Beyond our regular worship services and Christian Education, St. Stephen's provides many opportunities to participate in the life of our congregation.
Participating gives you a chance to meet, work and play with some wonderful people,
to do something that is completely different from your work-a-day world,
and to contribute to something that matters, to you, to your family,
to your community.
Take a look at the list below - you are sure to find something where
you could contribute, where you would enjoy participating.
The following list shows some of the opportunities currently available to share in the life of St. Stephen's. These include ongoing groups that you can make of your regular schedule, and short-time opportunities, where you can join as your time permits, without making a long commitment
To find out more about any of these opportunities, contact at the church office.
The United Church has an unusual Charitable Giving program, that can be a great benefit both to the giver and to the church. One of our members, Bud Wesley, has volunteered to explain this program to those interested, and help them complete the paperwork needed to make it happen. Click here for more information.
[Top]It is a blessing for St. Stephen's when Church seekers come and decide to join our fellowship. Becoming a member of the Church increases spiritual blessings of deepening faith in God, and a new experience of community. If you are interested in become a member of St. Stephen's, please speak to our minister.
[Top]Baptism celebrates God's initiative and our response. It flows from God's grace and pours out in lives of gratitude and commitment. As initiation into the Church, the Body of Christ, it is an act of welcoming, blessing and belonging. All persons are loved by God whether or not they are baptized. Our celebration of the sacrament is both individual and communal, a covenant between God and the Church that claims baptism, regardless of the candidate's age, is the sole rite of initiation into full membership of the Christian community.
In the United Church of Canada, the congregation traditionally fills the role of "Godparents". Our promises to the families are as important as their promises, to provided ongoing nurture, Christian Development and support to each person in our midst.
Persons of all ages are welcome to be baptized. Some children of our congregation are preparing for baptism. If there are other children and adults of any age that would like to be baptized, please speak to one of the ministers or Elders.
[Top]Each Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. the Prayer Group meets in the Sandy Grant room to pray for people and concerns known to us. If you have any concerns you would like the group to hold in prayer, please communicate them to Rev. Skinner. Please feel welcome to join the Prayer Group in this important ministry.
[Top]The St. Stephen's Youth Group is an challenging group of high-school-aged people, members of St. Stephen's and others, who enjoy an exciting program on Sunday evenings, and other occasions. The group is led by our minister, Rev. Dr. Dale Skinner.
[Top]All women of the congregation are part of the United Church Women. We would love all the women of the Church to also be part of one of our Groups. If you are not yet part of a Group, please consider joining. All are welcome. The Groups generally have a particular focus and interests:
Please call the church office for more information on any of these groups.
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Music is a vitally important part of life and worship at St. Stephen's-on-the-Hill. Our music program is led by our wonderful Music Director Sunju Koh.
We have two "permanent" choirs:
From time to time additional choirs are formed for a special event - perhaps a Men's Choir, or a Handbell Choir. These let people "make a joyful noise" without a long-term commitment. The choirs put on special events at Christmas and Easter and other times.
If you love music, Sunju will help you bring out your best.
[Top]St. Stephen's is run by a series of committees. They are organized into two groups, the Elders, for things spiritual, and the Stewards, for things temporal. We are always looking for more volunteers. Most committees meet about once a month. Usually people join a committee for a two-year term, renewable twice.
Committee work may sound dull, but it is lot of fun, laughter, and satisfying work. Committee work can range from planning worship services to organizing barbecues. You will enjoy being part of the leadership of our congregation, and you will enjoy learning about the life of your church and your community.
The current version of the church's Organization Manual is available here. This provides information about each of the committees, their mandates, work terms, etc. [Top]Every year, St. Stephen's is blessed with a group of young people who wish to confirm their baptism. Throughout the fall and winter, our minister organizes a series of classes to help these people grow in faith, in their understanding of the message of Jesus Christ, and in their role as Christians in our society. These classes are directed at students in Grade 9. Please speak to the minister if you are interested in participating in these classes.
[Top]The Retired Men's Group get together from time to time for lunch. (The food is edible - some of the wives help out!). They talk, worship, and just hang out together. They help out with odd jobs around the church, and play golf.
[Top]The Outreach Committee is responsible for the local outreach activities of our congregation. Beyond the committee work itself, the committee needs volunteers to get involved in providing services. We help at FoodPath, the Mississauga food bank, Armagh House (a women's second-stage shelter), and various other projects.
At present, St. Stephen's is involved with several other congregations in establishing Compass (formerly the Lakeshore Community Outreach Centre). This is a food bank, counselling service and drop-in centre on Lakeshore Road, west of Mississauga Road. We will need plenty of volunteers to make this successful, although we are not yet sure how the work will be organized. This will certainly be an opportunity to participate in a challenging, satisfying project, one that will make a real difference in your community.
St. Stephen's has also undertaken a commitment to serve lunch one day a week, at Shelter Mississauga. There is a great group already participating in this work. If you can spare an our or two, regularly or just on occasion as a spare, please let Pat know.
St. Stephen's has recently undertaken another project, to assist in serving meals at the new Peel Family Shelter, in a hotel at Cawthra Road and Dundas. The meals are prepared - we are asked to serve them. The commitment is for two hours of your time, one a week or once a month. We hope that youth and adults will assist in this project. The co-ordinator for both this project and our support for Shelter Mississauga is Kim MacKay - please call her at or by .
[Top]Every few weeks Maryanne Skinner leads a team to the Wenleigh Nursing Home (near Erin Mills Parkway, just north of the QEW) to provide a worship service for the residents. We need volunteers to assist for about 90 minutes (10:45 - noon) in this popular service. Please talk to aryanne if you could help, regularly or just on occasion.
[Top]Your used stamps can be put to good use. Our congregation collects them for the Leprosy Mission; they sell them and use the proceeds to buy medicines for the treatment and cure of leprosy. They also run clinics for the early detection and treatment of the disease. Please put your stamp donations in the box in the kitchen marked STAMPS.
[Top]Beyond the ongoing opportunities, we often have special projects that need help. These allow you to get involved without making a long-term commitment. Recently, for example, we have had a Giant Garage Sale and a Harvest Home Tour. If you cannot make a long-term commitment, perhaps you can watch for opportunities to help just for a few hours or a few weeks.
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Participating in the life of St. Stephen's is a wonderful opportunity, one that will bring challenge, joy and satisfaction. Come and find where you fit in this community of love.