In the heart of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, the Episcopal Church of the Advent has long opened its doors on North Union Street as a parish that takes the word "welcome" seriously. The congregation describes itself as "an inclusive Christian community that seeks to be the heart and hands of Christ in our world," and members include lifelong Episcopalians alongside newcomers from other Christian traditions, other faiths, and people with no prior religious background at all. The church's stated mission is to grow as disciples of Christ in community, prayer, learning, and service, and a Safe Church Promise commits staff and volunteers who work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults to background checks, training, and best practices.
Tucked into a residential stretch of Kennett Square, the parish offers three Sunday services with very different characters, a chancel choir and bell choir, Sunday school for every age from preschool through twelfth grade, and a calendar of adult formation that includes weekly Bible study, a monthly book group, and a parish retreat each winter. Through its Partnerships in Mission program, the congregation supports a long list of local nonprofits, and a Pastoral Care team and Prayer Shawl knitters keep the parish connected to those who cannot easily make it through the doors on Sunday morning.
Three Sunday Services, Three Different Shapes
On most Sundays during the school year, Advent offers three distinct services that let worshippers choose the experience that fits them best. All include Holy Communion.
At 7:45 a.m., the earliest service is a quiet and contemplative offering that runs about forty-five minutes. It is a spoken service, with no music or congregational singing, and uses Rite One from The Book of Common Prayer, the prayer book of the Episcopal Church, in older traditional English similar to the King James Bible. The church describes this service as a good fit for early risers and for those who prefer a quieter approach to worship.
At 9:00 a.m., the parish gathers for a fuller liturgy with the chancel choir leading congregational singing, drawn from Rite Two of The Book of Common Prayer, and including a sermon along with Holy Communion. This service runs about an hour during the school year and is livestreamed on YouTube.
At 11:00 a.m., the third Sunday service is the shortest, about forty minutes, and is designed to be more accessible to families with young children, though it is attended by worshippers of all ages. Music from a variety of styles is offered, and the service ends in time for children to attend Godly Play and Sunday school.
During the summer, the schedule condenses to two services at 7:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., with the 9:00 a.m. service stretching to about fifty to fifty-five minutes. Children's Chapel for ages three through grade five replaces Godly Play during the summer months, with children leaving the sanctuary after the opening hymn and prayer and returning in time for Holy Communion. On certain Sundays throughout the year, services are consolidated to make space for parish gatherings, so the church encourages visitors to check the schedule in advance.
A Service That Travels to the Homebound
A dedicated group of Eucharistic Visitors takes communion to members and friends who are unable to attend in person because of illness or physical limitations. The volunteers complete basic training in administering communion as well as Safe Church training before serving in this role, and the ministry is described as an important link between homebound members and the wider congregation.
Music at Advent
Music is woven into the rhythm of the parish week. Wilson Somers serves as Director of Music, and the Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. The Bell Choir, directed by Leon Spencer, rehearses on Thursday evenings at 6:00 p.m. Together, the choirs lead the 9:00 a.m. service during the school year and offer choral music for special liturgies throughout the church year.
Children, Youth, and Sunday School
Advent offers Christian formation for every age, from preschool through high school.
Children in pre-kindergarten through elementary grades are invited to Sunday school each Sunday from late September through early May, gathering briefly in the Children's Chapel at 9:45 a.m. and then splitting into a lower elementary class and an upper elementary class. The lower elementary class uses the Godly Play curriculum, a Montessori-inspired, story-based program that invites children into the stories of Scripture. Upper elementary students engage with Scripture-based stories and lessons through Sermons4Kids. In a recent fall program, both classrooms focused on a different Old Testament character each week.
Students in grades six through twelve meet with the Rev. Tim Johnson for Sunday school each Sunday from late September through early May, from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., in the Youth Room. The class focuses on the life of Jesus revealed in the appointed Gospel reading each week, and also explores the meaning of the sacraments, ways of praying, discerning God's presence in daily life, and the Christian vocation to strive for justice and peace. The youth also help maintain the congregation's Little Free Food Pantry. Advent does not have a separate confirmation preparation program; two years of faithful participation in this class meets the requirements for confirmation.
For families with younger children, the church offers a downstairs nursery next to the kitchen with toys, a crib, and diapering supplies. There is also a small lobby area to the right of the altar where parents can still hear the service. Coloring supplies and books are available in the narthex, and the church notes that children are more than welcome in worship, with joyful noises expected and enjoyed.
Forming Faith at Every Age
Adult formation at Advent includes a number of ongoing offerings. The One Book at a Time Bible Study meets on Thursday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. by Zoom, working through Scripture one book at a time with study guides provided. Advent's Book Group meets monthly at 1:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Pray, Walk, Talk is a monthly Saturday morning gathering that combines prayer, walking, and conversation. A Parish Retreat brings the congregation together each winter at the St. Raphaela Center in Haverford for a weekend of learning, fellowship, worship, and rest.
Adults seeking baptism typically spend about ten months preparing and are baptized at Easter. The parish also offers preparation for parents and sponsors bringing infants and children for the sacrament.
Pastoral Care and the Prayer Shawl Ministry
Pastoral care is described by the church as a subject near and dear to the heart of Advent. The ministry focuses on newcomers, visitation, hospitality, prayer, and transitional support and relationships. A visitation ministry sends volunteer parishioners to bring altar flowers from Sunday services to people who are ill or alone and in need of comfort. Mary Hutchins leads the Pastoral Care team, and the church is actively recruiting members of all ages to join.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers monthly in the Parish Hall from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with both experienced and new knitters welcome. The team knits prayer shawls that are blessed and distributed by the Pastoral Care Team to individuals who are ill or undergoing medical treatments, as well as hats and scarves for children in need.
Partnerships in Mission
Advent supports a wide network of community partners through what the congregation calls Partnerships in Mission, or PIM. The parish offers space within its building, financial support, and volunteers to organizations including Kennett Area Community Service, Mighty Writers, Operation Warm, the Technical College High School Brandywine, Project Cure, St. James School in Philadelphia, Community Warehouse Project, Wings for Success, the Garage Youth Center, the Coatesville VA Medical Center, the United Thank Offering, Kennett Square Preschool, Family Promise, Episcopal Relief, Good Neighbors Home Repair, Kennett Senior Center, LaMancha Animal Rescue, and After the Bell.
The congregation frames its outreach as mission rather than charity, teaching that true mission work is transformative for all who are involved. A Stock the Pantry Sunday each month supports local food assistance, and the youth help maintain a Little Free Food Pantry on the church property.
Weddings, Baptisms, and the Memorial Garden
All couples, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, may be married at Church of the Advent. While couples need not be Episcopalians, at least one member of the couple must be a baptized Christian, and the ceremony must be Christian in nature. Weddings are typically officiated by the parish priest, though other ministers may officiate with prior approval. The church asks couples to contact the office at least six months before their desired wedding date.
Baptism is offered to infants, children, and adults. Adults seeking baptism typically spend ten months preparing and are baptized at Easter. The baptism of an infant or child is usually administered on one of four Sundays each year: the Baptism of the Lord Sunday in January, Easter, Pentecost, and All Saints Sunday. Parents and sponsors promise to raise the child in a Christian home and church community. The Episcopal Church recognizes as valid baptisms performed in other Christian churches, and individuals are not rebaptized.
The Rev. Canon David P. Thomas Memorial Garden offers a place of remembrance and interment on the church grounds for those connected to the parish.
What We Believe
The Episcopal Church of the Advent teaches that God created humanity to live in love and fellowship with God, with one another, and with all creation, and that God entered the world in the person of Jesus to teach that the purpose of life is to love God fully and to love neighbors as ourselves. In his life, teachings, death, and resurrection, Jesus embodied the depth and breadth of God's love and reveals how we too may be transformed to live into that love. The Holy Spirit dwells within, guiding and empowering followers of Jesus in the world, and the relationship with God is not limited to earthly life alone but is eternal.
As Christians, members are called to gather regularly for worship and the sacraments; to pray individually and as a community; to continue learning about the Christian faith; to care for others, pursue justice, and guard the dignity of every human being; to create a church community that welcomes all people regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other label; and to be faithful stewards of the natural world who support the mission of the church through prayers, participation, gifts, and service.
The People Who Lead
The Rev. Timothy A. Johnson has served as rector since 2022. Born and raised in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, he completed his undergraduate studies at James Madison University and holds graduate degrees in public policy from George Mason University and divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond. Before his call to Advent, he served in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington as chaplain of an Episcopal day school and rector of parishes in the greater DC metro area. He also serves on the board of St. James School in Philadelphia and the Anglican Compass Rose Society. He is a husband, the father of two sons, and the happy servant of three cats and a Siberian Husky.
The Rev. Emma DiPace serves as Associate Rector. A lifelong Episcopalian who grew up at St. John's Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she studied Spanish, Religion, and Education at La Salle University and was confirmed at Advent as the Director of Children and Youth Ministries before beginning her Master of Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary. During seminary she completed her field placement at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Springfield, Virginia, taught Godly Play, and walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain during the summer of 2025.
The parish is led by a vestry that helps define and articulate the mission of the congregation, supports the church's mission by word and deed, selects the rector, ensures effective organization and planning, and manages resources and finances.
Joining In
Services are held at 401 N Union Street, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, with the church office open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The 9:00 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed on YouTube, and weekly podcasts of the sermon and worship are available online. Online giving and a pledge card are accessible through the parish's online platform. Visitors who want to learn more can fill out a Start Here form on the website, and questions about baptism, weddings, or pastoral care are welcomed at the church office.