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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

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.

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.

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)

OUR LOCATION

6000 Grove Avenue Richmond, VA 23226
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Small groups

An expanded approach to small group ministry

There is no better way to grow and practice the Jesus Way than in our homes, in our day to-day lives, with a circle of followers who love and mentor one another as apprentices in the Jesus Way.... The purpose of a faith-based small group is to build trusting relationships with God and one another. When we meet each other for conversation, practice, and prayer, we learn how to love.  

Building an Intentional Small Group: Resources Written and Curated for the Episcopal Church 

St. Stephen’s has a rich history of small group ministry through contemplative Emmaus groups. This year, we are excited to offer a broadened set of opportunities and formats for small group connection.

In our expanded framework, small groups fall into three particular streams:

  • Emmaus groups
  • Focus groups
  • Being With groups

Continue reading for descriptions of each type of group, as well as what’s available for the winter/spring 2024 term.

Emmaus Groups gather 6-12 people regularly for a time of prayer, conversation, and fellowship. Groups pattern their life together around the Four Pillars: spiritual connection, mutual care and support, prayer, and service. Some groups may be intergenerational and include people from a variety of backgrounds; others may serve as affinity groups for people of a common experience or identity. These groups may be time-limited or may meet for the long-term at the discretion of members and facilitators. Open Emmaus groups include:

  • General groups
  • Young adult small group
  • Women’s group
  • Westminster Canterbury group

Being With groups gather five to 15 people who want to deepen their relationship with Jesus and with fellow Christians. Group gatherings are guided by Being With, a Christian formation curriculum designed by the Rev. Sam Wells. About the program, Wells says, “to find the meaning of life we need each other. We need to spend time being present and attentive to others who may be different to us, to ourselves, and to the world around us. As we do this we can discover a way to be attentive to God and discover that God is present to us... Being With aims... to create the opportunity for this to happen.” These groups meet weekly for 10 weeks.

Focus Groups gather 5 to 15 people around a particular topic: a book, a course, a spiritual practice, etc. The purpose of these groups is to foster ownership of faith through dedicated study or practice, all while supported by others on the same journey of faith. Focus groups of different topic may pop up throughout the program year. In most cases, these groups have no prerequisite other than a curious mind and attentive heart.

Winter/spring 2024 focus groups: 

Moby Dick reading group | 4 sessions meeting on April 16, 23, 30 and May 7 | 10 a.m.-noon 
Led by parishioner Riker Purcell, this group will discuss Herman Melville’s evolving view of theology and the meaning of life through the language and actions  of five characters:  Ishmael, Ahab, Queequeg, Starbuck, and Pip.  (And of course, Moby Dick and the ocean, which are not speaking characters.)  The group will focus on about 10 of the novel’s 135 chapters.  This group is limited to 15 participants.

Contemplative prayer group | Mondays and Fridays, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
If you’re longing for communion and community in silence, this group offers contemplative prayer and dialogue on Monday and Friday mornings. A bell rings to begin the silence. After a 30-minute sit, participants have contemplative dialogue and a short sit to end the meetings at 10:15 a.m. These meetings are open to all who seek a contemplative community.       

Water in the Desert: a gratitude practice group | Thursdays at 6 p.m. beginning February 22
Join us for 'Water in the Desert,' a 10-week journey delving into the intricate connection between 'desert' experiences and gratitude. Together we will explore Ross Gay’s uplifting collection, Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude, and dedicate time in each session to nurture our personal gratitude practices.
Don't be intimidated by poetry—Ross Gay’s work is accessible and brimming with joy. No prior poetry or gratitude practice experience is required.
 

Universal Christ Reflection group | Thursdays at 10 a.m. beginning on April 4; 8 sessions in total
The Universal Christ: How a forgotten reality can change everything we see, hope for, and believe is a sort of capstone presentation of Fr. Richard Rohr's teachings about Christianity for the 21st century. The reflection group format provides structured ways of deeply reflecting on the content of the assigned readings (25-30 pages a session) in conversation with your own life and those of fellow seekers. You will practice a variety of contemplative prayer forms. There is ample sharing but no discursive conversation; the time spent together is both intentional and sacred. This co-facilitated group is limited to 10 participants.

Some focus groups meet regularly throughout the year and are open to all on a drop-in basis. Information on these groups is below:

Contemplative prayer group | Mondays and Fridays, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
If you’re longing for communion and community in silence, this group offers contemplative prayer and dialogue on Monday and Friday mornings. A bell rings to begin the silence. After a 30-minute sit, participants have contemplative dialogue and a short sit to end the meetings at 10:15 a.m. These meetings are open to all who seek a contemplative community. 

Earth and Soul threshold | 3rd Wednesday of the month | 4:30-5:30 p.m.
All who resonate with a holistic vision of Celtic spirituality, with John Philip Newell’s teachings, or with his School for Earth and Soul are invited to participate in a monthly “Threshold Community.” No preparation or prior experience with Earth & Soul is required. Following a “House Gathering” model, we meet for an hour of reflection, deep listening, and discussion around the themes outlines in Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul and their connections to scripture, self, and service to the world.

Greek Bible Study | Wednesdays at 3 p.m. | Room 3
The Greek Bible study group gathers for an hour to read and discuss lectionary passages assigned for coming Sunday, in koine Greek, the language used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament. Discussions are designed to help participants develop a deeper interest and familiarity with the texts we read and hear during worship services. Ideally participants should come to the program with a background in Bible Greek, but that is not a requirement.

Men’s prayer groups | Thursdays at 9 a.m., Fridays at 8:15 a.m.
Small groups of men gather weekly for prayer and fellowship. These groups meet Thursdays at 9 a.m. in the lounge, and Fridays at 8:15 a.m. in the library. 

Young adults’ book group | Third Sunday of each month in the evening
This book group gathers folks in a similar phase of “young adulthood” (we think of it as a life moment rather than a specific age!) for a time of conversation and fellowship. Books for the spring are as follows:

  • January - Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
  • February - The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr
  • March - Where do we go from here: chaos or community? by Martin Luther King Jr.
  • April - Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
  • May - Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul by John Phillip Newell

Books

If you do not have a copy of a book you need for a group or class, please check with the convener. Some groups purchase books in bulk for participants and simply ask you to reimburse the church. Or, you can purchase one from an online bookseller or consider supporting a local business like Shelf Life Books (in Carytown--formerly called Chop Suey Books), Book PeopleFountain Books, or your favorite bookshop. Many local businesses are offering phone and/or online ordering, curbside pick-up and even home delivery while their storefronts are closed. If you prefer shopping online, Bookshop.org, sources books from independent booksellers. Of course, check with your local library, as well. You may also be able to find an e-book through an app such as Libby.

Contacts

The Rev. Cate Anthony // email
The Rev. William L. Sachs // email

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