If you haven’t had a need for a Stephen Minister, you may not know what powerful work this 15-person ministry of Church Street does, or that their work has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They call themselves the “after” people, comforting grieving church members after a loved one dies or crisis occurs. After the ministers visit, the family goes home and the loneliness of grief settles in, the Stephen Minister’s work begins. Each Stephen Minister is assigned one care receiver at a time to help walk that person through life after a crisis.
Each relationship between a Stephen Minister and care receiver is confidential. A typical relationship lasts anywhere from one to two years, although some care receivers may only need guidance for 6 months. Every once in a while a relationship will last more than two years as additional crises occur after the first.
“I can’t stress how rewarding it is to have a care receiver,” Stephen Leader of almost 10 years Doug Spencer says. “Just that relationship with a care receiver and as you watch God work in their lives and in the situation and see the healing that they go through.”
Before the pandemic, most Stephen Ministers met with their care receiver at least once a week. Now, phone calls and Zoom meetings are more common, and happen more frequently than once a week in some situations.
Rev. Pat Clendenen, who served as an Associate Pastor at Church Street from 1989 to 1994, offered to help the Stephen Ministry program at Church Street this year. She stepped in as the designated clergy in February, just as the pandemic started.
“It really is a calling. It’s not something that you just decide, ‘okay I think I’ll go and work in this area of the church this year. I’ll just volunteer here.’” Clendenen says. “ It truly is a calling.”
Becoming a Stephen Minister
Those who feel called to be a Stephen Minister participate in 50 hours of structured, intensive training developed by Stephen Ministries St. Louis. This training includes education of how to respond in certain situations, and roleplaying activities to put those lessons into action.
In addition to these 50 hours, a Stephen Minister may decide to train to be a Stephen Leader and attend an additional week of immersive training offsite, usually in St. Louis or Orlando. These Stephen Leaders provide ongoing leadership to Church Street like Clendenen, Elaine Doss and Spencer.
Doss, a two-time cancer patient, started her training at Fort Sanders Hospital in September 2018 with no intention to visit hospital patients because she was worried that she would not be able to minister to someone going through cancer.
“But by the time I got through the training, I was over all of that,” Doss says. “I think that God just shows up in every single hospital room.”
Once a Church Street Stephen Minister completes training, they are assigned a care receiver by Clendenen. Most care receivers are referred by a clergy member and first contact is made by Clendenen.
Making assignments isn’t taken lightly, and Clendenen has done her best during the pandemic to get to know both the Stephen Minister and the care receiver through phone or Zoom conversations before making an assignment.
“It has to be the right match and I have to trust that. A lot of prayer and thought goes into that,” Clendenen says. “It’s important for me to know the Stephen Minister well.”
Each Stephen Minister participates in mandatory Peer Supervision meetings, currently over Zoom, once a month and education offerings to stay up-to-date on ways to respond to different crises.
During Peer Supervision meetings, each Stephen Minister with a care receiver will give a non-specific check-in statement. The check-in statements allow Stephen Ministers to bring to the group any issues they have in their relationship and for other Stephen Ministers to offer support.
“The wisdom of many instead of the guesswork of a few is found in those peer supervision meetings,” Spencer says.
In addition to the short check-ins, one Stephen Minister each month gives an in-depth report that dives deeper into the situation, relationship and any setbacks or celebrations. The group listens to these in-depth situations and also provides support and feedback.
Working as a team with other ministries and clergy
There are often situations where a Stephen Minister cannot provide all of the necessary support needed for a care receiver, which is often brought to the attention of the ministry during the monthly Peer Supervision meetings.
The ministry will often dovetail with the Parish Health Ministry Team, with many care receivers accepting care and guidance from both ministries. Additional resources like legal support, home repairs and healthcare can also be arranged using the resources of the church congregation.
“It’s great when we can make that happen and bring it all together,” Clendenen says. “That has been a good outcome in certain situations.”
Clendenen’s familiarity with Stephen Ministry and Church Street has allowed her to lead the ministry with ease during the pandemic. At her first appointment following her time at Church Street in Brentwood, Tennessee, she was quickly immersed into Stephen Ministry training.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it. It’s a really great set of Stephen Ministers,” Clendenen says, “a very unique, diverse group and this year during the pandemic it’s been tough. We’ve had some ongoing crisis situations.”
During the leadership training process, it is stressed how important it is to have clergy support Stephen Ministers, and Spencer says that he has been extremely impressed by Clendenen’s support.
“I’m so thankful for Rev. Pat Clendenen. She’s done a wonderful job,” Spencer says. “We’ve had some good clergy involved with this, and Pat has knocked it out of the ballpark. She’s doing a really, really fine job.”
Clendenen agrees that without clergy support, operating a Stephen Ministry program is tough, and that she has appreciated the support of clergy like Revs. Catherine Nance, Tim Best, Palmer Cantler and Jan Buxton Wade.
No matter when a person touches the Stephen Minister program’s process, Spencer says it’s a blessing to help those in the Church Street community see change and grow.
“We are not the fixers. God is the fixer,” Spencer says. “We are privileged to be able to be there to watch it happen.”
All are welcome at Church Street! We believe every person is of sacred worth and created in God’s image. We welcome and celebrate the gifts God has given to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. We respect diversity of opinion and expressions of Christian faith. We believe God loves everyone unconditionally! As God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Christ.
Faith and Forgiveness
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Saturday, March 27
By Roscoe C. Word, Jr., April 2, 1976
Faith and Forgiveness
Read: Mark 11:22-26 (RSV)
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
I must have FAITH. Jesus promised in John 15:7 that if I abide in Him and His words abide in me, I can ask whatever I will and it will be done for me. What I ask MUST be according to His WILL and according to His WORDS. This means reading the gospels – absorbing the gospels – and living according to His teaching – morning, noon and night. I must FORGIVE. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matt: 5:44. St. Paul wrote, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’. No, ‘if your enemy is hungry feed him: if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head’. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21.
Prayer
Lord, take my mind and think through it. Take my heart and set it on fire with love. Take my tongue and let the Holy Spirit speak through my lips. Take my prayers and let them bring the healings of Jesus to everyone for whom I pray. I thank you that in Christ I have your forgiveness and through Him I am possessed by the Holy Spirit and delivered from sin, disease, demons and fear.
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Hope of the World
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Friday, March 26
By Bill Gray, March 6, 1977
Hope of the World
Read: Romans 5:1-5
Georgia Harkness, one of the great women theologians of our day, has contributed one of the most powerful hymns to our United Methodist Hymnal “Hope of the World.” This hymn was submitted and chosen (from some 500 others submitted) as the theme hymn for the second assembly of the World Council of Churches. It has become a favorite at Church Street, but I would like to encourage you to read the text as poetry. Read the text carefully to discover its deep truths.
“Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion,
Speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent.
Save us thy people, from consuming passion,
Who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.
Hope of the world, God’s gift from highest heaven,
Bringing to hungry souls the bread of life.
Still let thy spirit unto us be given,
To heal earth’s wounds and end her bitter strife.
Hope of the world, a-foot on dusty highways,
Showing to wandering souls the path of light.
Walk thou beside us lest the tempting byways
Lure us away from thee to endless night.
Hope of the world, who by the cross didst save us
From death and dark despair, from sin and guilt.
We render back the love thy mercy gave us;
Take thou our lives, and use them as thou wilt.
Hope of the world, O Christ, O’er death victorious,
Who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain.
We would be faithful to thy gospel glorious;
Thou art our Lord! Thou dost forever reign! Amen.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious, we beseech thee, to all who have erred and gone astray from thy holy Word and bring them again in steadfast faith, to receive and hold fast thine unchangeable truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
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Evening Prayer – March 25
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 25, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Windblown and wavering, we have made it through this rain-drenched day. Thanks be to you, Nurturing God, who sends both sun and showers that the earth itself might be reborn! Even amid the dark clouds you are exhaling newness and grace. We praise you for befriending us and for calling us homeward in the dimming light.
You have made us our brother’s keeper and our sister’s also; therefore, we pray you would touch with your mercy all who have experienced extreme pain in recent days: the Asian families whose loved ones met their deaths at the hand of a bigot; the slain teenagers in our city whose murders have left their families and friends in despair; the stunned relatives of the slain victims in Colorado; and all the repressed and brutalized ones across the globe. Give us wisdom and courage, we pray, that we might help break this chain of misery. And as we remember all who are bound in the grip of evil, we also remember these in our church family who express their own wounds and their own thanksgivings:
Soon eager hands will be trimming palm branches, and crowds will swell to hail the coming of God’s own Son. In homage to this Humble One, even cloaks and olive branches will be spread along his path to the city gates. Grant that we would be there also, Lord, waving our palms in hope; but rather than spreading cloaks at the roadside, let us prostrate ourselves, contrite in spirit, praying for courage to travel with Jesus each of his final days. It will be a bitter trek, yet this leg of the journey is the straightest route to discovering for ourselves the cost of discipleship.
Gather our prayers in the stillness, Holy One, as we prepare to rest under your umbrella of protection. And as we sleep, we ask that we might we empty ourselves of everything that keeps us from following you. Then, arising with freer souls, we will meet you at the edge of tomorrow, palm branch at the ready, to begin our travels afresh.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Senior Spotlight: Graham Lischer
YouthOne of our favorite things about the spring semester each year is celebrating our graduating seniors. And this year, we’re a special Senior Spotlight series on our blog. Our seniors answered interview questions earlier this spring and it has been so much fun learning their answers! Check back in each week to get to know our seniors better and help to cheer them on as they wrap up high school and prepare for their next steps!
Meet Graham Lischer!
To the parents of the noisy kids in church
Children, covid, FeaturedWritten by Caroline Lamar, church member and guest blogger.
Today was our second Sunday back at church since before the pandemic. Despite masks and preregistration, it is wonderful to walk through those doors and worship together in person. To be clear, our church never closed. We fed our community members experiencing homelessness on Thursdays, we participated in Bible study, Sunday School classes, and even choir. Our sanctuary was closed to us though, so coming back has been a bit of a reawakening for me.
Our church nursery has not yet reopened which means there are lots of kiddos in “big church” as we often call it. Today, some of those kids were quite vocal in their participation, even in times which some might have deemed inappropriate.
To the parents of those noisy kids today I have a few words I want to share with you. First of all, I see you. OK, OK, I didn’t actually see you because you were somewhere behind me in the sanctuary. But I see you because I have been you. I know exactly what you went through to get your children up, fed, dressed (perhaps dressed again if the morning didn’t go well) and to church on time, or some proximity of on time. I recognize that right now you actually had to plan ahead of time to go to church because we are registering in advance, part of our Covid protocols. We have three children who are now teens/pre-teens but I remember well the way we used to plan church attendance around feeding, naps, and snacks. I can’t imagine adding a pandemic to the mix.
So in addition to seeing you, I also want to thank you for bringing your children to church. Our pastor mentioned before her sermon today how much she loves seeing all the children. I know our pastor; she really means this. It is not a platitude. It brings her (and the rest of us) great joy to see and hear children at church. I know that when your kids got loud/kicked the pew in front of you/dropped crayons/crinkled paper/asked in a mock whisper how much longer was this going to take…that you were sweating through your shirt and second guessing your decision to even come in the first place.
We had one of those Sundays many years ago. All three kids were not in the best mood. They were restless, they were loud. We attend a very traditional worship service and I was keenly aware of those parishioners around me. I felt responsible for “ruining” their worship experience. I knew they were watching and silently judging me. That day after church an elderly member of our congregation passed me a note and walked away. I shoved it in the pocket of my coat and hurried everyone out to the car. I knew the note was probably saying I should get my kids under control during worship. Later I opened the note and it said, “You have a beautiful family.” Full stop. That little note on a scrap of paper completely changed my perspective. Kids need to be kids, even in worship, especially in worship. And while I obviously wasn’t there, I like to think of all the times Jesus preached to noisy crowds of people. I would venture to guess it was loud…small kids running around, livestock making their presence known, shouts from nearby shopkeepers. Silence isn’t a prerequisite for worship. Is it good to have times of silence? Yes, of course, but noisy kids in church do not detract from anything the rest of us are trying to do.
Because church isn’t about me. It’s not about my “experience.” It is about worshiping God and the risen Christ, and quite frankly, when I think of it that way, why are any of us quiet about it?
Our church isn’t doing congregational hymns right now, and the music is being provided by a choral ensemble. Today, as they sang the Doxology (a song that gets me EVERY single time), I could hear the little girl two pews in front of me. Even behind her mask, she was singing loudly, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” It reminded me of another of my favorite hymns, “How Can I Keep From Singing?”
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
So moms and dads with noisy kids in church, please don’t stop bringing them. Let them make noise and praise God in their own ways. If you see me cast a glance in your direction, just know I have been in your shoes and I remember. And since I am firmly on the other side of that phase of parenting, I want to tell you that one day your children will get themselves dressed for church and they will join you in the pew and recite the prayers and listen to the sermon and ask insightful questions on the way home. Hang in there, you’re doing great.
This blog was originally published on Caroline’s personal blog here.
Paramount Power
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, March 25
By Col. Bill Willard, April 1, 1980
Paramount Power
Read: Revelation 21:1
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away…”
Last December, Rev. Eldon Moore preached a sermon concerning breathtaking events. It caused me to think back to a lonely beach in the Central Pacific some twenty years ago. The long-awaited detonation of a hydrogen bomb was at hand. I had walked away from the area where most of the observers had assembled and found a secluded spot at the lagoon’s edge. It was 5 a.m. and pitch black. I looked towards Bikini, some 180 miles to the East. At first, there was only a faint glow on the horizon; then the entire sky came alive with a glorious sunrise, not unlike some Easter sunrises I had seen. But gradually the light began to fade and within 30 seconds the total darkness returned. I stood in awe, unable to fully comprehend what I had just witnessed. Man had created a power, albeit brief, to rival the center of our solar system. How he used that power was to become a major concern of civilization from that time forward.
God’s love, as manifested in Christ Jesus, is the paramount power in the universe. How will we use it? Surely, our failure to actively promote this power is one reason for the chaotic state of our world today. God’s love is not abstract. It shines through people who are truly his disciples. Does His love glow through you?
Prayer
May the power of the Living God control and shape our lives, so that we may radiate the truth of Christ to all mankind. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Evening Prayer – March 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 24, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Caring Comrade, as the steady moon stands watch and evening floats in upon our harried world, you bid us come home to you. You stand at the door in welcome, inviting us to pull up a chair and rest with you for a while. There are few others with whom we can share so freely, few who would understand the concerns that bear down upon us, and few who could grasp the dreams that live in our hearts. With gratitude, let us take that seat beside you and disclose those personal aspects that would interest only our Dearest Friend. . . . . . . . . . . Of all the things for which we hunger, only the food of your presence truly satisfies.
Faithful Spirit, send your peace upon all who are plagued by illness or trauma this eve. Envelope those who are heartbroken, lonely, confused or despondent, and move as the night wind through their lives, leaving sparks of hope in your wake. As Jesus promised your ever-present comfort, surround these friends of Church Street who voice their own concerns; and also receive the acknowledgements from those whom you are already sustaining:
Heart of Forgiveness, we began this forty-day venture of challenge and introspection sincerely aiming to get it right this time. Some days it worked out that way, thanks to your patient guidance. But truthfully, we wasted precious moments nursing our pride and keeping score. Write your pardon over our mistakes, we pray, and grant that we might walk honorably and faithfully these last miles to the Holy City to pay homage to our Savior.
Depending upon your forgiveness, O Lord, we take our rest tonight. May your angels of mercy guard us, and those whom we love, for you have assured us that you are only a heartbeat away. Receive all our prayers, as we offer them in the name of Christ, who taught us to pray in this way:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Strength for the Day
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, March 24
By Mr. and Mrs. Earl S. (Margaret) Ailor, March 3, 1980
Strength for the Day
Read: Romans 8:28 NIV
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”
As 1979 began we had many things to be thankful for. We had been blessed with two daughters and two sons. Our oldest daughter was married to a Methodist minister and they had two sons. Our oldest son had completed Claremont Theology School in California and was serving two rural churches near Limestone in upper East Tennessee as a United Methodist Minister. He and his wife, Julia, enjoyed life in a rural pastorate.
On a cold January night, we received a call from the Kingsport hospital that Albert and Julia had been involved in an accident and they needed us. As we drove through the night not knowing what had happened we asked the Lord for strength to face whatever we might find upon arrival. At the hospital our worst fears became a reality in learning our son had been killed. We were thankful our daughter-in-law had miraculously survived.
As days, weeks and months have passed we find strength in the Easter faith our son Albert had in Christ as he had proclaimed the truth that “only believe and we shall meet again.” We have also felt the prayers of our friends in Christ in our time of loss. The three children we still have with us have been a source of comfort to us. We have the faith that “blessed are those who die in the Lord,” and that our son will greet us at the end of the way.
Prayer
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything pleasing in his sight, through Christ Jesus; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20
Thought – “Christ has taken the dark door of death and replaced it with the shining gate of life.” -Bosch
We still have many things for which to be thankful.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Evening Prayer – March 23
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 23, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Ah the blessed half-light is slipping in! We praise you, Eternal One, for another day full of your glories! Even if we only spied a small portion your splendor, it was sufficient to fill our hearts with wonder and astonishment. The days are lengthening, and in their progression, might you also be calling us to lengthen our stride as we make our way to Jerusalem?
Jesus, Man of Sorrows, we confess that we have wounded your heart by our own failings:
Too often we have turned a deaf ear to those who cry out to us.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We hunger for personal recognition and spar with our testy egos.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We have held back more of our financial resources and have not shared as you commanded.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We have recited the mantra of peace but have eschewed responsibility of actively working for equality and justice.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
As you are opening the buds in springtime, open our eyes to the truth of our lives. And open our hearts to receive your forgiveness and mercy. We would be honest with ourselves and, for your love’s sake, we would be honest with you.
Receive now, we pray, these prayers that come from the souls of your people at Church Street. We bring them in the conviction that love and renewal are woven together in that great healer himself, Jesus the Christ:
As the earth now rests from its labors, spread your tranquility over us, and all whom we cherish. Thread your grace through our souls this night, Holy Lord, that it may color all we think, say, and do tomorrow. In Christ’s name we make our prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Amid pandemic crises, the ‘after’ people of Stephen Ministry remain
connectors, FeaturedIf you haven’t had a need for a Stephen Minister, you may not know what powerful work this 15-person ministry of Church Street does, or that their work has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They call themselves the “after” people, comforting grieving church members after a loved one dies or crisis occurs. After the ministers visit, the family goes home and the loneliness of grief settles in, the Stephen Minister’s work begins. Each Stephen Minister is assigned one care receiver at a time to help walk that person through life after a crisis.
Each relationship between a Stephen Minister and care receiver is confidential. A typical relationship lasts anywhere from one to two years, although some care receivers may only need guidance for 6 months. Every once in a while a relationship will last more than two years as additional crises occur after the first.
“I can’t stress how rewarding it is to have a care receiver,” Stephen Leader of almost 10 years Doug Spencer says. “Just that relationship with a care receiver and as you watch God work in their lives and in the situation and see the healing that they go through.”
Before the pandemic, most Stephen Ministers met with their care receiver at least once a week. Now, phone calls and Zoom meetings are more common, and happen more frequently than once a week in some situations.
Rev. Pat Clendenen, who served as an Associate Pastor at Church Street from 1989 to 1994, offered to help the Stephen Ministry program at Church Street this year. She stepped in as the designated clergy in February, just as the pandemic started.
“It really is a calling. It’s not something that you just decide, ‘okay I think I’ll go and work in this area of the church this year. I’ll just volunteer here.’” Clendenen says. “ It truly is a calling.”
Becoming a Stephen Minister
Those who feel called to be a Stephen Minister participate in 50 hours of structured, intensive training developed by Stephen Ministries St. Louis. This training includes education of how to respond in certain situations, and roleplaying activities to put those lessons into action.
In addition to these 50 hours, a Stephen Minister may decide to train to be a Stephen Leader and attend an additional week of immersive training offsite, usually in St. Louis or Orlando. These Stephen Leaders provide ongoing leadership to Church Street like Clendenen, Elaine Doss and Spencer.
Doss, a two-time cancer patient, started her training at Fort Sanders Hospital in September 2018 with no intention to visit hospital patients because she was worried that she would not be able to minister to someone going through cancer.
“But by the time I got through the training, I was over all of that,” Doss says. “I think that God just shows up in every single hospital room.”
Once a Church Street Stephen Minister completes training, they are assigned a care receiver by Clendenen. Most care receivers are referred by a clergy member and first contact is made by Clendenen.
Making assignments isn’t taken lightly, and Clendenen has done her best during the pandemic to get to know both the Stephen Minister and the care receiver through phone or Zoom conversations before making an assignment.
“It has to be the right match and I have to trust that. A lot of prayer and thought goes into that,” Clendenen says. “It’s important for me to know the Stephen Minister well.”
Each Stephen Minister participates in mandatory Peer Supervision meetings, currently over Zoom, once a month and education offerings to stay up-to-date on ways to respond to different crises.
During Peer Supervision meetings, each Stephen Minister with a care receiver will give a non-specific check-in statement. The check-in statements allow Stephen Ministers to bring to the group any issues they have in their relationship and for other Stephen Ministers to offer support.
“The wisdom of many instead of the guesswork of a few is found in those peer supervision meetings,” Spencer says.
In addition to the short check-ins, one Stephen Minister each month gives an in-depth report that dives deeper into the situation, relationship and any setbacks or celebrations. The group listens to these in-depth situations and also provides support and feedback.
Working as a team with other ministries and clergy
There are often situations where a Stephen Minister cannot provide all of the necessary support needed for a care receiver, which is often brought to the attention of the ministry during the monthly Peer Supervision meetings.
The ministry will often dovetail with the Parish Health Ministry Team, with many care receivers accepting care and guidance from both ministries. Additional resources like legal support, home repairs and healthcare can also be arranged using the resources of the church congregation.
“It’s great when we can make that happen and bring it all together,” Clendenen says. “That has been a good outcome in certain situations.”
Clendenen’s familiarity with Stephen Ministry and Church Street has allowed her to lead the ministry with ease during the pandemic. At her first appointment following her time at Church Street in Brentwood, Tennessee, she was quickly immersed into Stephen Ministry training.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it. It’s a really great set of Stephen Ministers,” Clendenen says, “a very unique, diverse group and this year during the pandemic it’s been tough. We’ve had some ongoing crisis situations.”
During the leadership training process, it is stressed how important it is to have clergy support Stephen Ministers, and Spencer says that he has been extremely impressed by Clendenen’s support.
“I’m so thankful for Rev. Pat Clendenen. She’s done a wonderful job,” Spencer says. “We’ve had some good clergy involved with this, and Pat has knocked it out of the ballpark. She’s doing a really, really fine job.”
Clendenen agrees that without clergy support, operating a Stephen Ministry program is tough, and that she has appreciated the support of clergy like Revs. Catherine Nance, Tim Best, Palmer Cantler and Jan Buxton Wade.
No matter when a person touches the Stephen Minister program’s process, Spencer says it’s a blessing to help those in the Church Street community see change and grow.
“We are not the fixers. God is the fixer,” Spencer says. “We are privileged to be able to be there to watch it happen.”