“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

St. Teresa of Avila

The people of St. Stephen’s Church strive to follow the way of Jesus, who embodied the breadth and depth of God’s love throughout his life. Through Holy Baptism and regular sharing in the Eucharist, we are formed in faith and fellowship. We celebrate together life’s milestones – births and baptisms, graduations and weddings, retirements and funerals. We carry that same spirit of community and connection into the world as we strive to love and serve others in the name of Christ.

Each week, St. Stephen’s parishioners can be found tutoring in schools, delivering fresh fruit to low-income communities, and serving our neighbors in our weekly food pantry.  Our longstanding engagement in the East End of Richmond includes partnerships with Fairfield Court Elementary School and Peter Paul. With local partners, we founded Anna Julia Cooper School, a tuition-free independent school, and ReWork Richmond, an employment initiative helping adults secure family-sustaining careers. Volunteers with Rebuilding Together Richmond make repairs that allow residents to remain safely in their homes. Farther afield, we support two missionaries caring for vulnerable women and children in Argentina, and we have a history of domestic and international mission trips for youth and adults.

You are invited to join others as they seek to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Upcoming outreach projects

Week of Compassion

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8-SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15

As we have observed for the prior two years, St. Stephen’s Church will have a Week of Compassion in November designed to help focus attention on the example set by our patron saint, whose story in the Acts of the Apostles is one of servanthood. While our congregation seeks to practice compassion year-round, this focused effort provides numerous opportunities for children, youth, and adults to engage in acts of service. We’ll also enjoy visits from our missionaries, Heidi Schmidt and Monica Vega, who serve in Argentina. The week begins with an observance of the Feast of St. Stephen on Sunday, November 8, relocated from its traditional date of December 26. A full schedule of events is now available.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Bousquet, director of outreach and engagement.

Seasonal outreach events