A Message From Pastor Travis

Welcome to Saint Stephen Church!

We are glad you are here because you matter to God! I have been the pastor of this great church since July of 2017. So, I am unashamed to tell you exactly what I think about the folks of Saint Stephen.

Here it is in a nutshell… “Our church is made up of a great bunch of people who love God and neighbor. We are friendly to people we know and to the new person. We are helpful. We are kind-hearted. We are generous. We are committed to Christ and Christian orthodoxy. We are a big church, (i.e. 2,100 members) but we feel like a small church. We enjoy exceptional traditional and contemporary worship. We love babies, children, youth, and adults of all generations. We love sinners, but we speak the truth in love. We have a great staff. Lay leadership matters here. We offer great Sunday School classes and small groups. We care about world missions and local missions. We love our community, country, and world. We do everything for God’s glory and because we follow Jesus Christ.”

Christian Discipleship is a term that is used to describe a person (i.e. and a church) who is committed to following Jesus Christ because He is their Lord and Savior. Please keep reading to find out how our church makes Disciples of Jesus Christ.

-Blessings,

Travis

OUR MISSION

Our mission is simple, as John Wesley, the founder of Methodism would say, "The church is here to save souls by presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ."

We feel that we can do this best by encouraging people to know and follow Jesus by engaging them in the life and mission of Saint Stephen.

OUR STRATEGY

Encourage our people to serve the mission of Jesus Christ with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
Encourage our people to connect with God and others.
Equip our people by enlisting and training students and adults to give & serve, lead & invite.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

About God: We believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

About Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ is God. We believe Jesus is Lord, Savior, and King. We believe Jesus is the second member of the Trinity (the Son of God) who became flesh to reveal God to humanity and to become the Savior of the lost world.

About the Bible: We believe the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit of God to write the very words of Scripture. Therefore, we believe the Bible is without error. We believe that the Bible contains everything a person needs to know in order to be saved.

About Humanity: We believe that all people were created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him but became alienated in that relationship through sin. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts.

About Salvation: We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to those who place their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for their sin.

About the Christian Life: We believe that every believer should grow in maturity (i.e. holiness, bear fruit, righteousness) and be conformed to the image of Christ. We believe all Christians should live for Christ and not for themselves. We believe in holiness that is achieved, by grace, in obedience to the Word of God and daily yielding to the Holy Spirit.

About the Church: We believe that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the head. The members of the church are those who have trusted by faith the finished work of Christ. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by loving Him and by making Him known to the lost world. Therefore, we believe in sharing in mission and ministry to all people.

WHAT WE VALUE (alphabetical order)