St. Alban's Episcopal Church
Community SubscriberHello! I highly recommend my church to you: St. Alban's Episcopal Church at 1501 Washington Ave in Albany. (Literally on the border with Berkeley.) It's a small, welcoming, inclusive church. Right now we meet once a month in person, and the rest of the month on Zoom. Truthfully, the congregation is mostly older, (and therefore there is no "Sunday School" to leave your child in during service, even if you wanted to!) but we have a few parishioners who bring their children to worship, and they are much adored and welcomed by the congregation We'll be having in-person worship this Sunday, December 5th, and also on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m.
What most attracted me to the church is that the members really, really try to walk the walk: we affirm feminism, LGBTQ community members, service to the community, and many of us have undertaken anti-racism work. Plus, the music is fantastic, and there is a resident performing arts nonprofit that the church is fostering; there are fantastic concerts at least once a month. There's a preschool housed at the church, and a youth choir meets there weekly.
We hope to see you there - come and check us out! https://stalbansalbany.org/
I have rented space at the UU Church in Oakland, corner of 14th and Castro. They have a big space where you can have dancing and tables and are not particular about what food you bring in. Seems you can be as noisy as you like on a Friday or Saturday night. Also, I have attended two parties at St. Albans in Albany where there was a dj/band and dancing. The size of their social hall might actually be better for a group the size you are considering. It's a pretty space and my friends who hosted the parties told me it was reasonably priced. Sounds like fun!
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Feb 2010
Re: Seeking welcoming church with inspiring minister
If you are looking for a welcoming church, please take a look st St Alban's Episcopal Church in Albany at the coner of Washington and Curtis Streets. It's a friendly parish, with active programs for children and teens. There is someone teaching QiGong in the parish hall at least one evening a week, and a number of early music groups present concerts there. For more information, check out thier website at http://www.st-albans-albany.org/ or call the paish at 510-525-1716. There is a regular Sunday choir, and the church has an organ. Jennifer
Oct 2007
Re: Seeking tolerant, inclusive Catholic community
St Alban's Episcopal Church (which is located directly on the Albany-Berkeley border just off Solano, at Curtis and Washington) would probably meet your needs. My husband was raised Catholic and I was not, and we went to St Alban's as a kind of middle ground. It's a small church with great music, a nice community feeling, and blossoming youth programs, including a Godly Play session for 4-7 year olds. Lori
May 2007
Re: Churches with kids near El Cerrito?
Check out St Alban's Episcopal on Washington Street in Albany. It's just a few blocks from El Cerrito, off Santa Fe. We are a small, very friendly church. While there isn't a huge number of kids, the number is growing. Lori
Dec 2006
Re: Looking for Protestant Church in El Cerrito area
Hi Amy, Our Episcopal Church, St. Alban's, sounds like a good match for you. We also live in El Cerrito and have belonged to St. Alban's since I was pregnant with my first child 20 years ago! There are a lot of young families, child care, Sunday School, etc. I know that there is a very active youth group. The music is wonderful. We have a pipe organ, choir, and many musically-talented members. (Bay Area Early Music groups often use the church and parish hall for their concerts.) The church is located on the corner of Curtis and Washington streets just one block north of Solano. The musical service which has child care is at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Marcia
March 2003
Re: Inclusive & Friendly Church
For the family seeking a church in the Albany/El Cerrito area. You might want to look into St. Alban's Episcopal at the corner of Curtis & Washington in Albany. It's a very friendly parish and there are a lot of families with young children. There are multiple levels of Sunday school and active youth groups. Baby- sitting is available at the Sunday 10 a.m. service, but a lot of parents bring their infants into church anyway. In addition to the music in the church service, several choral groups use the church facilities for practice, and the Early Music Society runs its Hausmusik programs there. The rector is Jim Stickney. The assistant rector is Laurie Willis. The phone number is 510-525- 1716. Give them a call, or come by for a visit. Jennifer
You might try St. Alban's Episcopal on Washington in Albany...it's small, friendly, good music and a fantastic pastor. Jim Stickney gives thoughtful, timely, articulate and sometimes funny sermons..very open to having visitors try them out too...good luck finding what you want. tim
2001
You might want to look at St. Alban's Episcopal in Albany (at the corner of Washington and Curtis). They have an active Sunday School with organized programs for children of all ages (and there are a number of families with young children). The people there are friendly and welcoming. The rector is Pastor James Stickney and Bobbie Ryan is the director of the Sunday School. Jennifer
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