Bearing One Another's Burdens: Thirty Years of Stephen Ministry

Stephen ministers are there after the phone call you hoped you'd never get. Now you can fill that in in your mind. Stephen ministers are there after the relationship falls apart and the bottom falls out of your life. Stephen ministers are there after the doctor says, I'm sorry, but there's nothing else we can do. Stephen ministers are there after your family and friends have heard your story over and over and over again one too many times, but you still need to talk it out, and a Stephen minister will be there just to listen. [01:22:02] (61 seconds)  #StephenMinistrySupport

I learned a long time ago not to ever say, well, I was just present. I didn't do anything. I was just present. I just sat with them at the hospital. I didn't say anything or do anything. Well, guess what? That's got a name, and the name of that is the ministry of presence. You don't have to say anything. You just be there and drop the just. Be there. Be present. That's the ministry of presence. It means the world to people. [01:22:53] (39 seconds)  #MinistryOfPresence

The law of Christ is not a set of legalistic rules, but it's a principle of love, love that governs the life of a believer. Now, earlier in, Galatians chapter five verse 14, Paul states these words. For the whole law you got it? For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, and this is the commandment. You know it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. That's a tall order. Right? It is a radical, disturbing, hilarious, unconditional love and grace. [01:18:22] (56 seconds)  #LoveYourNeighbor

And they say, well, I've done my part, Lord. They're in your hands. But that is not what this verse says. Right? And so that's the hard part for us. But because Dave has already told you what empathy is and how to practice it, I'm not gonna go into that. I'm so excited Carolyn told me that. Because it is very important that you know how others feel and you help them understand that they are valued and they're cared for and they're understood. That's what empathy is. [01:16:46] (39 seconds)  #PracticeEmpathy

And it's because that's hard. Empathy is hard. You have to put yourself in the shoes of someone. Right? And if you are a Stephen Minister and you know this, all of you who have been trained, you are you're you're told not to fix it. You can't fix it. Right? But how many of you know that you have a fix it mentality? Uh-huh. Joey Hatchwell, your hand has to go up. Okay. Fix it. You give someone a problem, what do they wanna do? Fix it. And if they don't do what you think is best for them, they walk away. [01:16:05] (40 seconds)  #EmpathyNotFixing

But what I've not said, and it comes not from me but from Stephen Ministry, did you know that Stephen ministers are often described as the after people? The people who come after. You heard that? Probably not. I'm seeing my rogue go, mm-mm. No. Haven't heard that except the older ones. So here's how that goes. I'm not gonna do all of it, but picture this. Stephen ministers are there after the phone call you hoped you'd never get. Now you can fill that in in your mind. [01:21:20] (42 seconds)  #AftercareMinistry

But can we really do that every time we have a burden of ourselves? Do we feel like we can really bear it without someone helping us? Maybe not. So I think that this verse emphasizes the importance of sharing our struggles and encourages us to be compassionate, and another word I love, empathetic. Now, a little birdie told me that your pastor Dave has been teaching about empathy. Is that right? And it's out of a Stephen Ministry book, fairly new book that doctor Hawk has written, and it's called the gift of empathy. [01:14:56] (53 seconds)  #GiftOfEmpathy

Say, put somebody in front of me, Lord, that you know through you I can help. And when you do that, God will answer, but you gotta ask and be open and willing because it is a privilege and a blessing to help someone who thought life was over to realize that it is just the beginning. So Hickory Flat, may it be so for each of you that God continue to bless you to be a blessing to others. Amen. Amen. [01:28:40] (40 seconds)  #BeABlessing