Welcome

Our front doors say “welcome home” for a reason; people are going to welcome you when you walk in. That said, we do our best not to overwhelm—and you’ll be able to slip inside the sanctuary and experience worship for yourself. In our worship, we sing, pray, and reflect on God’s Word together. If you’re bringing children with you, there will be a moment in the worship service when they are invited to come up to the front—but it’s an invitation rather than an expectation. We also pass the peace of Christ with one another for 3-5 minutes during the service. After worship, if you’re able to join us in the Fellowship Hall for a cup of coffee, you’ll have the opportunity to get to know Westminster community members one-on-one.

Most people attending worship arrive between 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM. The doors to the sanctuary are gently closed at 10:30 AM when the service begins—but latecomers are more than welcome to quietly find a seat whenever they arrive.

The sanctuary is entered through a lobby just off the circular drive in the back of the building, hidden from view at first if you’re approaching from Boulevard Rd. There are double doors that say “Welcome” beneath an overhang that extends almost to the circular drive. Usually, you can follow the flow of people on Sunday!

Yes! Accessibility of all kinds is very important to us. There are no stairs to enter the sanctuary from the circular drive, where you can be dropped off. There is space for wheelchairs or other equipment in the back of the sanctuary. (Several members of the congregation use wheelchairs or walkers.) You can also access our Christian Education wing via a ramp.

Westminster is considered a “mid-sized” congregation in our denomination. We are small enough for close relationships to happen quickly, and large enough to be inclusive of many perspectives and life experiences.

People! Should we be more specific? Some of our members grew up in the church—or have worshiped with us for decades! Others are new and settled in right away. We have state employees, teachers, attorneys, nurses, veterans, social workers, folks in the service industry, and more. We are young and old, queer and straight, loud and quiet. Somehow, from such vibrant threads, a single tapestry is woven—and you’d probably fit right in, too.

As long as you’re dressed, you’re set! Most people wear clothes from that perplexing “business casual” category—but we really do have all kinds of attire any given Sunday.

Blended. We have a strong sense of tradition—Westminster is over 125 years old—but also seek the new thing God is doing. Our music is varied, and children are both seen and heard. Come and see!

The preaching is both inviting and challenging. Like all pastors in our tradition, our pastor had to complete a three-year seminary Master of Divinity degree, with coursework that includes biblical Greek and Hebrew as well as exegetical (“text interpreting”) training.

Often, we begin our communion service with a reminder that the table is not a Presbyterian table or Westminster’s table but Christ’s. Visitors outside of our community but also seeking Christ are welcome to fully participate in Christ’s table.

We baptize those who seek new life in Christ and have not previously received a triune baptism. One of the most joyous moments in worship is the baptism of the infants and children of our members—bearing witness to the reality that God claims us in love even before our awareness or reciprocation. With rare exceptions, we baptize those who have entered formal relationship with Westminster as members, with the expectation of living out the journey of Christian discipleship together.

Absolutely! WPC welcomes and embraces babies and young children in the sanctuary during worship. We are grateful for the presence of each child in our community. For little ones who may need a break, we offer a parents’ room and a family area outside of the sanctuary. Both areas enable families to still view the worship service.

Yes. The Little Lambs Nursery for ages 6 months through 3.5 years opens at 10:15 AM every Sunday. For children ages 3.5 to 8 we have Godly Play, and for children ages 9 to 12 we have ‘Tween Group. Godly Play and the ‘Tween Group are dismissed to their respective classes after the children’s moment in worship (about 15 minutes into the service). On Communion Sundays (the first Sunday of the month), our ‘tween students are asked to stay in the service with their families and are given the opportunity to participate in a fun sermon game. To help keep our youngest disciples engaged during the service, we have activity bags available in the narthex.

Congratulations! Yes, WPC does offer weddings. Please contact the office to discuss availability and guidelines.

Contact Us! Our Office Administrator, office@wpcoly.org can either answer your question in short order or direct you to the person who can.

We regularly have “getting acquainted” events, as well as new member classes. You can check for the next class on our website here.

Yes. Our congregation is committed to making our beautiful building an affordable community resource for all. We have dozens of user groups, from addiction recovery groups to language schools, using the space regularly. Contact the office to request more information.

Community Garden of Weedin’ Hope Village One Parish, One Prisoner

Thurston County Food Bank Safeplace Family Support Center Sidewalk Interfaith Works Sock Drive, Union Gospel Mission Sound View Camp Baby Bank Providence St. Peter’s Maternity Seattle Children’s Hospital City of Olympia Providence Sound Name Care & Hospice

LAP Midwife Project Least Coin Life Abundant Project (L.A.P.)