As the Body of Christ, we, the people of God, are called to bear one another's burdens with tender mercy and abiding love. We have begun a one-on-one lay person ministry of mercy and love, provided in the context of confidentiality, holy listening, and gentle grace. With anticipation and delight, we announce that St. David's has become enrolled as a parish that has implemented the lay caring ministry known as Stephen Ministry.

Stephen Ministry operates nationally in thousands of churches, including hundreds of Episcopal Church parishes, and has a distinguished history of offering guidelines for effective, confidential, safe, one-to-one relationships for persons in crises, whether by hospitalization, surgery, grief, divorce and other life events.

Stephen ministry does not replace the pastoral care work carried out by the clergy. The clergy will continue to respond to the pastoral needs of this community as one of the central tasks of their ordination into Holy Orders. However, there are some ongoing needs that can be helped through the gift of a trained listener being available on a regular basis to listen, pray and to be present. It is the work of a trained Stephen Minister to come alongside a person to provide support, comfort, and strength by a ministry of presence.