Welcome! Our doors are open both in-person and online
Everyone is always welcome here. We love having visitors and seeing new faces.
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Find out the joys you can expect at Christ Church.
See how Christ Church’s various ministries offer dozens of chances for you to worship, pray, serve people who need a little help, and gather with friends.
For the bigger picture, read up on what Episcopalians believe.
Check out our handy list of Frequently Asked Questions below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHEN’S CHURCH?
Christ Church gathers together on Sundays at 8:30 AM and 10:15. The early service tends to be quieter, with no music, and draws a more traditional crowd. The later service has music and draws a large crowd, including many families with children. To keep us all safe for in-person worship, we follow a handful of COVID-19 protocols.
If you dig digital church, you can also worship with us anytime! Find our services online on Facebook, YouTube, and on our Website. You can watch on your TV via Boxcast on Roku or Apple TV by downloading the Boxcast App, then searching for “Christ Episocpal Church -- Alameda, CA.”
HOW DO I DRESS?
Wear whatever is comfortable to you. Some people wear a jacket and tie or a dress. Others wear shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Most people are somewhere in between.
For any of our virtual gatherings that are still on Zoom, you only need to iron the front of your shirt or blouse. Winning!
HOW LONG ARE SERVICES?
The perfect length: 60 minutes.
HOW DOES THE SERVICE WORK?
Our church services have two big parts: Word and Table. The first part, the Liturgy of the Word includes readings from the Bible, a sermon, and prayers. After a short announcement time we move on to the Liturgy of the Table, when we bless bread and wine as Jesus did so often with his friends, and we share them together, gathered around the altar. This is called communion or Eucharist (which means Thanksgiving, in Greek, because we’re fancy like that.) Our liturgy is based upon the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, which has been in use in various forms for nearly 500 years. We also add contemporary elements to keep things fresh.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH COMMUNION?
The altar is God’s table and everyone is welcome. Come to the front of the church, and to receive the bread, just cup your hands and extend them. We also have self-serve wine (or grape juice!) in small compostable cups at the front of the church. If you prefer a blessing, come to the altar and cross your arms over your chest. Everyone, even young children, sinners, saints, church-goers, church-skeptics, theological perfectionists, those who find comfort in ambiguity, and the gluten-averse, is invited to communion. Feel free to assist your children.
In the Episcopal Church we see communion as a sacrament, a symbol and ritual through which we encounter God. As a sacrament, it’s open to varied interpretation. There’s no one right way to approach the mystery of God.
WHAT ARE THE SERMONS LIKE?
You’ll have to be the judge of whether or not they’re any good by clicking here. They usually go for 10-12 minutes.
WHY SHOULD I GO TO CHURCH?
In this time of unprecedented trial and time of waiting, a regular dose of beautiful music, quiet meditation, and calming prayer is good for the spirit.
WHAT DO EPISCOPALIANS BELIEVE?
Episcopal theology is a method. To answer questions we weigh input from three sources of authority: Scripture (the Bible), Tradition (what the church has taught through history), and Reason (our experiences out in the world). Because the third leg of this stool is subjective, Episcopalians span a range of beliefs. Hence the joke: Where two or three Episcopalians gather, there are four or five opinions.
Because our theology is a method, we’re not very doctrinal. We don’t keep a definitive list of beliefs on which we can look up the answer to things. The closest we get to that is the brief Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer.
Another way to approach this question is to come to church with us. We say that praying shapes believing, which means that common prayer - worship - is the heart of what we do. It expresses our values and beliefs. In short: we believe that God loves you--no exceptions.
CAN I BRING KIDS WITH ME?
Of course!
Children, youth and adults are welcome in church, in the nursery, in the Sunday school and at coffee hour.
In the church, kids are welcome to sit with their parents. Our greeters can give them an activity bag if you like. There’s also a “pray ground” at the back of the church where kids can wiggle about, do crafts, and play around a bit.
Our church nursery is open from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on Sundays. If you’d like your child to return to the church for communion, please let the childcare staff know.
On most Sundays there is Sunday School for children and youth at 10:15 am. Sunday School operates outdoors on the playground and basketball court, if raining we’ll be in the Parish Hall or Education Building.
We have a youth lounge up in the old choir loft where kids from 6th-12th grade can hang out in their own space.
On the first Sunday of each month all ages are in church to worship together.
We also have children’s and youth choirs that rehearse between services and perform regularly. Many youth also help out in the service as acolytes and videographers.
WHAT’S THE MUSIC LIKE?
On most Sundays of the year our choir performs, accompanied by an organ or piano. Their offerings include traditional churchy music, sacred music, and even contemporary tunes.
Occasionally we supplement the choir with guest soloists, brass, strings, bells, or we replace the choir altogether with a Dixieland jazz band.
During the summer months, our choir takes a hiatus so the congregation carries on with simpler hymns.
CAN I JUST BE A QUIET VISITOR?
Yes. You’re more than welcome to lurk quietly to find a moment of peace in this crazy life.
AM I SUPPOSED TO BE A MEMBER?
We’re kind of loose on membership. We consider any person who shows up regularly at the church and who contributes some of their time or money or both to be a member.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER CHURCH?
We have a social gathering that is incredibly fun (and we serve free coffee and yummy snacks!). It takes place in the courtyard outside.
DO YOU PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH?
We try to. Through our Social Justice Ministry Christ Church adopts 12 causes each year. We give the whole of our plate collection in church to these causes, we educate ourselves on the cause, and we look for volunteer service opportunities with these causes. Recent organizations we’ve supported include: domestic violence awareness and education, the East Bay Community Law Center, Cease Fire Oakland, the Alameda Point Collaborative, programs that support foster youth and ex-convicts, and a range of food security issues. Christ Church also operates a seasonal homeless shower program, along with a food pantry.
Additionally, our Welcoming ministry tries to spread the work that everyone is welcome to come to Christ Church just as they are. Our Pastoral Care ministry helps take care of folks inside and outside of the church in meeting spiritual, emotional and physical challenges. Our Parish Life ministry creates opportunities for new and old friends to bond and learn from each other and attend retreats. Adult Spiritual Formation helps pass on the great traditions of our church to adults, and our Children and Youth Ministry passes on that tradition and our values to our young people.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
It takes an awful lot of good-ish people to do the work of the church: loving God and loving our neighbors. In the words of Friedrich Buechner, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Our hope is that we can help people figure out something that they’re good at and love to do, and apply it to some of the challenges of this world.
Christ Church’s various ministries offer dozens of chances to worship, pray, serve people who need a little help, teach, and gather with friends.
WHAT DOES EPISCOPAL MEAN?
It literally means “organized by bishops.” Before 1776 we were called the Anglican Church or the Church of England but that ran into serious marketing problems after the revolutionary war.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?
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WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Call our parish office at 510-523-7200. You can also reach out to one of our priests, Stephen McHale, on his cell at 510-220-5663.