Opportunities for Growth and Outreach Ministry

Stephen Ministry

If you are a Christian, you are a Minister.

This proposition is absolutely basic to any contemporary understanding of Christian faith. The Christian faith is not made up of spectators listening to professionals. It is not for individuals who are seeking, primarily, to save their own souls. Rather, it is made up of persons who are called to serve as representatives of Christ in the world. To serve means to minister. Stephen Ministry is doing that which we as Christians are about: equipping God's people for the work of ministry.

The symbol of Stephen Ministry shows the cross between a whole person and a broken person. In Stephen Ministry, the cross is a reminder that God is active in transforming people into wholeness. For Stephen Ministers, Jesus provides purpose and power in caring relationships. Jesus was broken on the cross because of sin, but because of God's love, he became the source of wholeness for all. This means that God's love, through Jesus' death and resurrection, is always available to us. Our caring is an expression of God's love. Most importantly, it is God's love that provides the cure through our care.

Stephen Ministry is a ministry of Christian caring that, since 1983, belongs to the members of Central Lutheran Church. Stephen Ministry is a way of training and enabling people for a Christ-centered, one-to-one caring ministry in our congregation and community. It provides fifty hours of classroom training in care giving skills. Stephen Ministry assigns appropriate care givers to appropriate care receivers (and assigns men to men and women to women). Care is provided in the context of complete confidentiality.

Interfaith Emergency Shelter

Central participates one week each year in this community-sponsored program, which provides overnight shelter, evening and morning meals to families in need. The families sleep for a week at the church and are supervised and fed meals by volunteers from the church.

Central Seniors

There are planned events and special outings planned often for members of the congregation over the age of 60. More information can be obtained through the church office.

Radio Ministry

The 8:15 worship service every Sunday is broadcast on radio station KORE, 1050 AM, that same day at 11:00. This constitutes the major Lutheran presence on the radio medium in the Eugene area.

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Middle Ageless

This group of parents who have adult children meets periodically for fellowship.

Deacons

These trained members of the congregation take Holy Communion to members who are confined to their homes.

Solvang

This group of members provides a monthly Bible study and communion service at Solvang Retirement Center.

Soup Kitchen

Central volunteers help prepare and serve food for poor and homeless families at the Ida Patterson school the second Friday of every month.

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Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical, Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Central is a covenant church with Habitat for Humanity.

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Parish Nurse Ministry

THE Parish Nurse is a registered nurse who uses nursing skills and spiritual commitment to minister to the individual needs of the congregation.

The Parish Nurse functions as:
** Health educator-planning-organizing health program.
** Advocate for clients in locating community resources.
** Educator and counselor on health questions and concerns.
** Integrator of faith and health issues and their close relationships.

The Parish Nurse does not:
** Do "hands on nursing" such as giving medications, and "shots", changing dressings, drawing blood and inserting tubes.

THE Parish Nurse is not a primary, hands on healthcare giver, but one who facilitates the use of available resources of the church and the community.