Our Mission Statement

“The Orthodox Church of St. Stephen exists to remain faithful to the Orthodox Catholic tradition received through the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and to perpetuate an Orthodox Christian way of life bearing witness to Jesus Christ as the Lord and giver of all real life in His Church.”

This mission is accomplished in the following ways:

• Through education of all its members in the Orthodox faith, beginning with teaching Christ as the foundation of all our Christian life and the end of all our desires. One can only give what one knows, believes, and lives.
• Through spiritual growth in the Liturgical/Sacramental life of the Church which is the foundation, source, and beginning of all our activity.  Only the spiritually growing Orthodox Christian can have the spiritual strength to live the Christian life and be a bearer of it in the world.
• Through living this way of life in the secular world and being a light, an example, to others.  There is only one style of life for Orthodox Christians of which Christ and his Saints are the model.
• By being a united witness with our Orthodox Brethren by uniting with them in Liturgical  worship, in charitable works, and in social and educational endeavors for youth and adults.
• By outreach into the community through charitable works of mercy done to fulfill the mandate of Christ.
• By working toward a unified Orthodox on the local level and encouraging unity on a wider level when possible.
• By supporting the charitable, missionary, evangelization, and educational programs of the O.C.A. (Orthodox Church in America) and other Orthodox Churches or bodies such as the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.
• Through the members of St. Stephen being stewards of what God has given to us and supporting that stewardship work with time, talent, and money.
• By developing lay leaders in all aspects of church life to accomplish the above.