A Presbyterian Home on Baseline Road
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church sits on Baseline Road in Boulder, Colorado, in a single building that doubles as sanctuary, classroom, fellowship hall, and home to a furniture bank for people rebuilding their lives. The congregation describes itself as a welcoming community rooted in Christ's love, seeking to grow spiritually, serve compassionately, and walk humbly together. Its motto, drawn from Micah 6:8, is to "do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God."
Pastor Jacqueline Decker Vanderpol, who joined St. Andrew in November 2016, often frames the congregation as a large extended family: "quirky, kind, well-intentioned, and flawed" - people who show up for one another. A Boulder native with a B.A. in Religion from Pepperdine University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, Jacqueline previously served as Associate Pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Denver and as Minister of Church Life at First Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan. The church identifies with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Hybrid Worship on Sunday Mornings
Sunday worship at St. Andrew is traditional in structure but casual in atmosphere. The service gathers at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary and is offered simultaneously online, so anyone can join in person or by Zoom. Participants worship from home via computer or by phone, and services are also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, with recordings posted afterward for those who want to revisit a service. The bulletin for each Sunday is posted on the church site, and printed bulletins are available in the Sanctuary.
Music is central to the service. The St. Andrew Choir leads the congregation in musical praise each Sunday and rehearses from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. between roughly Labor Day and Memorial Day. A Brass Ensemble and a Handbell Choir also contribute during the choir season. There are no auditions for any of the music groups; all are welcome to join. Music Director Dr. Chad Clark directs the choirs, and Organist/Pianist Joshua Yuen Schat, who also serves on the boards of SAME Cafe and the Colorado Episcopal Service Corps, accompanies from the console.
Worship on Wednesdays and a Zoom Prayer Hour
On Wednesdays at noon, the congregation pauses for a brief Zoom Prayer Service, joining by computer or by phone to give thanks and bring prayers to God. The same Zoom link is used from week to week, and the meeting opens the door for anyone who wants a midday spiritual touchpoint even when they cannot make it to Boulder.
Family Ministries for Every Age
Director of Family Ministries Erica Russell oversees a layered program for children and youth that begins long before the worship service. Nursery care for children under five opens at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday. From 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. during the school year, PK through 4th graders gather for Sunday School, exploring the Bible at their own level in engaging ways. After worship, 5th through 12th graders meet from noon to 1:00 p.m. for Youth Group, a time to build relationships, hear the Word, follow Jesus, and have fun. Family Ministries also organizes occasional potlucks, Mom's Night Out, and Dad's and Granddad's Night Out. Russell is a second-year seminary student pursuing ordination with the PC(U.S.A.).
Life Enrichment for Active Adults and Retirees
Life Enrichment at St. Andrew focuses on the sandwich generation, active retirees, and those transitioning into retirement. The program aims to help members find identity, meaning, and purpose - and to build connection. Life Enrichment Director Marisa Marotta, who has a background in neuroscience and psychology, organizes several recurring formats. Passport to Aging Well covers Medicare, estate planning, wills, financial planning, and physical and emotional wellness. Fireside Chats invite members and neighbors to share captivating stories with discussion to follow. An Ice Cream Social opens each new season of activities and gathers input on what participants want next.
Sunday Morning Adult Education
Two adult classes meet at 9:30 a.m. from September through May, between the start of nursery care and the beginning of worship. Cultivate Faith is a discussion-based class that prays, reflects, and wrestles with important issues and why they matter for daily faith. The Video Class takes a different approach, working through an episode of the Great Courses curriculum each Sunday. Both are open to anyone who wants to dig deeper in the hour before worship.
Bread and Belonging and a Young Adult Community
College students from the University of Colorado are welcome at St. Andrew through Bread and Belonging, the church's campus ministry. Students are invited to worship on Sunday mornings and then gather at the church at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays for a free dinner - some nights with guest speakers, others with games, crafts, or intentional conversation.
For young adults in their twenties and thirties, Gather Boulder brings together four Boulder-area faith communities for hiking, kayaking, cookouts, service projects, and spiritual conversations. St. Andrew also has an In-Between young adults group that meets for dinner and worship.
Fellowship Around the Table
Food has a way of showing up at St. Andrew. Throughout the year, the congregation gathers around tables - or food trucks - for the MooMobile, a back-to-school taco truck, tamales and piñatas at Epiphany, jambalaya and beignets at the Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch, and international lunches for World Communion Sunday. Women's Crafts and Conversation meets the first Thursday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with women bringing whatever craft they like - or just themselves - for conversation in a relaxed space.
Congregational Care and a Medical Lending Library
The Deacons lead St. Andrew's congregational care ministries, which include rides to worship, home communion for those unable to attend, hospital visits, and meals brought to families after the birth of a baby. The church also operates a Medical Lending Library of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and shower stools, loaned at no charge to members recovering from surgery or injury. Donations of gently used equipment can be arranged through the church office.
Service Partners Near and Far
Faith is lived out through partnerships at St. Andrew. The congregation supports a wide network of local and international organizations and welcomes volunteers of all ages. Donations of food are collected each Sunday and delivered to the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), typically totaling more than 2,000 pounds a year. St. Andrew members Adjei and Kari Abankwah began the BaoBao Library on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana, near Adjei's hometown, providing literature, technology, and educational programs; the library has grown so important that a second story was recently added.
HomeAhead, the Furniture Bank of Boulder County, was launched by St. Andrew members and is housed in the church's own building. It provides gently used home furnishings to individuals and families starting new lives after homelessness, incarceration, or domestic violence. St. Andrew volunteers also deliver meals for Meals on Wheels in Boulder County on Fridays.
Beyond Boulder, the church supports Rocky Mountain Equality, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit serving communities across Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, which provides free immigration legal and social services to immigrant children and adults in detention. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the emergency and refugee ministry of the Presbyterian Church, channels the congregation's support for natural and human-caused disasters around the world. Additional partners include Colie's Closet, Everytown for Gun Safety, Casa de Paz, and Haven Ridge.
A Building That Hosts Recovery Groups
St. Andrew provides meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, CODA, and Adult Children of Alcoholics. The 12-step groups are a quiet but steady presence in the life of the building, and the congregation considers hosting them part of its ministry to the wider Boulder community.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Worship is at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Sanctuary, with the same service offered on Zoom and YouTube. Nursery opens at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday School and adult education fill the 9:30 a.m. hour. After worship, youth gather at noon and families often stay for fellowship. Visitors are welcomed "just as you are." The church is located on Baseline Road in south Boulder, and the office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (the pastor and staff work remotely on Mondays). Giving can be made online, by mail to 3700 Baseline Rd., or by placing a gift in the offering plate on Sunday morning.