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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 
  • coming to an informal supper
  • stopping by the Farmers Market on Saturday morning
  • attending one of our receptions or lunches for visitors and newcomers (info here) 
  • 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!

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Our Services

St. Stephen's is a vibrant parish that offers worship, prayer and more seven days a week. Sunday, of course, is our big day. You are most welcome at any of the services held here.

Sunday Worship (summer schedule begins May 27)

  • 8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite One
  • 9:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*
  • 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
*indicates child care available through age 4

Weekday worship 

  • 8:10 a.m., Morning Prayer with Communion
  • 5:30 p.m., Evening Prayer (on Wednesdays during the academic year, this service includes the Virginia Girls Choir) 

Saturday worship

  • 5:30 p.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite Two

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.

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Nursery - Senior High

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. Michael Sweeney, the director of family ministries, sends a regular email newsletter to parents for which you may sign up.

Confirmation

At St. Stephen's, young people who desire to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church may do so in the ninth grade or later. They are prepared in a year-long course called "Philip's Way," and confirmation takes place when one of our bishops visits St. Stephen's, usually in May.

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Are you in your 20-30s?

Young adults are part of every facet of parish life at St. Stephen's, and you are always welcome at any worship service, adult education opportunity or social event—membership is NOT required. You (and your friends and family) are always welcome here. Single or married, with children or not, in school or not--all are welcome.

Get Connected

Some activities and ministries at St. Stephen's are designed especially for young adults, including a young adult Bible study group, social gatherings, retreats, and outreach and volunteer opportunities. The best way to keep up with what young adults are doing at St. Stephen's is to sign up for our e-newsletter.

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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.

Our diocese includes 80,000 people who worship God and reach out to others in 181 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.

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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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Sunday Forum

AUDIO FILES OF PAST FORUM TALKS

The Sunday Forum convenes on Sunday mornings, 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m., in the Large Fellowship Hall, September-May. You do not have to be a member to attend, and no registration is required. On most Sundays, the rector or other St. Stephen's clergy speak. On occasion, we welcome outstanding guest speakers. When an audio file is available of a particular forum session, it will be found on the Forum audio page.

Books by our guest speakers are available in the Bookshop @ St. Stephen's. 

Other Sunday morning offerings are described here.

Fall schedule

September 16--The Rector (see description of his fall series below)
September 23--The Rector
September 30--Becky McDaniel: an introduction to our new associate rector and an update on family ministry
October 7--The Rector
October 14--The Rector
October 21--The Rector
October 28--The Rector
November 4--The Rector
November 11--Paul-Gordon Chandler: discussing his new book on Kahlil Gibran
November 18--Deb Lawrence: Episcopal Community Services, our new outreach initiative
November 25--The Rector
December 2--ADVENT FAIR
December 9: The Rector
December 16--The Rector
Forum resumes January 13, 2019

The Rector's fall series: re-centering and re-focusing our lives through renewed attention to Jesus

There are a couple of exceptionally poignant moments in the ancient liturgy of the Episcopal Church that address the volatility, chaos, and anxiety of our time. The first is that moment when an acolyte goes from the high altar with the Gospel book and processes it down the center aisle among the people, and we all turn to listen again to Jesus in our midst. It is much more than an educational moment; it is a mystical one, as we remember that the Lord himself is still with us, addressing us even now.

The other poignant moment is when the people all leave their pews and come up the aisle to the altar to receive Jesus’ body and blood. This, of course, is much more than a memorial moment; it is again a mystical one, in which we are receiving the divine life into our own bodies and pondering the fact that this same divine presence is in everyone. No wonder the Lord pleaded with us to love each other, to be especially kind to strangers, and said that as we do to each other, especially to the least, we will be doing so to him.

The Lord comes to us from on high, and we all turn to face him with open hearts and attentive minds. Then, at his invitation, we all come up to the Lord, and we receive him in this strangely graphic way into our bodies. In contrast to the daily chaos and the ugly divisions of our day, these two poignant moments in our worship are meant to lift us out of our smaller selves and into our larger life together. They help us transcend the forces that divide us, so that we can surrender ourselves to the one who heals and unites us. We turn together to center our attention on Jesus, and we open our palms to receive his life into our bodies, so that over time we might come to the realization St. Paul had, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Many of us could benefit from renewed attention to Jesus. We might call on him when we’re in trouble, but we often don’t really know what to make of his teaching when we turn to listen to the Gospel, or for that matter, what to believe about what is going on when we receive Communion.  Maybe now is a good time to refocus our lives. If there is a “peace that passes all understanding,” it is not coming from Washington, D.C., nor social media.

In this spirit, Gary Jones will offer a series in the Sunday Forum on Jesus, using an engaging and accessible bestselling book, Jesus: A Pilgrimage, by James Martin, SJ (Society of Jesus). As the author makes his way through the Holy Land, visiting sites where Jesus lived and taught, this Jesuit priest uses his pilgrimage, the Bible, Ignatian prayer, and his own life experiences to illuminate the life of the one who is still companioning us today. Martin’s book has been praised by biblical scholars and spiritual writers, from Richard Rohr and Kathleen Norris to Harvey Cox and Desmond Tutu, and it will be an enriching companion to this series. Copies are available in the Bookshop @ St. Stephen’s. 

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