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Welcome

Welcome to St. Alban’s Church! Every Sunday, and most days in between, people gather in this place to worship, to learn, to grow, to share the joys and struggles of our lives, and to seek God’s grace in the midst of our lives. We do not come because we have it all figured out, but because we are seeking light on the way. We come as we are and welcome one another.

On this website, you can find information about our worship, our classes for people of all ages, membership at St. Alban's, and about how we seek to make a difference in this world. We warmly encourage you to join us for a Sunday service or for some of the many other events that happen here. You belong at St. Alban’s.

Please fill out this welcome form to connect with us.

Contact us with any questions. Call (202) 363-8286 or email the church office.

 

Service Times

Beginning on Trinity Sunday, May 30, 2021, worship will be open to anyone without pre-registration or distancing requirements. We will continue requiring that worshippers be masked for now. 

Our schedule of services will remain the same throughout the summer:

 - 9:00 a.m. (English) in the church

 - 10:30 a.m. (English) in the church

 - Noon (Spanish) in Nourse Hall

Communion in one kind (i.e. wafers) will be offered at the main altar, although we will happily bring communion to those for whom steps are challenging. 

Masked hymn singing both indoors and outdoors will be permitted, and music will be supported by a soloist and organ. 

On-line worship services in English and Spanish are available on Sundays beginning at 8:00 a.m. on our YouTube channel.

 

 

Directions

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church is located next to the Washington National Cathedral at the corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in the northwest section of the District of Columbia.

From either direction on the north loop of the Capital Beltway/I-495 follow signs for Route 355/Wisconsin Ave south toward DC. St. Alban’s is located on the left just before the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Make a left onto Lych Gate Rd before you reach Massachusetts Ave. As you enter the drive, the church will be on your left and Satterlee Hall and the Rectory on the right. Stay on Lych Gate until it becomes Pilgrim Rd.

From any Virginia main in-bound thoroughfare (George Washington Memorial Parkway, I-395, Route 50, I-66), follow signs to Rosslyn and take the Key Bridge from Rosslyn north across the Potomac River into Georgetown. Go right on M St, left on Wisconsin Ave. St. Alban’s is located on the right just after the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Make a right onto Lych Gate Rd after passing Massachusetts. As you enter the drive, the church will be on your left and Satterlee Hall and the Rectory on the right. Stay on Lych Gate until it becomes Pilgrim Rd.

Parking is available on Pilgrim Road Monday-Friday after 3:30 pm and all day Saturday and Sunday. Parking is also available in the Cathedral’s underground garage for a fee Monday- Saturday and for free on Sunday.  You may also park on neighborhood streets according to DC parking signs.

What to Expect

Visiting a church for the first time can be a bit daunting. So we have tried to put together the answers to some of the questions you’re likely to have and to ensure that you find a warm welcome here. Click on the questions to learn more.)

How do you worship?

What time are services on Sunday morning?

How long do services last?

Where can I park?

Do you offer programs for children?

What should I wear?

Do you have provisions for the differently-abled?

For Your Kids

Children’s Ministry

At St. Alban’s, we believe that a child’s spiritual growth is just as important as their physical and intellectual growth. Our goal is to help children name and value the presence and love of God in their lives. We do this through a variety of means – by providing stable and consistent adult mentors, encouraging strong peer relationships, and supporting parents in their families’ faith lives at home.

Worship: Children’s Chapel meets at the start of the 9:00 a.m. service. Starting in September 2021, Children’s Chapel with Communion will be held outdoors on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at 9:00 a.m. To learn more, contact the Rev’d Emily Griffin.

Education: All church school classes resume the Sunday after Labor Day with our annual Open House. Instruction starts the following Sunday.

Learn more about Children's Ministries


Youth Ministry

Four teen groups participate in formation classes at St. Alban’s on Sunday mornings. We use the nationally recognized Episcopal curriculum “Journey to Adulthood," or J2A. J2A has two guiding principles: 1) Manhood and womanhood are gifts of God; and 2) Adulthood must be earned. This is a strong program with over 50 youth participating, many of whom engage in a wide variety of ministries at St. Alban’s. Two or three adults mentor each of the groups for two years, sharing their own faith journeys and forming strong bonds of fellowship with the participants.

Learn more about Youth Ministries

The Episcopal Church

As Episcopalians, we follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe God is active in our everyday lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and with each other in Christ. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the gospel, and promotes justice, peace and love. The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all of its members.

We uphold the Bible and worship with the Book of Common Prayer. We believe the Holy Scriptures are the revealed Word of God. In worship we unite ourselves with one another to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer and praise, and to celebrate the Sacraments. The Celebration of Holy Eucharist is the central act of worship in accordance with Jesus' command to His disciples. Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians, not only members of the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion with 70 million members in 165 countries.  The word "Episcopal" refers to government by bishops. The historic episcopate continues the work of the first apostles in the Church, guarding the faith, unity and discipline of the Church. Both men and women, including those who are married, are eligible for ordination as deacons, priests and bishops. 

We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We welcome all to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.

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This Week at St. Alban's

In-person Worship this Sunday, September 12

This Sunday, we return to our program year schedule:
  • 8 a.m. (English) - quiet, contemplative Eucharist without music in the Church.
  • 9 a.m. (English) - family-friendly Choral Eucharist in the Church.
  • 9 a.m. (English) - Children’s Chapel with Communion. For now, we are offering Children’s Chapel outdoors on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month
  • 11:15 a.m. (English) - a more formal Choral Eucharist in the Church.
  • 11:15 a.m. (Spanish) - Holy Eucharist with music from the Latino tradition in Nourse Hall (same building as the Church). Bulletins are bilingual for interested English speakers. 
Click here to see the service bulletins.
 

Online Worship for Sunday, September 12

Here is everything you need to join us online in worship this Sunday, September 12: 
  • The worship services in English and Spanish can be accessed beginning at 8 am Sunday morning by visiting our website and clicking on the large image entitled "Worship from Home,"  or on our YouTube channel.
  • The full set of readings in English is here.
  • The English Order of Service bulletin is here. 
  • Here is a link for some children’s activities especially for this week's scripture readings.
  • You may donate online by clicking here.
  • Nuestra misa grabada para este domingo, está disponible aquí. 
  • Si quieres ofrendar a través de nuestro sitio web, puedes encontrar aquí una explicación paso a paso de cómo hacerlo.       
Please note that we continue to worship in accordance with the coronavirus guidelines of our Diocese and the District of Columbia, which means:
  • We remain masked at all times (unless we have a speaking part during the service).
  • We do not drink from a common cup (consecrated wafers will be distributed to all who wish to receive).

  

Outdoor Children's Chapel and Sunday School Update
Sunday, September 12 - 9am Chapel, 10:15am "Open House" & Registration
PreK to 5th Grade Classes Start September 19th

We're going to try meeting outdoors for Children's Chapel and Sunday School/Godly Play for now. Children’s Chapel will meet the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month on the grassy area in front of the Peace Cross. St. Alban's School has agreed to let us use their Little Field tent for Godly Play so we have a safe, dry place to meet regardless of weather. Still figuring out all the practicalities - but please come to our table on the Rectory Lawn to learn more, reconnect with church friends, meet leaders, register and help your kids start to reorient after a long time away. At this point, we're planning to have the Rectory (the house across the driveway from St. Alban's Church) open as well - so you can see where our PreK-2nd Grade and 3rd to 5th Grade classes will meet once we move indoors. We've decided for now to hold off on Nursery Care and our 2s & 3s class.

To register for Sunday School online, click HERE.

For more on Godly Play, the curriculum we use with our kids, click HERE.

Questions? Contact the Rev’d Emily Griffin. 

 

Youth Classes Registration (6th-12th grades) 
Open House on September 12, Classes start September 19

Please, come on September 12 at 10:15am to know more about our Youth Program this year. You will find a visible sign outside our building directing you to the spaces. Youth and families will have the opportunity to know the new places for classes, their Youth Leaders, and details about the program and curriculum.  

We are making plans to have the safest places possible for our youth in person classes, and masks are required all the time. 

To register for Youth Classes online, click HERE. 

Questions? Contact the Rev. Yoimel González Hernández.

 

Adult Formation Opportunities - Register now!

Sacred Ground
Sacred Ground is a film and readings-based dialogue series on race grounded in faith.  In ten bi-weekly sessions participants are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.  This ten-session journey draws participants into a collective journey of the heart and soul, and mind - your own storytelling at times required!
Group one (beginning September 29) will meet on Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm.  Group two (beginning October 14) will meet on Thursday mornings from 10am - noon.  Registration is required and participation is limited to twenty persons. For more information and a full meeting schedule for each group contact the Rev’d Jim Quigley  Registration deadline: September 22.  

Education for Ministry (“EfM”):  Explore Your Place in the Christian Tradition with a Small Group
Education for Ministry (“EfM”) is a self-directed adult education program, sponsored by the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.  The study curriculum is a four-year program:  1) Hebrew Bible; 2) New Testament; 3) church history; and 4) theology/ethics/interfaith considerations.  St. Alban’s EfM group meets from 6:00 to 8:30 pm each Wednesday evening, continuing through late May.  In addition to theological reflection, each session includes time for fellowship, worship, and a discussion of assigned readings.  
The enrollment fee for the year is $380; scholarship funding is available.  Registration for this year’s program closes soon.  For more information contact Rich Jensen or Margit Williams.

GIFT
In our GIFT offering, Young Adults gather twice a month on Tuesday evenings to Grow In Faith Together.  This fall, GIFT participants will be discussing Jesus the Forgiving Victim, by James Allison. 
GIFT begins on Tuesday, September 21, from 7-8:30pm.  To register, contact the Rev’d Geoffrey Hoare.

Sunday Morning Bible Study 
Mainstream Anglican theology asserts that the cornerstones of our faith are derived from three main sources - Scripture, Tradition and Reason.  St. Alban’s Sunday Morning Bible Study is designed for those unfamiliar with or seeking a better understanding of the Bible as a whole.  The Sunday Morning Bible Study is a beginner’s journey into Holy Scripture where participants will read excerpts of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  Our SMBS meets most Sunday mornings throughout the program year (October - May).
Begins October 3, 10 - 11am ET.  Contact the Rev’d Jim Quigley to join. Registration closes Wednesday, September 29.

Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Faithful Biblical interpretation requires both exegesis (what are we reading, exactly?) and hermeneutics (how do we read, exactly?).  The WMBS is a lively and careful exploration that focuses on individual books and themes in Holy Scripture.  All are welcome! 
Wednesdays, 10-11am ET.  To join the WMBS email list and receive reading assignments contact the Rev’d Jim Quigley. Begins September 22.

Adult Enquirer’s Class
The Adult Enquirer’s Class is a six-part introduction to the life of faith at St. Alban’s. Each session explores an aspect of the Christian faith as understood in the Anglican Tradition and the Episcopal church and asks, “How is our faith lived out in the parish and the world?”  This class is designed for newcomers to the church as well as those who need to refresh their understanding of how to love God “not only with their lips, but in their lives.”  The Adult Enquirer’s Class also serves as the preparation course for adult confirmation (see note below). 
Mondays, October 4,11,18, 25 and November 1,8 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. Registration is required: Contact The Rev’d Jim Quigley Deadline for registration is September 29.
A Note About Confirmation:  The Adult Enquirer's Class offers one pathway to membership (Confirmation or Reception) in the Episcopal Church. Confirmation services with the bishop will be held at Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 11am. If you would like to be confirmed or received, please contact The Rev’d Jim Quigley.

***Currently all Adult Formation Meetings are held online on Zoom.

 

Welcoming Afghan Allies

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Episcopal Migration Ministries have partnered with Lutheran Social Services (LSS) in a collective response to the Afghani crisis.  As of this week, Lutheran Social Services has welcomed 626 allies to the DC Metro area to homes in three main resettlement sites: Hyattsville, MD, Fairfax, VA, and Dale City, VA.   Upon arrival, refugees are greeted at the airport, transportation to homes is provided and caseworkers addressing multiple needs are assigned.  A short video of the welcoming process and services provided can be found here.  To date, LSS has received 4,500 volunteer applications.  A volunteer application form can be found and submitted here.  Please note that it may take LSS and its subsidiary, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) two or more weeks to respond to your volunteer application.

St. Alban's will be collecting Mustard Seed contributions for refugee resettlement through September 19.  Checks can be sent to the church (please include Afghan Mustard Seed in the memo line) and online donations can be made here.

 

Click here to read our weekly eNewsletter, This Week at St. Alban's.