First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit is a Stephen Ministry congregation, providing Christ-centered care for those in need.

The Stephen Series from Stephen Ministries is a complete system for training and organizing lay people to provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people in and around our congregation.

Stephen Ministers are members of our congregation who have received care-giving training in order to provide one-to-one caring ministry to people experiencing a crisis, facing a challenge, or going through a tough time.  They meet with their care receivers – privately and confidentially – on a weekly basis to listen, care, encourage, support and remind them of Christ’s presence in their lives.

Stephen Ministers are trained to help people facing a crisis or difficulty such as:

Loss of a loved one
Hospitalization
Divorce or separation
Loneliness or discouragement
Spiritual crisis
Unemployment or job crisis
A chronic or terminal illness
Incarceration
Aging
Birth, adoption, miscarriage or infertility
Relocation
Recovery after an accident or disaster
And many others

People learn to serve as Stephen Leaders by attending a Leader’s Training Course—a one-week conference that introduces the resources used to lead Stephen Ministry, develops key skills, and gets people excited about this caring ministry. Most congregations begin with two to four Stephen Leaders, typically including a pastor, possibly another church staff person, and one or more lay leaders.

If you or someone you know could benefit from the help and support of a Stephen Minister, or if you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact the church office at office@fpccs.org or 570-586-6306. 

Who Benefits from Stephen Ministry?

People Who Need Care . . .
• Receive quality, Christ-centered, confidential care for their hurts and needs.
• Find hope, healing, and a new sense of self-worth through the support of a Stephen Minister.
• Know they are remembered and supported by their congregation in times of personal difficulty.
• Receive ongoing care for continuing needs long after the onset of a crisis, when many others may have forgotten about them.
• Grow in a deeper relationship with God as they experience His unconditional love for them through their Stephen Minister.

Our Pastor . . .
• No longer shoulders the entire burden of caring in the congregation, as if the pastor were the only one able, willing, or called to do this ministry.
• Receives support and care from the lay people who are part of the congregation's Stephen Ministry Team.
• Reaches more members of the congregation with quality Christian care.
• Experiences renewed joy and satisfaction as others are equipped to extend the reach of his own ministry.
• Has more time to focus on the ministries that only the pastor can do.

Our Lay People . . .
• Discover, cultivate, and use the spiritual gifts with which they have been blessed.
• See themselves as active partners in the mission and ministry of the church.
• Find all aspects of their lives enriched by the distinctively Christian care-giving skills they learn and practice.
• Experience great joy as they see God working through them to bring hope and healing to a hurting person.
• Grow spiritually as they experience the Lord's loving presence in community with other Christian caregivers.

Our Entire Congregation . . .
• Discovers that many members want to be involved in meaningful ministry and will respond to the call to become a Stephen Minister or Stephen Leader.
• Becomes an even more loving community that is more sensitive and responsive to people's needs for care.
• Is able to provide more quality Christian care, so that fewer people slip through the cracks.
• Is able to reach out to the unchurched who are hurting and introduce them to the healing love of the Christ in their time of need.
• Sees itself as not only being served by the pastor, but as a caring body of believers actively involved in serving one another in love.

Be aware that Stephen Ministers are lay caregivers, not therapists or counselors, so they do not work in situations that require the skills of a helping professional. Part of their training is in recognizing when a person’s needs exceed what is appropriate for Stephen Ministry and knowing when and how to refer those persons to a professional caregiver.

If you or someone you know could benefit from the help and support of a Stephen Minister, or if you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister, please contact the church office at office@fpccs.org or 570-586-6306 or one of our Stephen Leaders: