About Emmanuel
Our Mission - Our Place - Our People - Our Story
"As members of the historic village church, our mission is to love God and God's creation with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves."
Facilities
One of the most photographed scenes in the beautiful San Juan Islands, is Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Orcas Island. Built at the water’s edge in 1885, its spiritual presence has been shared by all who visit the community of Eastsound, Washington. In 1994, the church building and grounds were added to the Department of Interior’s Registry of Historic Places.
Recently, a new parish hall has been constructed with archetechtural styling that is complementary to the original church building. Its vast great room has cathedral ceilings, magnificent views of the sound, a fireplace, a complete kitchen. The hall is used for both parish functions and community events. It is available for rent also.
We are part of something much larger
We are part of the Diocese of Olympia......
We are part of the Episcopal Church of the United States....
We are part of the Anglican Communion....
Who are we and what are we like?
Emmanuel Church has many active groups comprised of church members who give freely of their time to make the church function. The Altar Guild, choir, lay readers, acolytes, ushers, and lectors all support the workings of the worship services. The Vestry has 12 members including the senior and people’s (junior) wardens and makes all the decisions regarding the functioning of the church. The staff consists of the rector, parish administrators, music director, intergenerational ministry coordinator, and treasurer.
St. Agnes Guild is active and sponsors a Summer Market Day where most of the congregation participates. The Music Committee arranges and sponsors “Brown Bag Concerts” every Wednesday during the summer months to invite the public to our church. The Garden Gang also spends every Wednesday in the church gardens beautifying them for the community. Emmanuel gardens are also Memorial Gardens that will be maintained in perpetuity. Once a year the vestry sponsors a cleanup day where the church members do the chores that have been put off since the last year. Other active groups include Centering Prayer and an EFM class.
And we love to get together just to be with each other....
Table fellowship and a sense of community have always been important in the Christian tradition and is especially so at Emmanuel. We offer a wide range of activities designed to bring people together beyond the religious services, committees and working groups. These special fellowship opportunities include monthly First Sunday Breakfasts, regular small group Dinners for Eight and a monthly Potluck Dinner on the third Sunday of the month. These special events are year-round activities uniting our gathered community into a warm and friend family of the faithful.
Trying to find someone in particular?
Need a phone number or address? Or perhaps someone is trying to find you.The parish directory is the place to look. Do you need a directory? Feel free to pick one up at the church office.
Are you in the directory? Or do you need to update your information? Contact Karen or Noel in the Parish Office with your contact information.
Emmanuel Church, Eastsound, established in 1885, is one of the oldest church buildings in the San Juan Islands. Having stood for more than a hundred years as a focal point of Eastsound, visitors who enter the village are impressed by the historic little church set behind a white fence.
The plan of the church building is a basic cruciform and Victorian in style. Some of the furnishings in use today came around Cape Horn. New carpeting and new pews were added in 1995. Read more....
