Update, Apr 8, 2021 – Clearing out the choir loft!
Update, June 23, 2021 – Construction drawings!
Exterior elevation of the West entrance 
Traffic flow, plaza, and accessible parking 
The Story
In the Spring of 2016, the Vestry and leadership of St Stephen’s agreed to undertake a thorough review of our buildings and grounds, and to develop a Master Plan to address deferred maintenance, accessibility, and the need for improvements and renovations to our worship, meeting, and gathering spaces. Committees were convened and meetings were held, consultants were engaged and many refreshments were served. Our goals were three-fold:
” To strengthen our congregation
To welcome our neighbors
To serve our community
In the Summer of 2017 we undertook a search for an architect to help us with our goals, and hired the firm of Goring & Straja. Principal architect Jim Goring and his staff helped us develop our long list of goals and ideas. Again, committees were convened and meetings were held, and many refreshments were served. In the Fall of 2018 the Vestry approved the resulting comprehensive Master Plan for St Stephen’s Church, and embarked on a major capital campaign to raise funds to support the plan.
The Giving in Gratitude campaign was launched in early Spring of 2019, and concluded on St Stephen’s Day in early September that year. The congregation raised $3.5 million in pledges, and set about addressing the matter of determining what from the Master Plan we would undertake first. With early gifts in hand, we spent the Summer of 2019 making much-needed improvements to our Preschool and classroom spaces, and addressing some of our major deferred maintenance, safety, and accessibility concerns.
Work on the plans and on aligning our goals with our budget has continued, including the addition of chancel design consultant Terry Eason, specialist in Episcopal and Anglican church archituecture. With limits and delays introduced by the Pandemic of 2020, we are in the Spring of 2021 on the brink of beginning work on a major renovation of our sanctuary. Below see a Goring & Straja’s rendering of the new entrance.
Construction is slated to begin late April or early May of this year. Watch this space for updates and documentation of the progress!
Donate to Giving In Gratitude
Click here donate. Keep in mind there is a fee to use a credit card .
Campaign Prayer
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, p. 817)