Sometimes, when I approach someone about starting a men’s team ministry to their widowed and single parents in their church, I get the following response: “Oh, my church already has a Stephen Ministry.”
Stephen Ministry, for those who haven’t heard of it, is an excellent non-denominational ministry that trains lay people in churches to come alongside anyone in their congregation who is experiencing a crisis in their life. Intended to supplement pastoral care, the ministry provides weekly one-on-one support for individuals who request it. Founded in 1975, Stephen Ministry has chapters in 12,000 congregations, representing 160 Christian denominations.
The church I attend and am a member of, Crossroads Church based in Northglenn, Colorado, has both a Stephen Ministry and a men’s team ministry. So I am in a good position to describe the similarities and differences between these ministries.
Similarities
- Both are Christian nonprofits.
- Both have long, successful track records: Stephen Ministry since 1975 in 12,000 churches and New Commandment Men’s Ministries since 2003 in 900 churches.
- Both are non-denominational.
- Both utilize lay people to supplement pastoral care.
- Both provide training material for local churches to start the ministry.
- Both focus on serving people within the congregation and community who are in need.
- Both stress the importance of long term, consistent and committed ministry to individuals: both Stephen Ministers and men’s team ministry participants often work with their care receiver for years.
Differences
- “Franchise” ministry vs. Non-“Franchise” ministry – Stephen Ministry develops local Stephen Ministry chapters with specific requirements. Men’s team ministry is a simple model New Commandment gives to churches that they can customize according to their needs.
- Training – Stephen Ministry requires churches to send “Stephen leaders” to its headquarters in St. Louis for a week of training. New Commandment provides its men’s team ministry training online at a site called New Commandment Men’s Needs”.
- Cost – Starting a Stephen Ministry can cost several thousand dollars. Most churches start a men’s team ministry for less than $100.
- Focus – Stephen Ministry focuses on the spiritual and emotional needs of individuals in crisis. Men’s team ministry focuses on people with long term practical needs, like doing projects around the homes of the widowed and single parents.
- Visits – Stephen Ministers generally meet with their care receiver weekly for an hour. Men’s team ministry members meet with their fellow team members and their care receiver for three hours one Saturday morning a month.
- Men and women vs. men only. Stephen Ministers can be either men or women. New Commandment Men’s Ministries is first and foremost a men’s ministry. We first minister to men and then through men to the widowed and single parents. We take two often under-served ministries – men’s ministry and ministry to people with long term needs – and turn them into strengths in the church.
- What care givers do – Stephen Ministers mostly provide a sounding board for their care receivers. Men’s team ministry care givers do projects around the homes of their care receivers.
As you can see, both of these ministries are vital and needed in the church today. I hope your church, like mine, is blessed to have both.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
A Simple Ministry Concept with Profound Implications
Teams of four men serving widows, single moms, fatherless children and others with long-term pressing needs in their churches and communities.
