OK, it's weird to write a review of a church. But I sure wish there'd been reviews of churches…read morewhen I was church shopping. Would have saved me loads of time and wrong turns.
St. Columba's is an extremely welcoming, inclusive, open church. Holy moley, it's big! But it's not a mega church, or even close. It's a fairly liberal episcopalian church with an intellectual edge. But you don't need to be episcopalian, or subscribe to any particular beliefs, or be of any race, color, creed or sexual orientation, in order to participate fully here.
If you like traditional services with all the trappings, this is the place. If you have kids and want a pared-down service that's strictly for kids, this is also the place. (There are tons of young families, but also plenty of singles, so you won't feel like a fish out of water if you go.)
Probably the major draw for most people at St. C's is the music, which is truly phenomenal and professional quality. Chose from among a zillion choirs: boys choir, girls choir, boys and girls choir, adult choir, instrumental ensembles, several bell choirs (yours truly belongs to one of them), music theory classes, and more.
The sermons are generally engaging and intellectual, two non-negotiables for me. Outside speakers are regularly brought in to discuss a wide range of issues. This past Sunday, the "Newshour"'s Ray Suarez (a member) discussed his new book, "The Holy Vote."
There are tons of outreach programs, so you can feed the homeless, save the planet, mentor disadvantaged kids--name it and claim it.
St. C's can be daunting to the uninitiated, but as with most things in life, you need to take the first step and join a group if you want to meet people or learn a new skill.
Oh, and they have a rockin' playground.
