Stephen Ministry at Peace
A Story of Showing Up
By Pr. Renae Boehmer, former Peace pastor and huge advocate of the Stephen Ministry program
For those of you who don’t know me, I should tell you I have been part of Peace Lutheran Church since 1994—first as a young mom and volunteer, then as Director of Children’s Ministries, and eventually as a pastoral intern and pastor. Peace has been the place where my faith has grown up right alongside my life.
About ten years before seminary, I served as a Befriender here at Peace. I was a lay person, trained to visit members walking through hard seasons—grief, job loss, family struggles, mental health challenges. I loved that ministry. It was simple and holy: show up, listen well, remind someone they are not alone. Over time, as leadership changed, the program ebbed—but I always sensed that Peace had the heart for this kind of care.
In early 2016, I attended an informational meeting at Our Savior’s about Stephen Ministry. It felt familiar—like Befrienders, but deeper and more structured. I brought materials back to my desk. They sat there quietly, nudging me.
That fall, when I officially began my internship, I was told I would need to complete a major project—one that mobilized lay people in ministry and addressed real needs in the community. I knew immediately what it would be.
We announced an informational meeting in the bulletin, and when that evening arrived, the conference room was overflowing. One person said, “I’ve been hoping for exactly this.” Many signed up on the spot. I walked out knowing: this will happen at Peace.
Robyn Hanisch was there that night. Soon after, Marcy Midtaune joined the team. Before long, the three of us were on a plane to Orange County, California, to become Peace’s first trained Stephen Leaders. We learned, we dreamed, we planned. (Yes, there was a delightful dinner at Disneyland and more than one stop at Häagen-Dazs—but mostly, there was a growing sense that something beautiful was beginning.)
In the fall of 2017, we launched our first Stephen Ministry training class. Week after week, a room full of eager participants gathered to learn how to listen deeply, maintain confidentiality, and walk faithfully beside those in crisis. Since then, many more have been trained, leaders have been added, and numerous caring relationships—what we call “matches”—have been formed.
But the real story isn’t in the numbers.
The real story is in hospice hallways, where Stephen Ministers have sat quietly beside a hospital bed. It’s in the hugs at funerals—hugs that feel like family because over months of weekly visits, that’s what they have become. It’s in the steady companionship offered to someone whose memory was fading, who had to give up driving and leave a beloved home. When everything else in his world changed, one thing did not: someone kept showing up. Week after week after week.
Scripture tells us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Stephen Ministry is, in many ways, a living echo of that promise. Through the faithfulness of ordinary people, God’s steadfast love takes on flesh. It shows up in living rooms and hospital rooms. It listens. It prays. It stays.
To all who have supported this ministry—through prayer, participation, leadership, referrals, or encouragement—thank you. This ministry has been a profound blessing not only to those receiving care, but also to those offering it. And it has been a deep gift to me personally to watch Peace live into this calling.
If you feel even the smallest nudge as you read this—pay attention. Perhaps you are being invited to become a Stephen Minister. Perhaps you know someone who could benefit from a Stephen Minister’s care. Perhaps you simply want to learn more.
This is what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world today: steady, compassionate, faithful presence.
And at Peace, that is exactly who we are becoming—together.