Auburn Presbyterian Church gathers each Sunday morning on Bel Air Drive in Auburn, the seat of Placer County in the foothills east of Sacramento. Its mission is summed up in three short lines painted across its site: Love God, Love People, Make a Difference. The congregation is currently led by Transitional Pastor Bob Yule and a team of elders, deacons and ministry leaders who hold a single Sunday service, a steady calendar of small groups, and a music ministry at the center of congregational life.
Sunday Mornings at 10 AM
Worship is held at 10 AM on Sunday mornings at 13025 Bel Air Drive, at the intersection of New Airport Road and Bell Road. The parking lot is large, and handicap spaces sit right in front of the front door. Greeters and ushers meet visitors at the entrance, offer nametags and bulletins, and point the way to restrooms straight ahead in the narthex.
There is no dress code; people are welcome to come as they are. The church does not ask visitors to stand and introduce themselves to the room, though every first-time guest receives a small welcome gift, a prayer stone, from an usher. Children are welcomed too. On most Sundays, kids have the option of attending Sunday school during the service; they are guided to an attached classroom after the second song. Ushers can also hand out an activity pack to keep active minds and hands busy if children stay with their parents.
The sanctuary projects all the words to songs, prayers and readings on a large screen so that everyone can follow along. Offerings are not taken by passing a basket; an offering box sits in the narthex for those who wish to give. After the service, the congregation stays for refreshments and conversation.
Singing with the Praise Band
Music ministry is led by Katie Baker and the Praise Band. A large screen displays the lyrics, and the band encourages the whole room to sing along, sway, clap, or simply stand and listen. The congregation is invited to take part at whatever level feels comfortable. Videos of recent services are posted online so that members and visitors can revisit the music and message throughout the week.
Women of Grace and Other Small Groups
Bible study and small group life are woven into the week in several settings. The Women of Grace Bible Study meets at the church on Monday mornings from 10 to 11:30 AM, with doors open at 9:45. A drop-in Friday morning Bible Study gathers at Mel's Diner in Auburn from 9 to 10 AM. The Agape Life Group, named for the Greek word for Christian love, meets on the second and fourth Mondays at 2 PM, with the goal of cultivating friendships and faith side by side.
A Prayer Team That Listens
Prayer is treated as a shared ministry rather than a private practice. Visitors and members can send prayer requests to the church's Prayer Team, and the team invites others to join its work of encouraging and supporting the congregation through prayer.
Leadership in a Time of Transition
The congregation is currently in a pastoral transition. Transitional Pastor Bob Yule leads worship and preaching. Six elected elders - Theresa Voss, Jean Hinton, Eileen Ferber, Bill Michel, Richard Critchfield and Kim Douglass - serve on the Session, with Kathy Edmundson as Clerk of Session. Carol Nurisso serves as Lead Deacon. Katie Baker leads the music ministry, and Helen Voss manages the office and media.
Generosity, Recycling and Auburn Life
Giving is offered online through Breeze CHMS, and donations are also accepted in the offering box at the church. As a small but distinctive act of stewardship, the church accepts donated electronics for e-waste recycling. The congregation also takes part in wider Auburn life, including a 4th of July event with Acres of Hope and an annual Kids Camp and Ice Cream Social. Christmas Eve and Easter services are photographed and shared in the church's gallery.
Auburn Presbyterian Church presents itself as a family-sized community where the message of Christ meets the realities of the modern world, where service to neighbors in Auburn is taken seriously, and where every visitor is welcomed without ceremony and sent home with a small stone and an open invitation to come back.