60 Years of Hospitality, Generosity & Community

Rainy skies and summer humidity couldn’t stop us from celebrating!

On September 13, St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church celebrated 60 years of faith, fellowship, and community with a special anniversary cookout. The day began with rain and turned into a warm, humid afternoon, but the celebration was full of joy from beginning to end.

We were especially grateful to welcome Bishop Christa Compton to St. Stephen’s for this special occasion. Bishop Compton preached during worship and helped make the morning especially meaningful as we celebrated our history and looked ahead to the future. We were even more delighted that she stayed for the cookout, sharing a meal and visiting with members, friends, and community members throughout the afternoon.

The morning also included a special celebration as we welcomed eight new members through Affirmation of Baptism. It was a wonderful reminder that while we were celebrating 60 years of history, St. Stephen’s continues to grow and welcome new people into our church family.

After worship, everyone headed outside for an afternoon of food, music, games, and fellowship. Members, former members, friends, families, and community members gathered together, catching up with old friends and making new ones.

The music kept things lively, and there was plenty to enjoy for all ages. The balloon artist was a huge hit with the kids (and adults!) and the Tutti Frutti water ice truck was the perfect treat for a warm summer day!

More than anything, the cookout was a celebration of people. We were so happy to see people from St. Stephen’s past and present come together, along with neighbors and community members who may have been visiting us for the first time. It was a beautiful reflection of the hospitality and sense of community that have been part of St. Stephen’s story for six decades.

A celebration like this doesn’t happen without a lot of people behind the scenes. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped plan, prepare, set up, cook, serve, entertain, welcome our guests, and clean up. And thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and helped make the day so special.

It was a wonderful way to celebrate 60 years of ministry, faith, and community.