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 have been baptized 46 youth and adults have been confirmed
7 have been received in the Episcopal Church
4 have reaffirmed their baptismal vows
2 1 have been buried
53 have joined St. Stephen’s
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
Last fall we launched a weekly feature called “Sundays on Grove,” a brief video preview of coming events. We post it on social media channels and link it in the eSpirit each Thursday.
Sundays On Grove 61
weekly viewers (average)
Since September 2023 launch
Reels on Instagram and Facebook
Each week we post reels featuring excerpts from sermons and reflections delivered during Sunday worship These clips are designed to engage viewers in our social media feeds and encourage them to go to our website to watch the entire message So far in 2024, the average number of views is 795 per reel.
Average Sunday online viewership so far for 2024: 357 up from 350 in 2023
Highest total streaming days: Christmas Eve 2023: 925
Easter Day 2024: 1,264
Small groups
During the 2023-24 program year:
35 small groups met
18 groups were new
238+ people participated in small groups
Participants spent 350+ hours meeting in small groups
Dogwood Preschool
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: 103
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
There are 44 children registered for Vacation Bible School, taking place in July 2024
More than 50 children from age 3 through grade 5 took place in the Live Nativity in December, joined by several four-legged friends
The average Sunday attendance for the Palmer Hall service for families with young children is 100
Over 2,000 Easter eggs were 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!
Acolytes
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
There were 8 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
About 30 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
Youth Ushers
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 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, our diocesan bishop, he confirmed 34 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
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
Other outreach service includes
About 20 parishioners serving in the 2024 Rebuilding Together Richmond Day
About 25 parishioners serve with our East End partners
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:
January: 506
February: 566
March: 592
April: 775
May: 832
Total number of vendors: 68
Volunteers: 30
So far this year, 60 people have served in our food ministry.
People served by our grocery store/ pantry so far this year: 558 visits for 152 unique households
St Stephen’s/Feed More / DoorDash partnership: 217 households have received grocery deliveries over the past two years
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
Fundraising
These methods are truly lifechanging As ReWork celebrates its fifth anniversar y: 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+
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 $3,817
Outreach grants
The vestry approved a total of $125,000 in grants recommended by the outreach grants committee for:
• 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
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 $26,000 Grant applications for the coming year are due August 22
• 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
• 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
• 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
