Sundays at 8:00 and 10:15 a.m.

  550 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401  ·   (707) 579-2604  ·  

Church of the Incarnation
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Adult Faith Formation

Lifelong learning is an important part of Christian faith and practice. At Incarnation we have lots of opportunities for adults to grow in faith, from first explorations through advanced Christian education.

Sunday Forum

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Our adult forum meets during the 9:00 Christian Formation hour, between the 8:00 and 10:15 services, on most Sunday mornings during the school year. It's usually led by Pastor Stephen and sometimes by other leaders. Join us for this regular opportunity to grow in faith together. For the current schedule, see the Sunday Forum page.

Living Compass and Seasonal Classes

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Throughout the year, various small group classes meet on weekdays, usually once a week for a period of several weeks. Some of these classes focus on Advent, Lent, or other seasons, using the Living Compass curriculum. Others focus on aging, spiritual wellness, or other topics. We also offer Bible Study groups throughout the year.


Education for Ministry

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Education for Ministry, or EfM, is a comprehensive, four-year theological education program for lay people, developed by the University of the South (Sewanee). Through study, prayer, and reflection, EfM groups move toward a new understanding of the fullness of God's kingdom. Participants are given weekly assignments to study with the help of resource guides. By examining their own beliefs and their relationship to our culture and the tradition of our Christian faith, participants learn what it means to be effective ministers in the world. In coming to terms with the notion that everything we do has potential for manifesting the love of Christ, we discover that our ministry is at hand wherever we turn. The seminar is supported by a life of prayer and regular worship.

Incarnation Welcome Center + Gift Shop

The Welcome Center's ministry is to welcome visitors and newcomers, and to provide hospitality, literature, and opportunities for all parishioners that enhance and stimulate the spiritual life of our community.

Our parish gift shop sells Fair Trade items that benefit the sellers of the country of origin, and books, icons, jewelry, calendars, cards and other items that are particularly centered on Episcopal faith. Books of a general spiritual interest for adults and children are also available, as are materials needed for classes. For special requests email us at [email protected].

Located in Farlander Hall, the Welcome Center + Gift Shop is open Sundays after both worship services.


Recent Posts

Sunday Forum: Your Feedback Wanted

Sunday Forum: Your Feedback Wanted

Stephen Shaver Our Sunday Forums are on break for the summer. Thanks to everyone who's made this first year of regular adult Sunday School classes a rich learning experience! To help me plan for the return of Sunday Forums in the fall, I'd...
Read More
Sunday, May 21, 9:00 a.m.: Sunday Forum on Sacred Encounters with Neighbors Experiencing Homelessness

Sunday, May 21, 9:00 a.m.: Sunday Forum on Sacred Encounters with Neighbors Experiencing Homelessness

In this forum we’ll learn about the many faces of homelessness, share what resources are available in this community for people who are unhoused, and talk about how you can participate in sacred encounters with people experiencing homelessness....
Read More
Sunday Forum, May 7 and 14, 9:00 am: Learning From Our Native Neighbors

Sunday Forum, May 7 and 14, 9:00 am: Learning From Our Native Neighbors

Last year a group of several Incarnationians participated in a learning experience with Redbud Resource Group, a Native-led organization here in Sonoma County that works to build connections between Native and non-Native groups. We learned about ...
Read More
Living Sacramentally: An Eastertide Learning Opportunity

Living Sacramentally: An Eastertide Learning Opportunity

Are you interested in reflecting on the meaning of your baptism for the questions, challenges, and opportunities you face in daily life? During Easter Season (also known as the Great Fifty Days), Phina Borgeson and Paul Mallatt will be offering ...
Read More
Sunday Forum Resumes April 23

Sunday Forum Resumes April 23

Our regular 9:00 adult Sunday Forum will be on hiatus for Palm Sunday, Easter Day, and the Second Sunday of Easter (April 16). Sunday Forum will resume on April 23 and run through May 21 before going on summer break. Here's our schedule for the ...
Read More


Sunday Forum 2023-24

Our adult forum meets during the 9:00 Christian Formation hour on Sunday mornings, between the 8:00 and 10:15 services. It's usually led by Pastor Stephen and sometimes by other guest leaders. Join us for this regular opportunity to grow in faith together.

Here's our Sunday Forum schedule for 2023-24. The schedule may change, but if so, the most current schedule will always be p…

Read More »
Share this page: Adult Faith Formation
Daphne Vernon
Director of Spiritual Formation
Stephen Shaver
Rector

Daphne Vernon

Director of Spiritual Formation

Stephen Shaver

Rector

Stephen came to Incarnation as Rector in 2018 after eleven years of ordained ministry in California, Washington State, and Texas. Just before joining us, he completed a Ph.D. in liturgy at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He has served several parishes and also spent time as a hospital and hospice chaplain. He has also served for several years as a trainer at the College for Congregational Development, a training course for lay and clergy leaders in the church.

A "third culture kid," Stephen grew up in Korea, Pakistan, and Russia before coming back to the U.S. for college. He loves traveling, hiking, running, and cooking, and is an avid choral singer. In his life as a liturgical scholar, he is the author of Metaphors of Eucharistic Presence: Language, Cognition, and the Body and Blood of Christ and Eucharistic Sacrifice as a Contested Category: A Cognitive Linguistics Approach, as well as a number of journal articles.

© 2023 Church of the Incarnation
550 Mendocino Ave · Santa Rosa, CA 95401
(707) 579-2604
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Service Times

Our Sunday services are at 8:00 and 10:15 a.m.

Join us in person or online!

Location

Church of the Incarnation
550 Mendocino Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Contact Us
(707) 579-2604

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Welcome Getting Here Children The Service What's Next?

People decide to visit a church for lots of different reasons, often because they're at some sort of transition point in their lives. Maybe you're a longtime Episcopalian; maybe you have experience in another faith tradition; or maybe you've never been to a faith community at all.

Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you enrich us with your presence, and there's a place for you here.

Learn more about visiting Incarnation.

Incarnation is located at 550 Mendocino Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa, just south of the corner with Cherry Street.

Our church parking lot is located around the corner at 636 Cherry Street. The lot often fills up for our Sunday morning services. Additional free church parking is available in the small gravel lot at the corner of Mendocino and Cherry, or in the city garage at 521 7th Street (free on Sundays), which is a two-minute walk from the church. Finally, street parking is also free on Sundays.

We're also located close to several bus lines, and we have a bike rack in the central courtyard.

Children aren't just the church's future—they're an essential part of our faith community right now. At Incarnation we strive to serve our kids' growing faith, and we know they have much to teach adults, too. Children are always welcome in worship: any age, any time.

Learn more about our children's ministries.

Episcopal worship follows an ancient pattern that dates to the earliest days of the Christian church. The first half of the Eucharist is the Liturgy of the Word the second half is the Liturgy of the Table, also called Holy Communion. If you've spent time in Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Eastern Orthodox churches, much of our liturgy will seem familiar. If you're unfamiliar with liturgical Christian worship, don't worry. You're welcome to participate as fully as is right for you, or to just relax into the liturgy and let the rest of the congregation carry you in worship.

Click here for online worship, or to learn more about Episcopal worship.

To stay connected with everything that's going on, please subscribe to our e-newsletter, News and Notes.

Often someone who's been visiting for a while will ask us how to become a member of Incarnation. Learn more about becoming a member.

To support our work sharing God's love here in Sonoma County, you can make a donation online.

Giving is one of the most powerful spiritual practices in existence. It's a statement of gratitude and trust in God.

At Incarnation we encourage all our members and friends to prayerfully choose a percentage of their income to give toward causes that serve God's mission. We ask that part of that intentional giving be a pledge of financial support to the parish, both so our leadership can plan ahead in making a budget, and as a tangible commitment to what God is doing here at Incarnation. For more on the practice of proportional giving, see this FAQ.

You can make a donation to Incarnation online, toward your pledge or as a special offering, by clicking below.

Give Online