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For over 150 years, Grace & Saint Stephen's has been an integral part of Colorado Springs. Grace Church was established in 1873 on land downtown deeded by William Jackson Palmer, the founder of the city. A second parish, Saint Stephen's, was established in 1893. In 1923, the two parishes combined and built our Gothic Revival building designed by a member of one of the architectural firms that built the Washington National Cathedral.
We are rooted in the Anglican tradition of The Episcopal Church, which formed from the Church of England following the American Revolution. Our tradition is inspired by a refrain found in the Psalms: “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
We aspire to do our part in revealing the beauty of holiness in reverent worship on Sunday and throughout the week, in thoughtful Christian formation for all ages, and in service with and for all God’s people.
At Grace & Saint Stephen’s, we also aspire to gracious welcome, believing that diversity is a gift from God. We welcome and value people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, socio-economic backgrounds, and physical and mental abilities. Grace is not only a part of our name, it is our central belief—all are welcome on the merits of God’s love for you, not our accomplishments, status, beliefs, or pasts.
We are a proud member of the Diocese of Colorado, The Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion.
Visitor InterestStreet parking is available on North Tejon (meters are free until 1 p.m. on Sundays), or on Willamette and Monument (no meters). There are limited handicap parking spots on North Tejon. The accessible entrance is located just past the bell tower door.
All people are welcome at Grace & Saint Stephen’s. Regardless of your faith background, family situation, or life circumstances, this is a community where you can come to receive the peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding—a place of relief from the stresses and burdens of life. We are an open, affirming, and diverse parish.
On Sundays, we gather in two morning worship services, both centered upon readings from sacred Scripture, a 12–16 minute sermon, and prayers for our community and world. We then partake in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist, to which all baptized Christians are invited. Our liturgical worship is drawn from the Book of Common Prayer, while the biblical readings come from a cycle of readings shared with many churches.
There is no dress code or expectation for a certain style of dress in order to fit in. You will find some people wearing suits and dresses, while others wear jeans or khakis with a polo shirt. We celebrate diverse personal devotions, including chapel veils and prayer beads. Visitors will not be asked to stand up or be identified as visitors during the service, nor is there any requirement or expectation that you contribute to the offering when collected.
We do hope you will fill out a Guest Information Card so that we will be able to follow up with you and welcome you more fully. We respect your privacy and you may opt out of church communications at any time.
You are welcome to attend any worship service or event at Grace & Saint Stephen’s. All are invited to be involved in formation classes and other programs and ministries. Formal membership is never required to belong or participate here.
If you are interested in becoming a member of The Episcopal Church, we regularly offer new member classes and the sacrament of Baptism (the ritual of initiation into the Church) throughout the year for infants, children, and adults. For those already baptized, we also offer here, or at nearby parishes, the sacrament of Confirmation (the ritual of adult, reasoned reception into Church), officiated by the Bishop of Colorado. Please do speak with our clergy for details regarding Baptism, Confirmation, or new member classes.
Each Sunday, we collectively affirm the Nicene Creed—held in common by Christian churches across the globe for over 1700 years. We also regularly affirm the Apostles’ Creed, a widely-shared statement of belief in Christianity. In accord with our roots in the Church of England, our faith is guided by sacred Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. Our parish also commits to pursuing beauty, wisdom, and witness in all that we do—as symbolized in our parish mark.
The dove is an ancient Christian symbol signifying the gift of the Holy Spirit which, after his Resurrection, Jesus sent to strengthen believers in spreading the Gospel as faithful witnesses to him—our primary mission. The halo around the dove’s head has three rays indicating our foundational belief in the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our patron, Saint Stephen, is often remembered as the first martyr of our faith and the word “witness” is derived from the Greek word for “martyr,” reminding us of our holy vocation of bearing witness to Christ in all that we say and do.
The three rays around the dove’s head are shaped as a Canterbury Cross, a symbol also featured in our mark as the “and” between Grace & Saint Stephen’s. This cross is an ancient symbol from Canterbury, England, the historic home of our branch of Christianity. The halo and cross symbolize the wisdom contained in our Anglican tradition. Sacred Scripture teaches us that the Cross is the shape of true Wisdom.
In our Gothic Revival building, many of the fine details and furnishings within it are inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, which prizes organic design, handcraftsmanship, and the integration of visual arts into spiritual formation. In a sacred setting like ours, such arts testify to the "beauty of holiness." Just as the dove is also a symbol of Beauty and Grace, our typography signifies that we are to live lives of beauty which are in harmony with the peace of Jesus Christ.
Along with fundamentals of the Christian faith, parishioners at Grace & Saint Stephen’s embrace a range of prayerfully-held beliefs, with many affirming:
We believe that the love of God—shown in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus—makes all the difference in our world and in our lives.
We believe in the inherent dignity and value of all people and the environment. We, therefore, are ambassadors of justice, belonging, and peace for all.
We believe in Grace—that we are loved and accepted not on the basis of our purity, correctness, skills, or behavior, but because the God who is love has chosen to love us. This gift is unconditional and can never be lost or taken away.
We believe and affirm that God is not a mere idea but is the creator and sustainer of all things and is active in the world. Faith is the response to God’s movement in our lives.
We believe that God has given us the gift of the Church as a means of participating in the love which is the source, purpose, and destination of all things.
We believe that we, the Church, are called to be stewards, sentinels, and messengers of relief given to us in the story of Jesus.
