Love to sing? Ever thought about joining the choir? The music staff is offering an opportunity to sit in on an informal rehearsal with the St. Stephen’s Choir TONIGHT! Interested parishioners are invited to join current St. Stephen’s Choir members to sing through some hymns and anthems in the church at 7:30 p.m. A welcome reception will be offered at 7:00 before rehearsal begins. Please email Brent te Velde, Chris Edwards, or Diana Chou if you would like to sign up or to get more information.

St. Stephen’s currently offers two choral opportunities for singers to participate in worship. The Hymn Choir sings once a month for the 9:00 a.m. Sunday service, helping lead the congregation in the singing of hymns and service music. There is no weekly rehearsal for the Hymn Choir—just a run-through of the music 45 minutes prior to the service. This ensemble is a great option for those who love to sing but prefer not to commit to a weekly rehearsal and service schedule.

The St. Stephen’s Choir sings each week for either the 9:00 or 11:15 a.m. service on Sunday mornings during the program year, and the 10:00 a.m. service during the summer. The choir rehearses weekly on Thursday evenings, 7:30-9:15 p.m., September through May. Singers who are interested in joining the St. Stephen’s Choir will be asked to complete a brief audition to provide a sense of voice type and range, music reading skills, etc. While prior choral experience and ability to read music are not absolute musts, both are very helpful in being able to keep up with the pace of rehearsals for this choir.

Both the Hymn Choir and St. Stephen's Choir welcome adults of all ages and young men with changed voices.

Each year, the day we transition from the summer schedule to a new program year is a time of celebration, when we see friends we may not have seen during the summer months when so many of us are traveling.

This year it will be an especially exciting day because we will welcome the Rev. John Rohrs (pictured) as our ninth rector, hear him preach for the first time, and meet his family!

Refreshments will be served between the 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services. Make plans to stay (if you worship at 9) or come early (if you worship at 11:15), to enjoy fellowship, food, and meet the Rohrs. (We'll return to the more traditional pattern of a reception after the 11:15 a.m. service on September 18.)

Later that day, the Sunday Community Supper will be even more festive than usual, with games, food trucks and an ice cream truck, and fellowship outside the café from 6 to 8 p.m.

The following Sunday, September 18, John will speak in the Sunday Forum at 10:10 a.m.; our family ministry team will host an open house to introduce parents and their children (young and older) to plans for the coming program year.

LET US KNOW YOUR PLANS FOR SEPTEMBER 11. The reception and the food truck are both free, but we are trying to get a head count for our planning. Please let us know on this simple form if you think you will be here for either (or both) of these celebrations.

During the pandemic, we paused choirs for children and youth with the hope that vaccinations for all ages would be available sooner rather than later. We are thrilled to be able to resume offering opportunities for children and youth to participate in music-making at St. Stephen’s this fall. Two new choirs, open to all genders, will begin this fall and will sing in both Palmer Hall and the main church.

St. Stephen’s Choristers is for grades 5-12, while the St. Stephen’s Junior Choristers is for grades 1-4. Both choirs will use the Voice for Life curriculum from the Royal School of Church Music. This is a graded approach to not only train excellent musicianship, but to also foster leadership skills and spiritual formation.

If you have a child who is interested in joining one of these choirs, please come to an information session for interested choristers and parents on Wednesday, September 7 at 5 p.m. in the choir room (Room 18 on the top floor of the parish house). Brent te Velde and Diana Chou will share details about the chorister program, rehearsals, scheduling, and opportunities for parent volunteers. This will be a great opportunity for us to answer any questions you may have and for us to get to know one another. We're looking forward to sharing some exciting plans for the coming years!

On Friday, September 23, 5-8 p.m., we’re bringing back the Bash (the event formerly known as the Bluegrass Bash). Our last Bash was in September 2019 and we are delighted to bring back this family-friendly, community-wide offering. While it won’t be strictly Bluegrass as it was in the past, we’re excited to have the Bart Chucker Band, who plays everything from Prince to Johnny Cash!

In addition to great music (and dancing for any who wish to partake) and activities for kids (including a bounce house!), we’ll have food trucks, beer, wine, soft drinks and water. You may bring lawn chairs, but no coolers, please.

Tickets are now available! Reserve yours today, and tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers--remember that all proceeds support outreach. Tickets cover admission, music, and games. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Remember, this is a fundraiser for outreach!

Can you serve as a volunteer? Contact Carrie Marshall by email or phone, 804.787.4456.

Also returning, in a new location, is St. Stephen’s Golf Tournament, another outreach fundraiser. The golf tournament will take place at Belmont Golf Course on Thursday, October 13.

You can support this outreach fundraiser by

During the 10 a.m. service on this Sunday and September 4, children are invited to follow members of our family ministry team to Palmer Hall just after the reading of the Gospel for a time of wondering about the Scripture they’ve just heard, and saying prayers for themselves and one another. All will return to the main church after the Peace.

The 9 a.m. service that takes place in Palmer Hall during the academic year will resume on September 11. This service is planned especially for children and young families.

St. Stephen's offers a breadth of opportunities for families, children and youth to grow in faith through formation and ministry. We know that parents have a mountain of forms to complete for children and teens, so we have consolidated registration for all children and youth formation and ministries to just ONE form!

Revisit the recent Family Ministry Newsletter or visit our Family Ministry webpage to learn about all the formation and ministry opportunities before registering. The pages include complete calendars for the 2022-2023 program year.

We are very excited and look forward to hearing from you. If you have questions about ministries with families and children, please contact Betsy Tyson. If you have questions about youth ministry, please contact the Rev. John Jenkins.

Healing prayer has been an important offering during our Sunday evening service of Celtic Evensong and Communion for many years. When COVID numbers rose in recent months, we paused this practice because it requires people to be in close proximity to one another. We are happy to say that we will resume offering healing prayer during the Celtic service beginning Sunday, September 4.

What does climate change have to do with race? Why do many people talk about “climate justice”? Learn more about how these issues are related in an upcoming discussion to be hosted by St. Stephen’s environmental stewardship ministry on Thursday, September 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Large Fellowship Hall. Titled “Race, Heat, and Climate Change in Richmond,” this will be a public conversation between Jeremy Hoffman and Amy Wentz. Dr. Hoffman is the chief climate scientist at the Science Museum of Virginia, and Ms. Wentz is co-founder and co-director of Southside Releaf. They will discuss the ways that urban heat, climate change, and racial inequality are connected in our city.

Dr. Hoffman is the author of a scientific paper demonstrating correlations between urban heat islands and redlined neighborhoods in Richmond which has received widespread media coverage—including by the New York Times—and which has been emulated in other cities. Ms. Wentz’s non-profit has used Dr. Hoffman’s research to help guide efforts to restore tree canopy in Richmond’s South Side. A link to Dr. Hoffman’s research is available on our website.

St. Stephen’s continues to seek community understanding and action regarding systemic racism and injustice. In partnership with the Diocese of Virginia and Dr. J. Lee Hill, the diocese's Missioner for Racial Justice and Healing, we invite you to participate in Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race and Faith.

Many members of our community have participated in this program here at St. Stephen's. Earlier this year, we partnered with the wider diocesan community to continue this important work. Folks from across the diocese will gather for online conversation groups to explore the stories of Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian Pacific Americans as their histories intersect with European American history. Diocesan groups meet online for 10 sessions and begin the week of September 11. These groups are especially suited for those who have not participated in a group yet, but anyone can join regardless of previous experience with the course. Questions about the program? Contact the Rev. Cate Anthony. To register for a diocesan Sacred Ground group, use this form.

Are you seeking a deeper connection within the St. Stephen’s community? Consider an Emmaus Group! Emmaus Groups are small groups of 6-12 parishioners who meet weekly for 90 minutes. Each group has one or two leaders who have received training in facilitating small groups, and the core of the gatherings is attentiveness to the spiritual growth of participants. The groups meet for ten-week covenant periods, one in the fall, winter and spring. Participants may join a group at the beginning of a covenant period or drop out at the end of a covenant period.

The fall covenant period begins the week of September 25. If you are interested, please complete this form no later than September 12. If you have any questions, please email the Rev. Cate Anthony.

There are no church membership requirements or qualifications to participate in the course. Those who are considering or who will participate in one of the initiation rites should participate in all sessions. The classes are based on Jenifer Gamber’s Your Faith, Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church.

Visit our website to:

What is a good person? For Christians the issue is important, but it has been distorted. Are we mired in sin and desperately needing to be saved? Does being good mean following the rules, and being punished if we break one? The Christian faith takes a different course to being good, as the Rev. Bill Sachs will explain in these sessions. Using several biblical and early Christian figures, then working our way to the present, we will discuss a few key figures who have struggled to be good and to leave the world a better place. Join us, and consider what it means to be a good person. Read more and sign up here.

Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans is a series of essays about faith and doubt, seeking and certainty. It is for people who believe deeply in their connection with God as well as those who believe with their fingers crossed. Evans grew up in the Baptist tradition, and eventually found her way to the Episcopal Church; this book is in part about the path she took. Before her untimely death in 2019, she was recognized as a leader in current Christian thought. The author of several books, a blogger, and a guest on television and radio talk shows has much to say to us in the 21st century as we explore our faith. Join the Rev. Claudia Merritt for this group. Sign up here.

Join the Rev. Cate Anthony and parishioners on Thursdays at 10 a.m. beginning September 15 and continuing through November 17. This fall, we will take a deep dive into Paul’s Letter to the Romans. The longest of all the New Testament epistles, Romans contains many famous quotations and the New Testament’s most developed theology of salvation. Together we will examine what occasion Paul wrote to the Romans, what he seeks to say to them, and what this means in the context of Jewish-Gentile relations at the time. All are welcome; no previous experience needed. Feel free to drop in at any time; commitment to the whole fall is not necessary. Questions? Contact the Rev. Cate Anthony.

Our environmental stewardship ministry has a book group whose members read books focusing on spirituality and creation care. Their next book selection is The Cosmic Pilgrim: A Spiritual Explanation of the New Story of Religion & Science, by Margaret McIntyre. This book draws on the vision of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the French Jesuit, theologian, and scientist. Contact Sue Wootton for more information, and please join us!

Beginning this week, our video ministry will offer the sermon from the previous week's morning service, and the reflection from the most recent Celtic service, on our Web site and in the eSpirit. We'll continue to post videos of the most recent services on our site, but we hope you'll find the clips of the sermons to be useful in revisiting and sharing these portions of the services.

The top window is Will Stanley preaching at the 10 a.m. service on August 21. The bottom window is Michael Sweeney giving the reflection at our Celtic serve the same day. Beginning next week, you'll find the windows at the bottom of each edition of the eSpirit.

These videos will also be archived on our website:

The parish office will close at 1 p.m. on Friday, September 2, and be closed Monday, September 5, in observance of Labor Day. This means there will be no Morning Prayer on September 5. The farmers market WILL take place on September 3, and services on Sunday, September 4 will follow the summer worship schedule before changing on September 11.

St. Stephen's Church is seeking a part-time, hourly kitchen supervisor for May Fair House cook teams. Do you know someone with relevant experience who is ServSafe certified and who might be qualified for this position? Please share this job description with them, and ask them to email a resume and cover letter to Mike Koschak, interim executive director of church operations.

In this large faith community, some of us come to church on Sunday and receive Communion while some of us aren’t able to do that. Yet Jesus invites all of us to receive the Sacrament whether in church or at home. In the past it has been our custom to include people at home by taking Communion to them immediately following the Sunday service. Lay eucharistic visitors carry the Sacrament from the church to people unable to attend so that all are included. We have resumed this practice and would love to know if you would like to

receive the Sacrament, or know someone who would.

Please email Claudia Merritt or call the church office, 804.288.2867, and let us know which Sunday is most convenient for you.

Pamela James, DMA, of Westover Hills Music is pleased to offer weekly music classes at St. Stephen’s beginning next month. Musikgarten incorporates elements of the Montessori school and a grounding in research of childhood development to explore music with our youngest children through movement and rhythm. Piano classes are available for two age ranges, exploring keyboard skills in a relaxed environment.

Commonwealth Music Therapy is excited to offer group music therapy for people with disabilities, age 12 through 22. Sessions will focus on social skill building as well as self- expression. The theme will be music from the movies! Each session will be 45 minutes long and take place weekly with a finale concert on December 6. For further information, please email Miriam Smith.

As we’ve said throughout this time of transition in parish leadership, it’s more important than ever that parish staff and leaders be able to communicate with parishioners. This not only means that we hope you’re reading the eSpirit, the Spirit, and our quarterly magazine Seasons of the Spirit, but that we have the most up-to-date contact information for you.

Using this form, you can send us your current information so that we can compare it to our parish records and make any needed corrections or updates.

Earlier this summer we asked for new volunteers to help set up for the Sunday evening service earlier this summer, and we received a wonderful response. Since then, some long-time volunteers have decided to step back for a season, and we are again in need of a few new team members.

If you would like to serve or you're simply curious about this opportunity, please contact Marty McIntosh.

During the summer, many of us spend time away from home. For some it might be a week or two; for others it might be the entire summer! Whatever your summer plans, please be sure to make arrangements to keep your pledge current. This might mean paying it in advance before you leave town; setting up payments through your bank’s online billpay platform; scheduling automatic payments using a debit or credit card; or setting yourself weekly or monthly reminders to mail checks to St. Stephen’s at 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23226. Whatever the case, please remember that the church’s expenses do not take a summer break. When pledge payments slow at this time of year, we often must use a line of credit to continue to keep current on power bills, payroll, and other recurring expenses. Help your church avoid accruing interest on this line of credit by keeping up with your pledge. Thank you!

If you have questions about your pledge, please contact Caroline Moses in the parish office via email or by phone, 804.288.2867.

8 a.m.--Holy Eucharist: Rite One

10 a.m.--Holy Eucharist: Rite Two* +

5:30 p.m.--Celtic service* +

6:30 p.m.--Sunday Community Supper (outdoors, weather permitting)+

8 p.m.--Compline*

*Livestreamed

+Nursery available for ages 4 and under

8 a.m.--Holy Eucharist: Rite One*

9 a.m.--Holy Eucharist: Rite Two in Palmer Hall and the main church*+

11:15 a.m.--Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*+

5:30 p.m.--Celtic service* +

6:30 p.m.--Sunday Community Supper (outdoors, weather permitting)+

8 p.m.--Compline*

*Livestreamed

+Nursery available for ages 4 and under

The Sunday Forum will resume September 18, and there will be an open house that day during the education hour for children, youth and parents.

Thank you for your continuing generosity in keeping our food pantry stocked! As you shop this week, please consider purchasing the following: