STEPHEN MINISTRY OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Stephen Ministry is a Christ caring ministry for people. Lay people trained as Stephen Ministers assist the ordained clergy in providing congregational care. This ministry multiplies the number of caregivers with our lay people. In our church we have fifteen (15) Stephen Ministers, and five (5) Stephen Ministry Leaders who are working with people experiencing many different kind of life changing events such as being hospitalized, grieving the loss of a loved one, separation or divorce, unemployed, homebound, adjusting to the birth of a child, new members & persons recently moved into Kerrville, or many other difficulties.

Also each of us have times when we are lonely, grieving, hurt or in need of care. In his Second Letter to the Corinthians 1:4-6, St. Paul tells us that such troubles can bring spiritual growth to the sufferer. We must remember that when we who are in Christ suffer, we also find comfort through others who have found Christ's care and comfort in their own sufferings. One of the ways we find that comfort is through Stephen Ministers who offer Christlike care to those in need.

Think about your life and the lives of the people around you. Are either you or a friend going through a time of crisis or challenge? Do you know someone who is suffering from grief or loneliness? Is one of your friends struggling to find meaning in life after he or she has retired, or after all the children have departed? Could you or someone you know benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister?

If you have questions about the work of our Stephen Ministers at First United Methodist, please feel free to call or talk to one of our Stephen Leaders or Stephen Ministers listed below, or call the church office. Each of our Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers are listed in our Church Directory. also, on Sundays in the Adult Sunday School and in the Church worship services, these Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers wear their name tags for easy identification:

In Christ's compassion and love for us, His people.

First United Methodist Church

Will Schmidt	Marilyn Ketcherside	Janet Rhode-Bailey
John Bailey	Guy Mason	Don Leach
Karla Douglass	Crystal McGinnis	Don Wolda
Dick Fitch	Dorothy Schmidt	Tom Browne
Shirley Gautier	Juanita Cremeen	Roger Tedford
Jack Cockrill	Sue Taylor	Sunshine Spivey
Pat Browne	Carol Wolda	Nancy Cockrill
	Greg Socha

Submit your request by calling (830) 257-0800 or by email.