Welcome
By:
Our Mission is to worship, love and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ, welcoming everyone, deepening our faith, helping our neighbors and caring for creation.
A Word of Welcome From Rev. Rilla:
Welcome to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, located in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. We are a congregation in the Diocese of Olympia, a member of the Episcopal Church in the United States and of the Anglican Communion.
St. Stephen’s is a small-but-growing, vibrant community of faithful people of all ages who live in many locations all over Whidbey Island. There is a decidedly strong direction in the ministries of the congregation toward outreach and of serving those most in need on North Whidbey Island and the world. Our worship is traditional and from the Book of Common Prayer. We have a lively Sunday School in which Godly Play is used, a spiritual way with children that invites inquiry as each child learns from scripture, tradition, and the liturgy. Nursery care is also available on Sunday mornings. An adult forum that varies in subject matter is open to all and begins at 9:30 in the parish hall.
St. Stephen’s is a welcoming community that invites all people, and all inquiries. Please feel free to visit on a Sunday and experience worship among warm and welcoming people in an environment of learning to live the life of Christianity in a spirit of love and hope while serving the world’s needs.
Coming up at St. Stephen's:
Are You Interested in Joining Education for Ministry (EfM?)
If so, now is the time to sign up!
St. Stephen's does indeed want to start an EfM class in January. To begin then, registration and tuitition will need to be sent to the University of the South by November 15th, 2018.
This would be to ensure that we could order our EfM books so they would arrive in time to start our meetings around the second week of January.
What is EfM?
St. Stephen's Epsicopal Church has qualified mentors who are willing to offer EfM (Education for Ministry) seminar's for continuing education credit through the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. efm.sewanee.edu describes EfM in the following way:
"The EfM program is preparation for the ministry to which we all are called. It is that vocation for which we pray at the end of the Eucharist: "And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord."
Participants in the EfM program study the entire sweep of the Christian tradition from the earliest period to the present. Participants learn the disciplines of biblical exegesis and interpretation, systematic theology, church history, ethics, liturgics, and ascetical theology."
For more information see the Education for All Ages Page.
Wednesdays during the month of November: End of Life Disucssion Series. See details below!
Come and Join us for Pie Day on Nov. 25th at 4 p.m!
Godly Play
Children ages 4 and up can meet downstairs in the Godly Play room. They will return to the service during the Passing of the Peace.
Nursery Care is available for infants-age 4 years old. Head downstairs and turn right down the hallway--the nursery is on the right!
Attention Teens and Tweens!! We have a class for you! This class will meet every other Sunday during the Sunday School period. Talk to Michele Chapman or Crystal Colombo for additional information.
Thank you Rev. Amy Donohue and Susan Ho for these beautiful banners for our young people's classes!
We honor and remember for All Saint's Day
All are invited to the Lord's Table!
Holy Communion - Sunday 10:30am
Adult Formation meets at 9:30 in Miller Hall! Check the Education Tab for details.
If you love little people, please sign up to spend time with them in the nursery.
We also need people to sign up to bring food for Coffee Hour. You can partner up or even form a team of people!
If you are looking for outreach opportunities, check out what is highlighted this month on the Outreach Page!