Stephen Ministry
"Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2
Our Stephen Ministry program is a confidential ministry providing ongoing one on one Christian care to those in crisis and in need of someone to listen without judgment.
Stephen Ministers are trained caregivers for those who are hurting: a compassionate companion and caring Christian Friend providing emotional and spiritual support. The foundational idea for this program is grounded in Christ's teachings:
"This is my commandment, love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
Stephen Ministries is a Christian education organization founded in 1975 that has developed a complete system of training and organizing lay persons for a caring ministry. Used by over 12,000 congregations worldwide, the program is lauded for its excellence, practicality, psychological integrity & theological depth.
​
If you are dealing with a life transition such as a divorce, death of a loved one, serious family or personal illness, depression, grief, spiritual needs, or other challenges, please consider having your own Stephen minister.
Each of the Stephen Ministers has undergone over 50 hours of specialized training to enable them to offer comfort and hope in times of need and help you better work through life events.



Special Worship Services with Stephen Ministry
​
Grief and the Holidays
This annual presentation by Rainbow Hospice takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It provides emotional support and deals with some of the misconceptions about grieving. It is filled with practical, heart-warming suggestions to make the holidays more tolerable for the bereaved, following the death of a loved one or those suffering other personal loss.
​
Service of Remembrance
Members and friends of PRCC who have passed during the past year are honored at this special worship service held on a Sunday evening on or around All Saints’ Day. This year 2019, All Saints Day is Sunday, November 3rd. Our traditional Service of Remembrance will be held at 7:30 PM on that date.
​
Please check the PRCC calendar for other events and specific date(s) and time(s).
​
Additional Resources
​
Stephen Ministry FAQ
-
More About Pastor David​The Rev. Dr. David Ezekiel has been called to the Park Ridge Community Church as the Interim Pastor. Most recently, he was the visiting professor at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, teaching courses in culture, mission, and context; congregational development and leadership; and evangelism. Pastor David comes with a rich background in congregational ministries as well as years serving in various executive and leadership positions in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He has led churches in Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, and his native Alabama. The congregations and entities that he has served or resourced as a consultant have regained a sense of purpose and direction. He has also served in global leadership that has taken him to Israel, Palestine, South Africa, China, Scotland and Cuba. In addition to his professional experiences, Pastor David also brings his education and training, which includes his current dissertation work to complete a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA), his Master of Theology, also from Columbia Theological Seminary, and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY). He also has completed a wide variety of training and certification in interim ministry leadership, counseling and leadership coaching.
-
More About ErinErin Henke is a fourth-generation Montanan who has a great love for organization and office administration, as well as providing and participating in music. A collaborative pianist by trade, Erin has over 15 years of experience in collaborative music in both piano and voice and 3 years of experience in office administration. She strives to equally integrate both interests into her profession. As an administrator, Erin most recently worked as the office administrator for First Baptist Church of Nashua in Nashua, NH, and currently works remotely as the Administrator and Communications Director for The Conference of Baptist Ministers in Massachusetts, and The Center for Career Development and Ministry in Nashua, NH. Erin has previously worked for the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center in Big Sky, MT as the Artist Residency Coordinator for their summer programs. Erin thoroughly enjoys organization and office work as her correlating career to her work as a musician. Erin holds a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA. Erin received a Bachelor of Arts in Music, a minor in German, and an Honors Baccalaureate from Montana State University in Bozeman, where she studied both piano and voice. In her free time, Erin enjoys hiking in the mountains, doing puzzles with a cup of hot tea, watching true crime documentaries with her husband, Logan, and hanging out with her cat, Barbara.