What's Available?
Groups that Meet Regularly
for Prayer
Sunday Morning Prayer Before Worship-
This team gathers to pray for everyone who might come, for everyone who cannot
come, for the events of the morning together and for our pastors; open to all
St. Stephen members; Sunday mornings 7:45am
Simply Prayer- open to Stow Community; Wednesdays at 7pm; prayer for
those who come, for ELCA requests and for any concern on our hearts
OSL- International Order of St. Luke (healing
prayer ministry)- meets the third Sunday of every month at 4 p.m.for
a healing worship service that is open to the Stow community. We also meet occasionally
to study various topics concerning physical, mental, emotional, relational and
spiritual health
Contemplative Prayer- non-verbal prayer; being still and centering ourselves
in the presence of the Lord for the agenda He has for us; weekly meetings; occasional
seminars
Independently Functioning
(non-meeting) Prayer Teams
Prayer Partners- a team which continues
to pray for the requests made known at our three Sunday worship services
Urgent Prayer- a team which receives and
prays for emergency requests arising between Sundays; daytime, evening, nighttime
and e-chains available
Soaking Prayer Team- takes one situation
per month and prays daily for at least 10 minutes
Prayer Shawl Ministry- prayerfully knits
and delivers soft, warm shawls to those experiencing critical illness, chemotherapy,
depression, etc. in order to demonstrate God's loving presence and the prayers
of Christian family in a tangible way.
Prayer for St. Stephen Members- regular, non-emergency
Prayer for Pastors
Prayer Mentors for our Youth
Prayer for Congregational Events
Prayer for Lost and Un-churched
Prayer for ELCA- especially our synod and 2005 National Assembly
Prayer for Seminaries especially Trinity in Columbus and for all seminary students,
especially Ernest Hoffman
Prayer For Christian Outreach in Stow Area and for Stow Clergy
Prayer for Worldwide Church-especially the persecuted church
Prayer for all missionaries especially the Schmalzle Family (in Kenya) and Jeffrey
Truscott (in Japan).
Prayer for Couples (relational health, strong marriages, infertility issues,
difficult pregnancies, etc.)
Prayer for Those Battling Cancer and for a Cure
Prayer for Peace and for our Military Personnel
Prayer for Children-especially those in crisis
Altar Prayer
Someone is at the altar after every worship service to pray for anyone who would
like prayer for healing of any sort-including committing or re-committing life
to Christ
We offer occasional healing prayer blessings at communion.
Who?
All St. Stephen members pray. It's just part of the normal Christian life. We
want to be growing in our personal relationship with the Lord and, knowing our
merciful God, we want to bring others in need to Him-- the Source of all help
and healing.
We are also thankful for members who have sensed a call of the Holy Spirit to
go an extra step and to commit themselves to established congregational Prayer
Teams. Once a year the teams are commissioned for service. Structure helps to
provide a stable on-going daily ministry of prayer and the accountability and
encouragement a team can provide.
At this time more than three hundred people are involved in the Prayer Ministry
work at St. Stephen..
Order of St. Luke
St Stephen members established the Western Reserve Chapter of the International
Order of St. Luke in September 1997. We now have about 20 active members.
God invites us to come to Him with every concern-and to bring our friends. We
strongly believe that whenever we open a situation to the Lord for His healing,
something good will happen-always! We have seen God give physical, spiritual,
emotional, mental and relational healing through prayer.
Officers:
Convener: Emily Hoff
Chaplain: Rev. John Luoma
Secretary: Sharon Gsellman
Treasurer: Jane Koch
More information about healing prayer ministry available on these websites:
www.orderofstluke.org and www.christianhealingmin.org