Chris Atkins and Kit Hickerson on Stephen Ministry at FUMC Hurst

Jan 18, 2022 | by Sarah Patrick

For this interview in the “Your FUMC Hurst Story” video series, I sat down with Kit Hickerson and Chris Atkins and talked with them about Stephen Ministry at FUMC Hurst.

You might’ve heard of Stephen Ministry before because it is not just here at FUMC Hurst. Stephen Ministries was founded in 1974 by Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist in St. Louis. Now, it can be found in over 180 Christian denominations in the U.S. and Canada and in 30 other countries worldwide.

The Stephen Ministry at FUMC Hurst was founded by members Joyce and Cliff Weaver after they had suffered the tragic loss of their son in 1985. Touched by the enormous outpouring of support from the church, the Weavers felt they could channel this energy into another ministry. Former Senior Pastor, Rev. John Fiedler, had experience with Stephen Ministry and felt that this could be what they were looking for. Without hesitation, the Weavers said yes and the Stephen Ministry was born at FUMC Hurst.

The very first training class at FUMC Hurst was held in 1994 and had 16 participants. Since then, over 100 people have been trained as Stephen Ministers at FUMC Hurst. The role of a Stephen Minister is "to listen, care, encourage and provide emotional and spiritual support to a care receiver." They provide high quality, one-on-one, Christ centered care to people in the congregation and community going through a difficult time in their life. Both Chris and Kit felt a calling to become Stephen Ministers, with Chris joining in 2006 and Kit in 2008.

If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister and would like to know more please email Kit Hickerson at .

To learn more about Stephen Ministry visit: https://www.stephenministries.org