I am a Stephen minister. I went through all the training and I have my credentials. At the end of training we only had one person ask for help, so the rest of us were given fictitious care receivers so that we would have something to report on at our bi monthly supervisory meetings. Normally all information including names are kept completely confidential. Without the confidentiality Stephen ministry would not work. All the credit has to go to God. Stephen ministers have to stay in the background. Stephen ministers will bring care receivers to the cross but the care receiver has to take the final step by themselves. Because this is a totally fictitious case I can give you an idea of what goes on between care giver and care receiver. The care giver is suppose to meet with the care receiver once a week for about an hour. Depending on the care receiver needs there can be more or less meetings. There is often phone calls between time whenever either party finds the need. At the supervisory meeting problems with care receivers are discussed so that the other ministers and the leader can help with suggestions that the care giver might not think of. No names are ever mentioned.

The care receiver I was given was a man who lost his wife about 6 months ago and was adjusting pretty well to the loss. Then he found out he had terminal Cancer as was expected to live less then a year. The first two meetings I had with Mr. X we just made small take and getting comfortable with each other. The third meeting I asked what his favorite Bible verse was. He answered John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only son that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life”. We discussed that verse for a while then I said let’s pray. He agreed. I said I will pray first then when I stop you can pray either out loud or silently between you and God. Whatever makes you comfortable. So I prayed to God for strength for me and Mr. X and that God might give me the words to help him. Them I stopped and waited I gave him 30 seconds of silence so that he could pray in silence. After that we started talking and he started to reveal what was bothering him. He told me when his mother died there was problems with the estate between him and his sister. He felt she took too much and she felt he took too much. It ended with them not speaking to each other again. He did not want that to happen to his children after he is gone. I suggested he find a lawyer and get a will written up. When everything is in the will the kids cannot fight about it. He asked me if I could write one for him. I said no, to be legal it has to be a lawyer. He will listen to everything you have to say and then write it up so that it will be legal and it will be exactly what would discussed with him. He thought it over and decided it was a good idea. He asked who he should ask. I said I don’t know any lawyers, ask your friends if they know any or you could ask Pastor Ed. He said that sounded good. A few days later he called me and he said he found a lawyer and had an appointment for next week. He was all excited. We met a few more times. We had scriptures and a prayer then we talked. About a month later he told me the will was finished and he a copy and the lawyer had a copy. I said that was great.