713-528-6665   ---   1805 W ALABAMA, HOUSTON, TX 77098 --- SUNDAY WORSHIP AT 8:30 AM & 10:30 AM    --- [email protected]

Go Church

Connecting our Christian faith to diverse spaces.

 

 

How to Get Involved

 What is Go Church/Vamos Iglesia?

Montrose, our neighborhood, is home to a diverse population of people; LGBTQIA, people of color, people new to Houston, young families, and immigrants, many of whom are not connected to a faith community. Through Go Church/Vamos Iglesia, St. Stephen’s seeks to address the profound need for a church that is not only open and affirming but is equipped to minister to and care for these diverse groups, offering bilingual content (English and Spanish) and relationship-focused, community-building, evangelistic programs that create deep and safe friendships.

We are aware that the Christian Church has historically not been a safe place for LGBTQIA individuals and marginalized racial communities. Our challenge at St. Stephen’s is to become a multicultural congregation within the Episcopal Church that embodies progressive Christian values. To meet this challenge, we will spend a lot of time in the neighborhood we intend to serve. This is the aim of Go Church/Vamos Iglesia: to literally GO as Christ commanded and be among the people He invites us to love.

This work has already begun among us. St. Stephen’s has spent the last couple of years in adult Christian formation exploring and discussing Anti-racism work within the church. We have also held events such as block parties, community dinners, and outings to the zoo, park, and Houston Astros games.

Why is Go Church/Vamos Iglesia important?

We believe there are spaces outside our building where we are in a unique position to bring the Gospel of Christ – particularly to spaces where the church has historically been absent. Since the inception of our church, we have been at the forefront of ministry to the marginalized and disenfranchised, attracting like-minded families and community members who want to support these types of ministries.

We were:

  • The first church in the Diocese to integrate our day school.
  • The first church in the Diocese to call a female rector.
  • The leading and most active church in the Diocese to confront the AIDS crisis.

Go Church/Vamos Iglesia Productions

Last year our Go Church/Vamos Iglesia Productions focused on creating and launching the first season of our podcast, Faith from the Margins, and its Spanish version, Fe desde los Márgenes.

This year we continue our work in this area, but we are also partnering with different organizations and events in Houston to connect our St. Stephen’s community to other local communities.