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St. Stephen |
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church P.O. Box 3321 225 East Eighth Street Beaumont, California 92223
8th Street 2 blocks west of Beaumont Ave.
Phone: 951 845-1358 E-mail: ststepbmt@verizon.net
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church |
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Thanks for stopping by. Whether you’re church shopping, visiting or just curious, we’re glad you’re here and we invite you to visit us in person. Our rule of hospitality is quite simple, “Let all strangers be received as Christ, because Christ will say, ‘I was a stranger and you took me in.’”
We are a welcoming church.
St. Stephen’s is a place of laughter and hope, a place of friends and family. We are a place where diversity is not only celebrated, but welcomed. Our congregation includes former Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists and Buddhists. In fact, 80% of all Episcopalians started out as something else. Many former Roman Catholics, especially those who are divorced or married to Protestants, find a comfortable home in the Episcopal Church. At St. Stephen’s all are welcome at the Lord’s Table, no matter what their background or where they are on their journey.
We are a thinking church.
As Episcopalians we believe church should be a place where thinking is stimulated and encouraged, where minds are open and questions welcome.
We are a spiritual church.
We affirm life in this world and believe that the body, pleasure and material reality are fundamentally good. And that the natural world is God’s gift to us. What matters is what we do with these gifts. Our spiritual life is our everyday life lived in an ever-deepening and loving relationship with God, with our true self, our neighbors and all of creation.
We are a church of prayer.
As Episcopalians our prayer life shapes our beliefs and our behaviors. We are a community of practice bound together by our common prayer and our liturgy rather than any doctrinal emphasis or social organization.
We are a church of the Bible.
We believe that Holy Scripture is the living word of God and that this living document is being constantly revealed to us. But Scripture is not self-explanatory; we believe it requires thought and reason to determine its meaning. A traditional Episcopal service includes Bible readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, the Epistles and the Gospels, which is usually the basis for the homily or sermon.
We are a church of Jesus Christ.
While we believe without question that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, we also believe that Christianity is a religion not of a book, but of a person, Jesus Christ. And that Jesus is manifested in the Holy Trinity, one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are a sacramental church.
We believe that the sacraments are an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace. We celebrate the sacrament of Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) each Sunday. Through this sacramental action we are united with Jesus Christ in his offering of himself and are empowered to be Christ’s presence in the world.
We are a servant church.
We understand Christianity not as a set of rules nor as a theory, but as a way of life. In our Baptismal Covenant we promise to “seek Christ in all people, to love our neighbor as ourselves and to respect the dignity of every human being.” We work to make sure this is more than a promise, it is a matter of practice.
We are a growing church.
St. Stephen’s parish is on the move. In the last two years our attendance has increased by nearly 300%. We’ve added a Sunday School program and nursery care. We’ve co-founded Carol’s Mercy House, a shelter for women and children in need. And we’re looking for a site to build a new church and school. There’s a lot happening at St. Stephen’s and we welcome your participation.
Are we the church for you?
If St. Stephen’s sounds like the kind of church you’ve been looking for, we invite you to come this Sunday and see for yourself.
Blessings,
Fr. Jeff Wilhelm Vicar |
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VICAR
Father Jeff Wilhelm |
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PASTORAL CARE
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1. In general, do you like the choir’s performance? (Numbers in front of comments indicate number of responses.)
27 Yes. 6 Pretty much. 4 Okay. 0 Sort of. 0 No. 2 (No response)
Comments: “Considering all you have and where you are located, you are God’s melodious gifts to this parish.” “Usually too high for me. Also, would like more traditional American folk songs, some more current spiritual songs as today’s ‘On Angels’ Wings’” (aka, “You Who Dwell in the Shelter of ….”) “More harmony. More solo. (Janet!)” “I think we have greatly improved over the last year or so.” “We are working very hard to improve.” “I enjoy all the hymns that the choir sings.” “Choir and organist sounding wonderful.” “Choir’s getting better every week – as is the organist! Love the new harmony!” “You are all to be congratulated! Both Alex and the choir have improved tremendously over the past year! It’s great to see and hear!” “The choir has a nice harmony and a very good choice of songs.” “Big improvement over last year! Alex has gotten so much better, and the whole choir is now leading the congregation!” “Chanting and Latin would be wonderful to include.”
2. Can you hear us from where you sit?
23 Easily 5 (Between Easily and Faintly) 7 Faintly 1 (Between Faintly and Not at All) 1 Not at All 2 (No response)
Comments: (other than where in the church the respondent sat) “Need projection of voices? Maybe amplification?”
3. What kinds of hymns do you prefer? (Note: The choices of hymns were not limited to one type, so the numbers will not match the number of respondents.)
31 Old standards from the 1982 Hymnal 22 Contemplative 23 Chants 26 Taize
18 Anthems sung only by the choir (usually at Communion)
(# 3, Continued)
22 Responsive hymns or chants (i.e., the choir or cantor sings verses; the congregation sings the chorus or refrain.
Comments: “My only wish is that you had more members.” “I dislike the Taize.” “I like all church music.” “I am open to all kinds of music.” (I would like to see) “African American” (music.) “There is such an improvement!” “‘Taste and See’ was done well! Enjoyed this.” “I don’t enjoy.” Note: this comment was probably in response to the crossed out check mark next to, “Taize.” “More!!” (This with an arrow pointing to the explanation of what Taize is) and then, “Standards like ‘Amazing Grace.’”. “You are doing beautifully! We enjoy.” “I love all types as long as I am familiar with them.” “Taize – occasionally.” Note: The word, ‘some’ was written next to the choice for ‘Anthems’, but was not counted in the tally, above. “I’d like the choir to sing anthems after Communion is over so we can concentrate on their music and enjoy it.” “Love these!” (i.e., the choice of hymn types the respondent made) “But prefer “mix”, “variety” at each service. But heed continuity – core and base to sustain throughout liturgy.” |
