Stephen Ministry

Four members of Lafayette Presbytery Church were among 382 pastors and congregation
leaders at a Stephen Series Leader's Training Course conducted January 11-17, 2009 in
Orlando. Rev. John Lown, Louise Sadler, David and Sandra Wiszneauckas attended the
one-week training event hosted by the St. Louis-based Stephen Ministries organization.
Participants came from across the U.S., Canada and Europe to learn how to implement and
direct Stephen Ministry, a system of Christian caregiving, in their congregations and
communities.

Stephen Ministry began in 1975 when Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, a pastor and clinical
psychologist in St. Louis, Missouri, trained parishioners to help meet the needs for Christian
care in his congregation. The ministry was so successful that other congregations became
interested, and Dr. Haugk, and his late wife, Joan, founded the Stephen Ministries
organization. Since then, more than 10,000 congregations have become involved in Stephen
Ministry. These congregations represent over 150 Christian denominations and come from
all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and 24 other countries.



Dr. Haugk meets the LPC Leadership Team

Stephen Ministry provides an effective way to train and organize members to give one-to-
one Christian care to individuals facing a crisis like death of a loved one, divorce, loneliness,
relocation, hospitalization, a terminal illness, or unemployment. All Christians are called to
care for and love one another (Galatians 6:2).

To learn more about the Stephen Ministry program at LPC or if you want to be trained to become a Stephen Minister please contact John Lown (877.4428).