About Us

What’s an Episcopalian?

We follow Jesus with our souls, minds, and arms open wide, ready to love God, our neighbors, and the World.
Jesus Christ was (and is) both/and, drawing together human and divine. We hope to be both/and Christians:

  • drawing together and embracing ancient traditions and the wisdom just over the horizon,
  • reason and mystery,
  • beauty and justice,
  • catholic and Protestant,
  • discipline and freedom,
  • body and Spirit,
  • deep faith and probing questions,
  • the cross and the resurrection.

This is The Episcopal Way of following Jesus.  Let’s walk.*

*The Episcopal Way pg.9 (Simple Summary)  Eric H.F. Law & Stephanie Spellers Vol 1 2014

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

A Faith Based Community Acting Through An Interconnected Family of Ministries

to accept everyone who wishes to follow Christ, worship together, grow in faith, and share God’s love through service to others.

 

  • Rich and Poor
  • Seniors and Youth
  • Families and Singles
  • Military and Civilian
  • Conservative and Liberal
  • LBGT and Others

Who are we, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church:

Are we a Bible church? Absolutely! Every Sunday we have lessons (readings) from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Gospels… four readings, every Sunday. Additionally, we have Bible studies and discussions, we encourage our members to read the Bible daily and have a regular practice of devotions with Bible readings, and our Book of Common Prayer is filled with Scripture quotations and references. So, yes, we are a Bible church.

Are we a Disciples church? We are indeed! We look to inspire people to live a life that follows the teachings of Jesus and follow his example as closely as we can. We ask our congregation members to practice what Jesus both said and did in his life among us. We challenge ourselves to always reflect on how we are loving God and loving our neighbors and loving ourselves.

Are we a Baptizing church? Again, yes! We baptize at any age from birth to death. Babies can be baptized and later when the child reaches an age where he or she decides to make a public profession of their faith, we confirm them in their faith. If someone doesn’t come to believe in Christ until they are older or even on their death bed, no problem. We will gladly baptize you whenever you are ready.

Are we a Communion church? Most definitely! We have communion weekly. We invite everyone to come to the Lord’s Table to be fed with the bread and wine, the body and blood, of Jesus. We believe this is a sacred and mystical experience of God whether you believe the bread and wine are transformed into Jesus’ body and blood or you believe the bread and wine contain God’s Spirit, or whether you believe we participate in this supper as an ongoing and symbolic memorial of Jesus’ request to do this “in remembrance of me.” How you experience God in this moment is between you and God. We welcome you to receive the bread and wine with the rest of us.

Are we a Social Justice church? Yes, we are. Jesus calls us to love God and love our neighbors – no matter who they are, where they come from, or what has happened to them. We encourage our members to engage with those who cross our paths in ways that are loving, liberating, and life-giving. We seek responsible and responsive action on the part of our governing bodies that attempt to right social injustices and work for the common good. We make donations to local food pantries, schools, individuals, and other charitable organizations that carry out good works to help others in need. Many of our members are involved in volunteering in various local organizations also.

Are we an Evangelizing church? Well…. We sometimes struggle with that word, evangelizing. We don’t stand on street corners trying to recruit folks to become Jesus’ followers; however, we do share our stories of God’s goodness and grace in our lives on a more personal level. We talk about answers to prayers and blessings that happen to us in our daily lives. We look for the presence of God around us and share that with others.

Are we a Fellowshipping church? We love getting together for good times! We have potluck lunches and dinners and parties and coffee hours at various times. We sometimes watch movies, discuss news, read books together, work on our church property/gardens, play games. We check up on each other, celebrate the good times, commiserate during the bad times. We take Jesus’ commandment to love one another to heart.

Are we an Inclusive church? Decidedly. We believe that everyone is created in God’s Image and that we are all part of God’s family. We believe in the equality of all peoples to be part of God’s grand plans and that each and everyone of us is loved and accepted for who we are and that we are all precious in God’s sight.

Are we a Kid-friendly church? We love having kids with us. Churches have life cycles. Our former kids have grown into young adulthood. We are eager to have our next cycle of young children fill our rooms with their laughter and energy. We currently have babies and toddlers and are excited about seeing who they grow up to be.

Are we your next church? We hope so. Come and visit with us. Worship with us on Saturday or Sunday. Look around our website. Find us on Facebook. Call and ask to speak with our rector. Drop by during the week and meet us. We look forward to meeting you.