Worship

Dear Beloved Community,

This Sunday, October 31st at 10 am, we will gather for Reformation Sunday worship in our sanctuary.  Wear something Red to signify the celebration of God’s Spirit renewing the church in every age!

All Saints Memorial Service – Sat. Nov.6 at 11 am in the sanctuary.  We will gather publicly as a church family to honor and commend to God those whom we lost during the pandemic-restricted time, that we were not able to gather for at church. These saints include: Edna Lindquist, Ron Buswell, Jean Calvert, Jean Petersen, Al Mitchell, Delores Price and anyone else you would like to include. Please contact Pastor Jim if someone is not listed here.

Dear Beloved Community,

This Sunday, October 24th at 10 am, we will gather for worship in our sanctuary for the foreseeable future.

We will dedicate our new signs and banners as we proclaim our more public witness that we are a “Reconciling In Christ” congregation. Please refer to the statement on the back of every bulletin and in each newsletter for more understanding about what this means. We are making our statement more visible to our community so that folks who have been excluded and persecuted by the Christian Church over the centuries, will know that this is a church that welcomes them as God has created them.

Gathering in-person in our worship space is a joyous occasion for sure! But the risks of the pandemic are lingering as we head into the Fall and Winter, so we are taking precautions  described in further detail below.

Dear Beloved Community,

This Sunday, October 17th at 10 am, we will gather for worship in our sanctuary for the foreseeable future. It has been so wonderful to be back together again and share God’s Spirit and worship in-person!

Gathering in-person in our worship space is a joyous occasion for sure! But the risks of the pandemic are lingering as we head into the Fall and Winter, so we are taking precautions  described in further detail below.

We will focus on the intriguing “hard sayings of Jesus” in the Gospel of Mark, as Jesus employs hyperbole and exaggeration to help people see that God’s ways of lifting up the “little ones” (those most vulnerable) are of ultimate importance for human community.

This time we are challenged to understand “Greatness” in God’s terms as lived out in Jesus Christ, as opposed to any human ruler or way of empire. We will be challenged to ask ourselves, “What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?”

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

This Sunday, October 10th at 10 am, we will gather for worship back in our sanctuary for the foreseeable future. It has been so wonderful to be back together again and share God’s Spirit and worship in-person.  We will focus on the intriguing “hard sayings of Jesus” in the Gospel of Mark, as Jesus employs hyperbole and exaggeration to help people see that God’s ways of lifting up the “little ones” (those most vulnerable) are of ultimate importance for human community. This time we are challenged to use wealth solely for the purpose of sharing it.

There is always a Children’s Church / Sunday School program planned during worship. It is held in the Family Room adjacent to the sanctuary beginning right before the scripture readings and ending after the offering. We LOVE having children and all that brings as part of worship! Thanks to Polly Cappelloni and Leslie Lapp for leading this ministry.