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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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Lent resources

Fasting as a Lenten practice // REGISTRATION
Introductory session: Thursday, February 20 // 6:30 p.m.
The Rev. Claudia Merritt

In the Book of Common Prayer, the liturgy for Ash Wednesday calls us to observe a holy Lent “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” Fasting is a doorway to all the other spiritual disciplines. People of faith have practiced fasting for millennia as a way to grow closer to God. It enriches our prayer life, takes us out of ourselves, and opens us up to the Spirit. By refraining from our normal diet, our focus shifts and our awareness heightens. Our connection to one another deepens. Fasting as a means of spiritual growth is a part of all major religious traditions. Jesus himself fasted before he began his ministry and John the Baptist ate nothing but locusts and honey.

There are many ways of fasting. During Lent, you may wish to undertake a three-day fast. Or you may wish to choose one day of the week--say, Tuesday--and fast each Tuesday during Lent.

Would you like to explore the practice of fasting, to see if it is something you are being called to do this Lent? The Rev. Claudia Merritt will hold an introduction on Thursday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m. If you have questions, please contact Claudia. To sign up, follow this link.

Lenten retreat with Br. David Vryhof and Br. Sean Glenn of the Society of St. John the Evangelist

Br. David Vryhof of the Society of St. John the Evangelist will come to St. Stephen’s during the first weekend in Lent, February 28-March 1, accompanied by Br. Sean Glenn. 

On Friday, parishioners may share a simple supper at 6 p.m. with the two brothers, after which Br. David will give a brief talk titled “Listening to God.” What do Christians mean when we speak of “listening to God”? What do we expect to hear? How do we come to know and recognize the “voice of God”? How will we know this word is from God? In this evening program, we’ll draw from the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola and other resources to explore these questions. 

The next day, Br. David will lead a three-hour workshop titled “Humility,” from 9 a.m. until noon. Humility is a virtue that has been highly prized by monastics of every age. Br. David will present an overview of what monastic writers and others have written about this gift, using Scripture and studying the contributions of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, John Cassian, and St. Benedict. We will also explore what humility might look like in our own lives and learn how we might grow into it over time. 

Br. David will also speak in the Sunday Forum on March 1 on “The Spirituality of the Fourth Gospel.” 

Friday’s supper will be donation-based. There is no charge for the Friday talk. We do ask that you register, however, to help us plan food and seating. The suggested donation for Saturday’s presentation is $25. Sign up below.

"Listening for God" Sign up for supper here
Friday, February 28, 2020 // 6-7:30 p.m. (begins with supper)

“The Gift of Humility” Register here
Saturday, February 29, 2020 // 9 a.m.-noon

Small group focus: Signs of Life

The Society of St. John the Evangelist and Virginia Theological Seminary are offering materials for a five-session Lenten series for small groups. If you are interested in joining a group using this series, titled "Signs of Life: Why Church Matters," please sign up on the clipboard at Information Central or call the parish office at 804.288.2867. You can also learn more about "Signs of Life" on SSJE's Web site. Resources include a discussion guide, weekly videos, leaflets for brief worship services to close each session, and more.

 

Sunday Forum

In addition to Br. David's March 1 presentation in the Sunday Forum, there will be a three-part Lenten series led by Gardner Campbell. No registration is needed for this free offering.

Dr. Gardner Campbell, associate professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University, is a popular speaker in our Sunday Forum. Dr. Campbell will present “Listening for God: Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith,” based on a rich anthology of short stories and essays. Its editors write, “Our hope is that people gathering around the fiction and essays included in this resource will take the occasion to listen for God in new places. There is no telling, of course, where one may hear the Word spoken; it has been said that even the stones will cry it out. The hope of this curriculum, in any event, is that the selections chosen here will raise questions, spark discussion, make the life of faith more an engagement with contemporary American culture and less a flight from it.” Dr. Campbell will discuss the following works: 

March 8, Lent II: Flannery O’Connor, “Revelation”
March 15, Lent III: Patricia Hampl, Chapter Six from Virgin Time
March 22, Lent IV: Richard Rodriguez, “Credo” 

The Bookshop @ St. Stephen's

Browse the wonderful selection of books in the Bookshop @ St. Stephen’s, just in time for Lenten reading. A number of theological and devotional classics are available from St. Augustine, St. Francis and St. Clare, as well as modern writers such as Evelyn Underhill, Richard Rohr, and Martin Smith.

For those who are ready for a book to be savored slowly, in conjunction with contemplative prayer, the rector recommends Clothed in Language by Pauline Matarasso, also available in the bookshop.

The bookshop also has copies of the anthology Listening For God being sampled in Gardner Campbell's three-part Forum series described above.  

Forward Movement

A rack featuring the current edition of Forward Day by Day and other publications from Forward Movement is placed next to Information Central. Many people find Forward Day by Day to be a very helpful part of their prayer life.

Free resources

Free Lenten resources are available on a table across the hall from the parish office. These include the annual Lenten reflections booklet from Westminster-Canterbury and information about the Lenten preaching series offered at St. Paul's Episcopal Church downtown.

Rector's Blog

The Rev. Gary Jones posts reflections on Lent and other topics on his blog, found here.

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