So often, we think of ministry as doing. Perhaps it is something grand, a singular opportunity to share God’s love and hope with others. Or maybe it is something that seems almost routine, fitting into our weekly or monthly rhythms. And there is kin-dom value in both ends of this spectrum. But what happens when we shift our thinking from ministry as doing to ministry as being?
Take a moment to reread that question: what happens when we shift our thinking from ministry as doing to ministry as being? Before you decide to abandon this read at all costs, please let me offer you some words of guidance: you will not be asked to give up your career, livelihood, free time, etc. to pursue a career in ministry. In fact, it may be possible that there is little change in many of your rhythms. My hope, though, is that there may be a perceptual and intentional change. With that in mind, please read on.
I find that when ministry becomes a matter of being it is rooted in a ministry of presence. This may, in fact, be a presence that has some action – or doing – involved: your ministry of presence may involve welcoming guests at Bread of Life, sorting clothes at His Helping Hands, supporting refugee families at Christopher’s House, or washing dishes at Daily Bread. Ministry as being, or ministry of presence, can take place in all of these: ministry of presence happens when how you are being present to God and to others in those moments is of equal or greater significance than whatever action you are performing.
Another of the ministries that we have here at First United Methodist Church Springdale is deeply rooted in its understanding of ministry as presence. Stephen Ministry provides high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties. Stephen Ministers are trained, commissioned, and mobilized to provide personalized spiritual care for individuals in a wide variety of circumstances. Their role is to be present, to join someone on the holy ground of their story and journey with them as a care-giver.
Early in their training, Stephen Ministers focus on what it means to practice a ministry of presence. Their training on this subject consists of four components:
- Physical presence, which emphasizes active, attentive listening;
- Mental presence, which means being fully engaged and focused on what the other person is saying;
- Emotional presence, which means allowing yourself to be emotionally engaged with what the other person is saying; and
- Spiritual presence, which means paying attention for possible spiritual needs, learning how it is with their soul and relationship with God, and “praying for God to work through your presence.”1
While this knowledge is foundational to the work of a Stephen Minister, I believe that the lessons which come from their training can be of value to all of us in whatever capacity God leads us to serve others and share God’s life with them. Such a ministry of presence leads to the further development and practice of empathy, the ability to honor another’s story and perspective, seeing the world from their perspective while remaining rooted in your own, “feeling another person’s problems as if they were your own without actually taking them on yourself.”2 Through this practice of empathetic presence we are better able to build authentic relationships with others for renewal and growth.
If you are in a challenging season of life, perhaps you may be reading this and considering how to find a Stephen Minister. On any given Sunday, look for members of the congregation wearing blue Stephen Ministry name tags and/or stoles. During communion services, Stephen Ministers are present to visit and pray with anyone who has need, and they can often be found doing the same before or after other worship services and in spaces of discipleship and mission. During the week, you can contact the church office about connecting with a Stephen Minister. We will help make the connection and then a Stephen Minister will reach out to you to schedule a time for a first meeting, after which they will regularly meet with you in person as a caregiver for you throughout your journey.
If you are reading this and are interested in learning more about how to practice a ministry of presence, let’s talk! There are ways to grow and practically implement these skills in the present, but you are also welcome to join a Stephen Ministry training cohort. We are presently halfway through our 2024-2025 training class, and we will be providing informational opportunities ahead of the beginning of the next training class.
Regardless of where you are in your journey during this season, know that you are not alone. Practice presence with God and with others, and know that both God and others are practicing presence with you. As we are attentive to this, we will more fully experience the life of God to which God is inviting us.
1 “The Art of Listening,” in Stephen Minister Training Manual, Volume 1 (St. Louis: Stephen Ministries, 2020), 47.
2 ibid., 48.
