Holy Family Episcopal Church
© Holy Family Episcopal Church
famlies, children, youth, straight, LGBT, seniors, couples, singles, liberals, conservatives, saints, sinners, seekers, and more…
About Holy Family
No matter where you are in your spiritual life - whether questioning,
doubting, curious – we invite you to come and walk with us in our
pilgrimage of faith. If you are looking for a “tribe” or family to share
your spiritual journey, and partner to serve the needs of our neighbors,
we invite you to come check us out in person!
We support one another in both our spiritual and social lives. We accept
each other, acknowledge differing views that may exist between us. We
seek individual spiritual growth and the growth of our congregation. We
seek a deeper understanding of God in our lives.
Our Mission: We are a caring and inclusive community,
sharing the love of God in Christ.
That may sound vague, but we try to live that out in some particular
ways: helping the poor, solidarity with and advocacy for the oppressed,
feeding the hungry, learning about the teachings of Jesus and following
them, worshiping God, and more. You can read our mission and
philosophy here which describes core practices we work on, and which
reminds us of our aspirations.Some more about who we are can be
found below, with resource links.
Visit and check us out. The best way to learn about us is to see who
we are, or meet with the priest or a member of the church. If you have
questions, want more information, or would like to talk about your own
spiritual journey, you can reach the church at (650) 726-0506, or email
(click here). Or visit us on Sunday mornings when we gather for
worship, followed by social time where we get to know one another
better.
We are Christian: We follow the teachings of Jesus.
We are shaping our lives around Jesus’s life and teachings. We
experience Jesus’s ministry as loving, liberating, and life-giving. We
strive to love God and our neighbor as ourselves, and to be a place
where that kind of love can grow. You can learn more about our beliefs
here.
We are Rooted in Love: God is love.
Check out the awesome sermon on God’s love here, given by our
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry at the wedding of England’s Prince Harry
and Meghan Markle. We strive to live a life formed by and sharing the
kind of love Bishop Curry speaks about, which we have discovered in
Jesus’s life and teaching and in fellowship with one another. And there
is room for you!
We are Spiritual: Scripture, Tradition, and Reason are
important to us.
Get involved in worship, Bible study, prayer groups, and educational
offerings for spiritual living by clicking here. We worship together, study
scripture and discuss current issues, and we learn about ways to live
healthy spiritual lives. We learn together from Holy Scripture, rich
traditions, and intellectual curiousity. Faith is a journey: for some it
includes strong beliefs, yet doubt, questions, curiosity, even rigorous
debate can also be signs of having faith. Faith is active: a vibrant faith
can grow in and be visible by acts of love, compassion, and mercy (our
spiritual formation and community service are interrelated aspects of a
healthy spiritual community).
We are Responsive to Community Needs: We seek and
serve Christ in every person.
Volunteer to serve the community with us by clicking here. Collecting
school supplies so needy students can start the school year with the
resources they need, providing produce and other food to the hungry at
our monthly produce distribution, partnering with other community
service providers, marching in protests and participating in interfaith
vigils - these are some of the ways in which we serve the community
through action and presence. Service is an important way we live out
what we believe. We watch for ways to engage our neighbors and the
world around us, listening to and helping to serve the needs of the
community and sharing the love that we have encountered in Jesus,
We are Inclusive: We respect the dignity of every human
being.
Gay or straight, regardless of which pronouns you use, whatever age,
political persuasion, place of origin, background…. we invite you to
come and help make us a more diverse community! We seek to embrace
each person’s unique gifts and talents as part of our community life,
and we welcome folks from different walks of life. Our leadership and
membership is currently, inclusive across gender, and sexual identity,
and we strive for greater diversity in all areas. We believe, as one of
our prayers says, that “comprehension for the sake of truth” is
important for deepening our faith, meaning we embrace differences as
a means to discovering more about who God is. We participate in
Coastside Race Dialogues as a means of deepening our understanding of
our neighbors. We also believe that interfaith respect and dialogue is
an important means to deepening our faith.We are honored to host the
Coastside Jewish Community, who hold Shabbat services in our building,
and we hope to engage more dialogue with Muslims, Buddhists, and
other religious traditions to further embody that dialogue.
Episcopalian: We are part of a church that is bigger than
our congregation.
We are part of a network of Christians in several countries who are
striving for a deeper relationship with God and our neighbors. This
allows us, collectively, to try and address some of the bigger problems,
while we continue to help with local needs in our communities.
“Episcopal” comes from the Biblical Greek word for “bishop”, because
we organize ourselves in regions with spiritual guidance and oversight by
elected leaders that are called a bishops. However, over centuries, we
have developed particular expressions of Christianity that help us
embrace and embody the Christian Faith. There are many kinds of
Christians, and each kind may have a name, but more importantly each
has its own approach to living faithfully as followers of Jesus. You can
learn more about The Episcopal Church and how we practice our faith
here.
Anglican: We partner with other churches around the
world to meet the world’s needs.
The Episcopal Church is part of an even larger network of churches
called the “Anglican Communion”. This partnership is based on mutual
respect and shared faith, and it allows us to work together to address
global issues, like climate change, poverty, hunger, immigrant and
refugee support, and to provide aid in natural disasters or in times of
conflict. Anglican means “English”, and our way of church life has it
origins in both the English Reformation and, before that, in the earliest
Christian missionaries who travelled from the European continent to
share the Gospel there. We are distinct churches who govern ourselves
differently and independently, but who share faith, ministry, and service
in the world. You can learn more about the Anglican Communion here.
An Invitation: Come be yourself with us.
Christianity isn’t just about what we believe, it’s about who we are, and
that’s really hard to sum up in words. We sum it up in relationships -
with God, our neighbors, and seeking wholeness within ourselves. So if
you really want to know who we are, come visit and let’s get to know
each other. See how we worship, how we celebrate each other and
support one another in difficult times, and experience some of our
spiritual practices (worship, prayer, Bible study, etc.).
A bit of history
Holy Family Episcopal Church was established in Half Moon Bay by the
Episcopal Diocese of California on March 15, 1972, with 12 charter
families. The name "Holy Family" won out over "St. Linus of the Pumpkin
Patch." (We love our pumpkins!)
Other church communities reached out to provide us with a home for
many years. Many others gifted us with sanctuary vessels, vestments,
and furniture. It had long been our dream to give back once we had our
own home, including providing valuable outreach services to our
extended community.
Our dreams were realized in 1988 when the Diocese helped us purchase
the property at 1590 South Cabrillo Highway. This became home to our
church and to Holy Family Children’s Center. The two-acre property had
two buildings: a house and a large red barn.
After taking nearly 18 months to obtain the necessary permits and
complete the renovations, Holy Family joyfully held its first service. The
Children’s Center completed our campus when opened in the fall of
1989.
The Diocese of California
Holy Family is mission church in the Diocese of California, led by the Rt.
Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of
California. The Episcopal Diocese of California, commonly known as
DioCal, serves a diverse community of faith encompassing the greater
San Francisco Bay Area. Approximately 21,000 people form 73
congregations and the Diocese is organized into six deaneries (a
geographical group of congregations). The Alameda, Contra Costa,
Marin, San Francisco, and Southern Alameda Deaneries cover their
respective counties; the Peninsula Deanery consists of all of San Mateo
County and a small portion of Santa Clara County. Holy Family has two
delegates who attend quarterly Peninsula Deanery meetings and the
annual Diocesan convention in October.
The Diocese is now searching for its ninth bishop.
Half Moon Bay
Once knowns as Spanishtown, Half Moon Bay is the oldest settlement in
San Mateo County, dating back to the 1840s. For thousands of years, the
land was inhabited by Ohlone Indians. They lived in many places around
San Mateo County, including Half Moon Bay’s Pilarcitos Creek. Cabrillo
Highway (Highway 1) and Highway 92 generally follow ancient Ohlone
trails. In the 1840s, Mexican settlers arrived to lay claim to extensive
land grants.Half Moon Bay lies roughly 28 miles south of San Francisco
between forested hills and some of the most beautiful coastlines that
California has to offer. Home to beaches, farming, fishing, and a floral
industry, the Coastside’s rural population also hosts the annual
Mavericks Challenge, a world-class surfing competition held off Pillar
Point.
At last count, 25,633 people live in the towns that make up the
Coastside. HMB–the largest with 11,176 residents–is an easy drive from
either San Francisco or San Jose, yet maintains its unique rural
tranquility. Many events, activities, and cities are within a 45-minute
drive of the Coastside.
The historic downtown is home to numerous shops, art galleries,
restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and other businesses, including the
brand new Coastside History Museum. Local beaches and parks are
accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians. Golf enthusiasts
can play at two of California’s finest courses.
HMB and the neighboring unincorporated communities of the
Coastside—El Granada, Moss Beach, and Montara—are home to numerous
nurseries and farms. Roadside stands sell locally grown fruit,
vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Fresh seafood is abundant, caught, and
sold by the local fishing community.
Half Moon Bay is widely recognized as the pumpkin capital of the world.
Every October, the Art & Pumpkin Festival draws more than 200,000
visitors to enjoy panoramic vistas, fine cuisine, arts and crafts, and
genuine hospitality. And, of course, pumpkin ice cream served by the
local Episcopal church. (That’s us!)
Coastal temperatures are mild year-round. And the famous California
Golden Poppies make their appearance on hills and roadsides every
spring.
Residents of HMB live a lifestyle that many think no longer exists in
California. Neighbors care about each other, schools are important, and
we have a sense of real community.
We are also close to world-class health care at Stanford University and
the University of California, San Francisco.
And in 30 minutes you can be in San Francisco!
All are welcome!
We are a mission of the
Episcopal Church in the
Diocese of California
Half Moon Bay, California
P.O. Box 215
1590 South Cabrillo Hwy
Half Moon Bay, CA
(650) 726-0506
P.O. Box 215, 1590 South Cabrillo Hwy
Half Moon Bay, CA
(650) 726-0506
All are welcome
Our Mission
As a people of faith...
•
We offer a spiritual
home where all are
accepted with an open
heart.
•
We encourage spiritual
development and
growth in people of all
ages and faith
backgrounds.
•
We foster the spiritual
growth of children,
encouraging their
active participation in
worship.
•
We honor the Episcopal
heritage of inquiry
through scripture,
tradition, reason and
experience.
•
We follow the example
of Jesus as we serve
those in need.
•
We seek nourishment
through the
celebration of God's
love at the altar, in our
homes, in the
community, and around
the world.
•
We seek to build
relationships with
other communities of
faith.
•
We honor the beauty
of creation and
encourage thoughtful
stewardship of the
world around us.