FALL/WINTER/SPRING WORSHIP SCHEDULE:

Annual Parish Meeting — January 29th

On Sunday, January 29, the St. Stephen’s family will gather in  the Parish Hall at 10:30 a.m. for our Annual Parish Meeting. Please note that there will be one service only at 9 a.m. on that Sunday. 

See the 2011 Annual Report booklet

Our regular Sunday worship schedule is as follows:

Holy Eucharist on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 8 and 10:15 a.m.

Childcare is available  beginning at 9:00 a.m. for the “little” ones on Sundays.

Office Schedule: The church office regular hours are 9 a.m. to 12 noon; and 1- 3 p.m. (except that in summer the office closes at Noon).

Read all about it.  Click the picture below.

In response to God’s love, St. Stephen’s invites and welcomes all to
GATHER in worship,
GROW in faith, and
SERVE as stewards of God’s creation.

St. Stephen;s Episcopal Church of Spokane is a worshiping community in full communion with the Episcopal Church.

October 6, 2011

 Dear Folks of St. Stephen’s:

First, I would like to thank you all once again for the welcome I have received at St. Stephen’s. It is an honor to serve in partnership with such a loving, dedicated group . As the children’s and youth programs continue to grow and change at St. Stephen’s, I would like to take a moment to report on the state of our programs:

 Nursery care continues to be available during the 10:15 service, beginning at 9 a.m.

Sunday school is offered for grade-school children starting at 10 a.m. We pray, do crafts, tell stories, eat snacks and have lively discussions. Sunday school runs through the first part of the 10:15 service and the children join their parents in the sanctuary for the Eucharist at about 11 a.m. Several volunteer teachers share the teaching ministry on a rotating basis. Teachers commit to a particular Sunday, receive the teaching materials in advance, and work with a co-teacher to present the lesson on Sunday morning.  I like this shared-ministry teaching model because it allows more people to share the Sunday school experience and because nobody has to commit to being in the classroom (and missing Fr. Bill’s excellent sermons!) every single week. The tricky part of this model is that when each individual teacher makes a relatively small commitment, many teachers are needed to keep the program going.  We have a small group of wonderful teachers.  The only thing better than a small group of wonderful teachers is a large group of wonderful teachers.  If you have never taught Sunday school before, please consider giving it a try.  You will be given all the materials you need, you will have a co-teacher to help you and if you don’t absolutely love it, you won’t find yourself locked into an extended commitment.  I especially encourage teens to volunteer as Sunday school teachers. It’s fun.

“Godly Play,” a story-telling-based faith formation program with roots in the Montessori tradition for preschool aged children (3-6 years) will be offered beginning November 27 from 10-11 a.m. in the Children’s Chapel area (lower level).  This exciting program engages very young children’s imaginations in the discovery of divine mysteries beyond what their budding vocabularies can describe.

St. Stephen’s has two youth groups. Our junior high group is made up of 6^th and 7^th graders.  Our senior high group includes 8^th-12^th graders. Both groups meet (separately) at St. Stephen’s on Sunday evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Both the junior and the senior high youth groups will be representing St. Stephen’s at this year’s CROP walk on October 9.  You can also look forward to seeing St. Stephen’s youth at their upcoming Halloween party—stay tuned for more details!

We are beginning to do exciting things. We would like to do even more exciting things, but we will need help.  I would not ask for your help if I did not believe that this is important work.  What we are doing is faith formation.  We are extending the gifts of the Church to others.  We have received gifts from God.  We have been blessed in our own faith.  We acknowledge these gifts and we labor in the hope that through our efforts—and with the help of the Holy Spirit—the children we serve may be blessed as we have been blessed.  If you have been blessed and you want to extend that blessing to the children of St. Stephens, I would love to talk to you. Thank you for your support.

Your Servant, Paul Macias
writetopaulhere@gmail.com

WELCOME TO ST. STEPHEN’S

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church proclaims in its Mission Statement: “ In response to God’s love, we invite and welcome all to gather in worship, grow in faith, and serve as stewards of God’s creation.”  So what does that really mean?   It means that we are a community eager to worship God through sacrament and liturgy, to deepen our faith, and to serve others in need.

Founded in 1957, our beautiful and beloved church was built and created to provide people the opportunity to come together in many ways.  In addition to Saturday and Sunday services, our church family gathers for fellowship and for outreach.  From the summer Basketball Camp to our annual Wine Tasting and Auction, we invite community members to participate and to find what a friendly, active, warm group we are.  Our members serve food at Crosswalk and at the Holy Trinity Dinner Table, sew quilts for needy and recuperating children, donate toiletry items to women in shelters, maintain a recycling program . . . and much, much more.

As you explore St. Stephen’s through our website, perhaps you will find ways you would like to connect with God and with others. Most of all, we welcome you to join us in worship and in fellowship.