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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

SUNDAY SERVICES (after Labor Day through May)
8:00 a.m.       Holy Eucharist: Rite I (spoken)

9:00  a.m.      Holy Eucharist: Rite II

                        Children's Chapel

11:15 a.m.      Misa in Español (Little Sanctuary)

11:15 a.m.      Holy Eucharist: Rite II (Rite I during Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter)

WEEKDAY SERVICES
Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday, 9:00 a.m.  Daily Morning Prayer

Tuesday, 7:30 a.m.                                    Holy Eucharist: Rite II

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 Parish the formation of our children is a high priority.  While we know that a significant amount of a child’s faith comes from the home, we aim to provide excellent children’s formation throughout the year to complement the formation that is ongoing in a child’s life.  Our goal is to help children easily point to the love of God in their lives.

Worship: Children’s Chapel meets at the start of the 9:00 a.m. service in Nourse Hall. Children join the congregation in "big church" at the Peace, in time for Eucharist.

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

Nursery care: Child care is available from 9:00 to 11:05 a.m. during the program year (September to May) for infants and children under 3 who aren’t quite ready for our 2s & 3s class.

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. 

Worship:  St. Alban’s Teen Service Fellowship starts at 9:00 a.m. and is a separate service just for our teens held in the Little Sanctuary at St. Albans School. This interactive service offers teens time to talk about life, the Gospel, and to celebrate Eucharist together.  The teens return to "big church," before heading to their classes at the conclusion of the 9:00 a.m. worship service.  Friends are always welcome.

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

Adult Enquirers’ Class This Fall
Thursdays, Sept. 27 to Nov. 1, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

The clergy will lead a six-week series this fall for anyone who would like to explore or re-examine the Christian faith. These classes also serve as preparation for anyone wishing to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. The fee for the class is $25, which includes the cost of materials. We will arrange childcare if there is anyone who requests it when registering. Our sourcebooks are two recently published and very accessible texts written for newcomers or those wishing to renew their faith by Rowan Williams, currently the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and formerly the Archbishop of Canterbury: Being Christian and Being Disciples. Confirmation will be held on November 3 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. For those who are interested, a rare and exciting opportunity follows: Rowan Williams will be here at St. Alban’s on Thursday, November 8 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. to discuss the books we’re using for this course. Register by emailing .

 

Sunday School and Youth Group Resume
Sunday, 10:15 to 11:05 a.m.; Room Locations:

Nursery - 1st Floor, Rectory

2s&3s – Upstairs Satterlee Hall, Room 312

PreK to K - Upstairs Satterlee Hall, Room 307

1st  to 3rd  Grade - Upstairs Satterlee Hall, Room 308/9

4th to 6th Grade - Upstairs Satterlee Hall, Room 306

Rite 13 (7th to 8th Grade) – Phoebe Nourse Room, Rectory

J2A (9th to 10th Grade) – St. Patrick Room, Rectory

Sr. Youth (11th-12th  Grade) – St. Columba Room, Rectory

Please use our convenient online forms to register your children and youth for 2018-2019. Questions about our programs for children? Contact the Rev’d Emily Griffin. For youth, contact the Rev’d Geoffrey Hoare.

 

Opportunity to Comment on New Bylaws
From Laura Ingersoll, Senior Warden

We’ve had to revise our parish bylaws to conform to new diocesan requirements, and in the process have corrected/improved/streamlined them, with few substantive changes.  The Vestry has discussed them in three meetings, and now we invite any interested parishioners to comment (in writing) before the congregation is asked to approve them at a Special Parish Meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 28.  The proposed bylaws (annotated) can be found here, and current bylaws, for comparison, can be found here.  A Q&A page explaining the major changes is here.  The relevant new diocesan canon 47 is here, and a history of St. Alban’s bylaws is here.   
There will be two open “listening sessions” – Thursday, September 27, 6:00-7:30 pm in Satterlee Room 301, and Sunday, September 30, 10:00-11:00 am in the Rectory Living Room.  Written comments should be sent to the Vestry or to Laura Ingersoll c/o the church office.
 

St. Alban's Children's Chorister Program

Starting in September, and spearheaded by our newly appointed Director of Music, Jeremy Filsell and Associate, Rebecca Kellerman, a renewed chorister program will be instituted at St. Alban's Church. Utilizing the RSCM's (The Royal School of Music) highly respected VOICE for LIFE program as a pathway for training and spiritual development of young choral singers, the new program will allow the acquisition of vocal skills, musical understanding, and knowledge of repertoire for children in a sacred context. 

Read the full article here.

 

Click here to see all of the news in the latest issue of This Week at St. Alban's, our weekly eNewsletter.