About Saint Stephen's

To invite and make disciples for Christ, and to build the body of Christ by faithfully living, teaching and serving in the power of His Word.

Rector's Corner

Love God. Love God’s people. And ALL people are God’s people.

There are many things that draw people to church. Some come to express their faith. Others come because they are unsure what to believe and are looking for more meaning in life. Still others come looking for friendship, for a chance to connect to a wider community. Some are also looking for an opportunity to serve those in need.

Whatever your reason, you’ll find a home here at St. Stephen’s. St. Stephen’s is the neighborhood church that holds you in its heart. At St. Stephen’s we honor you for who you are, just as you are. As I like to say, our goal is simple: we love God; we love God’s people, and ALL people are God’s people. We hope you can join us.

God bless you all!

Fr. Ernie +

Our Mission

"To invite and make disciples for Christ, and to build the body of Christ by faithfully living, teaching and serving in the power of His Word."

It is Our Call to Worship.

St. Stephen's is an inviting community where all of God's children, of all ages, are safe and welcome. We believe that children are more than merely the Church of tomorrow, but very much a full and important part of our church family today. Children of all ages are welcome in all services.

Sunday 8am - Holy Communion with traditional language (Rite I) and no music
Sunday 10am - Holy Communion with contemporary language (Rite II) and music
Sunday 10am - Sunday School Children attend Sunday School then join the congregation for Holy Communion.
Wednesday 12 Noon - Healing Service with Holy Communion, Anointing and Laying On of Hands.

It is our Commitment to provide for Spiritual growth and care.

We believe that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”

Having good, clean wholesome fun as a church family builds community and strength.

Regular Fellowship Activities Include:

12^th Night Party
Shrove Tuesday Dinner
Maundy Thursday Passover Dinner
Easter Egg Hunt
Spring Tea
Pentecost Potluck Picnic and Barbecue
4th of July Potluck Picnic and Barbecue
Blessing of the Animals Service (St. Francis' day)
Craft Fair
Ingathering Festive Meal (the Saturday before Thanksgiving)
Christmas Tea (the first Saturday in December)

It is our Passion to Serve.

Who We Are

St. Stephen's is a loyal and loving group of diverse people with a strong sense of togetherness and a desire to be faithful witnesses to Christ Jesus and seek God's will in all we do and say. By the Grace of God we will continue to share our mission with a growing community.

Stewardship Celebration

Stewardship is a grace. It is a gift from God. It is a gift that stirs us to give to others, to give of our energy, our skills, and our resources. Stewardship grows from a deep faith in God, a love for others and for the community as a whole. It goes to the very heart of what it means to be a Christian.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

Being a responsible Christian starts with putting our trust in God. When we do this, fear vanishes. When we do this, we find our freedom — the freedom to risk being the people we truly are, the people God made us to be; the freedom to love others; the freedom to give of ourselves without reservation.

Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me. Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV)

Everything is connected. We are all in this together. All people are God’s children. All life forms one biosphere. All that lives and breathes and has its being is from God and expresses God’s goodness. We humans were put on this earth to learn how to give and receive love and to glorify the Lord. We do this by caring for each other and especially for “the least among our brothers and sisters” (Matt. 25:46) as well as for the earth God gave to us, our island home. It is in this way that God’s will is done “on earth as it is in heaven.”

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23-24 (NIV)

We are a people of prayer. Remember, prayer does not change God — God knows our needs before we do — prayer changes us. When we open ourselves to God, giving voice to our deepest fears and hopes, then listening in reverent silence as God speaks to our hearts, we are transformed. We are blessed. Our will and God’s will become one.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:36―38 (NIV)

God’s grace is all about us. It is in the air we breathe, the people we meet, the ordinary tasks that fill our day. We live in a world of grace, a world of blessings — if only we are able to see it. To do so, we must let go of judgment. We must renounce condemnation. We must forgive and accept forgiveness. We must welcome all things that come our way. When we open ourselves to life in this way, we cannot even imagine the full measure of the blessings God has in store for us. Keep the river flowing!

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV)

By giving generously of your time, talent, and treasure to the work of the Lord in your daily lives, you will see blessings in your life beyond anything that you can imagine.

History

The first Episcopal services were held in Gilroy in 1867. St. Stephen's became a Mission of the Diocese in 1875 and a parish in 1948. The present church was built in 1967. We have been a parish in transition from a conservative charismatic emphasis during the period of Episcopal renewal in the 70's to an emerging mainline church with a diverse population today.

Church Description

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is located in a middle-income neighborhood, about one block from a main business street. The sanctuary is large, seating approximately 200 people. Stained glass windows surround the sanctuary with a large stained glass cross in the wall over the altar. We have a parish hall that accommodates about 150 people, several classrooms, a nursery room, and the Resource Center office. There is a central courtyard of grass and trees with play equipment for the children. The facilities are shared during the week with Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, TOPS, Kairos Prison Ministry, Classical Conversations Home Schooling Group, Suzuki Violins, Power of Women Embracing Recovery, and Diocesan Meetings.

Welcome to St. Stephen's Slide Show

Worship and Religious Education

We provide a Eucharistic community to worship God with two Sunday services (8 and 10 A.M.). Sunday School is conducted during the 10 A.M. service. Each Wednesday, at noon, there is a Liturgy of Healing with the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Holy Unction. We hope all parishioners will develop a passion to seek spiritual growth.

Spiritual Growth

To encourage spiritual growth we have a weekly Bible study on Wednesday mornings, a weekly gathering for Centering Prayer on Tuesday afternoons, and have an active Daughters of the King chapter. Together we develop a deeper understanding for how God is working in our lives.

Prayer

The parish is active in seeing to the needs of its members. St. Stephen's provides nurturing though prayer and caring. We have a prayer chain and Lay Eucharistic Ministers take communion to those who are unable to come to services.

Music

Music is a developing ministry at St. Stephen's. We also have a newly donated live sound system. All together with our organist and bell choir we are well equipped to see what God can do with our joyful noise.

Outreach

St. Stephen's also provides resources and assistance to those in need in our community, through our Resource Center. The Resource Center is open Thursdays and is staffed by volunteers. We support Compassion Center, St. Joseph's Family Center, Episcopal Relief and Development Agency, and The United Thank Offering.

We want all of God's children to feel welcome at St. Stephen's. The parish is composed of people from different social, economic, political and cultural backgrounds. And although we are a diverse community, we are strongly bound together by our faith. St. Stephen's is a church where we get out of our pews to spread the Peace with our neighbors. A defining characteristic of St. Stephen's is its sense of togetherness and commitment to the parish family.