Stephen Ministers - Answering the Need for Care
Stephen Ministers can provide care for people with five different types of needs. The five types are: crisis care, follow-up care, chronic care, preventive care, and supportive care.
Crisis care is the caring ministry people think about first in describing pastoral care. Persons in crisis may be dealing with hospitalization, a terminal illness, the death of a loved one, unemployment, divorce, a severe financial setback, a natural disaster, the aftermath of a fire, retirement, the stress of moving, or being a victim or perpetrator of a crime.
Follow-up care is commonly needed by people recovering from a major life crisis. Often when people go through a crisis they receive a lot of attention and support. The church, family, neighbors, and others will be there to help. What about a couple of months later? Typically the level of attention, support, and care drops off, but the person's need for care may well grow. That's why the follow-up care that Stephen Ministers provide is so valuable. They focus on one care receiver, so their attention isn't drawn away by another need for care. They can continue the caring relationship for as long as the care receiver needs it.
Chronic care is for a long-term problem; chronic illness or suffering can be like a crisis that never ends. Chronic sufferers have learned to live with major problems that can detract significantly from the quality of life. A stigma or shame can be attached to being chronically ill. People can feel that they have somehow brought this on themselves. Persons in need of chronic care include those who are disabled, aged, in nursing homes, homebound, experiencing chronic painsuch as arthritis, or living with degenerative diseases.
Preventive care helps people anticipate and prepare for potentially difficult upcoming events. It is based on the belief that the negative impact of crises can be lessened or even averted by talking through feelings and clarifying expectations prior to an anticipated event. This can help individuals come to a realistic picture of what an upcoming event will be like and to prepare for it emotionally, physically and spiritually. Preventive care can be helpful in situations such as these: a woman is expecting her first child, an executive is approaching retirement, a young man getting married in two months, a 19-year-old goes off to college or the military.
Supportive care is caring for the care-giver. A Stephen Minister can provide vital support to anyone facing the challenge of caring for a loved one who is going through a life crisis or transition. Persons who need supportive care include a man caring for his dying wife, woman considering placing her elderly parent in a long-term care facility, parent of a special-needs child, son or daughter supporting a parent through the death and funeral of the other parent, parent supporting an adult child through the pain of divorce. In discovering needs for care Stephen Leaders need to look beyond the most obvious needs to see how one individual's crisis can become a crisis for many. Frequently attention is focused on the person who clearly needs care that others who are in pain do not receive the nurture and support they need.
Stephen Leaders sometimes refer Stephen Ministers to those who stand beside people in crisis, helping those caregivers to remain strong.
For more information on Stephen Ministry or if you or someone you know might benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, please contact the following Stephen Leaders: Laura Strange (770-392-9285 or jsandls@comcast.net) or Cathie Rogers (678-320-9188 or cathierogers@gmail.com).
