St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

I like St. Andrews because you don’t have to check your brain at the door. Mother Brenda’s sermons are always thought provoking, relevant and funny.
Enough could not be said for the St. Andrews’ «family.» It is a place where lifelong relationships are formed. I know I am a better Christian because of my friends at St. Andrews.

This is the perfect place for families! Everything from their Godly Play Sunday School curriculum each week to their Vacation Bible School in the summer time. St. Andrews is very accommodating to families. They even had a Ash and Dash service in the parking lot near the playground for Ash Wednesday this week which allowed my kids to receive the ashes without having to sit through a service in the Church. #smart

I love my church family. It’s a place where my son is welcomed and encouraged to participate. A perfect example is Ash Wednesday. Typically this is a very solemn service… in a quite church. Not really kid friendly and so I would never have brought my son with me. St. Andrew’s turned this on its head. They hosted an «Ash-​n-​Dash» at 5:30 pm next to the pre-​school playground. This was a wonderful experience. The kids were able to play during the lessons and prayers… no shushing necessary. When it came time to distribute the ashes, Mother Brenda called the kids over and administered them through the fence… meeting the kids where they were. Providing my son with ashes, not excluding him, opened conversations in the car home that I would never have imagined.

We found St. Andrews approximately 10 years ago and have never left. It is warm, friendly, fun, supportive and caring. The congregation reaches out to everyone and all are welcome. It has a tremendous youth program for kids all the way through high school. It is supportive of the military and military families. Most important is the fact that it reaches out to feed those less fortunate with its Food Pantry and Friday Lunch program .
For many church is a burden. The atmosphere and community at St. Andrews is such that we are happy to attend. We get so much more out of it than we could ever put back in. There is never a question as to what we will be doing on Sunday morning. We will be at St. Andrews.

We have attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for about 7 years and are very happy. We are a family of 5, with 3 children involved in their Sunday school program. The head minister, Mother Brenda, is delightful. She loves the entire congregation, from the XYZs, a group for older church members, down to the Sunday school age children, whom she regularly involves in church services. I think our church really stands out in three main areas: outreach, youth programs, and inclusion. First, if you enjoy volunteering, or want your children to become involved in community volunteer programs, then St. Andrew’s is the church for you. From Thursday Lunch, the Friday St. Andrew’s Food Pantry, the Episcopal Refugee Network, Wounded Warrior Foundation, the Episcopal Relief Fund, beach cleanups, assembling toiletry bags for the homeless, etc., St. Andrew’s has a wide range of programs to help many vulnerable areas of our community. We have enjoyed getting involved, as a family, to help these very important programs that are sadly always in need. Second, we love the programs for youth that St. Andrew’s offers. Sunday school, Youth Group, Vacation Bible School, and most recently family programs periodically put together by our brand new Director of Family Ministries. There are plenty of opportunities for our children to LOVE going to church and learning about God. Finally, we like that St. Andrew’s is so inclusive. It is a place for everyone to worship, not be judged, and to be accepted for who they are. This is what God teaches us, and we truly believe St. Andrew’s exemplifies this. We have been very happy with St. Andrew’s!
–Jennifer R.

We found St. Andrews about five years ago after visiting several different churches in the area looking for the right fit. We quickly felt at home there.
My wife was Presbyterian and I was Catholic when we were married so we found Episcopal to be the perfect mix. A lot like Catholic, but less guilt.
We have two young boys so it was important we were at a church that had babysitting, Sunday School and other options to take care of the kids so we could get our spiritual rejuvenation. Our kids love going to St. Andrews each week.
I was a little hesitant about having a female priest since I grew up Catholic, but as I went to mass each week I realized I was getting such a cool we perspective. Mother Brenda is really great, welcoming and wise. I appreciate her sermons and counsel a great deal.
So check it out, you’ll likely feel right at home and love the experience!

How can I give 6 stars!!! This church community is wonderful. We feel it’s a second family to our small family of four. Our daughters attended preschool here, then Sunday School and now participate in the amazing Youth Group. Our clergy is second to none. They are compassionate, sincere and smart. Come for a visit and find a new church community for yourself. We’re a welcoming bunch.

My wife and I have been members of St. Andrew’s for over ten years. This parish is welcoming and accepting. We enjoy the involvement of children and younger adults in the life of the church. Attendees come from all over North County and range in age from families with children to seniors, like us. Services on Sunday are Holy Communion. We experience a variety of music, but mostly the traditional hymns. We are thrilled with our rector and her leadership, excellent sermon preaching based on the Bible readings for that Sunday and sense of humor. There are many opportunities for involvement within the parish. And there are also many, many active programs outside the church which care for those in the community. We have met so many good friends here. We feel very fortunate to have found St. Andrew’s, Encinitas.