MYTH #2: A prospective care-giver might think, "I don't have the skills to be a Stephen Minister."

What skills might someone think a Stephen Minister should have? A Stephen Minister does not have to be a trained psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor. A Stephen Minister does not have to spout relevant passages from the Bible or Lutheran doctrine. A Stephen Minister need not and should not take the place of professionals, diagnosing and prescribing medically or spiritually.

A Stephen Minister does not have to come ready-made with all the answers -- not like Athena, born springing fully grown and ready for battle from the head of Zeus. (That charming myth may be found in ancient Greek anthologies.)

A Stephen Minister does have to become prepared. For that we have training. And we have ongoing support in group supervision sessions to continue and deepen that training. Over the past thirty years, the Stephen Ministry organization has developed a well-tried and refined structure for fostering effective, Christ-centered, confidential, caring relationships. The training reflects that.

Still, there are some characteristics, if not skills, that a Stephen Minister should bring along to training:

Stephen Ministry is not a skill set; it is a calling, from which skills are developed.

Glenn Wolfgang