A Place to Belong on 72nd Street
St. Stephen Lutheran Church sits on 72nd Street in Urbandale, Iowa, just outside Des Moines, and reaches its neighborhood as a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America within the Southeast Iowa Synod. The church's own tagline - Living Faith. Growing Together. Serving Our Community. - frames the rhythm of life here. Visitors who step through the doors find a community that welcomes people of every ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, physical disability, and economic situation, grounding that welcome in Paul's words from Galatians 3:28: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
Sundays at Ten and Wednesdays Around The Table
Sunday morning at St. Stephen begins with Sunday School for children at 9:00 AM, September through April, followed by worship at 10:00 AM both in person and online. The sanctuary and adjoining Gathering Area offer flexible seating for all ages, with children's tables and activities in the Gathering Area so families can worship together. A nursery down the hall provides additional children's activities and a screen showing the worship livestream for parents who prefer that space.
From September through April, the church gathers again on Wednesday evenings for what members call The Table. At 5:15 PM, everyone is invited to share a meal in the Gathering Area. At 6:00 PM, the congregation moves into worship around the Lord's Table for Holy Communion in an intimate, come-as-you-are service where leaders of all ages help proclaim the good news. After worship at 6:30 PM, formation activities continue: middle school confirmation students head to Emerge, the high school youth group rehearses with the Praise Band, and other discussion groups and formation activities take shape around the church.
The pattern of Sunday worship reflects the Lutheran liturgical tradition. Each service gathers as the people of God, hears the Word in scripture and preaching tied to daily life, shares a Meal of Holy Communion where bread and wine are offered to all at table fellowship, and sends worshipers out as disciples in God's creation. Worshipers are invited to come as they are, with no expectation of dressing a certain way or having everything figured out.
Faith Formation from Preschool through High School
Faith formation at St. Stephen is intentionally intergenerational. Spark the Wonder Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM on Sundays from early September through the beginning of May for preschoolers through fifth graders. The program is fun, engaging, and Christ-centered, and is led by Tracy Sabus, the Director of Faith Formation.
Emerge is the church's three-year confirmation program for sixth through eighth graders. Meeting Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM from September through the beginning of May, Emerge walks with young people as they explore the baptismal promises their parents and sponsors made on their behalf and ultimately affirm those promises for themselves. The name Emerge is a deliberate choice: confirmation is a season of emerging as an individual, building a worldview and identity beyond the nuclear family. The program's philosophy centers on accompaniment, the conviction that deep, consequential faith is formed through relationships with God, families, teachers, and non-parent mentors, following Jesus' own three-year walk with his disciples.
ELES, which stands for Everybody Loves Everybody Squad, is the high school youth ministry. From 7:30 to 9:00 PM on Wednesdays, September through the beginning of May, students gather for meaningful conversations, service opportunities, and casual midweek fun.
Wonder on the Go: A Ministry That Traveled Far
During the pandemic, when in-person gatherings were not possible, St. Stephen painted a green screen and began creating weekly Bible story videos for the church's children. Parents and kids loved them. Over time, the church realized that not every congregation has the resources for curriculum or a dedicated staff member to tell these sacred stories, yet every child deserves to hear the good news of God's love, hope, and redemption.
That conviction gave rise to Wonder on the Go, a ministry that brings Bible stories to life through flexible lessons designed for children, families, churches, and classrooms. Each session follows the lectionary and includes a short video lesson and a downloadable leader guide. Sessions can run as a quick 15-minute lesson or expand into a one-hour exploration, making Wonder on the Go useful for busy parents, Sunday School teachers, and faith leaders. Sample leader guides include Women at the Well, Pool of Siloam, and a Holy Week resource.
Music That Ranges from Praise Band to Bell Choir
Music is woven into the heart of worship at St. Stephen. The 10:00 AM Sunday worship services alternate between musical styles: the SSLC Praise Band leads on the first and third Sundays of each month, while traditional piano and organ music shapes the second, fourth, and fifth Sundays. The blended approach lets the congregation experience both contemporary and classic expressions of Lutheran worship.
Musical opportunities are open to all ages and skill levels. The Praise Band, with keys, drums, bass, guitar, and vocals, is led by the praise band director and welcomes new musicians. The Chancel Choir sings anthems, cantatas, and liturgical music under the guidance of Jana Taylor, the Director of Worship and Music. The Chapel Chimers Bell Choir welcomes any skill level under hand bell director Kris Shay and shares its music during worship several times a year. Celebrate Choir, for preschoolers through fifth graders, practices during Spark Sunday School and sings at worship several times a year. Instrumentalists who want to share their gifts can be added to worship at any time.
Groups for Conversation, Books, and Breakfast
Connection and Discovery at St. Stephen takes many shapes. Connection Groups meet after worship on Sundays and Wednesdays for informal conversation about faith and reflections on the service. The Brown Bag Book Group gathers Wednesdays at 11:30 AM in the small conference room near the office for conversation centered on a book read over a few weeks. The Emerge Breakfast Club meets Sunday mornings for middle school students with breakfast, conversation, and faith-filled fun. Supper Club, a casual monthly dining group open to all adults, has members take turns hosting while participants bring an appetizer to share and a beverage of their choice; locations are announced in the weekly email.
Following Stephen into the Community
St. Stephen takes its namesake seriously. In the book of Acts, when the early church organized its work, the original disciples selected seven people full of the Spirit and wisdom to lead the church's care for the poor, orphans, and widows. Stephen was a leader among them, doing justice and promoting the love of God through outreach. The congregation follows that same impulse today.
Outreach at St. Stephen begins with neighbors. The church collects and delivers donated items on a routine basis to the Urbandale Food Pantry, and monetary gifts are encouraged as the greatest help. Lutheran Disaster Response receives the church's support through checks and online donations for those affected by natural disasters. Care Companions are members of St. Stephen who serve as faithful companions to others experiencing life's challenges or desiring Christian friendship, offering confidentiality and prayer partnership. Property Workdays invite skills of every kind, along with coffee and a cinnamon roll, to keep the building and grounds in good shape.
Five Gifts of Discipleship and a Lutheran Heart
The life of faith at St. Stephen is organized around five Gifts of Discipleship. Members are called to LIVE among God's faithful people, to HEAR the word of God and share in the Lord's Supper, to PROCLAIM the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to SERVE all people following the example of Jesus, and to STRIVE for justice and peace in all the earth. Living among God's faithful people means actively engaging in worship, fellowship, service, learning, and giving. Proclaiming the good news means looking at the world through the lens of faith. Serving means feeding, clothing, welcoming, and visiting in the neighborhood. Striving for justice is rooted in Jesus' call to love the neighbor.
As a Lutheran congregation, St. Stephen emphasizes grace: the belief that God's love for humanity is so vast and all-encompassing that there is nothing people can do or fail to do that will overshadow that love. God's grace is made known through God working in people's hearts and through the outreach of discipleship by members of the community, an imperative for Christians but never a requirement to earn God's favor.
The Art and Woodwork in the Sanctuary
The sanctuary itself tells part of the church's story. The stained-glass artwork was created by Kevin Shay, whose work brings beauty, color, and meaning to the worship space. The sanctuary's liturgical millwork was crafted by Rev. Dwight DuBois, whose woodworking reflects thoughtful craftsmanship and care for the worship environment. Together, the windows and woodwork create a setting that invites people to gather around Word and Sacrament.
Joining the Life of the Church
Worship at St. Stephen can be experienced in person at 3510 72nd Street in Urbandale or through livestreams on YouTube and Facebook. Worshipers may give online, give during a service, or support specific ministries such as the Urbandale Food Pantry and Lutheran Disaster Response. The church office can be reached at (515) 276-4628 or office@ststephenlutheran.org.