Visitor Information

Thank you for thinking about joining us for Sunday worship!  We know it can be intimidating to drop in on a community that you don't already know, so we hope we can make you as comfortable as possible. Here is some info that might help:

Time: Our service right now begins at 10:30am and usually lasts about an hour (though sometimes we may continue until 11:45). Don't worry if you are running late since people tend to trickle in anyway.

Accessibility: We welcome all people to this small part of the beloved community; if you need accommodation for a disability, please let us know (preferably in advance) and we will do our best to provide it. We do have an elevator to the right of the main entrance.

Dress: Casual! Or formal if that's your style : )  Seriously, wear whatever makes you feel comfortable in worship. Some people will be in suits and some people will be in shorts.

Music:  We sing mostly hymns from the African American Heritage Hymnal. We are no longer a predominantly black church, but this is still our music! Some Sundays we have a drummer, most Sundays we aim to have a choir. Clapping is always encouraged, but not required. It is not always on-beat, and that is OK.

Numbers:  Let's be real--this matters to people (though not so much to God). You should know that Madrona Grace is a small congregation with an average attendance of about 50 people on any given Sunday, 5 of whom are visiting for the first time. No one will ask you to stand up or introduce yourself as a visitor, but during the passing of the peace, most people will want to introduce themselves to you!

Kids: About a quarter of our community is under the age of 18.  We have a nursery for 0-5 year-olds every Sunday and children's workshops for kids K-5th grade during the school year. Children of all ages are also more than welcome to stay in the service the whole time if they wish--some coloring packets are available. We have an upstairs "cry room" as well with a window into the sanctuary and a baby monitor so that parents can hear the service from there.

Liturgy: We maintain a pretty standard Presbyterian order of service, which may seem a bit formal to non-denominational folks, and a bit free-form to Catholics.  Between the screen, the printed worship bulletin (program), and the worship leaders, we hope it is easy to follow.  The one thing that sometimes surprises people is that following the passing of the peace, we make a circle around the sanctuary and hold hands during a pastoral prayer. This tradition is common in African-American churches.

Social Hour:  Following the service we have a time of fellowship in the adjoining hall with coffee and snacks. This is a great time for the extroverts among us to chat and get to know one another. We hope visitors will stay for this, but if you prefer to run out immediately after the service ends, we won't hold it against you!

Parking: The address is 832 32nd Ave, 98122, at the corner of 32nd & Marion. There is no parking lot, but you shouldn't have to walk very far.  The best street spaces are by the park behind the church on 33rd.

Connecting with the Church: During the service we encourage visitors to fill out a visitor's card and place it in the offering plate so that we can know a bit about you. You don't have to fill out the whole thing--there is even a box to check for "please do NOT contact me" if that is your preference. If you want to keep tabs on church events, you can use this form to sign up for the weekly email newsletter. Or you can sign up now by clicking here.

Feedback: If you have thoughts you would be willing to share about the service or the church in general, we would love to hear them! You can call the church office: 206.328.2704 or email cynthia@madronagrace.org

Church Shopping & Other Questions:  Are you new to the area and could use some direction on where to find your kind of church? We recognize that our community may not be the best fit for everyone, but if we can help point you towards a better fit, please let us know. You can contact us about this or any other pastoral need:  206.317-4641; admin@madronagrace.org