A Shared Ministry in Redondo Beach and Torrance
St. Andrew's and Christ Episcopal Church is a shared Episcopal ministry with Christ Church in Redondo Beach and St. Andrew's in Torrance. It is known for a Sunday morning Holy Eucharist at the Redondo Beach church, worship that brings together English, Japanese, and Korean speakers, a music program pairing historic Episcopal hymnody with contemporary worship, and practical service that includes a free monthly meal for people in need.
The two parishes have joined in one ministry that worships primarily in Redondo Beach, with Korean gatherings and other activities at St. Andrew's. The ministry is mission-centered and worshiping in the Anglican tradition. Its members celebrate the Holy Eucharist, pray online each weekday, study Scripture on Tuesdays, and serve through music, education, fellowship, hospitality, and outreach. Both campuses share the church office at 310-540-1722.
The shared mission is to bring people to Jesus Christ by nurturing a Christian community that inspires spiritual growth through the Episcopal faith. The practical commitments are equally clear: respect the dignity of every human being, pray and worship, balance scripture, tradition, and reason, foster an inclusive community, welcome newcomers, participate in individual and cooperative stewardship, and serve as a beacon of the church's faith.
Sunday Eucharist at Christ Church
Episcopal Sunday worship takes place at 9 a.m. at Christ Church, 408 S. Broadway in Redondo Beach. Holy Eucharist is available during the service. People of all faiths are welcome, and Sunday worship has a historic and neighborly character. Masks are recommended but not required, and no appointment is necessary. The service is also available through online worship through Zoom or a Facebook livestream.
Children are always welcome to attend the 9 a.m. service. Ushers greet people as they arrive, provide service bulletins, and assist with the collection plate. Lay readers take turns reading the Old and New Testament passages, a psalm, and the Prayers of the People. The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary, altar, furnishings, and linens with knowledge of Episcopal liturgies, the church year, and feast days. These roles make worship a shared offering rather than the work of clergy alone.
Alongside the principal Sunday service, the church offers a recurring candlelit Taizé gathering lasting about an hour. Its pattern includes beautiful music, prayer, silence, and sacred readings. Taizé also shapes the music ministry's participation in quarterly services, and the choir helps lead special Holy Week music, including Tenebrae.
Japanese, Korean, and Online Worship
A second Sunday service is conducted in Japanese at 1 p.m. and shared online through Zoom. Brother Ambrose leads the service, and worshippers join from across the United States. This Japanese-language congregation makes the shared ministry's Sunday day extend beyond the English service at Christ Church.
A Korean-language community, True Love Church, meets at St. Andrew's in Torrance or through Zoom on Sundays and every weekday morning. The community can gather in person at the Torrance campus or participate remotely. Across these languages, the parish's welcome is direct: people of all faiths are welcome, newcomers are welcomed into the community, and participation in worship and ministry is open.
Online participation is a regular part of the rhythm rather than an added option. English Sunday worship begins at 9 a.m.; Morning Prayer runs Monday through Friday at 9 a.m.; Bible study meets Tuesday morning and evening; and Japanese worship begins Sunday afternoon. The shared ministry's rhythm therefore connects people who can attend Christ Church in person with those joining from home or elsewhere.
Morning Prayer and Tuesday Bible Study
Weekday Morning Prayer is held online from 9:00 to 9:35 a.m., Monday through Friday. The congregation follows the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer, beginning the day with the prayers of the church's inherited liturgical tradition. Morning Prayer leaders can be trained, and anyone is welcome to join the online gathering.
Two Bible study groups meet on Tuesdays, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Both are available online and cover the same material. Each session pairs passage-by-passage Scripture study with theological reflection, group discussion about interpretation, and consideration of how the readings apply personally. A Bible is all that is needed to participate.
These smaller gatherings make room for study and conversation alongside the sung and spoken worship of Sunday. The pattern expresses the church's balance of scripture, tradition, and reason: people hear the text, consider its meaning, and discuss how it bears on life.
Two Historic Gathering Places
Christ Church was dedicated on January 4, 1893. The building is Gothic, and its interior is finished in Oregon pine and redwood. The community hall is used for church services and community events. Other notable features include a hand-carved sculpture near the entrance, a historic sanctuary, candle offerings, and a rooftop view from the church offices. The hall also accommodates weddings and services that bring people into the life of the church.
St. Andrew's was established in 1918 in historic Torrance and offers community programs, classrooms, and opportunities for service. Its sanctuary features stained glass and a columbarium. Across the main building and annex are a community courtyard, a community hall, a kitchen, an upper-level music room and larger music room, lower-level classrooms, a children's classroom and nursery, and additional music space. The variety of rooms supports worship, education, music, meals, and neighborhood gatherings.
The shared structure has a practical shape: most English worship happens at Christ Church in Redondo Beach, while St. Andrew's in Torrance hosts Korean gatherings, meals, educational use, and community activity. Both campuses remain central to the one parish life and carry their own histories.
Children, Youth, and Learning
Sunday School for children ages 3 to 12 meets at Christ Church just before the 9 a.m. service. It follows the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a reflective approach rooted in Sacred Scripture, the liturgy, and Maria Montessori's educational philosophy. The program helps children develop their relationship with God in developmentally appropriate ways. Adult volunteers support this religious formation with preparation in Safeguarding God's Children, CPR, and first aid, as well as background checks.
Children's time includes prayer, a short Bible reading, reflective and imaginative conversation, art and crafts, and a blessing in the church. Parents may drop off their children or remain for the 9 a.m. worship service. Children are always welcome at that service, and the all-ages approach makes room for families to worship together.
Older children and teenagers have another connection to the parish through the youth orchestra. Middle and high school students meet at Christ Church on the second Sunday of each month to practice together, joining the congregation's larger music ministry.
St. Andrew's also provides space for Highlands Latin School, a K-12 classical arts school that meets there Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The arrangement brings another learning rhythm into the Torrance campus and connects the church's educational emphasis with the life of the building.
Music That Carries Worship and Prayer
Music at St. Andrew's and Christ combines historic Episcopal hymnody with contemporary worship music. The core ensemble includes acoustic musicians and church members, and many Sundays include vocalists with violin, piano, and guitar. Through the year, the program also brings in musicians playing cello, organ, oboe, flute, harp, and brass ensemble. The music supports weekly worship, quarterly Taizé services, and Holy Week.
Music Director Kevin Wood began at Christ Episcopal Church in 2017 and created the Mutual Ministry Choir. Working with lay and ordained leaders, he shapes a broad range of musical production for worship and writes and produces music and liturgy for Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Los Angeles. His role reflects the collaborative character of the music program: skilled musicians, choir members, and church leaders share the work.
There are ways to participate beyond professional music. The church offers opportunities to join the choir or provide instrumental accompaniment, trains lay readers, and relies on the Altar Guild to prepare the sanctuary. Music, reading, hospitality, and the practical care of worship are all treated as shared ministries.
Hospitality, Membership, and Belonging
Hospitality continues after the 9 a.m. service with Coffee Hour, when volunteers provide cookies, fruit, vegetables, and coffee for people to meet one another. The Artisans group meets every other Tuesday at a parishioner's home for embroidery projects, and people of every skill level are welcome. Special events throughout the year include an annual fundraiser, a Live Nativity at Christmas, and a family Easter celebration.
Membership is understood as a relationship within the body of Christ rather than simply joining an organization. Active members are expected to attend worship regularly, make an annual financial pledge, pray daily for themselves and others, and take part in at least one parish ministry. The first step involves an information card, and a transfer can be requested from a previous church.
Baptism marks initiation into the life of Christ and membership in the congregation. The church recognizes baptism with water in the name of the Trinity, so people baptized in another tradition are not asked to be rebaptized. Those who have not been baptized can meet with the clergy about faith and membership, while confirmation is a mature commitment to Christ strengthened through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.
The parish recognizes two levels of membership. An active baptized member who receives communion at least three times a year is a communicant. A baptized, confirmed communicant in good standing is the fuller designation used for voting and service on Vestry or in other elected positions. These expectations place worship, prayer, service, and giving together in the shared life of the parish.
Child and adult baptisms, weddings, and memorial services are part of the church's sacramental life, alongside confirmation, ordination, reconciliation, and the anointing of the sick. Pastoral care includes hospital and home visits, with Holy Communion available to people who cannot attend regularly, brought by the priest, a deacon, or lay Eucharistic ministers.
Serving Redondo Beach and Torrance
Loaves and Fishes is a direct expression of the ministry's service to people in need. A free hot meal is served at St. Andrew's at 11 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month. The congregation also contributes to the Shared Bread program at Riviera United Methodist Church and maintains a list of local venues offering free meals to people who are hungry.
Recovery meetings are also hosted. Three Alcoholics Anonymous groups meet at Christ Church on Monday and Thursday evenings. The church's local outreach additionally includes a beach ministry in Redondo Beach and Torrance and volunteer work connected to Housing for Humanity.
The Honduras Fund gathers support throughout the year for students in Honduras to continue their education beyond elementary school. This work extends the parish's concern for formation beyond its own community. The stewardship team connects that wider vision with the practical work of sharing time, talent, and treasure, encouraging members to give both individually and cooperatively.
Online and mail giving are both supported. The two campuses maintain separate mailing addresses for pledges, while secure online giving makes it possible to contribute directly. The altar flower ministry also shows this blend of worship and care: donations in honor or memory of loved ones support the church's worship and local service.
One Faith in Shared Practice
St. Andrew's and Christ Episcopal Church is a community for all, welcoming all. Its shared life moves between the Gothic sanctuary and classrooms of Christ Church in Redondo Beach and the historic Torrance church with its sanctuary, courtyard, community hall, and columbarium. English, Japanese, and Korean worship; weekday prayer; Tuesday study; children's formation; youth music; sacramental life; and service to neighbors all belong to the same Anglican-Episcopal tradition.
At its heart is a practical vision: nurture spiritual growth through Episcopal faith, respect every person's dignity, welcome newcomers, and bring people to Jesus Christ through worship, learning, fellowship, and service. The two campuses carry different histories and gather in different languages, but they remain one shared ministry centered in Redondo Beach and Torrance.