35 S. Franklin St.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
570-825-6653
How to Join
Welcome! We would love for you to join our parish family in our prayer, worship, and service. Below are answers to common questions people have when they’re thinking about joining St. Stephen’s.
Who can become a member?
We welcome anyone to join us in our peaceful prayer and worship. If you want to be official about membership, if you want to vote in meetings or run for vestry, you will need to register your baptism with us, attend church regularly, and give a recorded monetary donation.
If you have a copy of your baptismal certificate, or if you need to obtain one from the church where you were baptized, our staff will happily help you register your baptism. If you are a member of another Episcopal Church, then the registration of your baptism comes in the form of a Letter of Transfer.
Looking to take the plunge? We would be honored to perform your baptism.
What are the expectations of membership?
Again, if you want to be an official member, you need to be a regular attendant at worship and if you are over eighteen contribute some money of record to the support of the Parish. We are purposefully vague about how often one should attend or what one should contribute. Ideally, one should come to a service every Sunday and tithe, or donate 10% of one’s income. But we welcome anyone anytime to worship with us!
Pledging
We would like you to pledge Annually. Without the annual pledges of parishioners, we would never be able to offer the community or you the spiritual resources we do. Annual pledges help us budget for the year and offer each of us a chance to renew our commitment to the work of St. Stephen’s in Wilkes-Barre.
The gifts of life and grace God offers in Jesus Christ are sacred. In worship, we pray, we sing, we hear the words of Holy Scripture, and we experience the presence of Christ in the Holy Communion and in one another. All of these acts are offered in thanksgiving and praise to God. Worship helps strengthen and renew us so that our faith becomes more than something we do just for an hour once a week. Check our listing of our service times.
Invest Time and Talent
Other than money, their are many ways to support our work. We know that time is a great commodity in our lives today; however, time is also God’s gift to us for life and love. We give of our own time in order to reflect God’s graciousness and generosity. Furthermore, everyone has talents that God calls us to use. Membership here means a commitment to find and invest your God-given talents in a way that fits with who you are and who you’d like to become.
Confirmed Communicant
All baptized members are encouraged to consider confirmation in the Episcopal Church. Confirmation involves a commitment to learn more about yourself, about St. Stephen’s, and about the Episcopal Church. Your journey will culminate in a special service during which the bishop confirms and/or receives you into the fellowship of the Episcopal Church and worldwide Anglican Communion and the One Holy Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
Contact the Parish Office (570) 825-6653 or ststephens.wb@gmail.com for more information.