Matt Stephens

Current

• MDiv Student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Past

• Student Ministry Leader at Calvary English Chapel
• Worship Leader/Guitarist/Drummer at Various Places
• Assistant Director of High School Ministry at Harvest Bible Chapel

• Prevention Specialist at Community Partnership
• Co-founding Pastor at The Core Fellowship
• Board Member at Midtown Neighborhood Association
• Missionary at National and International
• Caseworker at Department of Social Services Family Support Division
• Media Intern at Second Baptist Church
• Event Coordinator, Team Leader at Happening Ecumenical
• Engineering Aid at US Army Corps of Engineers

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Education

• Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
• Trinity International University
• Southwest Baptist University

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Recommended

4 people have recommended Matt

Connections

70 connections

Industry

Religious Institutions

Matt Stephens’s Summary

PERSONAL BACKGROUND:

I've been happily married to the woman of my dreams for six years. We have a darling four-year-old daughter and newborn baby son. My wife and I grew up in Missouri, she in the city and I on the farm. We met at college and got acquainted learning guitar together. Our six years together have been a nonstop adventure: married in college, had a child before she was finished, renovated two historic homes, started a church, and moved to Chicago for seminary!

VOCATIONAL PROFILE:

Management, Coordination and Interpersonal Skills
• Supervising/facilitating/teaching small and large groups
• Gathering, building, and equipping teams
• Planning, coordinating, and facilitating events, trainings, and programs
• Developing and aligning organizational mission, vision, and values
• Strategic planning, assessment, and evaluation
• Program promotion and staff recruitment
• Grant writing and administration
• One-on-one youth mentorship and counseling
• Conflict mediation and prevention
• Fundraising for non-profit organizations

Communication Skills
• Intercultural communication
• Public speaking for groups of 50-1000
• Promoting organizations, events, and initiatives through personal contacts, social media, and print publication and distribution
• Reflective journaling and blogging
• Academic level writing and editing
• Audio-Visual production
• Musical performance

Leadership Skills
• Mission- and vision-casting
• Decision-making (critical thinking, problem solving)
• Organizational analysis
• Values driven
• Initiative
• Excellence orientation

VOCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:

To work bi-vocationally in pastoral ministry and higher education administration or human resource management, preferably in Chicagoland or Missouri (St. Louis, Columbia, Springfield, Kansas City).

Matt Stephens’s Specialties:

Leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, strategic planning, cross-cultural communication, public speaking, training, coordination, needs assessment, program evaluation, grant writing, writing/editing

Matt Stephens’s Experience

• MDiv Student

  Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

  (Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)

  May 2007 — Present (2 years 7 months)

  I am finishing my last full semester at TEDS in December, with one class and an internship to go. I'm looking for full-time employment beginning in January as well as a 15 hour/week pastoral ministry internship. Combining the two would be ideal, but I'm also excited about the possibility of learning a "trade," with the flexibility that will bring for bivocational ministry.

• Student Ministry Leader

  Calvary English Chapel

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  January 2009 — June 2009 (6 months)

  • Preached to and led worship for 30-60 students.
  • Led small group of 7-10 students.

• Worship Leader/Guitarist/Drummer

  Various Places

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  January 2001 — June 2009 (8 years 6 months)

  Led musical worship for youth, college students, and congregation members (vocals, guitar, drums). Worked with worship service planning teams to develop the order and elements of the worship service. Served at the following churches:
  • Harvest Bible Chapel, Niles, Illinois (6/08 – 6/09)
  • Calvary English Chapel, Wheeling, Illinois (3/09 – 7/09)
  • The Core Fellowship, Springfield, Missouri (8/05 – 7/06)
  • First Baptist Church, Springfield, Missouri (1/06 – 11/06)
  • Springhill Baptist Church, Springfield, Missouri (8/02 – 7/05)
  • First Baptist Church, Bolivar, Missouri (1/01 – 12/02)
  • Miscellaneous other venues

• Assistant Director of High School Ministry

  Harvest Bible Chapel

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  August 2008 — December 2008 (5 months)

  • Developed and coordinated student assimilation and tracking system.
  • Oversaw volunteers (200 students, 45 leaders).
  • Collaborated with staff in program development and evaluation.
  • Conducted comprehensive parent-student outreach campaign.
  • Regularly and successfully recruited adult volunteers and student participants.
  • Developed, maintained, and wrote daily content for blog.
  • Counseled students individually and in small groups.

• Prevention Specialist

  Community Partnership

  (Civic & Social Organization industry)

  August 2005 — November 2006 (1 year 4 months)

  • Oversaw substance abuse prevention efforts across six-county region.
  • Started, developed, and supported local community substance abuse prevention coalitions through networking, resourcing, and technical assistance.
  • Collaborated with a wide range of local, state, and national organizations (e.g., schools, social services, law enforcement, business, church, non-profits) on a variety of community betterment initiatives.
  • Innovated and conducted public awareness campaigns through a variety of media and marketing methods.
  • Wrote, edited, and submitted RFP/grant proposals and administered grants.
  • Collaboratively coordinated quarterly regional training events for 50-200 trainees.
  • Individually coordinated and led various training sessions for community leaders and retailers.
  • Conducted high-level community needs assessments, including research, analysis and synthesis of multiple data types (e.g., demographics, survey statistics).
  • Developed highly integrated strategic plans using outcome based measures and best practices.
  • Conducted periodic and ongoing evaluations for a variety of initiatives.

• Co-founding Pastor

  The Core Fellowship

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  August 2005 — July 2006 (1 year )

  • Established a house church based ministry targeting unchurched urban residents.
  • Developed and led weekly Bible lessons for 8-12 adults.
  • Exercised regular pastoral care and leadership.
  • Oversaw regular outreach initiatives.
  • Developed mission, vision, and doctrinal statements, and website.

• Board Member

  Midtown Neighborhood Association

  (Civic & Social Organization industry)

  August 2005 — July 2006 (1 year )

  • Participated in the leadership of community outreach and development initiatives, events, and programs.
  • Advocated for the historic preservation and rehabilitation of the neighborhood, and for keeping and improving our neighborhood elementary school.

• Missionary

  National and International

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  July 2001 — July 2006 (5 years 1 month)

  • Traveled with Global Encounter throughout the Punjab provinces of India, working with rural and urban poor.
  • Traveled with Sports Crusaders throughout the Midwest leading week-long basketball camps among urban poor, at risk/institutionalized, and suburban youth.
  • Served a full summer at Pine Cove Family Camp in Columbus, TX as a counselor.
  Started and led a missional community in center-city Springfield, MO, focusing on those to whom the church has had difficulty reaching out and assimilating.

• Caseworker

  Department of Social Services Family Support Division

  (Government Agency; Judiciary industry)

  April 2005 — August 2005 (5 months)

  • Managed individual and family income maintenance cases.
  • Interviewed and oriented new clients.
  • Conducted extensive data collection, database management and reporting.
  • Maintained regular face-to-face, phone, and written correspondence.
  • Prioritized and multitasked in a fast-paced, high demand environment with strict deadlines.
  (Resigned to take a position much closer to home.)

• Media Intern

  Second Baptist Church

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  December 2003 — December 2003 (1 month)

  • Shot, edited, and produced video (promotional, documentary, live performance) for a church of 3000.
  • Assisted in audio tech setup and operation.

• Event Coordinator, Team Leader

  Happening Ecumenical

  (Religious Institutions industry)

  January 1998 — May 2003 (5 years 5 months)

  • Gave talks for groups of 50-75.
  • Managed and developed teams of 12-15 volunteer staff.
  • Recruited volunteers, participants, and sponsors.
  • Facilitated small groups of 7-10 students.
  • Worked on leadership team to plan, coordinate, and facilitate weekend youth retreats.
  • Planned large parties and smaller, follow-up social gatherings.
  • Performed musically.

• Engineering Aid

  US Army Corps of Engineers

  (Government Agency; Government Administration industry)

  May 2000 — January 2001 (9 months)

  Redrew hydroelectric power plant blueprints using CAD program MicroStation SE.

Matt Stephens’s Education

• Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

  Master of Divinity , Theology, Ministry , 2007 — 2009

  Graduating in December 2009, with one class remaining, plus an internship which will be done in my next place of ministry.

  Activities and Societies:

  Kern scholar - three years

• Trinity International University

  Master of Divinity , Theology, Ministry , 2007 — 2009

  Graduating in December 2009, with one class remaining, plus an internship which will be done in my next place of ministry.

  Activities and Societies:

  Kern Scholar - three years

• Southwest Baptist University

  Bachelor of Arts , Communication , 2000 — 2004

  Magna Cum Laude (3.83 GPA)
  President's List or Dean's List (four years)
  Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges
  2004 Outstanding Senior Scholar in Communication

  Activities and Societies:

  Forensics and Debate Team

Additional Information

Matt Stephens’s Interests:

Theology, student ministry, young adult ministry, music, guitar, drumming, art, reading, writing, basketball, blogging, hiking, camping, canoeing, rock climbing, board games, old homes

Matt Stephens’s Groups:

Current: Kern Scholars (three years), Harvest Bible Chapel, YMCA of Greater Chicago.

Former:
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Warsaw High School Academic Bowl Team
• Warsaw High School Math Team
• Warsaw High School Varsity Basketball Team
• 4-H

•    Church Leadership & Theological Education Group
•    Trinity International University
•    Christian Ministry & Church Leadership
•    Society for Church Consulting
•    Converge Worldwide

Matt Stephens’s Honors:

Graduate:
• Kern Scholar (full tuition scholarship recipient) - three years

Undergraduate:
• President’s List (4.0 GPA) – one year
• Dean’s List (3.8 GPA) – three years
• Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities
• 2004 Outstanding Senior Scholar in Communications
• Member of State Champion Southwest Baptist University Forensics and Debate Team
• Bright Flight Scholar
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude

High School:
• Valedictorian of High School Senior Class
• Who’s Who Among American High School Students
• National Honor Society Scholarship Winner – 2000
• National Student Athlete Award – two years
• National Science Merit Award – two years
• Academic Excellence Award – four years

Matt Stephens’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch