Almsgiving

I stumbled upon a brochure at my parish after coming out of a development meeting for our
Confirmation program planning just three weeks before my galley proofs were to be finalized. I was
leaving the parish center when my right eye fell upon a flyer in the kiosk and I picked it up. I’ve been
a parishioner for 19 years and have never noticed this flyer or made aware of this program. I had been
praying about a cause that I could support by the proceeds of the book sales. I was leaning towards a different organization for months, but I was feeling uneasy. I have learned to trust my gut fueled by a devout
prayer life and believe I was led to this Stephen Ministry for a reason.

The first thing I read on their brochure was impactful. “The mission of the Stephen Ministries
organization is summed up in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “To equip saints for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and the
knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ”. (Ephesians
4:12-13) Ironically enough, this same scripture phrase appears in one of my chapters on Saints and
Sacraments.

Well, there are no coincidences in life when God is invited into the discernment of important
decisions. I knew this was the intended mission to support.

Directing the arrow of the soul toward peace is made more possible with Christ leading. We can’t do this
alone. We need other souls to lift us up and encourage us during those difficult times in our life. The
Stephen ministers are trained lay ministers who are caring Christian men and women who offer
confidential conversations when they listen, empathize, pray and encourage all with Christ’s love.
This ministry is a perfect partner for the intentions of the Compass Club book to offer peace life
strategies anyone can apply to any challenging life circumstances.

Click here to learn more, get involved, or support Stephen Minstry