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.
Holy Family Episcopal Church
© Holy Family Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 215 (1590 South Cabrillo Highway) Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 (650) 726-0506

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!

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.