Serving at St. Stephen's
St. Stephen's Church is a thriving community with many ministries that rely on volunteers.
The New Testament describes the church as a body with many members, and each member has an important role to play in the proper functioning of the body. Some of us are teachers, some are cooks, some are gifted in providing hospitality, some are leaders of worship, some are counselors, some work with their hands, some are called to a ministry of prayer, and so on. Whatever your gift or inclination, there is a place for you and a role for you to play in keeping our community strong and healthy.
Of course, no one is expected to volunteer. Any number of factors may lead you to refrain from participating in one or more of these opportunities. Please know that your place as a valued member of our community of faith does not depend on the activities you choose to participate in. This information is provided simply to make it possible for anyone to be a part of the body in ways they find life-giving and rewarding.
Interested?
Volunteering is a great way to strengthen our common life, get to know new people, and experience the ways that you are an important member of the Body of Christ, the church.
You may also wish to attend a Quarterly Ministry Night to sit in on the deliberations of standing committees, and learn more about various ministries and how to plug in.
Ministries at St. Stephen's
Worship Ministries
Follow the links for more information.
- Altar Guild
- Flower guild
- Music | Choirs for Adults and Children
- Music | Instruments
- Celtic Service Volunteers; contact The Rev. Will Stanley
- Chalice Bearer, Greeter, Usher, Reader; contact The Rev. Will Stanley
- Acolytes
- Needlepoint Guild
Pastoral Care Ministries
- Pastoral Care Teams
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Eucharistic Visitors
- Healing Prayer and Anointing Ministry
Kitchen Ministries
- Help in the kitchen on Sunday evenings (year-round) and Wednesday evenings (school year); contact Claire Hackley
- Cook with May Fair House volunteers; contact Eileen Walker
Youth Ministries
- Mentor or teach
- Chaperone field trips
- Learn more about youth ministry here; to volunteer, contact Ethan White.
- No one will be asked to take on one of these roles without another volunteer or a staff person, except Confirmation mentors.
Children's Ministries
- Train to become a catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
- Serve in Palmer Hall Chapel services on Sundays (there are roles for adults and children).
- Learn more about children's ministry here; to volunteer, contact The Rev. Abby Kocher.
- No one will be asked to take on one of these roles without another volunteer or a staff person.
Farmers Market
Do you shop at our farmers market on Saturdays? You can combine your shopping trip with a vital volunteer opportunity by assisting our market manager and other staff and volunteers with set-up, at the welcome table, or in other ways. Gleaners are also needed during the last half-hour of each market. Volunteers are given shifts so that no one works the entire time, nor do they need to work every Saturday. This activity is suitable for youth as well as adults. Please contact Anna Jones to learn more.
The Women of St. Stephen's and May Fair House
The Women of St. Stephen's offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities, including working in their shop, the May Fair House; preparing foods to sell in the May Fair House; Gracious Gourmets, who prepare meals for those who have recently welcomed a new baby or suffered a loss; and other opportunities. Please visit the Women of St. Stephen's page for more information about this organization and the many ways to be involved and serve others.
Local Outreach Ministries
- Serve as a classroom assistant/ tutor in Richmond's East End
- Serve as a Mentor or Lunch Buddy to an elementary school child
- Take part in "unity build" Saturdays, repairing homes in our community
- Help in our food pantry, sorting donations, stocking shelves, and assisting patrons as they select the foods that are most appropriate for their own households.
- Glean produce (work at the Farmers Market on Saturdays for about 30 minutes from 11:30 to closing, to collect unsold items for our food ministry)
Fairfield School
Fairfield Court Elementary School has many opportunities for volunteers, including as classroom assistants, readers, tutors and lunch buddies. Contact Nancy Thompson for details.
Anna Julia Cooper School
This independent, tuition-free school in the East End was founded in part by St. Stephen's Church. It began as a middle school but is in the process of expanding grades. A number of opportunities are available. Contact Nancy Thompson for more information.
Peter Paul RVA
Formerly known as the Peter Paul Development Center, this East End institution has been a ministry of the Episcopal Church for decades, and St. Stephen's relationship with them goes back many years. Peter Paul serves school-age children and youth as well as senior citizens. Peter Paul recruits volunteers for various tasks which are publicized in our weekly communications, the Spirit and the eSpirit.
Seasonal projects
In late summer, St. Stephen's holds drives for school supplies (and sometimes books or other items) for East End schools. At Thanksgiving, parishioners provide ingredients for festive holiday meals, such as turkeys, potatoes, and other foods. In addition to the donations, we need help sorting, boxing, and transporting these items to recipients. In December, we have for several years set up a Christmas Shop at Fairfield Court Elementary School, stocked with books, toys, clothing, games and other items which parents and grandparents may select for their children. Items for the shop as well as volunteers to staff it will be needed. For all these opportunities, look for dates, deadlines, and other details in our weekly communications.
National Outreach Ministries
Help with disaster relief in a number of areas in the United States. Teams of parishioners have gone into communities devastated by hurricanes, tornados, flooding, and fire, to help rebuild structures--and lives. Watch the Spirit and eSpirit for these opportunities.
International Outreach Ministries
Our main focus is support for two Episcopal missionaries in Argentina; opportunities are publicized in our weekly communications.
Environmental Stewardship
Our environmental stewardship group is composed of parishioners who are especially interested in creation care and the ways that our parish, and individual parishioners, can contribute to it. Information is here; the staff liaison is Anna Jones; co-chairs are Barry O'Keefe and Sue Wootton.
Office volunteers
- Front desk volunteers answer phones and greet visitors while staff are at lunch or in meetings; if you'd like to have administrative or clerical tasks to perform during your shift, these can be available, but are not required.
- Collators insert the Spirit newsletter into liturgical bulletins each week (usually on Fridays); this is also a wonderful opportunity for fellowship
- For more information, call the parish office at 804.288.2867.
Contact
Email the person listed for the ministry you're interested in, or call the parish office at 804.288.2867 to be put in touch with the right person.