We are a Christ centered community in the heart of West Contra Costa County . Our parishioners come from all walks of life and from all over the Bay Area. Our dynamic community is based on the fundamental principles of the Anglican Communion: Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. At Christ the Lord, we welcome questions and embrace new ideas. Come discover warmth, fun, and joy at church. 

Who are we?

We are a congregation that belongs to The Episcopal Church of the United States, one of 87 local congregations in the Bay Area.    The Episcopal Church is part of the world wide Anglican Communion, which numbers over 60 million throughout the world).  We are a diverse and welcoming congregation. 

What do we believe?

We believe that a mature and contemporary faith depends upon three factors:  the Bible, the traditions of the Christian community as handed down by believers and human reason as aided by the Holy Spirit.  We are a progressive Christian congregation.

How do we worship?

We join for Eucharist weekly at 9:30 am on Sunday with music and a choir.  The 1979 Book of Common Prayer liturgy is our primary liturgical resource but we also make use of Enriching Our Worship and the New Zealand Prayer Book liturgies.  The weekly readings follow the Revised Common Lectionary.  Our hymnal repertoire includes the 1982 Hymnal, Gather, and various Christian folk music pieces, when appropriate.    

Eucharist is offered to all baptized Christians.   Laying on of hands and prayers for healing of mind, body and spirit are available at every Eucharist.

What do we do?

The congregation offers many areas for learning, service, fellowship, fun and worship.  We attempt to live up to Chris't commandment to love God and our neighbor, grounding all our works in our mission statement, "Sharing the love of Christ in our community." 

Amongst others, we are involved in social ministries to the hungy, the homeless and the aged, as well as outreach to new born infants and their mothers.  Here is a list of the social ministries CTL people are currently involved in and/or lead:

• Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP)
• SHARE/Manna Basket
• Open Cathedral
• Layette Outreach

Making our building and sanctury available to others is another way the CTL community shares the love of Christ in the community. Here is the list of those groups currently meeting on a regular basis at Christ the Lord:

• La Casita Preschool, a bi-lingual English-SPanish Montessori preschool, uses our building during the week for the school year and for most of the summer months.  La Casita offers high quality preschool opportunities for children in a caring envirnoment.

• Traffic School periodically
• Gay and Lesbian AA meets every Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

For  information about the ministries at CTL, click here:  Ministries
For information about Christian Education at CTL, click here:   Christian Formation and Education

What would happen if I showed up one Sunday?

You will be greeted warmly by one of our Ministers of Hospitality who will hand you a Sunday Bulletin.  The Bulletin will guide you through the service, and will include hymn page numbers, a copy of the readings that will be read during the first part of our service by lay ministers.  The readings are all from the Bible, beginning with an Old Testament reading, then a Psalm, then a New Testament reading and finally, a reading from one of the four Gospels.  The homily (sermon) will incoroprate some aspect of the readings you will hear that Sunday. 

If you have young children you will be asked if you would like them to stay in the nursery for the first part of the service, or stay with you.  Sunday School aged children and youth will be asked if they would like to join the class or remain with you.  Either way, all children and youth are together in the sanctuary when the second part of the service gets underway, known as the Eucharistic Prayer in preparation for communion.

You will sit wherever you find it comfortable in our sancturay and you will not be singled out for introduction during the service.  YOu will of course be invited and encouraged to stay afterwoards for coffee and fellowship, an invitation you may choose to decline, of course. 

We dress comfortably at CTL.  Our ordained clergy "vest" (wear albs, stoles, chusibles, etc).  The Eucharistic Lay Ministers vest as well in albs, and acolytes wear white robes, as well.  Our choir is typically robed.  The lay readers do not vest.