MINISTRY UPDATE
YOUR GIFTS AT WORK
SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH SUMMER 2023
Dear Friends,
I am excited to introduce the inaugural edition of a publication highlighting the fruit of your gifts in our community and beyond. Graphics, data, photos and short descriptions show the breadth of our parish activity within and beyond St. Stephen’s campus. This edition focuses primarily on outreach, formation, and worship. Future issues will include other ministries. Your financial support and hands-on engagement make all of it possible; collectively these ministries make a sizeable impact in our community. Thank you!
This publication is designed to complement the fuller Seasons of the Spirit magazine we’ve been sending quarterly for many years. We’ll continue to publish the magazine twice a year, with longer features and reflective pieces about the life of faith and the life of our parish. Each of these publications will also be available on our website. Please let us know what you think as we explore this new pattern of print and digital publications in the Seasons of the Spirit family, and many thanks to Sarah Bartenstein, our communications director, for her great work launching this new offering!
Faithfully,
The Rev. John D. Rohrs, Rector
SO FAR IN 2023:
25 Baptisms 25 Confirmations 5 Marriages and blessings
21 Funerals
42 Transfers in
22 Transfers out
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT MINISTRY UPDATE 2
St. Stephen’s Church has something happening seven days a week, from classes and groups for adults to offerings for young people; from choir rehearsals to food pantry distribution, from service in our café to the Saturday farmers market. But the main event is worship, when parishioners, visitors, and spiritual seekers come to worship God and to be reminded of God’s blessings.
SO FAR IN 2023, our Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) at worship services is 716 in-person; 366 virtually = 1,082 Total
Easter Day 2023 attendance: 1,868 in-person; 1,115 virtually = 2,983 Total
Total Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Day) attendance: 3,438 in-person; 2,095 virtually = 5,533 Total
Reels on Instagram and Facebook
Each week we post reels featuring excerpts from the sermon and/or reflection given during the previous Sunday ’s services. Each week these reels average 750 views.
Average Sunday viewership so far for 2023: 350 up from 308 in 2022
Average viewership for the Compline livestream has more than doubled so far this year from 2022
Highest total streaming days: Christmas Eve 2022: 1,007
Easter Day 2023: 1,115
SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH SUMMER 2023 3
WORSHIP , IN PERSON AND ONLINE
DOGWOOD PRESCHOOL
We are thrilled that Dogwood Preschool will take up residence at St. Stephen’s Church this summer in the space formerly occupied by St. Stephen’s Preschool. Many things about Dogwood will seem familiar, including some of the school’s staff members and the overall philosophy and approach to the development of young children.
School orientation for children and their parents begins September 5, 2023.
Director: Kate Batten
Questions: office@dogwoodpreschool.org; 804.665.4902 Visit dogwoodpreschool.org for an application and other details.
As of July 1:
Children enrolled for this fall: 95 Staff: 21
St. Stephen’s families represented: 11
Number of people registered for the annual icon writing workshop led by Suzanne Schleck at St. Stephen’s Church: 25
Number of people on the waiting list: 22 Number of days it took for the workshop to fill up: one
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT MINISTRY UPDATE 4
St. Stephen’s Church provides a wealth of opportunities for people of all ages to learn, grow, and connect with one another and with God, from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Vacation Bible School for our youngest parishioners to retreats, groups, and classes for adults, youth, and families. This fall, our offerings will include Dogwood Preschool.
FORMATION FOR ALL AGES
Over the recently-concluded program year, attendance at the Palmer Hall service increased from about 40 each Sunday to 90 to 100 each Sunday.
The Palmer Hall service takes place from September through May at 9 a.m. in the chapel that served as St. Stephen’s original church building. The liturgy is based on Holy Eucharist: Rite Two from the Book of Common Prayer, and is designed to be especially welcoming to families with young children, using music, a reflection is accessible to all ages (rather than a more traditional sermon), young acolytes, and other elements. The Rev. Cate Anthony, associate rector, and the Rev. Abby Kocher, director of children’s ministry, plan the service. The celebrant is usually Cate or the Rev. John Rohrs.
The parish weekend at Shrine Mont had 66 participants in June 2023. This year the all-ages weekend was led by the Rev. John Rohrs and the Rev. Cate Anthony.
During the 2022-2023 program year, around 30 young adults have consistently and meaningfully engaged with peers through small groups and fellowship.
Vacation Bible School 2023 had 40 children enrolled and 45 youth and adult volunteers.
More than 50 adults took part in one of two inquirers classes offered by the clergy in the 2022-23 program year.
SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH SUMMER 2023 5
On Sunday, May 21, 2023, the Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith visited St. Stephen’s Church to preach and celebrate Holy Eucharist at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services. At 11:15, he also confirmed, received or reaffirmed young people and adults. Bishop Smith is an assisting bishop in our diocese, and is the retired bishop of Southwest Florida. The joyful service was followed by an outdoor reception in honor of the confirmands and the bishop.
Outreach: We're involved!
Volunteers working with the annual Rebuilding
Together Richmond day in April 2023: 20
Volunteers working with our food ministries in 2022-23: 54
*Fairfield Court Elementary School, Anna Julia Cooper School, Peter Paul. We have additional volunteers for specific projects such as the Christmas Shop, Thanksgiving food parcels, etc.
Outreach fundraisers
In addition to outreach funds provided through the parish budget, and the funds from our capital campaign that support ReWork Richmond, we hold special outreach fundraisers. Last fall, we raised $15,000 through our golf tournament and $4,000 through the Bash. In the early spring, we raised $3,500 through our “Gumbo for Good” project.
The golf tournament is our most successful outreach fundraiser by far, and we will hold it again on October 4, 2023
People volunteering regularly with our East End partners: 45*
People served by our pantry so far this year: 482 visits representing 109 unique households; and since last August, through a partnership with FeedMore and Door Dash, we have delivered groceries to 74 people.
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT MINISTRY UPDATE 6
THE FOOD MINISTRY CYCLE
SUNDAY
Canned and boxed food, as well as apples, oranges and bananas donated by parishioners throughout the week, are presented at the altar during worship services.
A Sunday Community Supper is offered to all—parishioners, those attending our evening services, members of the community—for donations as they are able. Those who are not able to make a donation are welcome to enjoy the meal as our guests.
MONDAY TUESDAY-FRIDAY SATURDAY
Volunteers sort the donations and place the canned and boxed items on the shelves in the food pantry
The fresh fruit (apples, bananas, oranges) is sorted by a different group of volunteers and delivered to residents of low-income housing communities.
Food pantry clients come to St. Stephen’s in the afternoon to select groceries
Outreach Grants
Each year, a grants subcommittee of the vestry’s outreach committee receives grant applications from numerous worthy organizations and ministries in our community. Subcommittee members review the grants and, in some cases, visit the applicants to learn more. They make recommendations to the vestry, which has the final say in which organizations receive funding.
These grants do not include the funds provided for international outreach (our missionaries in Argentina, Heidi Schmidt and Monica Vega), nor our significant annual support of ReWork Richmond, the employment initiative we founded with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Church Hill, the City of Richmond’s Office and Community Wealth Development, and Challenge Discovery Projects. Funds supporting ReWork come from money set aside during our centennial capital campaign for outreach.
Additional groceries are bagged and delivered to Virginia Supportive Housing, as well as to pantry clients who are not able to come to St. Stephen’s in person.
Parishioners bring food donations throughout the week.
During the last half hour of the farmers market each Saturday, volunteers go from vendor to vendor to collect food (fresh produce, meat and poultry, eggs, baked and prepared foods) that the vendors have not sold or which they have specifically set aside for us, and take it to the pantry for the Monday distribution.
Following is the list of recipients of local outreach grants in 2023. In addition to the funds they receive, many of the organizations listed also benefit from the service of St. Stephen’s parishioners as volunteers and board members.
Local outreach grant recipients
• ACTS (community-wide consortium of faith communities providing case management for those who need assistance with rent/housing, utilities, food, and other needs)
• Anna Julia Cooper School (independent school in Richmond’s East End founded in part by St. Stephen’s Church)
• CARITAS (housing)
• Challenge Discovery Projects
• ChildSavers
• Communities in Schools (our partner at Fairfield Court Elementary School)
• CrossOver Healthcare Ministry
• Full Circle (Grief Center)
• Greater Richmond SCAN (child abuse prevention)
• Healing Place
• Health Brigade
• Housing Families First
• Peter Paul
• Rebuilding Together Richmond (home repair)
• Shalom Farms (fresh produce for the food insecure)
• St. John’s Church Foundation (education program)
• Urban Hope
• Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care
• Virginia Supportive Housing
• Westminster-Canterbury (Fellowship Fund, to assist residents in financial need)
• Outreach Grants $105,500 funded by the parish budget through the vestry
• Outreach Discretionary Funds of $5,000 for needs that arise through the year
Total allotment from vestry $110,500
SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH SUMMER 2023 7
SPIRIT
SUMMER 2023
Issue Number 47
MINISTRY UPDATE
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
6000 Grove Avenue l Richmond, Virginia 23226 ststephensRVA.org
Farmers
Market continues to reach out to the community
Our farmers market is open Saturdays year-round. The late spring and summer months are the most popular because of the bounty of delicious fruits and vegetables available. Parishioners love the market and the wider community loves it, too–it's how many know about our church. And now, it’s accessible to even more people because we have completed the steps to permit the market and its food vendors to accept SNAP benefits for payment. Customers who receive SNAP bring their EBT cards to the welcome tent, decide how much they would like to spend at the market that day, scan their cards, and receive that amount in tokens. Customers can also receive SNAP matching funds for even more fresh produce. We are thrilled to make nutritious, local foods available to even more people.
Average weekly attendance at the farmers market so far in 2023:
January: 478
February: 544
March: 539
April: 729
May: 881
June: 1,002
Presorted First Class Mail U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 320
Ministry Update is compiled and edited by Sarah Bartenstein; graphic design by Steven Longstaff; photos by Sarah Bartenstein, Dillon Gwaltney, and Kim Schmidt
First Class Presorted U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 966 First Class Presorted U.S. Postage PAID Mail Call Direct First Class U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 966 First Class U.S. Postage PAID Mail Call Direct NonProfit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 966 NonProfit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mail Call Direct
