St. Stephen's Episcopal Church sits on Adams Road in Troy, Michigan, just south of I-75 between Square Lake and Long Lake Roads, and it wears its identity plainly: Grounded in Prayer, Empowered by the Spirit, Motivated for Love in Action. From a gymnasium sanctuary in 1957 to a busy program of two Sunday services, a choir, a youth pilgrimage circuit, and a stream of meal-packaging and shelter-serving events, the parish has spent nearly seven decades turning a small mission gathering into a congregation known for its warmth, its welcome, and the way it puts faith into practice around the city.
The Story of a Mission That Grew
On an Advent Sunday in the 1950s, a small group met to organize an Episcopal mission in Troy. The parish held its first eucharist in 1957 in a nearby school, where an altar, altar rails, communion vessels, a lectern, prayer books, hymnals, and draperies transformed a gymnasium into a sanctuary. Land was purchased on Adams Road, and the congregation moved into its permanent church building on Palm Sunday, 1961. Growth came in phases: a Sunday School wing in 1963, then a new entrance, offices, a Narthex, and an expanded sanctuary in 1997. Today's families continue the work of those first founders, carrying the parish forward into a new century of ministry.
Sunday Mornings at St. Stephen's
Two Sunday services form the rhythm of the week. At 8:00 AM, a quiet and contemplative Rite II service of Holy Eucharist draws those who prefer a simpler, spoken liturgy. At 10:00 AM, the principal service gathers the congregation for a complete liturgy of Holy Eucharist with music, hymns, and a Fellowship Hour in the Parish Hall. That principal service is broadcast each Sunday on the parish livestream and is viewable on YouTube any time after 10:00 AM. A printed bulletin guides worshippers through the order of service; the red Book of Common Prayer and blue and dark green hymnals sit in the pew racks.
What a First-Time Visitor Will Notice
St. Stephen's has put real thought into the experience of walking in for the first time. The ushers pass an offertory plate, and visitors are invited to drop a newcomer information card into it. Ushers will also direct newcomers to gluten-free communion wafers on request and bring communion to anyone who would rather stay in the pew. The choir receives first, then the general congregation processes to the altar rail in two lines up the center and returns by the sides.
At the Peace, expect handshakes and a friendly wander through the aisles; hugs are permitted by mutual consent. Crossing oneself or bowing is optional. Kneeling benches are provided for those who wish to kneel, but sitting is welcome. When the dismissal is spoken and the altar candles are extinguished, the clergy greet people at the rear doors, and a member of the Welcoming Ministry is ready with a small gift and a walk to the Fellowship Hour.
The Choir and Music at the Parish
Music is a centerpiece of the 10:00 AM service under Music Director and Organist Sue Gore. The Adult Choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, September through early June, and sings at the 10:00 AM service during those same months. In the summer, choir members and soloists continue to provide music at the 10:00 AM liturgy, but no rehearsal commitment is asked of them. The parish has also hosted special musical events such as a Bluegrass Mass and an outdoor Celtic Isles concert, with proceeds going to Rise Against Hunger.
Children, Acolytes, and Youth
Children of every age are welcome in the nave. Activity bags sit along the back walls of the church for young ones, and a comfortable chair and soft space are available there for families who need a quieter corner. Sunday school activities are also offered; greeters can point families to the right room when they arrive. Third and fourth graders may apply to serve as acolytes, lighting candles, carrying the processional cross, and helping set the altar for Communion.
Older youth participate in a youth group that joins the Diocese and neighboring churches for joint monthly events on a rotating basis. They lead parish outreach projects such as food collection for Lighthouse and the assembly of Blessing Bags for the homeless, and they take part in a high school pilgrimage every few years. Past trips have taken them to Puerto Rico, New York, Amish Pennsylvania, Colorado, and the Dominican Republic, where they do service projects and learn about church history.
Pastoral Care Beyond the Nave
St. Stephen's pastoral care extends well past the building. Lay Eucharistic Visitors, licensed by the Diocese, bring holy communion to those who cannot attend Sunday services. Pastoral Visitors build one-on-one relationships with homebound parishioners, offering companionship and support. A bereavement care team helps arrange luncheons in the Parish Hall following memorial services, and the Flowers from the Altar ministry rearranges the weekly altar arrangements each week and delivers them to parishioners who are homebound, ill, or celebrating a birthday or anniversary.
Outreach: A Parish That Serves Near and Far
Outreach is woven into the parish identity. Each year the congregation gathers with community partners to package meals with Rise Against Hunger, an event that has produced tens of thousands of meals for vulnerable populations from Africa to Malaysia to the Caribbean. Twice a year, parishioners serve meals at Crossroads of Michigan in downtown Detroit, and throughout the year they prepare and serve dinner at Hope Shelter Pontiac, a low-barrier emergency shelter with a recuperative care program. Volunteers also give time to Heart to Heart Hospice, supporting patients and their families.
Other hands-on work fills the calendar. A group called Crafting Kindness knits, crochets, and quilts prayer shawls, quilts, lap blankets, pillowcases, and baby hats. The youth and parish periodically assemble Blessing Bags, and an Annual Baby Shower collects baby products distributed to Haven, the Catholic Community Response Team, and Baby Basics of Troy. St. Stephen's is also home to the very first Little Free Pantry in the City of Troy, stocked with food and personal care items and accessible around the clock to anyone who needs them.
Special collections run throughout the year, including grocery donations for Lighthouse before Thanksgiving, the Baldwin Center Holiday Gift Shop wish list, board games and gift cards for Bound Together, and the Giving Tree for Covenant House and CCRT. Cash donations go to crisis relief through the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund, and to a long list of local charities: CCRT, Baldwin Center, Covenant House, Crossroads, Lighthouse, Alternatives for Girls, Empowerment Plan, Church at Crossroads in Detroit, Detroit Rescue Mission, and Hope Shelters. The parish also collects small toiletries, pop tabs, eyeglasses, cell phones, and used postage stamps, and returns cans and bottles as a fundraiser.
Fellowship and the Calendar of the Year
St. Stephen's likes to gather. Men's Breakfasts meet Thursday mornings at Leo's on Opdyke Road for breakfast and discussion. A Ladies Lunch Bunch meets monthly at a local restaurant. Men's Nights gather periodically at a restaurant for dinner and fellowship. Greet, Eat & Meet groups of six to eight couples and singles take turns hosting dinner in homes or restaurants. Special evenings mark the church year: a Twelfth Night dinner at Epiphany with the Twelve Days of Christmas acted out, an Irish Night corned beef and cabbage dinner with a live Irish sing-along around St. Patrick's Day, and an Advent by Candlelight dessert evening for the women of the parish, served by the men. Each spring, the Parish Picnic follows Youth Recognition Sunday, with hamburgers, hot dogs, and the well-loved tradition of throwing one at the Rector and Wardens.
What Episcopalians Believe
St. Stephen's is an Episcopal parish within the worldwide Anglican Communion, a tradition born in the 1500s that traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity. The parish teaches that God speaks through the Bible, Church tradition, and human reason in that order, guarding against both preference-driven faith and rigid faith that does not adapt to a changing world. The Episcopal Church affirms that the Holy Spirit can call many people to ministry; that ordination is open to men and women, married or single; that lay people play a pivotal role in electing their bishop; that committed same-sex unions may be blessed; that the dignity of every person is to be respected; and that grace is available after divorce, with no denial of sacraments to those who are divorced or remarried. Birth control is treated as a matter of personal informed conscience, and the parish sees no inherent contradiction between faith and science.
The Book of Common Prayer, dating back to that era and updated many times, is the principal text of worship, and most visitors and members of Episcopal churches will recognize in St. Stephen's liturgy the forms of Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist. The Catechism gives further commentary on the creeds for those preparing for confirmation, reception, or renewal of faith.
Hall Rental and Practical Details
St. Stephen's hall rentals have hosted community seminars, quilting events, dog training classes, a catering business, and one-on-one music lessons, with spaces sized for a wide range of gatherings. The Parish Hall seats up to 25 at four tables and includes a piano. The Multi-Purpose Room seats 96 at tables or 125 auditorium-style and rents for $350 for five hours, with additional hours, kitchen use, and equipment available for additional fees. The Bishop Emrich Library seats 12 around a conference table plus a sofa, with a wall-mounted video screen and white boards. Small classrooms are available for tutoring or music lessons. A building use form is available for those interested in renting.
The church building is accessible, with abundant well-lit parking. The parish office phone is 248-641-8080, the general email is office@ststephenstroy.org, and the mailing address is 5500 N Adams Rd, Troy, MI 48098. Giving is available online, and a parish app icon is offered for both Android and iOS. Key News, the parish e-newsletter, arrives every Friday morning, and The Witness, the seasonal print newsletter, is published several times annually.
Through nearly seventy years of changing Troy, St. Stephen's has held to a clear pattern: gathered twice on Sunday, served through the week, and made room for anyone who wants to draw close. The two services, the Wednesday choir rehearsal, the meal-packaging events, the Little Free Pantry out front, and the steady stream of pilgrims heading off to places like Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic all point to the same conviction that has shaped this parish since that first eucharist in 1957: faith is something lived.