Seasons of the Spirit Issue 48

S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H

S U MM E R 2 02 4

MINISTRY

U P D A T E

YOUR GIFTS AT WORK

Dear Friends, I hope you enjoy this mid-year ministry update, highlighting the breadth and depth of our shared life at St. Stephen’s Church. It’s been a full year already and we’re only halfway through 2024! In the last few months, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood, welcomed Bishop Mark Stevenson as we confirmed or received nearly 60 parishioners, and wrapped up a very successful first year with Dogwood Preschool on campus.

By the time you read this, our choirs will be nearing departure for their choral pilgrimage in England, and we’ll be in the midst of launching a beautiful and accessible new website.

Looking ahead, we are busy planning an exciting fall schedule of programs and events for all ages.

This publication—which complements our fuller Seasons of the Spirit magazine—is designed to convey a snapshot of the vast mission and ministry taking place within and beyond our church walls. Your financial support and hands-on participation make this possible and have a sizeable impact on our congregation and community. Thank you!

Faithfully,

The Rev. John D. Rohrs

SO FAR IN 2024:

41 46 7 4 21 53 have been baptized

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youth and adults have been have reaffirmed have been received in the their baptismal confirmed Episcopal Church vows

have been buried

have joined St. Stephen’s

S E A S O N S O F T H E S P I R I T M I N I S T R Y U P D AT E

W O R S H I P ,

I N

P E R S O N

A N D

O N L I N E

In-person attendance at St. Stephen’s Church So far in 2024, our Average Sunday Attendance (in-person) is

824.

Our in-person attendance for Easter Day 2024 was

2124.

Sundays on Grove

Reels on Instagram and Facebook

Last fall we launched a weekly feature

Each week we post reels featuring excerpts from sermons and

called “Sundays on Grove,” a brief video

reflections delivered during Sunday worship. These clips are designed to

preview of coming events. We post it on

engage viewers in our social media feeds and encourage them to go to

social media channels and link it in the

our website to watch the entire message. So far in 2024, the average

eSpirit each Thursday.

number of views is

Sundays On Grove

61

weekly viewers (average) Since September 2023 launch

795 per reel.

Average Sunday online viewership so far for

Highest total streaming days:

357 up from 350

Christmas Eve 2023:

in 2023

1,264

2024:

925

Easter Day 2024:

Livestream viewership numbers represent the number of devices viewing a service (computer, laptop, tablet, phone, etc.); in many cases it’s likely that more than one person is watching.

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3

F O R M A T I O N

A N D

F E L L O W S H I P

Small groups During the 2023-24 program year:

35 small groups met.

18 groups were new 238+ people participated in small groups.

350+ hours

Participants spent meeting in small groups

Dogwood Preschool The Parish Retreat at Shrine Mont June 2024

85 total: 16 children and youth 69 adults and young adults

The first year for Dogwood Preschool in residence at St. Stephen’s Church was a tremendous blessing! We are thrilled to have this excellent school on our campus, and to have young children and their families here on weekdays and for special events during the school year. At least seven families who are members of St. Stephen’s Church have children enrolled, the Dogwood staff includes three parishioners, and three parishioners serve as substitutes.

Number of children enrolled so far for 2024-25:

4

103

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Children’s Ministry In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, our formation program for children from preschool through grade 5, about

65 children took part in 2023-24.

50

More than children from age 3 through grade 5 took place in the Live Nativity in December, joined by several four-legged friends.

2,000

44

There are children registered for Vacation Bible School, taking place in July 2024.

The average Sunday attendance for the Palmer Hall service for families . with young children is

100

Easter eggs were Over donated and hidden for the Easter Egg Hunt in March 2024. The eggs were hidden throughout the grounds on the Grove Avenue side of the church and on the playground. We don’t know how many were collected— keep your eyes peeled!

Youth Ministry Acolytes

Youth Ushers

Acolytes are young people in grades 9 through 12 who serve during worship services, processing the cross, torches, the Gospel book, and sometimes a banner and flags. Acolytes also serve the intinction (dipping) cup during Holy Communion.

Young people in grades 6 through 8 serve as ushers during the 9 a.m. service in the main church during the program (academic) year. They welcome people to the service, hand out bulletins, and collect the offering. During the program year

8

There were acolyte teams during the academic year 202324, each with 6 to 8 members Two teams serve each Sunday, one at the 9 a.m. service and one at the 11:15 a.m. service.

30

About young people serve as acolytes at our 10 a.m. summer Sunday service.

Acolytes also serve at special services during Holy Week, at Christmas, and at other times.

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which concluded in May,

24 youth served in this role.

Youth Confirmation During the May 5, 2024 visit by the Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson,

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our diocesan bishop, he confirmed youth. These young people had been prepared for Confirmation over the course of the academic year using My Faith, My Life, a book by Jenifer Gamber, and with guidance by Caroline Harris, our youth ministry coordinator; our clergy; and adult mentors.

Their preparation concluded with a retreat at Richmond Hill.

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O U T R E A C H Outreach and mission work continues to rebound, evolve, and grow after so many of our regular projects and partnerships had to pause or be reduced during the pandemic.

Food insecurity: feeding those in need

So far this year,

60 people have

served in our food ministry.

Other outreach service includes

People served by our grocery store/ pantry so far this year:

About

20 parishioners serving in the 2024

for

558 visits

152 unique households

Rebuilding Together Richmond Day About

25 parishioners serve with our East

End partners

St. Stephen’s/Feed More / DoorDash partnership:

217 households have

received grocery deliveries over the past two years.

We're Number 1

In June 2024, Style Weekly announced that the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s tied for first place in their annual poll of the Best of Richmond.

Average weekly attendance so far in 2024:

506 February: 566 March: 592 April: 775 May: 832 January:

Total number of vendors: Volunteers:

6

68

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The life-changing impact of ReWork Richmond This unique initiative was founded by St. Stephen’s and St. Peter’s Episcopal churches, the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building, and Challenge Discovery Projects and continues to be St. Stephen’s most significant investment of outreach funding. Parishioners and leaders of St. Stephen’s centennial capital campaign wanted to establish a major outreach project using a tithe of the funds raised during the campaign. After extensive research and discernment, as well as collaboration with St. Peter’s Church in the East End and other partners, we invested in an innovative model for supporting East End adults in finding and qualifying for family-sustaining careers. Unlike many programs that place adults in hourly, low-wage jobs with little if any opportunity for growth and advancement—with inadequate income that perpetuates a cycle of poverty and dependency—ReWork helps 'members' (not clients) discern career paths that suit their gifts and interests, and offer potential for growth; helps them obtain education or training to qualify; and assists them in overcoming obstacles to success, such as providing donated vehicles so they have reliable transportation to and from work.

These methods are truly lifechanging. As ReWork celebrates its fifth anniversary: The number of “members” enrolled since ReWork’s inception in 2019

83

The percentage of members who are employed

98

The percentage of members who are advancing on the City of Richmond’s “Crisis to Thriving” continuum

91

The number of community and employer partners

50+

Fundraising for outreach Parishioners and staff organized events to raise funding for outreach above what is in the annual budget.

The annual golf tournament raised

$16,014

Gumbo for Good raised

Outreach grants The vestry approved a total of in grants recommended by the outreach grants committee for:

$125,000

• Anna Julia Cooper School • Area Congregations Together in Service • CARITAS

• Challenge Discovery Projects • Communities in Schools • CrossOver Healthcare Ministry • Dogwood Preschool • Full Circle Grief Center • Greater Richmond SCAN • Health Brigade • Housing Families First • LighthouseRVA

$3,817 • Pace Center • Peter Paul • Rebuilding Together Richmond • Rx Partnership • Shalom Farms • St. John’s Church Foundation • The Healing Place • Urban Hope • Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care • Virginia Supportive Housing

Women of St. Stephen’s Grants The Women of St. Stephen’s award grants using the proceeds from the May Fair House as well as donations and proceeds from trips and tours sponsored by the group. Grants made . in 2023-24 totaled Grant applications for the coming year are due August 22.

$26,000

• Caring Closet • Childhood Language Center • CrossOver Healthcare Ministry • Forward Foundation • Full Circle Grief Center • Habitat for Humanity Unity Build • Little Hands RVA • Peter Paul RVA • ReEstablish Richmond • Richmond Behavioral Health

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• SCAN • Shalom Farms • Sheltering Arms Foundation • St. Andrew’s School • The Doorways • The Healing Place • The READ Center • YWCA’s Sprout School • St. Stephen’s Food Pantry • St. Stephen’s Fruit Ministry 7

MUSIC It has been a rich year for music ministry at St. Stephen’s Church. We have hosted several exquisite concerts featuring our own singers and instrumentalists, as well as musicians from the larger community and beyond.

Many special events, including concerts, a chili cookoff, limeade sales at the farmers market, and more, have helped the St. Stephen’s Choir and the St. Stephen’s Choristers raise funds to help with their pilgrimage to sing in several churches and cathedrals in Southwest England in July 2024. This joint venture with the choir of River Road Church, Baptist, also included a trip up I-95 to lead Evensong at Washington National Cathedral, where they sang several pieces they will perform in England.

The parish has also been able to hear many of these pieces during several services of Choral Eucharist on special occasions and a service of Lessons and Carols for the Feast of the Epiphany.

Sanctuary, our Compline choir, continues to sing Compline on Sunday nights, drawing people—including many young adults—from throughout the area.

In May, junior choristers received their cottas (the white garment that goes over their red robe), a symbol of their commitment and progress as members of this ensemble. Senior members of the group received service medals. All are participating in the Voices for Life curriculum of the Royal School of Church Music.

Attendance at concerts held at St. Stephen’s Church during the 2023-24 program year just concluded

1235

12

St. Stephen’s Choristers membership

Participants from St. Stephen’s choirs (parish choir and choristers) participating in the joint pilgrimage to southwest England in late July 2024

36

Amount raised through concerts and other fundraisers to support the choir pilgrimage

$70,866

Pastoral Care Since January 2024 Home communion visits: 30 Home visits by lay pastoral visitors:

108

MINISTRY UPDATE l Issue Number 48 ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 6000 Grove Avenue l Richmond, Virginia 23226 ststephensRVA.org

Young adult offerings

30

regular participants

Newcomer Receptions

83

attendees

Ministry Update is compiled and edited by Sarah Bartenstein; graphic design by Steven Longstaff; photos by Sarah Bartenstein, Dillon Gwaltney, and Kim Schmidt; cover photo of Easter Day in Palmer Hall by Kim Schmidt.