WHAT IS HOLY BAPTISM?
Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as God’s children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God. The rites of Baptism and Confirmation serve as the initiation into Christian community.
Preparation for Baptism includes brief conversations between the baptismal candidate (or family, if baby) and a member of the clergy about what is involved in the commitment of baptism.
WHAT IS CONFIRMATION?
Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.
Preparation for Confirmation involves a longer course of study and preparation, usually lasting 6-12 weeks. Confirmation happens typically once a year at Grace Cathedral or during a bishop visitation.
We look forward to supporting you throughout your spiritual journey from baptism, to confirmation and beyond. If you are interested in participating in either of these rites or in learning more about them, please reach out to us.
Weddings
WHAT IS HOLY MATRIMONY?
Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the two people enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows.
Clergy at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church are available to perform weddings for parishioners, family of parishioners and members from the Lamorinda community, using an adapted version of the service of Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage from the Book of Common Prayer.
If you are interested in learning more about what it might be like to have your wedding at St. Stephen’s, please reach out to us.
Funerals
The rite of Christian burial is among the most sacred and important services offered by the Church. When we gather to prayerfully remember and honor those who have died, we create a container for grief which does not deny joy, and we encounter the mystery of life itself: and God at the heart of it, for whom there is neither death nor life. The Church’s traditions provide for services that are very simple or very complex, but always dignified.
Loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult challenges one can face. We would be honored to support you throughout the process and arrange a funeral service that celebrates the memory of your loved one in the Christian tradition. For more information, please reach out to us.
MEMORIAL GARDEN
Niches in St. Stephen’s columbarium are available; they can be visited in the quiet Memorial Garden between the church and the Rectory. For more information, please contact us.