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There's a place for you here.

New to Richmond? Unfamiliar with the Episcopal Church, or with Christianity? Welcome. 

Whoever you are, wherever you are in your spiritual journey, the people of St. Stephen's Church hope that your experience with this church will encourage and strengthen you. 

As you browse our Web site, you might consider: 

  • visiting St. Stephen's for a worship service and/or watching our livestreamed services

  • coming to an informal supper

  • stopping by the Farmers Market on Saturday morning

  • attending one of our receptions for visitors and newcomers

  • signing up for an Inquirers Class

  • subscribing to St. Stephen's weekly email, the eSpirit; there is no cost, no obligation, and we will not share your email address with any outside group

  • attending a retreat, workshop or group, or participating in any of the other offerings you'll see on these pages.

Do as much or as little as you like. There are no "requirements" for being a part of this community of faith. If you wish to be baptized or confirmed, or to transfer your membership from another Episcopal parish, we'd love for you to do so. But it's not required. Everything we do, everything we offer, is open to all, regardless of whether you are a "member" of this church. If you're here, you belong. 

Here's an online visitor card: it's not required--it just helps us to be more responsive to you!

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
6000 Grove Avenue
Richmond, VA 23226
804.288.2867

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Our services

St. Stephen's is a vibrant parish offering several kinds of worship services. Sunday, of course, is our big day. You are most welcome at any of the services held here.

Sunday schedule (from the Sunday after Labor Day through the Sunday before Memorial Day)

8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite One
9:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*, in the main church and in Palmer Hall Chapel
10:10 a.m., Education for all ages*
11:15 a.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite Two*
5:30 p.m., Celtic Evensong and Communion
6:30 p.m., Sunday Community Supper
8:00 p.m., Compline

Sunday schedule (from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend)

8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite One
10:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*
5:30 p.m., Celtic Evensong and Communion*
6:30 p.m., Sunday Community Supper
8:00 p.m., Compline

*indicates child care available through age 4

Weekday worship

Year-round
8:10 a.m., Morning Prayer with Communion

(When the parish office is closed for a holiday or due to inclement weather, weekday Morning Prayer does not take place.) 

Where we're located

St. Stephen's is located at the corner of Three Chopt Road and Grove Avenue (the address is 600 Grove Avenue), near the University of Richmond and across the street from St. Catherine's School.

If you are coming to the church office, the most direct route is through the double glass doors to the parish house off the parking lot on Somerset.  If you're coming for a worship service, you can enter from Grove Avenue or Three Chopt Road.

Accessibility

There are several entrances to the church and parish house that are designed to be accessible to those with mobility issues or other physical limitations:

All entrances to the church, and the main entrance to the parish house, are equipped with power-assist doors. In addition, the main entrance to the parish house, from the large parking lot, has an elevator on the ground floor that allows you to bypass the steps. The Grove Avenue entrance to the main church is gently sloped, without steps, and the Three Chopt Road entrance has a ramp.

Inside the church, several pews are shortened to allow space for a wheelchair or walker: the first pews on either side of the center aisle, nearest the altar, and the pews near the large baptismal font.

The church is equipped with assistive hearing devices for the hearing-impaired. Please ask an usher for one of these devices as you enter the church.

More about Services Contact Us

From birth through high school

St. Stephen's Church has an active ministry for children and youth, staffed by an energetic and talented family ministries staff and dedicated, well-trained volunteers. Our family ministry staff sends an email newsletter to parents for which you may sign up.

Our main offering for young children is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. For youth in grades 6-12, we use Journey to Adulthood. Both are highly regarded spiritual formation approaches.

We also strive to provide opportunities for parents to learn, grow, and receive support from other parents and from our clergy.

HOLY BAPTISM

Holy Baptism is available for babies, children, and adults. Read more about Baptism and preparation here.

CONFIRMATION 

At St. Stephen's, young people who desire to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church may enter the preparation process in the ninth grade or later. Confirmation takes place when one of our bishops visits St. Stephen's, usually in May.

More about Children More about Youth

Young adults

Young adults--single or partnered, with children or not, in college or working--are invited to take part in everything St. Stephen's has to offer, from worship to small groups, choirs to Sunday Community suppers, from outreach and volunteer activities to our environmental stewardship group.

We have tagged 20s and 30s as "young adulthood" but many who participate in young adult activities are in their 40s. The bottom line is, no one will ask you your age--if you think of yourself as a young adult, so do we!

While young adults at St. Stephen's sometimes gather with others in their age cohort, everyone is welcome to join a group or a class with adults of all ages. 

Children and teenagers love having adults who are closer to their age as teachers and mentors. You do not have to be a parent to serve in our ministries among children and youth.

Many young adults particularly enjoy the Compline service at St. Stephen's Church, held Sunday nights at 8 in the church. This ancient service is used as the last service of the day in monastic communities, cathedrals, churches, and schools, and many people say it in their homes. (It's found on page 127 of the Book of Common Prayer.) At St. Stephen's, the service is sung by a mixed a cappella choir. The choir chants prayers and psalms, interspersed with motets. It's an exquisite service, with candles (no other lighting) and incense. Those who attend sit in or lie on a pew in silence, praying, meditating or simply listening to the music. The service lasts just 30 minutes. 

We livestream our main Sunday morning service, our Celtic service, and Compline each Sunday. You'll find these on our Web site, on our Facebook page, and on our YouTube channel.

A fellowship

One of the distinctive things about being an Episcopalian is the sense of connection and fellowship one has with other Episcopalian Christians. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is part of the Diocese of Virginia, one of the oldest and largest dioceses in the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Our diocese includes 80,000 people who worship God and reach out to others in nearly 180 parishes in 38 counties in central, northern and northwestern Virginia. It is one of three Episcopal dioceses in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the others being the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia (based in Roanoke) and the Diocese of Southern Virginia (based in Norfolk). You can read more about the Diocese of Virginia at thediocese.net.

The best way to learn about what it means to be a Christian in the Episcopal tradition is to attend an inquirers class. This class usually meets once a week for seven weeks and is taught by our clergy two or three times each year.

 

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Sunday Schedule

Holy Eucharist: 8:00, 9:00, 11:15

Christian Education for all ages: 10:10 (returning September)

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OUR LOCATION

6000 Grove Avenue Richmond, VA 23226
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Serving at St. Stephen's

St. Stephen's Church is a thriving community with many ministries that rely on volunteers.

The New Testament describes the church as a body with many members, and each member has an important role to play in the proper functioning of the body. Some of us are teachers, some are cooks, some are gifted in providing hospitality, some are leaders of worship, some are counselors, some work with their hands, some are called to a ministry of prayer, and so on. Whatever your gift or inclination, there is a place for you and a role for you to play in keeping our community strong and healthy.

Of course, no one is expected to volunteer. Any number of factors may lead you to refrain from participating in one or more of these opportunities. Please know that your place as a valued member of our community of faith does not depend on the activities you choose to participate in. This information is provided simply to make it possible for anyone to be a part of the body in ways they find life-giving and rewarding. 

Interested?

Volunteering is a great way to strengthen our common life, get to know new people, and experience the ways that you are an important member of the Body of Christ, the church. 

You may also wish to attend a Quarterly Ministry Night to sit in on the deliberations of standing committees, and learn more about various ministries and how to plug in.

Ministries at St. Stephen's

Worship Ministries

Follow the links for more information.

Pastoral Care Ministries

Kitchen Ministries

  • Help in the kitchen on Sunday evenings (year-round) and Wednesday evenings (school year); contact Claire Hackley
  • Cook with May Fair House volunteers; contact Eileen Walker

Youth Ministries

  • Mentor or teach 
  • Chaperone field trips
  • Learn more about youth ministry here; to volunteer, contact Ethan White.
  • No one will be asked to take on one of these roles without another volunteer or a staff person, except Confirmation mentors.

Children's Ministries

  • Train to become a catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
  • Serve in Palmer Hall Chapel services on Sundays (there are roles for adults and children).
  • Learn more about children's ministry here; to volunteer, contact The Rev. Abby Kocher.
  • No one will be asked to take on one of these roles without another volunteer or a staff person.

Farmers Market

Do you shop at our farmers market on Saturdays? You can combine your shopping trip with a vital volunteer opportunity by assisting our market manager and other staff and volunteers with set-up, at the welcome table, or in other ways. Gleaners are also needed during the last half-hour of each market. Volunteers are given shifts so that no one works the entire time, nor do they need to work every Saturday. This activity is suitable for youth as well as adults. Please contact Anna Jones to learn more.

The Women of St. Stephen's and May Fair House

The Women of St. Stephen's offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities, including working in their shop, the May Fair House; preparing foods to sell in the May Fair House; Gracious Gourmets, who prepare meals for those who have recently welcomed a new baby or suffered a loss; and other opportunities. Please visit the Women of St. Stephen's page for more information about this organization and the many ways to be involved and serve others.

Local Outreach Ministries 

  • Serve as a classroom assistant/ tutor in Richmond's East End
  • Serve as a Mentor or Lunch Buddy to an elementary school child
  • Take part in "unity build" Saturdays, repairing homes in our community
  • Help in our food pantry, sorting donations, stocking shelves, and assisting patrons as they select the foods that are most appropriate for their own households.
  • Glean produce (work at the Farmers Market on Saturdays for about 30 minutes from 11:30 to closing, to collect unsold items for our food ministry)
Fairfield School

Fairfield Court Elementary School has many opportunities for volunteers, including as classroom assistants, readers, tutors and lunch buddies. Contact Nancy Thompson for details.

Anna Julia Cooper School

This independent, tuition-free school in the East End was founded in part by St. Stephen's Church. It began as a middle school but is in the process of expanding grades. A number of opportunities are available. Contact Nancy Thompson for more information.

Peter Paul RVA

Formerly known as the Peter Paul Development Center, this East End institution has been a ministry of the Episcopal Church for decades, and St. Stephen's relationship with them goes back many years. Peter Paul serves school-age children and youth as well as senior citizens. Peter Paul recruits volunteers for various tasks which are publicized in our weekly communications, the Spirit and the eSpirit.

Seasonal projects

In late summer, St. Stephen's holds drives for school supplies (and sometimes books or other items) for East End schools. At Thanksgiving, parishioners provide ingredients for festive holiday meals, such as turkeys, potatoes, and other foods. In addition to the donations, we need help sorting, boxing, and transporting these items to recipients. In December, we have for several years set up a Christmas Shop at Fairfield Court Elementary School, stocked with books, toys, clothing, games and other items which parents and grandparents may select for their children. Items for the shop as well as volunteers to staff it will be needed. For all these opportunities, look for dates, deadlines, and other details in our weekly communications. 

National Outreach Ministries

Help with disaster relief in a number of areas in the United States. Teams of parishioners have gone into communities devastated by hurricanes, tornados, flooding, and fire, to help rebuild structures--and lives. Watch the Spirit and eSpirit for these opportunities.

International Outreach Ministries

Our main focus is support for two Episcopal missionaries in Argentina; opportunities are publicized in our weekly communications.

Environmental Stewardship

Our environmental stewardship group is composed of parishioners who are especially interested in creation care and the ways that our parish, and individual parishioners, can contribute to it. Information is here; the staff liaison is Anna Jones; co-chairs are Barry O'Keefe and Sue Wootton.

Office volunteers

  • Front desk volunteers answer phones and greet visitors while staff are at lunch or in meetings; if you'd like to have administrative or clerical tasks to perform during your shift, these can be available, but are not required.
  • Collators insert the Spirit newsletter into liturgical bulletins each week (usually on Fridays); this is also a wonderful opportunity for fellowship
  • For more information, call the parish office at 804.288.2867.

Contact

Email the person listed for the ministry you're interested in, or call the parish office at 804.288.2867 to be put in touch with the right person.

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