Who We Are

We’d Love to Meet You

Welcome to St. Stephen’s

At St. Stephen’s, our welcome is more than a sign out front — it’s the smiles, handshakes, and heartfelt greetings you’ll receive when you join us. Whether you’re seeking a new church home or simply exploring, we’d love to connect you with our community and ministries.

A Spiritual Sanctuary

Step inside and you’ll find beauty in every detail — from high ceilings and graceful pillars to a long nave that transforms poured concrete into a work of art. Once described as displaying “all the marvels and wonders of God,” our space blends art, architecture, and music to create a uniquely reverent and peaceful worship experience.

More Than Sunday

Our community life goes beyond the sanctuary. At St. Stephen’s, we cherish time spent together — especially when serving our neighbors. With a variety of ways to get involved, you can build meaningful relationships, grow in faith, and make a difference throughout the week.

Good to Know

We know there’s sometimes a little anxiety about visiting a new place for the first time. The following information might help as you plan your visit.

What is the difference between the two morning services?

We celebrate Holy Eucharist (also known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper) every Sunday at both services but the 8:00 service usually has a smaller congregation and is a spoken-only service. The 10:00 service is more well-attended with hymns, music, and choir. All are welcome to receive communion at either service.

I’m not familiar with the prayers and parts of the Episcopal service and worried I won’t be able to follow along.

Please don’t worry! Our entire service, with all the spoken responses, is found in the bulletin that you receive from an usher when you come into the church. And if you’d like, the ushers can also help find you someone to sit with in case you have questions. At the 10:00 service, the hymns are found in the blue hymnal just in front of your seat.

I’ve heard that Episcopalians stand and kneel a lot. Is that something I have to do?

There used to be a lot more kneeling in the pews than there is now! It’s not required and at St. Stephen’s, it is not a typical practice. Generally, we stand for praise (prayers and music) and sit for teaching (sermons and scripture readings). If you follow the crowd, you’ll be fine!

Do you provide childcare for infants and young children?

We do! We have a staffed nursery for infants to children age three from 9:45am to 11:15am. Parents are also welcome to come get their children at the Peace or they may stay for the entire service. And we love to have children in church so there’s not a requirement that children go to the nursery!

Do you have formation opportunities for adults and children (also known as Sunday School)?

Yes! We believe that all Christians and those seeking faith formation should have the opportunity to learn more about the story of God’s people, both in scripture and in context of the world we live in. Children’s Formation for all ages is offered every Sunday morning beginning at 10:00. The children learn the stories about Jesus and have fun activities, and then they join the worship service for communion.

Adult Formation classes are once a month, typically the 2nd Sunday, and they meet after 10:00 worship upstairs in the conference room. It’s easily found, and someone will gladly assist you in getting there and answer any questions you might have.

Each Wednesday morning there is Gospel Reflection Hour, held via Zoom, where participants read the scripture for the coming Sunday and discuss. The Bulletin includes details if you are interested.

We also have periodic bible studies, both in person and by Zoom, throughout the year.

Where should I sit?

I’m interested in baptism for my child. Who do I talk to about that?

Baptism is one of the primary sacraments of our Church and conveys full membership in the Body of Christ. We baptize people of all ages, not just infants and children and if you are interested in baptism, please contact the church office for more information (office@ststephenschurch.org). Candidates for baptism should be coming to St. Stephen’s regularly. Because of family tradition, we sometimes baptize family members of current parishioners, but they should already be regular members of another congregation before inquiring about our policies.

History and Architecture

Rooted in History, Growing in Faith

St. Stephen’s has been part of the Belvedere and Tiburon community since 1902, when our mission first moved from nearby Sausalito to hold services here. In 1951, we became an official parish with Rev. Edward J. Mohr as our first Rector. Under his leadership, the church flourished and, in 1955, opened a bold new Brutalist sanctuary—a soaring space designed to lift eyes and hearts toward the magnificent suspended Christus Rex, “a gateway to the Throne of God.”

Our growth continued with the addition of Kimball Hall in 2004. This welcoming 12,000-square-foot space hosts everything from church celebrations to community events, along with offices and classrooms. In 2014, solar panels were added to the roof, now supplying over 75% of our energy needs—a reflection of our commitment to sustainability and care for creation.

Read more about the history of St. Stephen’s and the story behind the building.

History

Architecture