Ministries
WORSHIP
PRAYER
NURTURE
EDUCATION
FELLOWSHIP
MISSIONS
Ministry is a service to God and to other people in His name. Jesus provided the pattern for Christian ministry — He came not to receive service, but to give it. (Mark 10.45)
Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
— Colossians 3:23~24 ESV
WORSHIP
Take an active part in serious worship…
Leave the sanctuary strengthened, and holding fast to the Christian hope.
Everyone is welcome.
We gather together every Sunday to participate in an act of worship. In doing so, we unite as one to acknowledge the holiness of God. We are one body, one in mind and spirit, of one faith, in one Lord.
Each person who joins the service does so, mindful that the very nature of God draws our praise, our reverence, and our adoration – our worship.
You are an important participant.
Come as you are and be all that you are before God, most sincerely.
Take active part as you read and hear the Word, pray, sing, receive Holy Communion, and generally give of yourself, all in serious worship.
Leave the sanctuary strengthened, and holding fast to the Christian hope: To live confidently with newness and fullness of life, awaiting the coming of Christ and fulfilling God’s purpose for you and the Church.
PRAYER
If prayer is going to be real and meaningful, we must understand that PRAYER IS…
…more than attending a meeting, it is connecting with our heavenly Father.
…more than a programmed event or activity, it is coming into the presence of our Almighty God.
…more than a Christian discipline, it is communicating with our living and personal God.
Come and experience prayer together with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Join us in our prayer meetings.
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” — Matthew 18:19-20
Come and experience prayer together with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
NURTURE
Jesus foresaw the importance of shepherds who take it upon themselves to pursue the supreme goal of taking care of the flock.
We at St. Stephen’s Parish believe in Five Ways we can establish a nurturing and care-centered community:
- Nurture and Care through the concerned attitude of leaders
- Nurture and Care through the leaders’ pattern of life
- Nurture and Care through the loving attitude of fellow believers (Care Group)
- Nurture and Care through Biblical teaching
- Nurture and Care through personal spiritual growth
We believe that there are no shortcuts to spiritual growth. We cannot construct a mechanical assembly line and expect to produce spiritual and mature Christians without nurture and care. Our society has created all sorts of competition for heartfelt and touch-based personal involvement. Our children need our constant and ever-present tender, loving care. As fellow sojourners in the faith, we need each other, too.
May our good Lord be gracious to St. Stephen’s Parish in realizing this goal for His glory and honor.
EDUCATION
We are committed towards the fulfillment of the Great Commission in St. Stephen’s Parish and beyond its boundaries. Discipleship is the essential element in this command of our Lord Jesus Christ — that is, the process by which we help believers become fully devoted and committed followers of Jesus Christ.
It includes three movement areas:
- Going — We go and witness to all peoples everywhere.
- Baptizing — We baptize believers in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Teaching — We teach believers to obey God and everything He has taught us.
We believe that there are no shortcuts to spiritual growth. We cannot construct a mechanical assembly line and expect to produce spiritual and mature Christians without nurture and care. Our society has created all sorts of competition for heartfelt and touch-based personal involvement. Our children need our constant and ever-present tender, loving care. As fellow sojourners in the faith, we need each other, too.
May our good Lord be gracious to St. Stephen’s Parish in realizing this goal for His glory and honor.
We are committed to biblical and relevant teaching that transforms life.
FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship is at the heart of God’s plan for us to grow. Seeing God through other people impacts our lives.
Acts 2:42 says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Fellowship here is a word that means sharing something in a partnership or a small community. They were committed to sharing their life in Christ together. They had a conviction that their faith was something that would grow only as they grew in relationship with one another and supported and encouraged one another in it.
Worship and devotion is vital for our inner life. These are spiritual disciplines that we can best practice in solitude. But fellowship is at the heart of God’s plan for us to grow. Seeing God through other people impacts our lives. God uses other people to make His Word more real to us but if we’re not developing meaningful relationships with other believers, we miss out on the impact He seeks to make through them.
St. Stephen’s Parish has fellowships catering to the needs of different age groups, from kids and teens to young adults, to the middle-aged and the elderly. Come join the fellowship that will best suit you and grow together with us.
MISSIONS
When the word “missions” in its more common usage in our time would merely evoke images of helping the poor or victims of disaster, it begs the church to continually and consistently underscore the foundations and motivation of such actions. It should matter that God’s incredible gift of salvation and His boundless love compels us to love Him and desire to follow His commands — to love others as ourselves, and to bring back the lost to God’s fold.
Addressing the material needs of fellow believers or the larger society is an immediate concern and a manifestation of this love. But to spread the good news of salvation and speak of an eternal hope is the substance of God’s mission for His church.
SSP Missions and Welfare Ministry aims to rise up to this twofold challenge of providing both material aid and spiritual outreach wherever we called. It is, after all, the most prominent acts of Jesus’ ministry while here on earth. To declare our love for Him is to follow in His footsteps with resolve.
Love God, love others, make disciples… that should pretty much sum up what missions is all about.