our vision
St. Stephen’s seeks to be a Christ-centred, Holy Spirit-led, Outward Focussed, Caring Community.
This short statement is heavy with possibility as we grow into the people God is calling us to be. The statement came out of prayerful meetings, building on the various ways we had described our Vision in the past.
At St. Stephen’s, we are all encouraged to pray and consider our collective vision as a parish. How are we being called to grow? How are we being called to make this vision more and more of a reality in our time and place?
Where there is no vision, the people perish. – Proverbs 21:18
About us
We gather together to worship and be formed into the people God would have us be in the world. We value young people and children, elders and everybody in between. We are all fellow pilgrims in the journey of faith, learning to walk with Jesus and to follow in his way, which we have discovered to be the pathway to full and abundant life.
We share communion together on a weekly basis, using the Eucharistic Celebration found in the Anglican Book of Alternative services. We believe by faith that Christ is truly present to us in this shared sacramental meal of bread and wine.
Our church has a casual, homey feel, while having the structures and form of Anglican worship. We believe that God is calling us to be a family, and to be at home in God’s presence. Could God be calling you to come and find a sense of home and belonging in our small corner of Saskatoon? As Jesus said to his disciples, “come and see.” John 1:39
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” -Jesus
Who We Are
Our Team & Leadership
As a church, we all share our gifts with one another, contributing to the ministry of the parish. Here’s a brief intro to some of the people who are involved in the day to day workings of the church.
Rev. Amy Bunce
Priest
Amy has been a member of St. Stephen’s since 2006, and has served in the parish in various capacities since 2008, when her family moved to Saskatoon in order to join the newly forming L’Arche community. Her husband, Wyndham Thiessen, is the community leader of L’Arche Saskatoon. Amy was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Toronto in 2003, at St. Andrew’s, Scarborough, on the Eve of the Epiphany. Amy and Wyndham have 2 sons and a cat named Vladimir. She loves to be with her family, to read, doodle and enjoy the little things in life.
The Rev Sunil Steephan
Priest, Malayalam Congregation at St. Stephen's
Rev. Sunil Steephan was ordained as an Anglican priest in 2014 in the Church of South India, South Kerala Diocese. He lives in Saskatoon with his wife and 2 children. He leads a Sunday worship service at 5 pm, in Malayalam, using the Anglican Prayer Book. Sunil is currently completing his ThM in systematic theology at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon.
Cathryn Mitchell-Wood
Music Ministry Director
Cathryn has been a part of St. Stephen’s parish since childhood! She has been music Ministry Director for 25 years, sharing her gifts and ministry with her church family, and also works at the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism. She and her husband Chris have 4 daughters. Among other things, Cathryn volunteers and contributes to the highland dance community in Saskatoon and writes icons.
Julie Abell-Smith
Children's Ministry Director
Julie came to St. Stephen’s to be a part of Vacation Bible School 9 years ago and has been a part of the parish ever since. She brings the gift of creativity and care for detail to her ministry with children. She loved working in set design and theatre, which translates nicely into Christmas pageants and Vacation Bible School. Julie and her husband have 3 sons and enjoy family time together whenever busy schedules allow.
Alexandra Oster
Office Administrator
Alexandra has been at St. Stephen’s as Office Administrator since fall 2022. Alex is a warm and caring person, who can print bulletins and organize church activities with aplomb! We are grateful for Alex’s ministry with us.
Sophie Yang
Cleaning
Sophie has been a part of St. Stephen’s since 2019, when she moved in next door! She shares her enthusiasm and joy with others and is a blessing in our church family
Wesley Thiessen
Groundskeeper
Wesley mows the lawn and shovels snow and may be seen doing a back flip as he finishes up his work. Wesley is going into Grade 12 and has been a part of St. Stephen’s since he was 1. In this photo, Wes is being a knight at Vacation Bible School.
governing body
Vestry
The Anglican church is governed by the creation of an elected body of members to vestry, which acts as an advisory and decision making group for the parish. Vestry members agree to be a part of vestry for a period of 2 years, during which they meet 10 times a year. This ministry is invaluable to the church as it provides a cross section of people who take part in shaping the ministry and direction of the parish, together with the parish priest and in accordance with the canons of the Anglican church of Canada. We currently have 11 members of vestry, along with 2 wardens and a treasurer.
support
Wardens
We have an elected People’s Warden and a Priest’s Warden, each in place to support the life and ministry of the church and to support the priest in her duties. These leadership roles act as executive board members and carry the responsibility of ensuring that the church is following the policies and procedures as outlined by the Diocese of Saskatoon, as an entity of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Right Rev. Chris Harper
Bishop
Our Bishop, the Right Reverend Chris Harper, was elected Bishop in the fall of 2018, and is the shepherd of our Diocese. He was an emergency medical technician before completing a certificate of Indigenous Anglican Theology from James Settee College in the Diocese of Saskatchewan and a masters of divinity from Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. He was ordained as a priest in 2005 and served as a priest in Saskatchewan and Ontario before becoming Indigenous native priest in the diocese of Toronto in 2016.