About Us

The Meaning Behind the Name
Have you ever come to the edge of a stream and wanted to cross, but couldn't? Almost desperately you searched along the bank for rocks until you found rocks, properly placed by God's hand, which formed a bridge over the turbulent waters. Such rocks are called stepping stones.

Just as a stream can be a barrier, impaired fertility or pregnancy loss is a barrier for some couples hindering their ability to cross over the joys of parenthood. Since 1981 the Stepping Stones ministry has been offering "stepping stones" of Christ centered support and encouragement for couples trying to cross the stream.

The ministry was founded by three women who were searching for Christian answers to the questions encountered in their personal struggles with infertility and pregnancy loss. The founders named their ministry Stepping Stones with the hope that, like properly placed stones across a running stream, Stepping Stones would build a bridge to guide travelers across the waters of discouragement, loneliness, and loss that are often part of the infertility experience.

Stepping Stones Today
John and Sylvia Van Regenmorter are the directors of Stepping Stones. They are co-authors of two books, Dear God, Why Can't We Have a Baby? (Baker Book House, 1986), and When the Cradle is Empty: Answering Tough Questions About Infertility (published by Focus on the Family, April 2004). The Van Regenmorters travel across the country and speak about infertility and adoption, and have made several appearances on The 700 Club.

John and Sylvia experienced infertility for the first ten years of their marriage. The Van Regenmorters' two oldest children were adopted through Bethany Christian Services.

The Bethany Connection
In 1997, Stepping Stones became a ministry of Bethany Christian Services, a not-for-profit, Christian adoption and family services agency with more than 75 locations in the United States and ministries in 15 other countries. Rev. Van Regenmorter also serves as chaplain for Bethany's offices in Michigan.

Today Stepping Stones provides a wealth of information and services.

Stepping Stones is supported by tax-deductible donations from our subscribers. In order to continue and grow, we strongly encourage those who subscribe to donate annually.