About St. Stephen’s Memorial Episcopal Church

St. Stephen’s is Your Place to…

 

Belong

St. Stephen’s welcomes all people as beloved children of God. As Christians, we root ourselves in the Bible and grow in faith through community. At St. Stephen’s, all are invited to the Table to recieve the bread and wine of Holy Communion. And we enjoy gathering for food and fellowship throughout the week. From our Fair to to Mardi Gras to Community Cookouts, we work and play together.

Learn

From cradle to grave, we learn and grow in our faith. All ages gather to study the Bible, explore spirituality, learn about the church, and discuss faithful living in a complicated world. We prepare children and adults for the Sacraments. We invite teenagers to our Oasis Community Youth Group. In the summer, children attend day camp at St. Stephen’s as well as overnight church camp at Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in New Hampshire.

Adult programs include the Beloved Community anti-racism team, Bible Studies and seasonal Book Study groups.

Serve

St. Stephen’s offers opportunities to serve in the church and the community. Community commitments include operating a weekly food pantry. In the church, people assist with worship, serve as teachers and mentors, help in the office, and provide upkeep of the buildings and grounds.

 

Act

For many, the world is not how we would want it to be. Through our involvement with ECCO (Essex County Community Organization) and other organizations seeking community improvement, we address such issues as teen violence, public safety, affordable housing, education, and access to employment. Our faith draws us into the world to work for justice.

Give

We try to live our lives with a spirit of gratitude and generosity. Through support of the church and community, we grow through giving our time, talent, and money. God has blessed us with abundance and our lives are enriched when we pay it forward.

Pray

Worship is central to who we are and all we do. The challenges of life are too great for us to manage alone and we take them to God in prayer. We worship in the Anglican tradition emphasizing both the Word of God and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. We use the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and liturgies from other parts of the Anglican Communion. We welcome innovations in worship through use of contemporary music, sermon conversations, and active participation of young people. The Kenyan Congregation uses the Anglican Church of Kenyan’s order of worship and is known for its lively music and warm hospitality.

During the week we offer a Thursday noon Healing Service and Holy Eucharist.

We also gather on holy and feast days of the church year. Please see the calendar for details.