Who are Stephen Ministers?
A Stephen Minister is a commissioned member of a church congregation or parish who undergoes 50 hours of training and continuing education. While not formal counselors they are trained to be "good listeners." They provide one-to-one Christian care to those facing a crisis or life challenge. Stephen Ministers typically are assigned one care receiver at a time and meet with that person for about one hour each week. Their role is to listen and to care — not to counsel or advise.

Who are the Care Receivers?
A person experiencing a life crisis or challenge who receives the caring ministry of a Stephen Minister. The needs of the care receiver vary and they may or may not be receiving other professional help. Stephen Ministers only make calls on those who agree to receive the care of a Stephen Minister.

Stephen Ministry Statistics
More than 7,800 congregations are enrolled in this ministry. These congregations represent 100 different Christian denominations and come from all 50 states, 9 Canadian provinces, and 20 other countries. Since 1975 when the Stephen Ministry began, more that 300,000 laypersons were trained and have provided distinctively Christian care to nearly a million people through formalized one-to-one caring relationships and have used their cargiving skills to touch the lives of millions of others in an informal way.