Fall 2022 Seasons of the Spirit

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INSIDE:

OUR NINTH RECTOR St. Stephen’s Church begins a new season of ministry led by the Rev. John D. Rohrs Fresh offerings for children, youth, young adults, parents MUSIC MINISTRY EXPANDS

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Dillon Gwaltney

The Rev. John D. Rohrs called as ninth rector

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he vestry of St. Stephen’s Church joyfully announced in late July that they had called the Rev. John D. Rohrs to be our ninth rector, and that he had accepted.

His first Sunday at St. Stephen’s will be September 11, when he will preach. He will also speak in the Sunday Forum on September 18.

said, “After several rounds of interviews with many highly qualified candidates, the discernment committee unanimously determined that John was the right choice for St. Stephen’s at this time. His warm and engaging demeanor together with a keen intellect and his collaborative leadership and management skills make him ideally suited to be our next rector.”

By Sarah Bartenstein

John has been rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Norfolk, in the Diocese of Southern Virginia, since 2009. Before that, he was associate rector at Christ Church, Raleigh, N.C. John says, “I first visited St. Stephen’s for the ‘Going Forward Together’ conference in 2006, one year out of seminary, and I was struck by the beauty of the Celtic service and by the church’s culture of innovation and outreach. I have long admired your parish, and I am honored and excited to join you as your next rector. I look forward to getting to know you and sharing in ministry together.”

The call came after of eight months of work by the discernment committee, led by Jay Moore and Shelley Spalding. Jay 2

Shelley added, “From very early in our conversations with John it was clear he embraced so many aspects of St. Stephen’s that make us truly special, like our traditional and contemplative worship services. While serving as rector at St. Andrew’s, he has worked to balance worship and spiritual formation with meaningful engagement in the world through outreach. That vision aligns so well with what is at the core of St. Stephen’s.”

The co-chairs also noted John’s passion for family ministry and his success in bringing young families into the church.

“We cannot wait for the parish to meet him!” said Shelley.

John and his wife Andie, also an Episcopal priest, have been married for 19 years and have three children: Anna, age 14, and twins Tom and Will, age 12. John is a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma (coincidentally where our music director Brent te Velde is from). Andie is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

and has been serving as an associate rector at St. Andrew’s.

When the Rohrs were in Raleigh, Andie was chaplain at Saint Mary’s School.

John is a 1999 graduate of Duke University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history magna cum laude, and minored in economics. In 2007, he earned a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke. John earned a master of divinity, summa cum laude, from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 2005. He was ordained as a transitional deacon in June 2005, and priest in February 2006. John has extensive community and diocesan leadership experience in a number of areas.

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“The Rev. John Rohrs is a dynamic, creative priest who has served the Diocese of Southern Virginia with grace and energy,” said the Rt. Rev. Susan Haynes, Episcopal Bishop of Southern Virginia. “In addition to his faithful service to his parish, John has served the diocese as chair of our Repairers of the Breach Commission for Racial Justice and Reconciliation, building bridges and restoring hope as we confront our past and seek healing. Additionally, he has served as dean of his regional convocation in Norfolk, aiding the bishop in care of clergy and lay people alike and advancing the initiatives of the diocese. We are excited for John and his family as they embark on this new chapter in their life’s journey with St. Stephen’s in Richmond.”

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The vestry expressed deep gratitude to the discernment committee for their thoughtful and faithful work. In addition to Jay and Shelley, the committee included Gussie Bannard, Robert Birdsey, Becky Boyers, Bob Dibble, Thomas Goode, Richard Kay, Sharon Machrone, Mary Ashburn Pearson, and Martha Proutt.

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A place of abundance God is doing a new thing here A new bishop for Virginia Groups, classes, Sunday Forum for this fall Young adults invited to peer groups Youth Confirmation at St. Stephen’s Sacred Conversations:a way to listen in the face of difference Parent involvement in family ministry planning The return of children’s and youth choirs Concerts for a new era Golf tournament raises funds for outreach Ways to lend a hand Creation care: a matter of faith Summer at St. Stephen’s Family photo

Senior warden Dick Hamrick said, “I am grateful for the period of discernment that allowed us to examine our parish in depth, and to consider who we are after two years of pandemic. We have been blessed by exceptional clergy and rectors who have left St. Stephen’s elevated in spirit. John will build on this legacy. We are lucky to have John, Andie, Anna, Will and Tom in our parish family.”

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Seasons of the Spirit Sarah Bartenstein, editor Steven Longstaff, art director Contributors: Cate Anthony, Larry Bidwell, Clarice Dibble, Mary Feldman, Briget Ganske, Dillon Gwaltney, John Jenkins, Anna Jones, Marilyn Kirkpatrick, Claudia Merritt, Barry O’Keefe, Jay Paul, Deb Lawrence, Kim Schmidt, Will Stanley, Brent te Velde, Betsy Tyson Copyright © 2022, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia Requests to reprint material from Seasons of the Spirit should be addressed to Sarah Bartenstein at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23226, or sbartenstein@ststephensRVA.org.

On the cover

The Rev. John D. Rohrs at the entrance to St. Stephen’s Church Photo by Dillon Gwaltney , inviting all to our community; a St. Stephen’s Church is a Village Green New Abbey , grounding people in wisdom and practices that nurture the soul; and a Healing Community , serving others as the hands, feet, and eyes of Christ in the world .

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I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.–JOHN 10

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Sarah Der

A place of abundance ith all that has happened in our country and in the world in recent years, it’s not surprising to feel pessimism and anxiety. On top of that, we have been through a challenging time at St. Stephen’s Church as we’ve moved through a transition in leadership.

St. Stephen’s Church is a village green, opening our doors— literally and figuratively—to everyone, as God opens his arms to all. We invite people to take part in any part of our community’s life, whether they are members or not, every day of the week.

And yet we have much to celebrate.

This church is a new abbey, teaching and reimagining the spiritual treasures handed down to us by generations of spiritual mothers and fathers, to ensure that they are available to us in this century and for this generation, and for generations to come.

Our church is a place of welcome, comfort, grace, fellowship, and vitality. St. Stephen’s is community of abundance, not only in good times, but in challenging ones. Perhaps that’s why, even during a time when we could not be together in person, our church grew. People were drawn here by a sense that we are here for them, no matter what.

We are here for you, no matter what.

St. Stephen’s is a healing community, providing pastoral care, healing practices, and material support to those who are here, and to those in Richmond and around the world who need our help.

There are ways to serve this church community that challenge me intellectually. There are ways to serve this church community that and nurture my faith on a more emotional level.

And there’s a way to serve this church community and the broader community through acts of service, with your hands. – Braxton Hill 4

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

In the 11 years I’ve been a member of St. Stephen’s, I’ve gone through many life transitions, as we all have. I’ve gotten married, changed jobs, changed homes, gone through a very painful period of infertility, and ended up having children. Through it all, St. Stephen’s has been that soft place to land for me, and I’ve been able to come to church when I am in the depths of being brokenhearted, and when I am bubbling over with joy and gratitude.

– Mary Ashburn Pearson

God is the source of this abundance, and we express our gratitude by sharing it with others.

What are some of the ways you have experienced abundance through St. Stephen’s Church—through our village green, our twenty-first century abbey, our healing community? How has this church been a source of comfort and support to you during these anxious times? We would love to hear from you.

We want to share your experiences of inviting, grounding, and serving with others in this community of faith.

Send your brief reflection on how St. Stephen’s has touched your life to sbartenstein@ststephensRVA.org.

God is doing a new thing …You are in this time of interim Where everything seems withheld.

The path you took to get here was washed out; The way forward is still concealed from you.

“The old is not old enough to have died away; The new is still too young to be born.”

You cannot lay claim to anything; In this place of dusk, Your eyes are blurred; And there is no mirror.

By the Rev. William S. Stanley

Everyone has lost sight of your heart And you can see nowhere to put your trust; You know you have to make your own way through.

As far as you can, hold your confidence.

Do not allow your confusion to squander This call which is loosening Your roots in false ground, That you might come free From all you have outgrown.

What is being transfigured here is your mind, And it is difficult and slow to become new.

The more faithfully you can endure here, The more refined your heart will become For your arrival in the new dawn.

FROM ‘FOR THE INTERIM TIME’ BY JOHN O’DONOHUE I am so excited!

I am excited that this edition of Seasons of the Spirit includes the call of St. Stephen’s vestry to the Rev. John D. Rohrs to be our next rector, and his acceptance of that call. I am excited that “this time of interim…where everything seems withheld” is coming to a close. You and I have been through much over these past months and years. Indeed, our city, our nation, and our world have been through so very much. Sociologists and cultural observers are just now beginning to reflect upon how this time of pandemic and its “hangover” effects will affect us for years and years to come. And we at St. Stephen’s have lived through both simultaneously. Even so, I am excited…because I know in my bones that God is doing a new thing.

I offer this portion of John O’Donohue’s blessing for the interim time. I hope it is a helpful tool as we each begin to do our own reflecting on this multi-layered experience of the past years. Whether we want to or not, that is part of our society’s work in the coming year (or more). We deny its “breadth and length and height and depth” (Ephesians 3:18) at our own peril. Indeed, the “hangover”—for lack of a better term— will absolutely be harder to break if we do not believe it is real in the first place.

One of signs of spiritual maturity is to be able to hold seemingly conflicting realities at the same time. Indeed, our very nature as human beings is this: each of us has the capacity for both joy and pain…we are both sinners and saints. Even as I am so excited about the future, I know that I must also begin reflecting on the ways in which the pandemic years have affected me, and continue to do so. It is not a zero sum game, but rather an invitation to receive the new dawn with truth. For indeed: The more faithfully I can endure here The more refined my heart will become For my arrival in the new dawn.

May this be true for you. May this be true for our beloved St. Stephen’s Church. And may this be true for our world, which “God so loves” (John 3:16).

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Virginia elects a new bishop diocesan The Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson elected on the second ballot

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ore than 450 lay and clerical delegates representing the parishes of the Diocese of Virginia—including St. Stephen’s— gathered June 4 at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria for a special convention to elect the 14th bishop diocesan of the Diocese of Virginia. The delegates elected the Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson on the second ballot.

The other nominees were the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley, Jr., rector, St. George’s, Fredericksburg; the Rev. Canon Alan C. James, interim canon missioner, the Diocese of Western Michigan; and the Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach, rector, St. John’s Church, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. Following the completed election, Canon Stevenson joined the convention remotely via Zoom to address the delegates. “You have honored me greatly. I am overwhelmed with deep joy over the journey that you have invited me to be a part of with you over the coming years,” said Canon Stevenson. “There’s so much Gospel hunger, Gospel drive in Virginia. It’s simply aweinspiring.... My prayer today is that God will grant us joy-filled day after joy-filled day as we start this new journey with each other and with God.” The bishop-elect is canon to the presiding bishop for ministry within the Episcopal Church, serving as Presiding Bishop Curry’s principal liaison to the House of Bishops, the various dioceses, and many of the governing bodies of the Episcopal Church.

Before being called to this role in September 2018, Canon

Stevenson was director of Episcopal Migration Ministries, leading a dedicated team in executing a national program of refugee resettlement. Previously, he served as domestic Poverty Missioner for the Episcopal Church.

Canon Stevenson served as canon to the ordinary (chief clergy assistant) in the Diocese of Louisiana from August 2005 until September 2013. Following Hurricane Katrina, Canon Stevenson worked closely with local, regional, national, and international leaders and groups to put into place the processes for effective relief and other ministry. He has been rector of two parishes, the Church of the Annunciation in New Orleans, and the Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland, Florida.

His time at both churches focused on developing ministries with youth and revitalizing ministries of stewardship, Christian education, and community outreach.

Canon Stevenson and his wife of 27 years, Joy, reside in Louisville, Kentucky, with their border collie, Franklin.

According to the canons (church laws) of the Episcopal Church, the majority of bishops and standing committees of its 109 dioceses must consent to this election. Pending the consent of the bishops and dioceses, Canon Stevenson will be ordained and consecrated bishop on Saturday, December 3, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church, located at 4247 Creighton Road in Henrico County.

Canon Stevenson will become the 14th bishop diocesan of the Diocese of Virginia. He succeeds the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, who resigned in 2018. The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff, bishop suffragan, has served as the ecclesiastical authority since Johnston’s resignation. Bishop Goff will retire at the end of this year.

Cate Anthony contributes to book on reconciling practices Book published by Virginia Theological Seminary Press From 2017 to 2020, ten seminarians from five different Anglican/Episcopal seminaries met to discuss the difficult topics that have caused conflict and schism in the Episcopal Church and global Anglican Communion. The Rev. Cate Anthony, a member of St. Stephen’s clergy, was one of these seminarians. As a product of their work, we are excited to share that a book (to which Cate contributed!) has been published about the experiences of the “Reconciling Practices” cohort, as the members called themselves. In their gatherings, these seminarians desired to humanize the conflicts between them by pursuing embodied experiences of disagreement and reconciliation, while recognizing that resolution in the form of agreement would be virtually impossible. The book, Reconciling Practices: Listening, Praying, and Witnessing in the Midst of Division, recounts their journey in the hope that their shared experience might be a model for others experiencing division in faith.

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SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

FALL 2022 OPPORTUNITIES TO

CONNECT AND LEARN

St. Stephen’s Church offers ways to reflect, learn, and study as we connect with others.

BECOMING A GOOD PERSON

Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. beginning September 14 Led by the Rev. William L. Sachs We speak of people in this way and even wonder what it might mean. What is a good person? For Christians the issue is important, but it has been distorted. Are we mired in sin and desperately needing to be saved? Does being good mean following the rules, and being punished if we break one? The Christian faith takes a different course to being good, as Bill Sachs will explain in six sessions. Using several biblical and early Christian figures, then working our way to the present, we will discuss a few key figures who have struggled to be good and to leave the world a better place. Join us, and consider what it means to be a good person.

Sign up: ststephensRVA.org/good-person Questions: bsachs@ststephensRVA.org WHOLEHEARTED FAITH

Wednesdays at 10 a.m., September 14 through October 12 Led by the Rev. Claudia Merritt Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans is a series of essays about faith and doubt, seeking and certainty. It is for people who believe deeply in their connection with God and for those who believe, but with their fingers crossed. In that way these essays speak to our own journeys into the heart of God. Some days we are filled with love for all creation, even people or things we shun, and some days our doubts, feelings of inadequacy, sorrows or self-absorption overtake us. For Rachel, at the center of this very human journey was her commitment to the story of Jesus.

Rachel Held Evans grew up in the Baptist tradition, and eventually

The Sunday forum

found her way to the Episcopal Church; this book is in part about the path she took. As for all of us, hers is an unfinished story of life in the Spirit. She died in 2019 at the age of 37 due to a severe allergic reaction. A recognized leader in current Christian thought, she was the author of several books, a blogger, and appeared on television and radio talk shows. Rachel has much to say to us in the 21st century as we explore our faith.

Sign up: ststephensRVA.org/wholehearted Questions: cmerritt@ststephensRVA.org JOURNAL WRITING AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; eight sessions beginning October 5 | led by Regena Stith Keeping a journal has a rich tradition in faith development and spiritual practice. In this eight-week class, participants will explore a variety of approaches to journaling. Regena Stith reflects, “Recently, a friend asked me why I continue to promote journal writing and how it is related to spiritual practice. Over the years that I have led this class at St. Stephen’s, I have observed how participants engage in a process of self-discovery, how their journaling provides a means to track spiritual development, gain perspective into past events, and how new insights surface in the process.” Regena notes that a bond develops among participants as they honor one another’s experiences.

“I am buoyed by my times in class,” she says, “and my own spiritual life is deepened in the process.” Join Regena and others as they explore journal writing as a spiritual practice. There is no charge, but the size of the group is limited, so advance registration is required.

Sign-up: ststephensRVA.org/journal Questions: rrstith@gmail.com

We’ll begin with our new rector on September 18

When the Sunday Forum resumes on September 18 at 10:10 a.m., the inaugural speaker will be the Rev. John Rohrs. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our new rector just a week after he begins his ministry here.

Other speakers are “in the works,” but not all of the details were firm as this edition of Seasons of the Spirit went to the printer. We can tell you about two of them, however: THIS SACRED PLACE

Speaker: The Rev. William L. Sachs | September 25, October 2 How does a church become a home? Using St. Stephen’s Church as a lens, Bill Sachs will describe how certain places become sacred to us. In two sessions we will link our searches for God to the places we find and the destinations that await us. God is in the world around

us, and we even find God in a church. St. Stephen’s has a lively and fascinating history that will provide the frame for how we begin to see God now.

Bill Sachs is well-known to many at St. Stephen’s Church, having served on the staff here during the tenure of the Rev. Raby Edwards and again during the Rev. Gary Jones’ time as rector.

LIVING THE INCARNATION AND NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL REALM

Speaker: The Rev. Martin Smith | December 11 The Church is in the early stages of exploring new opportunities for connection in the digital world. With the onset of the “metaverse,” and new tendencies for Christians to conduct their religious lives Continued on page 8

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Young adults invited to peer groups By the Rev. Cate Anthony

Wonder, faith, and the Episcopal way of Christianity The inquirers class By the Rev. John Jenkins

At St. Stephen’s Church, we are ever seeking to cultivate connection for every member of our community. This fall, we’re giving dedicated attention to the spiritual and relational formation of St. Stephen’s young adult members. Of course, given the overall demographics of the Episcopal Church (according to a 2019 study by political scientist Ryan Burge, the average age of an Episcopalian is 69!), “young adult” denotes a broad range of ages from about 22 years old (post-college) to early or mid-40s. In this way, we might understand “young adult” as indicative of a particular life-stage: adults in the first years of settling into autonomous life, or in the first years of creating a family or new home for themselves. Even within the umbrella of young adulthood there exist a plethora of lifestyles!

To honor this variety, we seek to create spaces for young adults to gather with peers for formation and fellowship. We imagine regular programming and opportunities for fun, as well as small groups for closer connection among people of similar life stages. In all of this, our goal is simply to ensure that St. Stephen’s is a welcoming and steady home for young people who love Jesus. If you identify as a young adult and are interested in getting involved in young adult ministry here at St. Stephen’s, please be in touch with Will Stanley (wstanley@ststephensrva.org) or me (canthony@ ststephensrva.org).

Sunday Forum, continued from page 7 largely online from their private spaces, it is important to explore the primacy in classic Christianity of the offering of the body, in gathered physical worship, the use of all the senses in ritual, and in communal embodied interaction. The Incarnation challenges everything, and in this presentation, Martin Smith will present some talking points about the dangers of “disembodying” our faith, worship and practice. The Church has both resisted, and succumbed to, many movements towards “disincarnating” our faith in the past, and these struggles can shed light on the discernment we need about venturing into the virtual, digital realm without naïveté.

Martin Smith is widely known throughout the Episcopal Church for his roving ministry of lecturing, preaching and retreat leading, and as an author exploring contemporary spirituality whose books include A Season for the Spirit; The Word is Very Near You; Compass and Stars; and Go in Peace (with the Rev. Julia Gatta). He is based in Washington D.C., where he served until his retirement as senior associate rector of St Columba’s parish.

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St. Stephen’s inquirers class is a pathway for growth in spirituality, understanding, and faith.

It is ideal for those newer to the Episcopal Church as well as anyone who desires to participate in a rite of initiation such as Baptism, Confirmation, Reception or Reaffirmation. Some long-time Episcopalians like to participate in the inquirers class as a refresher or to deepen their knowledge of our tradition.

The class will meet Wednesdays beginning September 14, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

There are no church membership requirements or qualifications to participate in the course. Those who are considering or who will participate in one of the initiation rites should participate in all sessions. The classes are based on Jenifer Gamber’s Your Faith, Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church, available online through Church Publishing Incorporated.

Since parents are their children’s primary faith teachers and models, we issue a special invitation to parents of children and youth to participate in this class. Our youth Confirmation class will use a teenager’s version of Gamber’s book, so parent participation is a powerful way to support and grow alongside your child as they prepare for Confirmation. (Youth Confirmation preparation follows a different schedule from the inquirers class; see the article on page 9.)

The Rev. Will Stanley and I will teach this class for adults on Wednesday evenings throughout the fall. At its conclusion, interested participants may form or join small groups organized around shared interests in order to continue the faith journey in a supportive community.

Links to registration, book ordering, and details about the various rites of initiation are available at ststephensRVA.org/ inquirers.

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Giving our hearts to God Youth preparation for the Rite of Confirmation

Together we wondered what it means to give our hearts to God and the implications for the choices we make.

JENIFER GAMBER, My Faith, My Life: A Teen’s Guide to the Episcopal Church

We know that when it comes to faith, parents want their children to develop a healthy and resilient relationship with God in Christ—to give their heart to God. Parents do what they can during their children’s formative years to transmit their values, wisdom, and what they hold to be of ultimate By the Rev. John Jenkins importance about living life well in faith with God. We know from developmental professionals that parents are their children’s primary model and teacher when it comes to spirituality and faith. Children observe how faith is practiced, held, and spoken about at home. It is essential, therefore, that the church support parents’ ongoing faith development and offer tools that support their children’s faith formation seven days a week.

So that the parents of confirmands may better walk alongside their teen(s) as they grow and mature in their faith during Confirmation preparation, we have chosen to coordinate the content of both the adult inquirers course and the youth Confirmation course. We will use one of Jenifer Gamber’s companion books for each group. Our aim and invitation is that parents will participate in the adult inquirers course, in either fall or spring, while the youth participate in their course that continues through both seasons. We believe this offers a rare opportunity for parents not only to share in an important experience with their teenager but also to genuinely deepen their

own faith—to wonder together about giving your hearts to God. We hope this opens many new avenues of shared experience, conversation, and connection within each family.

Confirmation is the rite of passage from childhood to Christian adulthood, by which of their own choosing and volition and in the presence of the bishop and church, one lays claim to the sacred vows made on their behalf at Baptism (The Book of Common Prayer, pages 302-305). The youth reaffirms their identity in Christ and accepts the implications of following Christ’s way of sacrificial love, compassion, and forgiveness. The Confirmation program provides youth with a rich experience of Christian community among both peers and adults, offering times and spaces for honest and brave engagement with the content and marrow of our faith, and teaches practices for our faith.

Youth confirmands, typically ninth graders, make three key commitments to prepare for Confirmation between September and May: • Mentorship: develop a relationship with one’s assigned adult mentor to wonder and reflect on the experiences of Confirmation preparation, life, and faith; • Youth group: attend bi-weekly Sunday evening youth group meetings and special events; • Confirmation sessions and retreat: prepare for and participate in six monthly sessions and the concluding overnight retreat in late spring.

More information and a registration form are available at ststephensRVA.org/youth-confirmation. Ethan White (ewhite@ststephensRVA.org) and I (jjenkins@ststephensRVA. org) welcome inquiries about enrolling in or supporting the youth Confirmation program.

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Sacred Conversations bring parishioners together to discuss difficult issues Participants are learning to practice holy listening

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uring Lent and Easter of this year, St. Stephen’s clergy hosted a series of Sacred Conversations, part of my ongoing Episcopal Church Foundation fellowship project. In the long term, this project intends to create space for people within the broad tent of St. Stephen’s Church to converse with one another across lines of difference, talking directly about the tensions within the community rather than speaking around them, and seeking reconciliation across these lines. This spring, though, the conversations focused on building parishioners’ skills for this work. Together, we are learning how to speak honestly and openly about that which is challenging and uncomfortable and which causes us pain.

By Cate Anthony The first scheduled conversations of the series addressed four topics: St. Stephen’s “elephants in the room,” including the financial reality of the parish; ongoing staff and clergy turnover; and the pandemic and its effect on the parish. During these conversations, participants were able to bravely share their individual experiences, anxieties, and wonderings about each topic. We discovered both opposing narratives and common ground! And most importantly, many participants shared a sense of healing, facilitated by the experience of being truly heard by their peers in faith.

In Eastertide, we gathered again for the second half of our sessions. The first three gatherings asked participants to reflect on their beliefs about the Bible; Jesus; and the Church and ministry. Our final gathering asked, “Where do we go from here?” While these conversations were less emotionally charged than those which took place in Lent, their content was also more diverse. We were reminded that St. Stephen’s really is a broad, big-tent parish—we contain the full spectrum of theological, social, and political thought among our many members. We practiced listening and honoring one another, even as we disagreed—truly holy work.

We also held some “spontaneous” Sacred Conversations. One addressed the anxieties and realities of gun violence in the United States and opened in response to the May shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Another held space for former teachers, parents, and lay supporters of St. Stephen’s Preschool to re-gather and process the temporary closing of the school. In both cases, our sense of community deepened as we heard and cared for one another.

The work of truth-telling is difficult—and it is also the most steady path to deeper relationship and connection in the Body of Christ.

Sacred Conversations will continue this fall, both in scheduled and spontaneous capacities, as our community continues to connect and to respond to the changes and chances of this world. In all, it has been a great privilege to see how the format of these conversations is slowly becoming more and more a part of the culture of how we relate to one another in this parish. May it ever be so.

Sunday morning parent group returns Many Parents, One Vine meets at 10:10 a.m.

Several years ago, St. Stephen’s began offering a group on Sunday mornings especially for parents, a group that has not met since the pandemic. This fall, “Many Parents, One Vine” will resume on Sunday mornings at 10:10 a.m. in Room 14. This staff-led parenting support group addresses topics relevant to family life today. This is a space to grow in faith and connect with other parents in mutual affirmation. Raising children takes a village; together, connected to the vine, we are stronger parents. Staff members and guest speakers will facilitate the Sunday sessions with an opportunity for dialogue and questions. This group will meet Sunday, September 18 through Sunday, May 14. All are welcome and no registration is required.

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SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Family ministry team adds new members: parents

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” –MATTHEW 19:14 Family ministry at St. Stephen’s Church serves children from infancy through high school. It exists to

By Betsy Tyson nurture values that St. Stephen’s represents for each person: spiritual nourishment, love, and community. We strive to help young people find and follow Jesus by creating safe and engaging environments for every stage of development and growth. This vital ministry can happen inside and outside of the church. Family ministry can broadly connect with the whole family or minister to individual members.

We offer a variety of formation programs for children, youth, and adults. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is the primary means of faith formation for children ages 3-12. As they worked with children, Sofia Cavalletti, a Scripture scholar, and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessorian, collaborated to create materials and curriculum for this program. This Montessori-based method of faith formation is grounded in the belief that children come to us already in relationship with God. The program was founded on two pillars: Sacred Scripture and Holy Liturgy. Through the use of Scripture and materials, which we call “work,” we invite children into a deeper relationship with God. In the sacred space where this formation occurs, called the atrium, we encourage a personal prayer life through participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the church.

Children work alongside adults who are trained as catechists to encourage the child’s wonder and awe in their spiritual journey.

We often remind parents that they are their child’s first catechist, the one who helps nurture a child’s innate spirituality and love for God.

Jay Paul

Family ministry guild to work with staff and clergy to plan spiritual formation offerings The philosophy of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is that children—even the very young—have a religious life. God is already present to them in their deepest being, and they are capable of developing a conscious and intimate relationship with God. The goal is to help each child fall in love with and be drawn into that relationship more deeply.

This approach is the foundation for all formation for children and youth at St. Stephen’s, including worship in Palmer Hall, Confirmation preparation, and youth groups. As the children grow and mature into youth, we continue to nurture their deepening understanding of and relationship with God. An important part of family ministry is working in partnership with parents. The family ministry staff is excited about a newly established Family Ministry Guild. The guild will consist of parents of children and youth along with family ministry staff and clergy. It will serve as an advisory group for the family ministry team and as an advocate for the children and youth of St. Stephen’s Church. This guild is meant to collaborate actively with other parents and build partnerships among parents, church staff, and clergy in developing spiritual formation for children and youth. The guild is designed to include parent voices and perspectives as we shape programs. We are committed to developing parent lay leadership.

The following parishioners form the guild along with family ministry staff: Valerie Abbott Katherine Farley Stephanie Johnson Younga Jones Catesby Lewis

Mary Lewis Barry O’Keefe Bee Schnell Ashley Tunner

The family ministry team is committed to you and your family in your journey with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

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A new beginning for music ministry for children and youth

Sarah Barteunstein

After a pandemic pause we are thrilled to offer new opportunities for young people to sing

By Brent te Velde

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e are delighted to be broadening our music ministry for children and youth at St. Stephen’s this fall from what has been prudent so far during the pandemic. The ability to sing and make music in other ways is a God-given gift, and nurturing these gifts in our children is central to our calling in music ministry. Rendering these gifts back to God in praise will once again strengthen our worship. Music has been used to praise God throughout human history, and developing these gifts early in life offers manifold returns throughout our lives. St. Stephen’s has a long tradition of excellence in choirs for children and youth, and it is upon this legacy that we hope to build.

Choirs for children and youth are not simply groups for learning music. They offer spiritual formation of a kind that is embedded in the melodies polished over months and years and, in some cases, committed to memory. Choristers return to these melodies, indivisible from the Scripture and other texts they illuminate, in the most difficult times and in the most joyful times for the rest of their lives. By leading worship, choristers learn at a deep level the importance and function of the liturgy, and in studying our rich musical tradition, choristers learn the history of the church itself. Most importantly, just as Jesus and the disciples demonstrated by singing a hymn at the Last Supper, choristers learn that music 12

is a sign of God’s love for us, and that singing shows our love for one another. It is frequently found that those who have seemingly lost all memory late in life due to Alzheimer’s disease will still recall and sing hymns known from childhood. Music remains firmly rooted in our souls, and with it the reminder that we are loved by God. Making music in ensembles teaches us how we might share God’s love with others, and reminds us to continually seek to broaden its welcome. Children’s choirs teach the importance of servant leadership by exemplifying the offering of one’s unique gifts in service of a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts. There cannot be a choir without its members courageously offering their individual gifts, but there also cannot be harmony without each member doing so in service of a greater purpose.

Choirs therefore demonstrate the transformative power of living in ways that unite heart, mind, body, and soul, and that find strength in vulnerability. When children lead worship we truly sing as the Body of Christ, and we model the balance of power in the world that is the promise of our discipleship. When we offer our voices in worship, it has the power to change lives. As one of my mentors, Bruce Neswick, and many others have said, the participation and leadership of children and youth is the most important indicator of the church’s vitality.

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Making music in ensembles teaches us how we might share God’s love with others, and reminds us to continually seek to broaden its welcome. Children’s choirs teach the importance of servant leadership by exemplifying the offering of one’s unique gifts in service of a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

The skills developed in children’s choirs are useful in all walks of life, whether or not they’re seen as musical or spiritual. In addition to leadership, children’s choirs teach teamwork, service, work ethic, commitment, and friendship. They seek to instill confidence and poise in each chorister in order to be both vital members of a team and to empower others. These are valuable skills for any profession later in life, musical or not. In our modern world, it is essential that we continue to encourage these skills of human connection and cooperation in the next generation.

Music also has much to offer the mental health challenges that we all face in this particular time. Music is a physical activity, and as such has an effect on our bodies that affects our mental well-being. Numerous studies show the positive health effects of making music, including improved heart rate, motor skills, improved memory and cognition, and immune system enhancement. A new study from the Emory University School of Medicine found that older adults with musical experience perform better on some cognitive tests than those who had never studied music. The results match those from other studies of challenging tasks, including findings that learning a second language protects against dementia. These studies also frame the gifts of spiritual formation through music in scientific terms, reporting that music encourages bonding and connections, management of emotions, facilitation of self-development, engagement with a child’s support system, and positive coping strategies in adverse situations. Whether seen through a spiritual or a scientific lens, it is apparent that we need music in our lives now more than ever.

I am very excited to have as a partner in this work our new associate director of music, Diana Chou, and with our combined efforts we hope to make our goals for children and youth music ministry a reality. More specific information about the choirs, their schedules, and the curriculum they will use can be found on St. Stephen’s website, and in the weekly eSpirit newsletter. Please reach out to me or Diana anytime with questions, and we hope you will consider engaging in these and all our music ministries this fall!

Youth choirs St. Stephen’s is delighted to be broadening its music ministries for children and youth this fall by forming two choirs: • St. Stephen’s Choristers, grades 5-12 • St. Stephen’s Junior Choristers, grades 1-4 Both will be inclusive of all genders, and both will sing for services in the main church and in Palmer Hall.

We have planned initially for the first rehearsals for these choirs to be on September 14, and the first Choral Evensong on October 5.

More details about these and other opportunities for young people as well as a detailed calendar for the program year can be found at ststephensRVA.org/ youth-choirs.

The choirs will use the Voice for Life curriculum, a graded approach to teaching musicianship required for singing in choirs. Developed by the Royal School of Church Music, this curriculum draws on decades of experience by choir trainers around the world. While it is rooted in the repertoire of the centuries-old Anglican tradition, it is also inclusive of modern music, music of other traditions and styles, and music of under-represented composers.

It is intended to teach singers of any age, regardless of experience.

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St. Stephen’s welcomes a new program year, a new associate director of music, and a new rector

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s we begin another program year at St. Stephen’s, we are pleased that our plans include several special concerts. The first of these takes the theme of Renaissance at St. Stephen’s, celebrating the arrival of our new associate director of music, Diana Chou, as well as the arrival of our new rector, the Rev. John Rohrs. Much

By Brent te Velde more is now musically possible than was at the start of the pandemic, and all of this does encourage the feeling that we are poised for a Renaissance or “rebirth” at St. Stephen’s in many ways.

For this concert, on October 27 at 7:00 p.m., our Sanctuary choir will first feature several movements from the Missa Papae Marcelli, or Pope Marcellus Mass, of 1562 by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594). The mass was dedicated to Pope Marcellus II, and its composition coincided with the third and final meeting of the Council of Trent. Some debate occurred at the council about whether polyphonic music should be banned in the mass, as it had become suspect through its borrowing of secular tunes and an ornate style that obscured the intelligibility of the words. A legend began in the late 16th century that a performance of Palestrina’s mass had alone convinced the council of the worth of polyphony, thereby saving the future of Western music. While the legend can’t be proven, the Missa Papae Marcelli exemplifies the work of one of the 16th century’s greatest composers, and continues to be revered by choirs around the world.

The concert will be bookended by Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass (2008), sung by the St. Stephen’s Choir, which is a contemporary response to the ancient mass text for choir and string orchestra. The piece recontextualizes the movements of the mass ordinary with new English titles: I. The Spheres (Kyrie), II. Sunrise (Gloria), III. The City (Credo), IV. Identity & the Ground (Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei). Gjeilo intended the overall mass to progress from music that was “nebulous and transparent” to music that was more “earthy, grounded, 14

warm, and solid,” as a metaphor for human development and spiritual journey from child to adult. Gjeilo sought to move through dissonance on this journey, not avoid it, which seems to be echoed by Father Richard Rohr’s writing concerning the progression through necessary suffering to the second half of life in Falling Upward. Gjeilo’s more “nebulous” music is in a style familiar from minimalism and contemporary film scores, and the mass concludes in the warm, elegant style that is familiar from many of his other choral works.

The program will also include a solo organ work performed

by Diana Chou, and a choral piece by the black Renaissance composer Vicente Lusitano (born ca. 1520). Lusitano, like Palestrina, lived and worked in Rome in the 16th century, but has largely been erased by history. His music has received renewal especially during the last two years by musicians and scholars in pandemic lockdown seeking to shed light on works by underrepresented composers. We, too, remain committed to this effort at St. Stephen’s, and Sanctuary will offer one of Lusitano’s most beautiful pieces, Inviolata, integra et casta es, which is dedicated to the adoration of the Virgin Mary. continued on next page

The composition of Missa Papae Marcelli, or Pope Marcellus Mass, of 1562 by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594) coincided with the third and final meeting of the Council of Trent, where there was debate about whether polyphonic music should be banned in the mass, as it had become suspect through its borrowing of secular tunes and an ornate style that obscured the intelligibility of the words.

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Briget Ganske

Concerts for a new era

Diana Chou joins our music team St. Stephen’s music staff returns to full strength We are thrilled that our music ministry team is returning to full strength with the addition of Diana Chou, a choral director and organist, as associate director of music.

In the past, St. Stephen’s Church has had two full-time musicians in addition to part-time music staff members.

Following the untimely death of music director Peter Hopkins several years ago, we had only part-time musicians on staff until Brent te Velde joined us just months before the pandemic began. We are grateful to have Brent as our director of music, our primary organist, and as a choral director, as well as Chris Edwards as the director of St. Stephen’s Choir. A church as large and active as ours, however, with such a robust and varied music program, needs another full-time staff person who can direct choirs and play the organ.

And of course, among the things we have missed over the past two and a half years are choirs for children and youth.

So we are delighted to welcome Diana, who began her work at St. Stephen’s on August 1 and has already impressed people with her organ playing. As we expand our capacity, we are excited about being able to offer opportunities for children and youth to sing at St. Stephen’s in the main church and in Palmer Hall.

“Diana’s superior musicianship shone through in her work with the choirs and in her spectacular organ playing, but above that was her bright and engaging personality. We are so lucky to have Diana join our excellent music staff here at St. Stephen’s.”

Diana holds a bachelor of arts, summa cum laude, from Amherst College, a master of musical arts in organ performance from the Yale School of Music, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has been a music intern at Trinity Episcopal Church in Bloomington, Indiana, where she sang in the choir, conducted and led choir rehearsals, led youth choir rehearsals, and worked in music administration and communications. While working on her doctorate, she was an associate instructor of organ. She was an organ scholar at St. Paul’s on the Green in Norwalk, Connecticut and has served several other churches as an organist, choir director, and accompanist.

“We are thrilled that Diana has joined our team at St. Stephen’s,” said Brent. “Her excellence in organ and choral music, as well as her passion for music ministry for children and youth, will have a tremendous impact on St. Stephen’s and the wider community.”

We are grateful to Kerry Court for serving in a part-time role in Palmer Hall as we brought back that service in 2021-22.

Kerry, who works full-time at St. Christopher’s School, has decided to step back from her musical responsibilities at St. Stephen’s Church as she and her husband Ben and young son James prepare to welcome a new baby to their family.

And Greg Vick, who also works full-time at St. Christopher’s and has served on our music staff in a part-time capacity several times over the years, has “retired” from his role here.

Diana met and rehearsed with St. Stephen’s choirs during the interview process. Jim Smith-Parham, a long-time member of our parish choir and Sanctuary, the Compline choir, said,

Chris Edwards will continue as a valued member of our music staff, serving in his part-time capacity as director of St. Stephen’s Choir.

Concerts, from previous page Our other offering for the first half of this program year will be our annual Winter Solstice Concert, which will this year be held on the actual Winter Solstice, December 21, at 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary will again offer this opportunity to pause during the busy holiday season and enjoy classic and modern a cappella choral music. The program will offer reflections on the themes of waning darkness and night, increasing light and day, and our preparation for the Nativity in our hearts and lives.

Composers will include Josef Rheinberger, Eleanor Daley, Jake Runestad, Toby Hession, Kim André Arnesen, Dan Forrest,

Annabel Rooney, Gabriel Jackson, Joanna Gill, Kerensa Briggs, and Pierre Villette. Sanctuary will be joined by cellist Peter Greydanus and harpist Anastasia Jellison, performing both with the choir and on their own as a harp and cello duo.

We are indeed excited by the dawning horizons for music at St. Stephen’s, and we hope you will join us for these special events!

Tickets for these events will be available at ststephensRVA.org/ concerts.

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ReWork Richmond reports impressive results ReWork Richmond, the workforce development program that came about through a partnership among St. Stephen’s Church, St. Peter’s in Church Hill, the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building, and Challenge Discovery Projects, continues to help families rise out of poverty.

By Deb Lawrence

Our mission is to empower underemployed adults living in Richmond’s East End by helping them obtain the skills and support needed to qualify for, and ultimately gain, thriving living-wage careers.

Born of the capital campaign that St. Stephen’s conducted as part of its centennial observance, the organization takes a unique approach to employment. ReWork provides support and job sourcing to create lasting career opportunities, as opposed to entry-level jobs. The program is structured to provide a comprehensive array of personal support and employment referral services tailored to meet the individual goals of each ReWork member (not client or participant).

With continuing financial support from St. Stephen’s and other invested community partners, ReWork Richmond is making a difference in the lives of East End adults and families. New members are being enrolled each month and we are pleased to report that members are making great progress on their path to meaningful, family-sustaining careers.

MEMBER DATA AND RESULTS

With our annual report just in, our performance data from the past year is most encouraging and demonstrates the effectiveness of this program, along with the ability to measure the success of each member. Using a proprietary numeric value Stability Measure tool to capture metrics for each member, we are able to evaluate the progress members are making along their individual pathways towards meaningful employment.

In the past year, there has been a cumulative 45 percent advancement in the areas of employment, income, education, housing, childcare and transportation for all members who have been enrolled with ReWork for at least one year. Career placement for members, a key indicator of our effectiveness, has reached an important milestone as our relationships with Richmond employers are strong. These employers have a passion for our mission and are matching our members with open positions within their organizations.

NEW STAFF MEMBER

While we were sad to say goodbye to Diana Vasquez, who had been with ReWork since the beginning and who left us to take a 16

Car donations make a big difference.

job in Washington, D.C., we are thrilled that Janette McGrady accepted the position of member and partner services manager, joining the staff in late June. Janette had been with the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building, one of our community partners, and has over 20 years of experience in workforce development. Janette has been able to “hit the ground running” and is already an integral part of our team and working closely with our members.

DONATED CARS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Reliable transportation is a major necessity for being successfully employed. ReWork’s “Wheels for Work” initiative helps members secure affordable transportation to travel safely to their places of employment. Donated vehicles have made a profound difference to many of our members, and are an important support for their rise out of poverty.

Member Allen S. was taking two buses, then walking two miles to reach his job each morning at a local freight transportation company, repeating the routine at the end of the workday.

When a donated car became available, and Allen was able to “purchase” the vehicle at a greatly reduced cost, his life changed.

Not only does he have reliable transportation to his workplace, but he is able to spend more time at home in the morning and evening with his two children, getting them ready for school and helping with homework.

Member Kimberley J. had been paying $400 a month to a company that provided transportation to and from daycare for her two children. Without access to a vehicle, she also had been limited to working from home. With a ReWork donated car, Kimberley is able to take her children to daycare and she now has a better paying job outside of her home, has increased her monthly income, and is on a path to a family-sustaining career.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you have a vehicle you no longer need, please consider donating it to ReWork. We’ll make it easy by helping you continued on next page SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Golf tournament tees up additional support for outreach Annual fundraiser takes place Thursday, October 13 GOOD TO KNOW

Thursday, October 13 at Belmont Golf Course, 1600 Hilliard Rd. 1:00 p.m.–Registration; snacks available 1:00-2:00 p.m.—optional putting contest 2:00 p.m.–Shotgun Start, Captain’s Choice Brief reception follows the tournament; cash bar

Bridget Ganske

Registration fees Single player, $125 Foursome, $400

For many years, St. Stephen’s has hosted a golf tournament in the fall to provide an afternoon of fun and fellowship while raising funds for outreach above what is allocated by the vestry from your annual pledges.

Like so many things, the golf outing took a break during the pandemic in 2020, but as an outdoor event, it was back in 2021.

This year’s tournament will be different in a few ways, but the two most important things about it—having fun and raising funds—remain the same.

An added event takes place from 1 to 2 p.m.: an optional putting contest.

Registration fees remain at $125 for individual players or $400 for a foursome.

You can register on your own and we’ll put you with three other players, or you can gather a foursome yourself.

There are several sponsorship opportunities for those who’d like to support outreach ministries in this way. These are available to individuals, businesses, and organizations.

This year’s outing will take place on Thursday, October 13, in a new location, Belmont Golf Course on Hilliard Road. Players will enjoy 12 holes of golf on a beautifully refurbished course.

Like everything at St. Stephen’s Church, the golf outing is open to everyone, not just to parishioners. (Sometimes people come to play golf with us and decide to join the church!) So spread the word to family, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

While box lunches will not be part of the day this year, snacks will be available during registration, and the event begins an hour later than it has in the past since folks will eat lunch before they come. The awards reception that takes place at the conclusion of the day will feature a cash bar.

Register no later than October 1 at ststephensRVA.org/golf. If you prefer the analog approach, pick up a brochure (or several) at the outreach table in the parish house. It’s located near the office and Palmer Hall, directly across from the elevator.

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Sponsorships available Tournament Sponsor, $2500 Welcome Cart Sponsor, $1000 Awards Reception Sponsor, $1000 Halfway House Sponsor, $1000 The Ringer Sponsor, $500 Hole Sponsor, $100 Register by October 1 at ststephensRVA. org/golf or pick up a brochure/ registration form at the outreach table in the parish house.

Questions: Nancy Thompson, Outreach Committee Chair, ntpaperplus@ comcast.net ReWork, continued from page 16 determine the vehicle’s value and its tax deduction status, evaluating its roadworthiness, and transferring the title. We’ll pick up the vehicle and even introduce you to the ReWork member who will be putting it to good use. Contact Mark Murphy, markmurphydmm@gmail.com or 203.249.2164.

We also seek committed volunteers to provide career and financial coaching, to assist with resume writing and interview skills, or to connect us to potential employer partners. To explore how your generosity and skills can help, contact me at deb.lawrence@reworkrichmond.org or 804.869.3704.

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‘The Bash’ features music, fun, food and fellowship!

Friday, September 23, 2022, from 5 to 8 p.m.

For many years, St. Stephen’s Bluegrass Bash provided fun for the entire family—and the entire community—with live music, food and drink, and activities for kids. This year, we’ll bring back this wonderful, laid-back evening, which also raises funds for outreach ministries. It will be a wonderful kick-off for a new program year and a way to welcome people to St. Stephen’s Church who may not be part of this parish.

There will be some changes from previous events, including branching out a bit with the music which will be more eclectic than in the past. So we’ve renamed the event “The Bash.”

This year’s music is by the Bart Chucker Band, playing a variety of genres—Americana, rock, pop, from the Rolling Stones to Johnny Cash to Prince! The group performs across the state and often appear at River City Roll, the Irish Festival, and University of Richmond events.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 3-12, or $50 for a family; children under 3 get in free. Tickets are available at ststephensRVA.org/bash and include admission, music, and activities. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks offering a variety of choices, as well as beverage vendors (wine, beer, water, soft drinks). Some of these include Carytown Burgers and Fries, DeVoeDid (traditional southern cuisine) and the Gratefull Grill (specialty grilled cheese sandwiches). King of Pops (specialty popsicles) will also be there. We’ll have wine for sale, and Taps to Go will sell beer. IDs will be checked!

Holiday markets feature local artisans and craft vendors The Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s will host two Christkindlmarkets for holiday shopping and cheer. We did this for the first time last year, and the two markets were a tremendous hit. Not only do they provide a pleasant way to shop for the holidays, but they offer an important outlet for local artists.

Please invite friends, neighbors, relatives and colleagues. The more, the merrier. This is for the entire community!

Inspired by the Christmas markets in German town squares, these holiday craft markets feature familiar artisans from our weekly farmers market, as well as craft vendors from the wider community. You can expect a variety of jewelry, pottery, fine art, fiber arts, and more. The markets will be in the parking lot, so bundle up and come sip some cider and enjoy holiday shopping with your friends and family.

Volunteers are needed, adults and youth. Please contact Carrie Marshall, crmfam@yahoo.com, to offer your help.

NOVEMBER 30 AND DECEMBER 7, 4:306:30 P.M.

You’ll be able to park free on the streets around St. Stephen’s and in a portion of the parking lot, but it’s a good idea to carpool if you can, or to walk if you live nearby.

Kids will be able to enjoy a bounce house, along with other activities and games. No coolers are permitted, but lawn chairs, blankets and dancin’ shoes are encouraged.

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Christkindlmarkets return

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Security at St. Stephen’s Church Staff and vestry consult with security experts St. Stephen’s Church is known for being an open, welcoming parish. Almost every door to the parish house and church are unlocked early in the morning and remain open well into the evening as people attend small groups, classes, 12-step meetings, special events, worship services, and to visit our café. Parishioners, staff, and visitors appreciate the accessibility of our facilities.

By Larry Bidwell

At the same time, the painful reality is that recent events around our country and the world, including gun violence in houses of worship, call for a reevaluation of our security. St. Stephen’s is committed to retaining its hospitable environment while taking steps to make all here feel safe. We are taking steps to provide a safer environment for all, based on staff and vestry consultation with security experts.

First, we have two fully-trained plainclothes security officers present at all Sunday services. Both officers are in constant radio communication with each other and our facilities staff, who are also equipped with radios.

Second, our facilities staff undertake hourly walks around the perimeter of the parish property and throughout the interior, monitoring activity and looking for anything that appears out of the ordinary.

Third, we have begun a “rolling” door-locking program. As activities in the building slow throughout the day into evening, our facilities staff are locking less-used entrances.

On weekdays, we’re asking visitors, including groups who use our space for meetings, to stop by the church office when they enter so we can have a good idea of how many people are here at any one time.

We are implementing an emergency response plan with procedures for a wide array of situations. We will train staff on this plan which includes CPR and defibrillator training. We will also train ushers and other volunteers.

In addition, we are introducing a new system of locks on the church doors to allow for an unobtrusive “lockdown” of the church and parish house in the rare event of an incident occurring outside our buildings. (People inside will be able to exit if they wish, but no one will be able to enter.) This will allow parishioners and clergy to continue a service without interruption while ensuring everyone’s safety. We are considering installing exterior security cameras, as well.

With our security consultants we will continue to adapt our plans as seems prudent. We want all to feel—and to be—safe while they are at St. Stephen’s Church.

Larry Bidwell is the facilities manager for St. Stephen’s Church.

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So-called heat islands in our region are concentrated in areas populated by the poor and people of color, correlating to redlined neighborhoods.

Climate change and race What does climate change have to do with race? Why do many people talk about “climate justice”? Learn more about how these issues are related in an upcoming discussion to be hosted by St. Stephen’s environmental stewardship ministry on Thursday, September 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Large Fellowship Hall.

Titled “Race, Heat, and Climate Change in Richmond,” this will be a public conversation between Jeremy Hoffman and Amy Wentz. Dr. Hoffman is the chief climate scientist at the Science Museum of Virginia, and Ms. Wentz is co-founder and co-director of Southside Releaf. They will discuss the ways that urban heat, climate change, and racial inequality are connected in our city.

Dr. Hoffman is the author of a scientific paper demonstrating correlations between urban “heat islands” and redlined neighborhoods in Richmond which has received widespread media coverage— including by the New York Times—and which has been emulated in other cities.

Ms. Wentz’s non-profit has used Dr. Hoffman’s research to help guide efforts to restore tree canopy in Richmond’s South Side.

A link to Dr. Hoffman’s research is at ststephensRVA.org/creationcare.

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Do you want to lend a hand?

Some outreach and volunteer opportunities for fall and beyond While our care for people who need our help is a year-round ministry, some aspects of our outreach ministries gear up with a new program year. And after so many fits and starts during the pandemic, some things are re-starting after a pause, while others are being reimagined. If you would like to give of your time to support outreach ministries and partners (while you get to know other parishioners), here are some ways to do that.

HELPING HANDS: CARITAS is a local organization that works

with people experiencing homelessness. Some parishioners will remember hosting individuals and families in our parish house for a week each year, but that model has changed. With “Helping Hands,” St. Stephen’s will send volunteers into CARITAS shelters for three consecutive 4-hour shifts on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Duties are simple but vital to the shelter staff, such as covering the shelter desk for short periods and supporting staff at meal times. Interested volunteers will watch a video in advance, then attend training, tour shelter spaces and review the shelter volunteer handbook. Contact St. Stephen’s parishioner Betsy Fauntleroy at emfauntleroy813@gmail.com to learn more or to sign up.

FAIRFIELD COURT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Our relationship

with Fairfield School is a long-standing one, and our volunteers have missed being able to serve in person during the pandemic.

This fall, the school will welcome one-on-one lunchtime reading buddies and mentors to begin in late September to early October. Volunteer orientation dates began in August, but more are available in September and at least one in October.

This orientation is required of all new volunteers as well as any returning volunteers who have not taken the orientation before.

When you use this link, you’ll see an orange button for selecting an orientation date: tiny-url.com/Fairfield-Orientation. All volunteers are required to fill in an online form for a background check. For more information, please contact Linda Carpenter, lkc9350@aol.com.

GLEANING AT THE FARMERS MARKET: Each Saturday at the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s, volunteers collect fresh produce, eggs, baked goods and other items from generous market vendors who donate their unsold products to our food pantry. On Mondays, patrons of our pantry are able to select not only canned and boxed food, but fresh items made possible by these donations.

Would you like to be a volunteer gleaner on Saturdays? It doesn’t take long. You simply make the rounds toward the end of the market and transport the food to the pantry in the parish house.

You do not have to volunteer every week. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Anna Jones, the market manager, at ajones@ststephensRVA.org.

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St. Stephen’s volunteers at Fairfield Elementary School.

FRUIT MINISTRY: The oldest food ministry at St. Stephen’s Church is our fruit ministry. Each week volunteers distribute fresh fruit (donated by you!) to residents of Gilpin Court. Through this ministry, our neighbors in Gilpin Court, who need fresh, healthy food just as we do, can have access to it. The fruit delivery comes with a brief visit and a friendly greeting for folks who can be lonely and isolated.

Will you help? The group meets on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. at St. Stephen’s to sort and package fruit. Around 10:00 a.m., they head to their destination to distribute the bags. They return to St. Stephen’s between 11:45 a.m. and noon. Please contact Janie Satterfield at jhsatterfield@comcast.net to learn more about this important ministry and to sign up.

REWORK RICHMOND: This employment initiative founded by St.

Stephen’s and other partners has recently moved from its original location in St. Peter’s Church to its own offices just a few blocks away at 2123 Fairmount Avenue. The new location provides space for members to use resources and gather for meetings, and also has room to bring in interested community neighbors and prospective supporters to learn more about the program and the needs of its members. ReWork wants to show off the new office and can use our help providing hospitality for visitors there. Additional details are available on a flyer at the outreach table near the parish office and the elevator; if you are interested, please contact Nancy Thompson, ntpaperplus@comcast.net.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS: As you can read elsewhere in this

edition, our two fall outreach fundraisers, The Bash and the golf tournament, will take place in September and October. The planners would love to have additional volunteers.

• The Bash, Friday, September 23, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.; contact: Carrie Marshall, crmfam@yahoo.com • Golf, Thursday, October 13, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. to help register players; contact: Nancy Thompson, ntpaperplus@ comcast.net SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

Pantry’s ‘choice’ model provides a measure of dignity Our practice is becoming a national trend

By Anna Jones not required to show ID or proof of income. All are welcome, no questions asked. In operating this way, we are doing something special: offering a choice of great bounty to all.

Our client choice model, adopted here several years ago, is now part of a larger trend of food pantries across the country who are switching to this approach for a more dignified and helpful food pantry experience.

St. Stephen’s food pantry, our free grocery store, operates on a “choice” model. This means that the patrons who shop here do indeed shop. Instead of being handed a bag of pre-selected groceries which they may or may not like or be able to eat, our patrons walk through the pantry and choose the food that they want, category by category. A patron might choose green beans and beets from the vegetable section, a box of spaghetti from the grains section, and so on. Then, the patron can take as much free produce donated by our market vendors as they like. Our shoppers fill out minimal paperwork and are

LATER THIS FALL We will pack hundreds of “turkey boxes” for East End families at Thanksgiving this year. These boxes contain everything needed for a Thanksgiving meal: turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, and more. As we did last year, we will include some fresh produce instead of relying solely on canned and boxed foods. Start dreaming of the perfect Thanksgiving meal now, and keep an eye out for specific dates and volunteer needs later in the fall. We’ll announce these in the Spirit (the weekly printed newsletter handed out on Sundays) and the eSpirit (the weekly email newsletter sent on Thursdays).

Anna Jones is manager of the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s and assistant director of outreach for the parish.

Finding different ways to serve

Wonderful Wednesdays are back

Are you looking for ways to get more involved at St. Stephen’s Church through volunteer activities? We’ve expanded the list of these opportunities posted on our Web site, and placed that list in an easierto-find location. Go to the Ministries tab at the top of the home page; the first item in the dropdown menu is Serving at St. Stephen’s. Or use the shortcut ststephensRVA.org/serving.

Wednesdays are about to get wonderful again.

You’ll find a wide range of ways to serve others: in outreach in Richmond and beyond, in worship, in the kitchen, in ministries for children and youth, in the May Fair House, at the farmers market, and more.

Mid-week offerings will look more like ‘pre-pandemic times’

Before the pandemic made gathering in large groups indoors risky, many St. Stephen’s parishioners gathered on Wednesdays for choir rehearsals, Evensong, supper, and small groups and classes.

Gradually we’ve introduced some elements of that pattern—we began holding mid-week suppers again in early 2022, and many Emmaus groups resumed—but this fall, we are excited that Wednesdays will begin to look much more like they once did.

One reason is that choirs for children and youth are returning and their rehearsals will take place on Wednesdays. It took awhile for this age cohort to be eligible to receive COVID vaccines, and once they did, we still did not have sufficient music staff to offer choirs for these ages—until now, with the arrival of Diana Chou. (See articles on pages 12 and 13.)

Also, on the first Wednesday of the month, we’ll have choral Evensong featuring one of these choirs. Evensong will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Wonderful Wednesdays suppers will be served in the Large Fellowship Hall from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Claire Hackley will coordinate the volunteers who prepare, serve, and clean up.

Wednesdays will also offer Emmaus groups, other small groups, and classes.

We hope you and your family will find this a wonderful time of fellowship with one another and with other parishioners. And at least one night of the week, you won’t have to plan and prepare supper or do the dishes!

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Sarah Bartenstein

Solar array on the roof of St. Stephen’s parish house

Creation care: a matter of faith On September 1, 2021, just before the United Nations Climate Change Conference negotiations, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Pope Francis, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Orthodox Church issued an unprecedented joint statement on climate change. In it, they call on everyone—

By Barry O’Keefe from government and religious leaders to ordinary folks—to act courageously in the face of a mounting climate crisis. In the statement they weave together many different scriptural references; one in particular resonated for me: “choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

My wife and I have two young children, and for me the joy of welcoming each was accompanied by the deep sorrow of understanding that they will live in a world transformed by climate change. According to a recent study, children born in 2020, like my daughter, will experience approximately seven times more extreme weather events due to climate change than people born in 1960. The IPCC, an international organization representing a consensus of hundreds of leading scientists, predicts sea levels will rise a full 12 inches regardless of emissions reductions by 2100, radically changing densely populated coastlines around the world. The effects of climate change touch every facet of our lives.

My grief for my children called me into action. My path into action was not easy or brief, and it began with a lot of inner work.

Eventually I joined and helped form some new climate organizations in the city. I organized and attended demonstrations, often with my little ones, and helped draft new legislation. Over time, I have tried to better integrate my spiritual life and my ecological work.

Last year, I began a term on the Creation Care Task Force of the Diocese of Virginia. In December 2021, we authored a Climate Emergency Resolution which was adopted by the 22

annual convention of our diocese. This resolution follows the lead of the Church of England in committing our diocese to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2045. Also last year, I began working with fellow parishioner Sue Wootton to help re-start the environmental stewardship ministry here at St. Stephen’s. St. Stephen’s is already doing some amazing work to create a more sustainable world, through our rooftop solar array, energy efficiency improvements, compostable materials in the café, and our farmers market. I’m excited to see how St. Stephen’s can lead and assist other congregations in their journeys towards net-zero, and be a model for the world of how to rise to the challenge of our times joyfully and courageously.

This spring, St. Stephen’s environmental stewardship ministry hosted a screening as part of the Richmond Environmental Film Festival. We were expecting perhaps 30 attendees, but were surprised by a crowd of more than 70. The film, 2040, was scripted as a letter from a father to his four-year-old daughter.

He imagined a world, 18 years in the future, where we have used the best climate solutions we have today, heeded the warnings of scientists and spiritual leaders, and reduced emissions to near zero.

I was there at the screening, with my four-year-old boy. It is strange to reflect: it was the first feature length film he had ever seen. I wonder, 20 years down the road, what it will be like to talk about it with him. Will this film be an image of the world we did, in fact, work to build? Can we rise to the challenge of climate change? I believe that we are all called to walk this question, together.

Christians around the world observe the “Season of Creation,” September 1 through the Feast Day of St. Francis on October 4, as a time for renewing, repairing and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of God’s creation. The Episcopal Church joins this international effort for prayer and action.

To see the documents and data referenced in this reflection, visit our Web site at ststephensRVA.org/creationcare.

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

A familiar face will coordinate Wednesday suppers Claire Hackley has been the Sunday supper chef for the past year

Many St. Stephen’s parishioners know Claire Hackley, who joined the staff of the Café @ St. Stephen’s as a barista soon after it opened, and worked there until last July when she began preparing Sunday Community Suppers each week.

Beginning this fall, Claire also will coordinate the mid-week suppers we offer during the program (academic) year, called Wonderful Wednesdays. Stan Barnett, our former director of kitchen ministries, traditionally planned those meals and led the team of volunteers who prepared them; as announced in early summer, that position has been eliminated as a cost-cutting measure. We’re glad that Claire is available to step in on Wednesdays as well as Sundays to keep these weekly opportunities for fellowship available.

Environmental book group resumes in September St. Stephen’s environmental stewardship group will resume its book club on Monday, September 26, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Facilitated

by Sue Wootton, this group reads and discusses books that relate to environmental issues. The book they’ll discuss is The Cosmic Pilgrim: A Spiritual Explanation of the New Story of Religion & Science, by Margaret McIntyre.

The Cosmic Pilgrim is an introduction to the world of eco-theology, based on the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

Visit our Web site, ststephensRVA.org/ creationcare, for a list of recommended books related to creation care and faith, whether you wish to read some of them on your own, or take part in the group.

If you have questions, please be in touch with Sue at swootton@outlook.com.

“I’m excited to be doing more in the kitchen here,” Claire says. “I enjoy working with the community at St. Stephen’s.”

“I love to get people excited about food, teaching, and explaining processes in the kitchen, so that they are accessible to everyone. You don’t need to be a chef or follow a recipe to make a great meal, and enjoy doing it.”

This “everyone can help” approach, along with Claire’s concern about wasting food, go hand in hand with her belief that “there are so many ways to take a mistake or leftover ingredient and give it a yummy new life.”

Claire is the back of house manager and lead baker at WPA Bakery, which will not be surprising to those who’ve enjoyed her baked goods at the Sunday Community Supper or in the café. When she’s not working, she enjoys gardening, tending to her 100-plus-collection of houseplants (she calls it her “in-home jungle”) as well as “spending time with my amazing dog and cats, making jewelry and other creations in my small in home studio.” Claire graduated from VCU Arts in 2010.

Are you interested in helping with weekly suppers, either Sundays or Wednesdays or both? Get in touch with Claire, who says, “Anyone can lend a hand!” Send her an email, hackleycalo18@gmail.com.

Photo by Sarah Bartenstein

Photo of Pierre de Teilhard Chardin: public domain

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The Women of St. Stephen’s A new program year for a storied group

By Marilyn Kirkpatrick & Clarice Dibble

Living God, long ago, faithful women proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, and the world was changed forever. Teach us to keep faith with them, that our witness may be as bold, our love as deep, and our faith as true. Amen.

When St. Stephen’s Church was founded in 1911, women could not be ordained in the Episcopal Church, nor serve on vestries.

Women found other avenues to make significant contributions to the life of the Episcopal Church, including outreach and overseas mission work, from the Women’s Auxiliary to the United Thank Offering.

In 1934, three groups of women here at St. Stephen’s—the Ladies Guild, the Woman’s Auxiliary and a Junior Auxiliary to the Episcopal Church’s Board of Missions— merged under one umbrella, adopting the name “the Women of St. Stephen’s.”

Mrs. Lewis Williams was elected president and nine “circles” formed, each with its own leader. One of those circles, Circle 1, remained active until 2020.

From the beginning, the Women of St. Stephen’s have been a source of tireless energy, answering a call for help wherever there was a need. In 1926, they presented $1,000 to the building fund for a new church building, and pledged to raise $1,000 annually until the indebtedness of the church was retired. The kitchen in today’s parish house was also funded by this group with a pledge of $100,000 over a fiveyear period.

Over the years, May Fair House—the shop run by the Women of St. Stephen’s—has become a source of crucial funding for organizations, ministries, and agencies that support vulnerable women and children.

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During a mission trip, Hope for Humanity founder Jennifer Ernst builds friendships with southern Sudanese children.

Every year, a grants committee disburses a total of $30,000 to $50,000 to these ministries. The Women of St. Stephen’s also make annual donations to selected ministries of the Diocese of Virginia and gifts to the Books of Remembrance in honor of deceased women of the parish.

Throughout the year, we strive to be a source of spiritual strength for St. Stephen’s Church, providing fellowship, education, and outreach opportunities.

Our programs highlight topics important to us including grant recipients, Advent music, and a morning at Roslyn, the Episcopal conference and retreat center on River Road.

Please join us when our new program year begins October 4, and thereafter on the first Tuesday of the month.

The October program will focus on one of our grant receipients, Hope and Resurrection Secondary School. This ministry of Hope for Humanity (an organization begun here in Richmond

by Jennifer Ernst) provides a high quality education to South Sudanese youth in Atiaba, South Sudan. Graduates are among the most educated people in their country. In addition to preparing students academically, the school prepares students to become leaders and advocates for peace and reconciliation in South Sudan.

Hope for Humanity’s executive director, Suzanne Hicks, will be our speaker.

An annual brochure is mailed to women in the parish age 25 and up; if you don’t receive yours, or you want an extra one to share with a friend, visit Information Central, the large table near the parish house office.

Looking ahead, make a note on your calendar that the annual Ladies Night Out will take place April 18, 2023 with Heath Hardage Lee, a St. Stephen’s parishioner, as speaker. Her book League of Wives tells the remarkable story of a group of women working to get their husbands released from POW camps during the Vietnam War, against all odds. The book has been optioned by actress and producer Reese Witherspoon. Information about tickets will be available closer to the event.

But first: visit us in the May Fair House when it reopens on Tuesday, September 13 at 10 a.m.!

Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Clarice Dibble are co-chairs of the Women of St. Stephen’s.

Prayer reprinted from a gathering of the Episcopal Church Women of the lower Cape Fear Deanery in the Diocese of East Carolina, at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, N.C. May 23, 2017.

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

The work of the people Would you like to serve in the liturgy as a reader or a chalice bearer?

Liturgy is the work of the people. On Sunday morning and Sunday evening people from the congregation come forward to read the lesson appointed for the day and to lead the community in intercessory prayers.

They represent the whole community of God’s people proclaiming holy words and offering sacred prayers.

This is an important ministry. Would you like to serve in this way? Readers/intercessors serve once every 6 or 8 weeks. They receive the reading and prayers mid-week so that they are comfortable on Sunday morning.

In addition, we train all readers/intercessors before we ask them to serve. If you would like to be part of this ministry or have questions about it, please contact me at cmerritt@ststephensrva.org. Reader training is being held Sunday, August 28, at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday, September 25, at 12:30 p.m. You may attend either session; you do not need to attend both. Daniel Mullery will be our lay trainer.

By the Rev. Claudia Merritt

Earlier this year we were glad to return to offering wine as part of our celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Not only is this part of our ancient tradition, but wine is a symbol of joy. When Jesus performed his first miracle at Cana turning water into wine, he brought joy to the people present. His gift continues for us.

Now that we’ve returned to Communion with both bread and wine, we are seeking additional people to serve as chalice bearers. If you feel the Spirit nudging you to this ministry, please contact me at cmerritt@ststephensRVA.org. We will train you, obtain a license for you from the Diocese of Virginia, and then schedule you for morning services or the Celtic service. Training will be offered Sunday, August 28 at 12:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 10 at 12:30 p.m.; both sessions will be held in the church. Lay eucharistic ministers find that their ministry deepens their connection with Christ and their fellow parishioners.

Farewell to Stan

In June, St. Stephen’s Church said farewell to Stan Barnett, who for 11 years had overseen meals and receptions at St. Stephen’s, and supervised the volunteers who prepare food to sell in the May Fair House, the food and gift shop run by the Women of St. Stephen’s. He also served as manager of the Café @ St. Stephen’s for a season, introducing policies and practices that put this ministry on more solid footing.

In all this, Stan drew on his considerable experience as a professional caterer and his love for the church.

Regrettably, Stan’s position on the church staff was eliminated as a cost-cutting measure. We will miss Stan’s expertise and dedication and his daily presence in the office and kitchen. We’ve all appreciated the elegant, delicious food Stan has prepared for the Angels, Art and A Cappella outreach fundraisers, receptions honoring our bishops and confirmands, community speakers and concerts, and other occasions.

We value Stan’s contributions to our common life and wish that our current budgetary challenges had not made this action necessary. We are grateful that he will not be a stranger: you will likely see him at receptions or other events as a caterer.

Wonderful Wednesdays suppers, the Sunday Community Suppers, May Fair House cook teams, and other food and hospitality ministries will continue thanks to dedicated volunteers. Both weekly suppers will be coordinated by Claire Hackley on a part-time basis. Claire, who has worked in our café and in the kitchen side by side with Stan, will rely on volunteers to make these important offerings happen.

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Regular worship schedule On Sunday, September 11, we resume the regular worship schedule.

The Sunday Forum resumes September 18. The family ministry team will hold an open house that day to introduce plans for children and youth for the coming year.

8 a.m.: Holy Eucharist: Rite One* 9 a.m.: Holy Eucharist: Rite Two+ (in the main church* and in Palmer Hall) 10:10 a.m.: Sunday Forum and formation for children and youth+ (September 18) 11:15 a.m.: Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*+ 5:30 p.m.: Celtic Evensong and Communion*+ 8:00 p.m.: Sung Compline* *Available via livestream +Child care available for ages 4 and under Livestreamed services are available on our website, on YouTube, and on Facebook.

Go to ststephensRVA.org/thissunday for links.

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Help us stay in touch Dillon Gwaltney

A simple way to make sure our membership database has your most current information So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. –ROMANS 12:5 Kitty Ball (left), Michelle Carter (right)

All are welcome at St. Stephen’s Church and invited to participate fully in the life of this community through worship, study, small groups, volunteer opportunities and so much more. Whether you are a member here or belong to another parish, are coming from another faith tradition, or

By Mary Feldman you aren’t affiliated with any church at all, we hope that you fully experience the presence of God through your involvement here and that you are strengthened to share this experience with all whom you encounter in your daily life.

While membership is certainly not a prerequisite for you to experience the richness of worship at St. Stephen’s nor to participate in our many offerings, we encourage you to join. Membership fosters a sense of belonging, of fellowship and of community. If you are here and have not let us know you’d like to be a member, we encourage you to consider it. The benefits of making yourself known to the staff include the following.

• Our clergy and staff are able to know you better, to welcome you and to minister to you. This is especially important during a time of crisis. The clergy, staff and members of the community want to be there for you during difficult times, to attend to your spiritual needs and the needs of your family.

• Knowing who our members are helps parish leaders plan well. Understanding the number of people we serve helps us plan worship, programs, and allocate resources wisely.

• Membership helps you stay connected with your parish and helps your parish stay connected with you. Providing your contact information is important so that you receive timely updates via email, postal mail, phone calls, etc.

• Membership helps us keep track of your financial contributions so that we can keep you informed for tax purposes.

• Members are able to use parish facilities for weddings, funerals and other occasions.

To our registered members, please take a few moments to update the information we have for you. Help us ensure that the membership records of all in your household are accurate by taking a few minutes to complete a membership update, ststephensRVA.org/ member-update. We will make the appropriate changes and ask that you submit this form any time there is a change to your family status or contact information, such as: • Following a life event: marriage, divorce, blended families, births, adult children establishing their own household, a death in the family.

• A change of phone number; for example, you move, or you disconnect a landline to use a mobile phone exclusively.

• A move to new home.

• A change of email address (as could happen, for example, if you use a work email address and your employment status changes).

Whether you are an official member or not, we are grateful that St. Stephen’s is a step on your spiritual journey. Thank you for enriching the lives of all whom you meet along the way through your faithful witness to God’s presence.

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Front office changes Michelle Carter, who joined the staff in March on a part-time basis, has been promoted to the role of ministry coordinator, a full-time position, in which she is carrying out many of the duties formerly assigned to Liz Bartenstein, who left over the summer. Michelle and Liz worked closely to ensure a smooth transition.

Michelle is an honors graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and has considerable administrative and communications experience, ranging from paralegal work to advertising sales.

Since she arrived in the front office, Michelle has not only been performing administrative duties and assisting parishioners in person and on the phone, but she has also helped keep the Web site up to date and assisted with email newsletters and other tasks. She is also now the primary staff member for Ministry Scheduler, the program we use for coordinating volunteers who serve in our Sunday services.

Kitty Ball has joined our front office team to fill Michelle’s former part-time role. Kitty is a native Richmonder and proud graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.

She has a background in events and legal marketing. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., you’ll see Kitty at the desk that used to be occupied by Michelle. Welcome, Kitty!

SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT

A ST. STEPHEN’S SUMMER Over the summer, St. Stephen’s parishioners took part in a variety of activities, from a family-friendly film series to Vacation Bible School, a week-long icon workshop to the parish weekend at Shrine Mont. These offerings were popular before the pandemic, and it was a joy to return to them this summer.

Top and middle left: Shrine Mont photos by Kim Schmidt; middle right and bottom left: Vacation Bible School by Sarah Bartenstein; bottom right, icon workshop by Briget Ganske

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SPIRIT

Presorted First Class Mail U.S. Postage PA I D Richmond, VA Permit No. 320

PEN TECOST 2 | FALL 2 022 I s s u e N u m b e r 44

ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 6000 Grove Avenue l Richmond, Virginia 23226 ststephensRVA.org

Parish Staff To reach a staff member, call 804.288.2867 or send an email using the initial and name provided in parentheses, with @ststephensRVA.org.

The Rev. Cate Anthony (canthony), Associate Priest Kitty Ball (kball), Administrative Assistant Sarah R. Bartenstein (sbartenstein), Director of Communication Larry Bidwell (lbidwell), Facilities Manager Michelle Carter (mcarter), Ministry Coordinator Omar Catedral (ocatedral), Sexton Diana Chou (dchou), Associate Director of Music Chris Edwards (cedwards), Director, St. Stephen’s Choir Mary Feldman (mfeldman), Executive Assistant to the Rector and Vicar Dillon Gwaltney (dgwaltney), Communications Associate/Video Producer Claire Hackley (chackley), Church Supper Coordinator Chris Holman (cholman), Sexton The Rev. John Jenkins (jjenkins), Associate Priest Anna F. Jones, (ajones), Farmers Market Manager & Assistant Director of Outreach Mike Koschak (mkoschak), Interim Executive Director of Church Operations The Rev. Claudia W. Merritt (cmerritt), Assisting Priest for Pastoral Care Caroline Moses (cmoses), Accounting Manager The Rev. John Rohrs (jrohrs), Rector The Rev. William L. Sachs (bsachs) Assisting Priest The Rev. William S. Stanley (wstanley), Vicar Brent te Velde (btevelde), Director of Music Betsy Tyson (btyson), Chaplain to Palmer Hall Ethan B. White (ewhite), Assistant for Family Ministry Our Missionaries Heidi Schmidt Monica Vega

Bill Armstrong Alison Fauls Barbara Massey, register Benita Miller Blair Nelsen Jim Price

St. Stephen’s needlepoint guild is happy to report that the kneeler project for the front of the nave (the pews in the forward part of the church) is nearing completion. Donors have given a total of 50 kneelers dedicated to loved ones. Each kneeler is hand-stitched by the donor or a volunteer stitcher, and many of are now completed and installed. We have 17 kneelers to go to complete the project. Each kneeler has a scripture verse and related images. If you prefer, you may order one customized with a scripture verse that has special meaning for you.

On Sunday, October 16, at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services, we will bless the completed kneelers and acknowledge all the generous donors and dedicated volunteers who have helped us bring this special beauty to our church. Visit ststephensRVA.org/needlepoint for more information about this project and how you can take part.

GOOD TO KNOW

Members of this guild meet each Friday morning in the parish house to stitch together. Everyone is welcome!

You do not need to be working on a St. Stephen’s project to come to this session, and you do not have to come every week. In addition to the fellowship, you can ask for coaching from the experienced members of the group.

EPISCO-VOCAB

Vestry Serving until 2/2023

Needlepoint kneeler project progressing

Serving until 2/2024 Richard Hamrick, senior warden David Hodge Anne McElroy Penn Rogers, treasurer Martha Sherman Nancy Thompson

Serving until 2/2025 Steven Dalle Mura Jeff Johnson Andy Luke, junior warden Brenda McDowell Anne Pinion Whitney van der Hyde

The nave is the main part of the church, where most of the pews are located, on either side of the center aisle. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd is located nearest the parish house; it has the mosaic behind the altar. The Chapel of the Holy Spirit is located nearest Grove Avenue. The chancel is the area where the choir and other worship leaders are during the worship service. The sanctuary is the area where the main altar is positioned, inside the Communion rail.