Welcome Home on Ten Oak-Shaded Acres
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church sits on roughly ten tree-lined acres in South Lakeland, two blocks west of Lakeland Highlands Road on County Road 540A, behind a canopy of oak trees. The parish, part of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida and the worldwide Anglican Communion, calls itself a parish family, and the description fits. St. Stephen's is large enough to host a traditional service and a contemporary service on Sunday morning, a midweek Eucharist, scouting programs, Vacation Bible School, a full children's wing, a children's martial arts class, and twelve-step recovery groups on its campus, yet small enough that members know one another by name.
The church's mission, "To Love and Serve God and Neighbor," comes straight from the story of its patron. Stephen was a deacon and the first Christian martyr, as told in Acts 6 and 7. The parish honors that heritage in its symbol, a cross with a red sash, the sash standing for a deacon's stole, the biblical office of servant ministry. The sash is a daily reminder that the parish exists to serve.
What the Parish Believes
St. Stephen's is an Episcopal (Anglican) church, centered on Jesus Christ and committed to being His disciples. Its faith is both ancient and new, drawing on the timeless truths of the Bible and the heritage of the apostolic Church. The parish believes the Bible to be the Word of God and to contain all things necessary for salvation, affirms the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds as statements of orthodox faith, administers the sacraments instituted by Christ, and recognizes the unbroken apostolic succession through the lineage of bishops.
The parish takes the old English idea of a "parish" seriously: a local church with a spiritual responsibility for everyone in the area, whether they show up on a Sunday or not. Members gather for worship, prayer, praise, discipleship, and service, and the campus is busy throughout the week as a result.
Two Sunday Services: Traditional and Contemporary
The principal time of worship is Sunday morning, the Lord's Day, when the parish gathers to celebrate the Resurrection. Two services share the same prayers and the same congregation, but feel quite different.
The 9:00 a.m. Traditional Service is held in the Sanctuary and uses the Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal 1982. The liturgy and hymns of classic Anglicanism are preserved here, accompanied by organ, choir, and bells. The service has a more formal feel.
The 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Service is held in the Worship Center and uses the same prayers with a more contemporary feel. PowerPoint displays carry the liturgy, and a worship team with guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums leads the music.
Between the two services, from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m., adults gather for Sunday School. Children's Sunday School for preschool through fifth grade meets at the same time, from 10:15 to 10:55 a.m., using a fun, educational curriculum with take-home material so faith grows in the family as well as the classroom. Youth in sixth through twelfth grade meet in the Education Wing for Youth Sunday School, focused on solid Bible study and the basics of the Christian faith.
During the 11:00 service, Children's Church gathers Pre-K through elementary-age children for a Bible story from Fr. David combined with singing, fun, and crafts that reinforce the day's liturgy and Scripture readings. The Nursery is open for babies and toddlers during the same service, with a live video feed of the service available for parents who may need a temporary cry room.
Special services mark the seasons of the church year, including Palm Sunday Procession, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Beach Weekend Service, the Blessing of the Animals, All Saints Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, and quiet seasonal services throughout Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.
Midweek Worship and Daily Prayer
For those who cannot make Sunday, a regular Midweek Eucharist is offered on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. The parish also livestreams Daily Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m. and Compline at 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, on Facebook, joining the worldwide Anglican tradition of the Daily Office. Sunday worship services are also livestreamed on the church's livestream page on YouTube and Facebook, so anyone can follow along from home.
Children at St. Stephen's
Children are at the heart of the parish's life, and the church offers a full slate of programs to help them grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Beyond Sunday School and Children's Church, young people serve at the altar as acolytes during the 9:00 a.m. Traditional Service, carrying the cross, holding torches, and assisting at the altar. Acolytes learn what it means to serve the Lord and the congregation through holy work.
Outside, the parish describes its playground as the "Coolest Church Playground in Town," with multiple forts, slides, and swingsets, plus a basketball court, four square, tetherball, a volleyball court, a soccer field, and one of the only local Ga-Ga pits, where kids play Octoball. Children as young as five are welcome to join a free Children's Tang Soo Do martial arts class, taught by Fr. David on Monday evenings, where discipline, skill, and virtue build better people inside and out.
Vacation Bible School is held each summer for one week, typically near the end of June. With elaborate sets, themed crafts, snacks, and games, the parish says learning the Bible has never been so much fun. The program is free and is funded in part by a monthly spaghetti dinner on the first Tuesday of each month.
Youth and Scouting
St. Stephen's youth program is geared toward growing middle and high schoolers closer together and closer to Christ. Activities include worship, Bible study, outreach projects, and relationship building, along with plenty of fun and games. Teens and youth serve at the altar as acolytes at the 9:00 a.m. Traditional Service and as lay readers at the 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Service. There are also volunteer opportunities for community service hours, both serving the needy and helping out around campus.
Scouting is a major part of life at St. Stephen's. The parish is the home and chartering organization for Cub Scout Pack 106 and Boy Scout Troop 106, both large, historic units in which boys from elementary through high school become young people of integrity and purpose through fun activities, learning skills, camping, and leadership training. Cub Scouts meet Monday nights from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Boy Scouts meet Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Families camp together almost every month, with activities like hiking, cooking, fire building, the Rain Gutter Regatta, the Cardboard Boat Race, and the Pine Wood Derby. Sea Scout Ship 106, a co-ed high-adventure program for young men and women 14 through 21, meets monthly on Monday nights to train and prepare for trips that include sailing, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
A Campus Built for Service
The parish has been entrusted with roughly ten tree-lined acres, and the buildings and grounds are kept busy from morning to night. The Sanctuary holds the 9:00 a.m. Traditional Service and overlooks the parish Memorial Garden. The Worship Center is home to the 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Service and doubles as a multi-purpose space used through the week as a classroom, a meeting room for home-schoolers and scouts, and the training hall for the martial arts class. The Parish Hall and adjoining kitchen host coffee hour after Sunday services, meals after special events, regular meetings, and the First Tuesday Spaghetti Dinners.
Six classrooms line the hallway inside the Worship Center, including the youth room, Sunday School classrooms, and the nursery, with small group space and the parish library on the outside hallway. Between the Prayer Garden and the Sanctuary stands the Garden Chapel, an outdoor altar with bench seating under shady trees, a beautiful spot for worship in the middle of creation. The Community Building hosts outside groups, including a different Twelve Step program, including AA, NA, and Al-Anon, nearly every night of the week.
The parish office is the two-story brick building up the golf cart path on the eastern end of the campus. Visitors are welcome to stop in to print something, ask a question, see Fr. David, or simply say hello.
Around the campus, dedicated volunteers maintain gardens. The Community Prayer Garden is set aside as a peaceful and beautiful spot where anyone can come at any time.
Outreach Beyond the Church Walls
The parish's mission, "To Love and Serve God and Neighbor," is lived out through an extensive Outreach Ministry. Programs include Project Angel Tree, a Christmas gift program for the children of prisoners; a monthly chili meal made by volunteers and served at Talbot House Ministries; hospital and homebound visitation; Movita's Ministry, an in-gathering of toiletries for women's shelters; Salvation Army bell ringing at Christmas; ingatherings for school supplies, the homeless, Parker Street Ministries, and Porchlight Ministries; military personnel care packages; and driving for the homebound. The parish also joins other churches through the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment (PEACE) to advocate on behalf of community problems and encourage solutions through local elected leaders.
Locally baked bread is part of the rhythm, too. A baking and cooking ministry prepares homemade bread each month for a homeless shelter meal and for the spaghetti dinner fundraiser for Vacation Bible School, and several varieties of cookies are baked and frozen for Sunday coffee hour and other parish dessert times.
Adult Education, Fellowship, and Pastoral Care
Adult education extends beyond Sunday morning. Bible studies and book groups are led by various members of the congregation throughout the week, with classes at noon and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. A Prayer Chain links all parish members by email so that prayer needs can be shared immediately.
For seniors, the Lunch Bunch gathers on the third Thursday of each month for fellowship, friendship, and food, trying a new restaurant each time. The Women's Fellowship meets periodically for fellowship, food, and enrichment. Daughters of the King, a national order of lay women, commit to ongoing prayer and service, and a strong Cursillo community, "a short course in Christianity," meets regularly to strengthen its members' walk with Christ.
Pastoral care takes many forms. A Caregivers and Grief Group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. for sharing, Bible study, and prayer. Eucharistic ministers and lay readers are trained to assist the priest at the altar, and parishioners visit the hospitalized and homebound.
The People Who Lead the Parish
The Reverend David B. Peoples serves as Rector, the parish's pastor. The Reverend Deacon Doug Jump assists as Deacon. Susan Stewart directs the music program, leading the choir, bells, organ, and the contemporary worship team. Carol Clark leads the youth program with Lula Peoples and Missy Sabine. Sue DeMan directs Sunday School, Michele Jump leads Children's Church, Mary Roach heads the Flower Guild, and Marcia Heath oversees hospitality. Karen Spiller and Mike Whitt serve as Senior Warden and Junior Warden.
Visiting St. Stephen's
The parish is located at 1820 E. County Road 540A, Lakeland, FL 33813, on the north side of the road, two blocks west of Lakeland Highlands Road, behind the canopy of oak trees. The office phone is (863) 646-6115 and the email is ststoffice@gmail.com. The church is active on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where Sunday services, Daily Morning Prayer, and Compline are livestreamed.
All are welcome at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, a loving and joyful parish family on County Road 540A, in the Diocese of Central Florida, and a place that aims to live its name: To Love and Serve God and Neighbor.