WELCOME!

Introducing you to our congregation is kind of hard. We are lots of different people, about 520 of us. Each person brings unique gifts and a history that enriches all of us. What we have in common is a desire to worship God and learn more about how to follow Jesus and serve the world. Although the ways we express our faith may vary, we share the belief that God is love, that we are invited to fashion our lives after the teachings of Jesus, and that we are called to share a life-giving power impossible to find in things, social status, physical force, or political influence. We don't have a creed that everyone has to buy into. We believe, however, that thinking about what we believe is important and that we are each responsible to God for the way we live. We also believe that everything important doesn't happen at church, that God calls us to a Christian life, to live out Christ's values and work for a better world.

We have a great building and beautiful grounds that we find inspiring. More important, though, is what happens there. We think we learn best in a community setting, where people of all ages can learn about and from each other. Every week children come forward during worship for story time and then leave for the classes that help us pass on important values and Christian traditions. During the week, we offer opportunities to study the Bible, be part of a social gathering or find support coping with chronic illness. You'll find information on these and other aspects of God's mission for Fauntleroy Church elsewhere on this Web site.

When people in the Seattle area think of Fauntleroy Church, they tend to think of…

…our building. Listed on the historical register, its distinguishing feature is the lovely glass front to the sanctuary. As you are seated for worship, you look out at woods of evergreen and deciduous trees and "rhodies." When the wind is blowing or the sun is shining, wow! You feel like a part of nature, which is one reason Fauntleroy hosts some 90 weddings a year. You can feel like you're outdoors without having your wedding ruined by rain.

…our relationship with the YMCA. We are the only church in the country that shares the same facility with a YMCA. Since its founding almost 100 years ago (in 1908), the church has had a strong commitment to helping young people grow in mind and body as well as in spirit. The Fauntleroy YMCA was incorporated about 80 years ago and we’ve been living together ever since.

…loving children. In addition to an early interest in the Y’s program, church members initiated a tradition of summer camping that became Camp Colman, now a YMCA camp for the whole area. In the early fifties, the church started Little Pilgrim School, first as a kindergarten and now as a pre-school that enrolls some 72 students aged 2 to 5 every year. Our Sunday morning church school and summer vacation Bible school evidence our continuing emphasis on children and their parents. Several times a year we offer intergenerational programs to help families celebrate the holidays and provide a wider context for children to experience God’s love.

…service. From the outset, the people of Fauntleroy Church have been activists. In addition to creating the YMCA and Little Pilgrim School, members and friends of the church have over the years been instrumental in creating a daycare center across the street, built a cooperative ministry with 10 other churches that served the High-Point community for several years, and founded a drop-in center for homeless people in downtown Seattle. Every year, we provide significant grants to support human services in our community and elsewhere in the city, and throughout the world. Service is not something loosely tacked onto our understanding of the Christian faith; it is part and parcel of what that faith means.

I hope this glimpse of Fauntleroy Church will entice you to learn more and to visit us in person.

Along the way,

David Kratz
Senior Minister
Fauntleroy Church UCC

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