Care & Prayer

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What Is Stephen Ministry?

Stephen Ministry is a system through which members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church are trained and organized to help provide Christian caregiving to members of our congregation and community. This will multiply the amount of caring ministry Holy Trinity can provide by giving us a whole team of skilled caregivers who are equipped to bring Christ's healing love to people who are grieving, in crisis, or experiencing other stresses in life.

How Does Stephen Ministry Work?

When someone requests a Stephen Minister, Jan Jolly, our Stephen Ministry Referrals Coordinator, will meet with that person, explain what Stephen Ministry is, and help determine whether Stephen Ministry is the kind of care that person needs. Our Referrals Coordinators then match that person with one of our available Stephen Ministers. The Stephen Minister will then call that person and begin meeting with him/her for around an hour each week as long as the need is there. Everything a care receiver says to his/her Stephen Minister is kept confidential. The Stephen Minister doesn't try to solve problems; rather, he/she listens, cares, prays, and helps the care receiver find his/her path to healing and wholeness.

Who Benefits from Stephen Ministry?

Everybody benefits from Stephen Ministry. Those receiving care from Stephen Ministers benefit because they receive prayer and support throughout the crisis they face. Stephen Ministers benefit through the spiritual growth they experience from being involved in meaningful ministry. Our pastor benefits because caring ministry at Holy Trinity is expanded, and fewer people will slip through the cracks. Most of all you benefit from the knowledge that special care is available to you should you need it. In addition, you now have a place where you can refer a friend, neighbor, coworker, relative, or anyone else you know who is going through a difficult time so that they can receive special care when they need it most. Stephen Ministry makes Holy Trinity a much more caring place!

Contact the church office for more information.

We welcome requests for names to be placed on our parish prayer list. These people are prayed for at staff meetings, weekly worship services, and by our Intercessory Prayer Team, which meets each Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in the Christus Victor Library. 

Members of the Prayer Team are also available in the Prayer Room following the 8:30 a.m. worship service to offer confidential prayer. If you would like to place someone on the prayer list, please contact Holy Trinity with the recipient's name and their need for prayer.

A rotation of lay and clergy visitors provides this ministry throughout the week. Please notify the parish office when you know of those needing visitation. 

This order extends the assembly's service of Holy Communion by sending trained laity bearing the gifts of God's word and sacramental meal to those who are unable to be present in public worship, providing a way for them to participate in the worship of the whole assembly. 

The church offers several orders, including:

• When Life-Sustaining Care Is Ended
• Commendation of the Dying
• Comforting the Bereaved
• Funeral

Marriage Services at Holy Trinity are intended for church members and take place following premarital preparation. Contact Melissa Cashmore for more information.