Mission, Vision, Values

Mission Statement

The mission of Saint Stephen’s Parish is to be the heart and hands of Christ:
nourishing people, transforming lives.

Vision Statement

As a regional Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, we are a faithful community prayerfully responding to God’s call in all that we do.

Our worship bridges the gap between the traditional and the contemporary. Rooted in the pattern of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our liturgy explores how God is revealed through scripture, sacrament, art, music, science, scholarship, and other faith traditions.

We are committed to service to others. We welcome all who walk through our doors, and we see the face of Christ in every person. Responding to Christ’s call for justice and mercy, we focus on unmet needs within the parish and beyond.

We seek partnerships that bridge the gap between secular and faith communities by collaborating with agencies within Pittsfield to identify overlapping services and address unmet needs. We offer our partners and collaborators meeting space, active member participation, and vibrant communication channels as we seek to be servant leaders in the world.

Core Values

Tradition: Tradition is not rigid obedience. Tradition honors that which is timeless.

Compassion: We affirm and celebrate the essential dignity of all people.

Service: We serve others as instruments of God’s mercy and call to justice.

Grace: God’s extravagant love and limitless forgiveness enfold every person.

Faith: Faith is not certainty. Rather faith is trust in God.

Prayer: Prayer is our response to God’s presence in our lives. We are a people of prayer – continually responding to God’s call with all we are.

Resurrection: In God, all is being transformed and redeemed. Jesus Christ serves as an archetype of this universal life-sustaining pattern.

Spiritual Growth: To deepen our relationships with God and one another, we engage creatively with scripture, sacrament, art, music, science, scholarship, and other faith traditions. This is true for children, young people, and adults.

Gratitude: All comes from the Creator. We respond with thanksgiving.

Incarnation: We strive to see God in the face of every person.

Community: Our call is to nourish and sustain one another along the journey. Often God is revealed to us most intimately through others.

Sacramental: We believe that certain symbols, rituals, and experiences can be visible vessels for the transcendent mysteries of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. Holy Communion – a sacrament central to our Worship – is available to everyone.

Liturgical: Our worship reflects the eternal rhythms and tensions of human existence: celebration and contemplation, joy and penitence, jubilation and silence, movement and stillness, thanksgiving and lamentation…

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