Forums: Way of the Cross

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.

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.

For Your Kids

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.

Forums: Way of the Cross

03.08.20 | Learn

Our forum series in Lent unpacks Christian doctrine related to the journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday

Our clergy leads this four-part series helping us walk the way during Lent, with sessions on repentance, atonement, judgment, and resurrection. Our Lenten reading selections are below.

Sunday, March 1: Way of the Cross--Repentance

The Rev'd Geoffrey Hoare begins with a discussion of repentance: what is its biblical meaning and what does it mean for us today?

Sunday, March 8: Way of the Cross--Judgment

The Rev'd Emily Griffin unpacks the meaning of judgment in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the book of Revelations in this second session of our Lenten series.

Sunday, March 15: Way of the Cross--Atonement

The Rev'd Jim Quigley explores the biblical understanding of atonement and the role it plays in today's world.

Sunday, March 22: Way of the Cross--Resurrection

The Rev'd Yoimel Gonzalez leads this final session in our Lenten series, which looks at the resurrection and our understanding of it in our lives.

Sunday, March 29: Lenten Book Groups

We’ve chosen four books for the season of Lent this year. During the adult forum hour on March 29, readers will gather to discuss the texts they have read. Purchase these books by your own means (titles link to Amazon) and e-mail Jim Quigley with your choice so that we can determine the appropriate size meeting places to accommodate the discussions.

Holy Envy: Barbara Brown Taylor

The renowned and beloved New York Times bestselling author of An Altar in the World and Learning to Walk in the Dark recounts her moving discoveries of finding the sacred in unexpected places while teaching the world’s religions to undergraduates in rural Georgia, revealing how God delights in confounding our expectations (An obvious choice for us as BBT will be with us on March 7!).

A Lens of Love: Jonathan L. Walton

A Lens of Love helps Christians to read and interpret the Bible morally and confidently as they engage society's pressing issues. Walton provides interpretive tools to help understand the context of the Scriptures along with the Scriptures themselves in order to engage the richness of the Bible as they strive to live in the world in a biblically grounded, theologically sound, and socially responsible way. A Lens of Love will be a great read for those who have participated in St. Alban’s Sunday and Wednesday morning Bible studies.

Being Human: Bodies, Minds, Persons: Rowan Williams

Because we were recently graced with the presence of the 104^th Archbishop of Canterbury, this too was an easy choice for a Lenten discipline for the people of St. Alban’s. In Being Human, Rowan wonders: What is consciousness? Is the mind a machine? What makes each of us a person? How do our bodies relate to our minds? In this deeply engaging exploration of what it means to be human, Rowan Williams addresses these frequently asked questions with lucid meditations that draw from findings in neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and literature. Then he presses on to ask, might faith be necessary to human flourishing? If so, why? And how can a traditional Christian practice—namely, silence—help us advance on the path to human maturity?

This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World , by Sophfronia Scott and her son Tain Gregory

This Child of Faith is of particular interest to parents and all who are invested in the faith lives of young people. It is a relatively quick read, provides an easily relatable narrative, and offers a number of suggestions for nurturing the faith of the children in our lives. Whether or not you agree with every suggestion or insight of the authors, the book does help us to reflect on our own faith histories and the experiences of our children. Join parishioner Jennifer Gartin on Sunday, March 29 (location TBD) for a discussion of the book and a sharing of ideas.

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What to Expect

For Your Kids

The Episcopal Church

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Forums: Way of the Cross