Stephen Ministry at The Church in Aurora

For 40 years, The Church in Aurora has been walking alongside people through life’s hardest moments with the help of our Stephen Ministry program, and we’re the only church in the area offering this ministry. Since 1986, more than 150 Stephen Ministers have been trained at TCIA to provide compassionate, Christ-centered care to those in need. This year also marks a major milestone as the Stephen Ministry program celebrates 50 years of ministry worldwide.

This spring, we commissioned three new Stephen Leaders: Jen Fitchko, Beth Rowles, and Brady Krebs, who will help guide and support this important ministry. They’ll be hosting an information session on Sunday, June 7, before and after both services for anyone interested in learning more about becoming a Stephen Minister or how Stephen Ministry serves our church family.

You may be wondering, what is a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministers are congregation members specially trained to provide one-to-one Christian care to people experiencing difficult seasons of life, including grief, divorce, illness, job loss, caregiving challenges, or other major life transitions.

While Stephen Ministers come from many different backgrounds, they all share a heart for listening, encouraging, praying, and offering Christ’s love through caring presence and confidential support.

A Stephen Minister usually walks alongside one care receiver at a time, meeting weekly for about an hour. They are often called “The After People” because they step in after the immediate crisis, providing ongoing care and support for as long as it’s needed.

If you’ve ever felt called to use your compassion, listening ear, and encouragement to make a difference in someone’s life, we invite you to learn more on June 7.