Community Building

The church is a community of people, who believe in Jesus. The local church in Anglican custom is called a parish, which is the congregation led by an Incumbent/Pastor.

A unique feature of a church is that it may include all ages. Schools, workplaces, and senior’s homes segregate people based on their age. A church is a place where people of all ages are welcome.

In Anglican practise, to join a parish a person agrees to have their name put on the Parish List, and they become a member of the parish or a parishioner.

As parishioners may not know each other well, and people join our parish from time to time, we put effort into building community. It is part of our mission statement, to build a loving Christian family of faith.

Through the year we have a number of fund-raising events and activities, led by the Fund-raising Committee: Pasta Suppers, Yard Sale, and Christmas Tea. These events are important for building community as well as raising funds.

Listed below are some of our community building activities.

Sunday Coffee Hour

People or a group sign up to host for a month on the signup sheet on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall.

People may donate baking, either prepared at home or store bought; see the Kitchen Convenor.

Baking to suit people’s needs is not provided because we can not guarantee that the baking will be safe. However, if an individual brought baking to suit their own needs, it can be kept in the kitchen for them.

Birthday Cake Sunday

The 2nd Sunday is Birthday Cake Sunday when we celebrate with people who have a birthday that month by naming them during announcements, singing Happy Birthday and sharing birthday cake during coffee hour. To participate, give the church office your birthday.

Celebrating Significant Life Events

Celebrating a parishioner’s significant life event during a worship service is important for several reasons. It brings God into the celebration, to give thanks for the event and to ask for continued blessing. Celebrating an event is important because the community has promised to support its members as they live their lives. The celebration strengthens the bonds of the church community.

A significant life event includes:

  • birth/adoption of a child
  • graduation
  • birthday: in multiples of ten, and in multiples of five beginning at age 65
  • anniversary: in multiples of five

The Church Wardens are to be advised ahead of time for a significant life event to be celebrated. It is not possible for them to be aware of everyone who has a significant life event, so the onus is on the family to let the Church Wardens know. Also, some individuals may not wish to have their event celebrated.

If a family wishes, they may host a luncheon at the church building to celebrate the significant event. To organize it, the Church Wardens must be contacted at least a week prior.

Ladies Night Out

Every 2 months, the ladies gather at a local restaurant for an evening of food, fellowship and fun! We alternate between Monday and Wednesday evenings. If you are interested in joining us, please contact the Ladies Night Out Facilitator for further information on the next dinner. You can also find the information on our St. Stephen’s Facebook page. We hope to see you there!

Men’s Club

The Men’s Club meets for breakfast on the 2nd Saturday of each month, September through May, and spouses are welcome. They organize our annual Turkey and Roast Beef Dinners and sell the tickets. If you are interested in joining us, please contact the Men’s Club Chair.