton Stephen Minister.