St. Stephen's United Church of Christ sits on the corner of North 6th and Arch Streets in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, and has been part of the borough's life since 1883, when it was established as the first community church in town. More than 140 years on, the congregation still describes its purpose with the same three verbs it has long used: gathered to know, grow, and show God's love.
An Open and Affirming Covenant
The church publicly declared itself an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in the autumn of 2025, after a discernment process that began in August 2022. An Open and Affirming Team walked the congregation through Bible study on more than eight scriptural passages that touch on questions of identity, listened to testimony, hosted Perkasie Pride Movie Nights, and met with a member who shared his experience growing up as a gay man in the church and community. When the covenant was presented in worship in September 2025, 76 active members signed it, well beyond the goal of 52 that had been set by the Consistory. The covenant itself is plain-spoken:
- All people are created in the image of God and worthy of God's love and grace.
- Community knows no boundaries of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or cognitive ability, faith background, marital standing, or family structure.
- All are welcomed to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, SACraments, responsibilities, blessings, and joys of the faith community.
- The church will provide a safe space, loving one another as Christ loves us.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
Worship happens at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings, both in the sanctuary and through a livestream on YouTube for those who cannot be present in person. The service draws on the United Church of Christ tradition while keeping a finger on the pulse of today. A single Sunday might include contemporary songs, Christian favorites, and traditional hymns. The sanctuary may carry the sound of an electric guitar or bass, a keyboard, and an organ, sometimes all in the same service.
The order of worship usually includes prayer, community sharing, songs both new and old, and a message for all ages. Holy Communion and Baptism are celebrated periodically as the two sacraments of the UCC. Communion is shared with grape juice and bread, with a gluten-free option available, and all who profess a faith, including children, are welcome at the table.
Roots in the German Reformed Tradition
St. Stephen's UCC traces its beginnings to the German Reformed tradition and was founded as a community church in the borough of Perkasie. It became part of the Evangelical and Reformed Church of America and then joined the United Church of Christ at the denomination's founding in 1957. Today the congregation belongs to the North Penn Association of churches within the Keystone Conference of the United Church of Christ, and it is also a member of the Pennridge Ministerium, the local gathering of faith leaders in the Pennridge community.
What St. Stephen's Believes
The congregation's statement of faith centers on a God who loves and creates, on Jesus whose life, death, and resurrection model healing love and forgiveness, and on the Holy Spirit at work within and around the church. The statement names the image of God as something reflected in a diverse, affirming, and inclusive community, and it grounds the church's three-part rhythm of knowing, growing, and showing God's love:
- Knowing God's love through Scripture, prayer and meditation, and the relationships believers cultivate with God and one another.
- Growing in God's love through daily practice, personal spiritual growth, sharing in baptism and communion, and living out faith.
- Showing God's love by nurturing a safe community for discipleship, welcoming the stranger, and caring for all God's children.
St. Stephen's also affirms that God is still speaking, and that the Word is constantly being interpreted, generation by generation, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Music: Praise Band, Chancel Choir, and Bells
Music at St. Stephen's is a working blend. The Praise Band plays most weeks during worship, offering a mix of folk, favorites, traditional, and contemporary Christian music through guitar, bass, singers, and keyboard. The band rehearses on Wednesdays at 6 pm in the sanctuary and again on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am. Singers and instrumentalists are always welcome to join.
The Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir, both directed by Mrs. Eileen Ericsson, rehearse on Thursday evenings in the building. Bells ring at 6:30 pm, choir begins at 7:20 pm, and the two groups share a brief combined rehearsal in between. Ringers can be in fifth grade or older, and the choir welcomes anyone who can give one Thursday night a week.
Feeding and Clothing the Neighborhood
Outreach is described by the church as the heart of Christ's call to discipleship, and a great deal of that outreach runs out of a single parking lot off Arch Street. Blessing Boxes stand on Arch Street in front of the church and operate on a bring-what-you-can, take-what-you-need basis. The FREE Clothing Closet, open since the summer of 2023, sorts donations on Tuesday mornings from 10 am to noon and welcomes visitors on Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30 am and on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. The closet carries seasonal clothing, costumes, occasional toys, and reusable bags, and the hours have been extended to the LGBTQ community as a safe venue for exploring fashion.
The Guth Literacy Team sends volunteers to Guth Elementary School twice a week during the school year to read with students and support literacy, with background checks required. Through its support of the Pennridge FISH food pantry, the church helps low-income households in the Pennridge School District with food, clothing, and emergency financial assistance.
Second Saturday: A Free Lunch and an Open Closet
On the second Saturday of every month, St. Stephen's opens its Fellowship Hall from 11:30 am to 1 pm for a free lunch giveaway, and the Clothing Closet stays open at the same time. Both are open to anyone in the neighborhood. Take-out meals are provided, and visitors are welcome to come for the food, the clothing, or simply to sit and connect with others.
Faith Formation for Every Generation
The Faith Formation Ministry coordinates education and faith development across the congregation. Recent offerings have included a Wednesday midday Bible study on the book of Revelation, with participants bringing a bag lunch to Ehrhart Hall; a Monday evening small group on the rhythm of biblical generosity held at a member's home; and a Sunday afternoon small group discussion after worship. Movie Discussion Nights bring members together to watch a film on the large screen and then talk about its themes, with free popcorn and water on hand.
The Holy Hands Puppet Ministry is an intergenerational group that prepares and presents skits and Bible stories, and it welcomes new volunteers. The Puppet Ministry, Acolytes, Greeters and Ushers, the Altar Committee, and the Flowers ministry all help shape the life of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings.
The Talents Ministry
The Talents Ministry is the part of the church's life that keeps the kitchen in motion. It is an umbrella for the Fundraising Committee, the Generosity Committee, and the Culinary Committee, and it organizes food sales such as the Takeout Ham Dinner and the Christmas Cookie Sale, as well as fellowship opportunities that connect the congregation to the wider community.
Wider Mission
St. Stephen's supports five special offerings of the wider United Church of Christ: One Great Hour of Sharing, Strength of the Church, Neighbors in Need, the Christmas Fund, and Our Church's Wider Mission. The congregation also partners with Pennridge FISH, RamPacks (weekend food for children in the Pennridge School District), Fostering Hope's Bucks County Chapter, the Pennridge Ministerium, Bethany Children's Home, Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, and CWS Kit Storage and Distribution. International mission partners include the Worm Project and Pedals 4 Progress.
A Safe Space Church
St. Stephen's identifies itself as a Safe Space church, meaning that everyone who works with children and youth has completed the relevant background checks.
Coming to the Building
The church stands at 110 North 6th Street in Perkasie. Visitors park in the lot off Arch Street across from Seuss Funeral Home, where handicap parking and an accessibility ramp are available. Street parking is also available on 6th and Arch Streets. Dress is everyday: shorts, jeans, sneakers, shirts, blouses, dresses, the occasional suit, and t-shirts all show up on Sunday mornings. The congregation's own invitation is, Come as you are; God doesn't care what you wear and neither do we.
Worship is also livestreamed on YouTube for those who would rather join from home, and giving can be done online through VANCO or by placing an offering in the wooden box at the rear of the sanctuary. The office is staffed Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 am to 3 pm, and the welcome extends to anyone who would like to receive the weekly e-newsletter, share feedback, or send a message to the pastor.
Pastor and Staff
The Rev. Jeffrey A. Wargo was called as the congregation's twelfth Senior Pastor on April 10, 2016 and began his ministry on July 1 of that year. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (1996) and Millersville University, he has served as a volunteer firefighter and continues to work as a trained EMT with Chalfont/New Britain EMS. He is an amateur ventriloquist and enjoys Christian puppetry, and his writing for the church brings Scripture into conversation with daily life. Mrs. Eileen Ericsson directs both the Bell Choir and the Chancel Choir. Mrs. Patricia Kimbel serves as Administrative Secretary and is the first friendly voice for anyone who walks in or calls the office.