Welcome on Wells Avenue
On a residential block in downtown Renton, Washington, where Wells Avenue meets the older neighborhoods of the city, St. Luke's Episcopal Church gathers a progressive, intergenerational congregation under one roof. The parish bills itself simply as "a church for all people," and the phrase is taken seriously: old and young, rich and poor, gay and straight, single people and families of all kinds, recent arrivals and longtime neighbors. The congregation worships together in English and Spanish, reflects the cultural diversity of the Puget Sound region, and holds its liturgies in a 1928 building that has been lovingly updated to serve music, children, and a steady stream of visitors who walk through the doors.
Worship is the main thing at St. Luke's. The parish describes itself as "a 21st-century church living at the edge of modern consciousness" that celebrates divine presence in both ancient and modern forms. Its roots reach back to 1882, when Trinity Church in Seattle began leading services in Renton; the present building was constructed in 1928 and now houses weekly liturgy, a full choir, a children's program, the parish's small groups, and an unusual outdoor collection of contemporary icons.
Sunday Worship: Holy Eucharist and Coffee Hour
Sunday is the heart of the week. At 8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer is prayed online over Zoom, followed by a Coffee Hour in the same chat window, an invitation for those unable to make the drive to stay connected to the parish. The principal liturgy, the Holy Eucharist, is celebrated at 10:30 a.m. in the main church, with congregants gathering in person and worshippers across the region joining through the livestream. A Coffee Hour follows at 11:30 a.m.
The Sunday liturgy is built on Episcopal tradition: ritual, song, prayer, scripture, silence, beauty, and communion. St. Luke's practices open communion, so any person who desires to receive is welcome at the table. The parish keeps dress casual ("come in a way that makes you feel yourself"), and the community is sized so that newcomers can choose anonymity if they wish and be known by name if they prefer.
The bulletin for each Sunday is available online as a PDF, and recordings of every Sunday liturgy are posted to the church's YouTube channel for later viewing. The worship space includes an Allen Prestige electronic organ, a one-of-a-kind hand-made pipe organ called the Blaise Organ, a Steinway grand piano, and a multitude of string, brass, wind, and percussion instruments used by the choir and guest musicians.
The Wednesday Evening Office and Silent Meditation
For many years, Wednesday evenings at St. Luke's offered an intimate, meditative half-hour in the sanctuary. The service began with the Episcopal office of Evening Prayer and continued with Holy Communion, gathered around the altar in the older part of the building. A half-hour of silent meditation preceded the service. The parish notes that the Wednesday liturgy is currently suspended; the small section of the site devoted to it explains that the practice can be resumed when there is energy to lead it well.
Even on hiatus, the Wednesday tradition reflects the parish's instinct to create multiple doors into prayer: a full Sunday Mass for the wider community, a quiet midweek hour for those who like their worship spare, and seasonal events for those drawn to the rhythm of the natural year.
Spring Afresh, Rise Up, Re:Turn, Yule: The Seasonal Liturgies
Four times a year, on the solstices and equinoxes, St. Luke's trades sermon and Eucharist for something rarer: a long evening of music, poetry, chant, meditation, and visual art. The seasonal liturgies are named Spring Afresh (spring equinox), Rise Up (summer solstice), Re:Turn (autumnal equinox), and Yule (winter solstice). They were developed over several years by the rector, the Rev. Kevin Pearson, as a way to mark the change of seasons and to reflect what the parish calls a distinctly Northwest spirituality of "intunement with nature and mystery."
The services draw on the Diocese of Olympia's musical talent; musicians from St. Luke's, St. James, and St. Thomas regularly contribute, ranging from gospel singers to banjo players and a cappella groups. The music draws on traditional hymns, classical works, and songs not usually found in church, including pieces by The Byrds and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Readings come from writers such as Gary Snyder, John O'Donohue, Marilynne Robinson, and John Steinbeck. No sermon is preached and no Eucharist is celebrated; the point is to create space for a mystical experience of God at the turning of the year.
St. Luke's designed these seasonal services to reach beyond its own members, and it shows. Attendees arrive from Episcopal, Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, and Reformed backgrounds, alongside visitors who claim no faith at all. Beer and wine are often served after the service, in keeping with the festive tone. The seasonal liturgies have been featured in the Diocese of Olympia's news and in Episcopal Cafe.
A Courtyard of Contemporary Icons
In the courtyard outside the sanctuary, St. Luke's has gathered a striking, growing collection of watercolor icons painted by the artist Kelly Latimore, paired with texts written by parishioners, clergy, and friends. The collection is a defining feature of the church. Each icon sits beside a short prayer and a longer piece of writing that introduces the figure depicted. Among those honored are Pauli Murray, the lawyer and Episcopal priest; Fannie Lou Hamer; John Lewis; the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Dorothy Day; Bayard Rustin; James Cone; Pauli Murray; Malcolm X; Nicolas Black Elk; Marsha P. Johnson; Ruth and Naomi; Mary Magdalene; Mary, mother of Jesus; Juan Diego; Francis of Assisi; and a Black Christ at the crucifixion. The subjects range from biblical figures and saints to civil rights leaders, indigenous elders, mothers, refugees, and unhoused neighbors, figures the parish lifts up as "unexpected messengers" of the divine.
The texts are written by members of the parish and clergy from across the country, often by people whose own lives have been shaped by the figure depicted. The collection is more than a memorial; it is a working theological statement about who belongs inside the Christian story and who counts as a saint. The parish invites visitors to walk through the courtyard, reflect, and pray with the icons.
Music: Choir, Kids' Music, and a Hand-Built Pipe Organ
Music is described as one of the primary modes of "expressing difference and unity" at St. Luke's. The Sunday liturgy features a volunteer choir of about twenty members, supported by three section leaders, a professional trombonist, and a guitarist who plays both acoustic and electric. The choir rehearses at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays (except the second Sunday of the month) in preparation for the 10:30 a.m. liturgy. Once a month, the music is given over to young people; youth players weave with the professionals, and the service becomes a kind of intergenerational jam.
On the second Sunday of each month, the children of St. Luke's take over parts of the liturgy through Kids' Music. Kids learn rhythm and "groove," and they play bells, percussion, and other instruments from around the world in the main service. The interim Director of Music, Mindy Haynes, coordinates the program and welcomes additional instrumentalists who would like to contribute their gifts to worship.
The instruments available to the music program are notable. The Allen Prestige electronic organ handles weekly service playing; the Blaise Organ, a one-of-a-kind, hand-made, one-manual meantone pipe organ, anchors the worship space with its distinctive voice; and a Steinway grand piano sits alongside a multitude of string, brass, wind, and percussion instruments used by the choir and guests.
Children, Youth, and the Safeguarding Promise
Children are an essential part of the community at St. Luke's. Two Sunday-morning programs anchor the children's ministry:
- Godly Play (ages four to nine) is the parish's Montessori-style Sunday School, held during the 10:30 a.m. liturgy in the St. Timothy Chapel. Each class has a story-teller and a gatekeeper, who walk children through sacred stories using the Godly Play method.
- Discovery School (ages nine to thirteen) met on Sundays from 9:45 to 10:25 a.m., exploring liturgy, symbolism, and meaning; the parish notes that this program is currently on hold.
For children who grow restless during the service, the building includes a downstairs room with a rocking chair, toys, and a speaker connected to the liturgy, so a parent can step out while still hearing the worship. Every St. Luke's staff member and volunteer who works with children has completed a Safeguarding God's Children course through the Diocese of Olympia.
Small Groups: Book Group, Free Spirits, Man 2 Man, and Women's Spirituality
St. Luke's fosters a small-group culture for study, reflection, and service. Groups form whenever an interest or ministry calls people together, and the parish encourages anyone to start one. Several groups meet regularly:
- The Tuesday Book Group meets from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., choosing a new book of common interest each term and posting the weekly reading in the announcements.
- Free Spirits is open to parishioners who have daytime availability, meeting once a month for films, garden visits, church tours, and guest speakers on topics of the group's choosing.
- Man 2 Man is a covenanted group of men who explore men's spirituality together; meetings happen on the first and third Mondays, currently via Zoom.
- The Women's Spirituality Group gathers on the third Sunday of each month from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. for prayer, discernment, learning, and conversation.
The parish also runs an Anti-Racism Ministry book group, which has read Bishop Michael Curry's Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubled Times and which includes mindfulness practices. The group meets on Thursdays via Zoom.
REACH, Communities in Schools, and Public Demonstrations
Christian faith, the parish teaches, moves people to act in service, advocacy, justice, reconciliation, and peace. St. Luke's partnerships focus on a small number of long-standing relationships in the Renton area:
- REACH of Renton is a day center and night shelter for homeless women and children (including boys over twelve). St. Luke's donates supplies and occasionally partners with REACH on special events and supply drives.
- Communities in Schools of Renton (CISR) works closely with Renton High School to respond to students' most urgent needs. St. Luke's donates school supplies, clothing, personal hygiene items, and Christmas gifts.
The parish also maintains an open-door policy for recovery groups. Alcoholics Anonymous meets in the downstairs Pritchard Hall conference room on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m., and Al-Anon meets upstairs on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; both groups welcome newcomers and are open to anyone whose life has been affected by alcohol. Beyond these partnerships, members of St. Luke's community have held ongoing public demonstrations against racism and bigotry, with first-Sunday and Tuesday gatherings that have continued for over a year.
Funeral Resources and Grief Support
When a death occurs, St. Luke's offers a pastoral hand through the work of mourning. The parish publishes an unusually thorough set of funeral resources online, including a curated library of readings (Old Testament passages, psalms, New Testament passages, and classic poetry) and a detailed music list with sample recordings of instrumental pieces ranging from Bach and Handel to Dvořák and Widor, plus hymns from the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and the New Century Hymnal.
The grief resources page links to local bereavement programs at Kaiser Permanente, Providence Hospice, Swedish Medical Center, the Compassionate Friends, the Healing Center, and UW Medicine, as well as online communities such as GriefShare, Grief Dialogues, and Refuge in Grief. The parish also recommends books and articles for those supporting friends through early grief. The funeral resources are designed to fit inside a larger pastoral journey, which the parish encourages families to walk "together and in person" with their own clergy and community support.
The Building, the Courtyard, and How to Visit
The church sits at 99 Wells Avenue South, with a parking lot behind the building that is accessible from Williams Avenue. Street parking is also available along Wells Avenue. The southwest corner of the building houses an elevator that opens onto the courtyard, so anyone for whom stairs are a deterrent can reach the sanctuary, the upstairs parish hall, and the outdoor icon collection without difficulty.
Inside, the older sanctuary is intimate; the basement houses the downstairs Pritchard Hall conference rooms used by the recovery groups and for parish gatherings; and the upstairs guild hall hosts coffee hour after the Sunday liturgy. Several rooms of varying size are available for weekly, monthly, or one-time rental, including space used by other community organizations, and the parish welcomes inquiries about future use.
The parish encourages anyone curious to drop in for a service, sign up for the weekly email announcements, or contact the office to talk with the rector, the Rev. Kevin Pearson.
The People Who Lead the Parish
The Rev. Kevin Pearson has been the rector of St. Luke's since the spring of 2004. A Pacific Northwest native, he holds a doctorate from San Francisco Theological Seminary, writing in the field of worship and transcendent experience. He also served for over a dozen years as an on-call chaplain at Seattle Children's, and he has shaped the parish's bilingual outreach to Latinx neighbors as well as the four seasonal liturgies. His theological writing focuses on beauty, encounter, and the New Jerusalem of peace and oneness.
The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson serves St. Luke's as a part-time Priest Associate from her home parish. She also serves as the Canon for Multicultural Ministry and Community Engagement for the Diocese of Olympia.
Mindy Haynes is the parish's interim Director of Music. The choir, the three section leaders, the trombonist, the guitarist, the volunteer singers, and the children's music program all support and are supported by the liturgy she helps plan.
A Community of Gratitude, Vitality, and Abundance
St. Luke's identifies itself with three words: gratitude (an awakening to beauty and God's song in the heart), vitality (becoming whole people in body, mind, and spirit), and abundance (giving ourselves for the good of God's creation). The parish invites those who share those longings to join them, people "striving to live lives of gratitude, vitality, and abundance," in the words of its founding self-description, regardless of where they are on their journey.
Giving, Stewardship, and the Legacy Society
Every dollar given to St. Luke's goes directly to ministry and mission; the parish's treasurers are volunteers who accept no fees for administering the funds. Pledges, made through an online or printable pledge card, allow the parish to budget for the year ahead, while one-time donations, repeating monthly gifts, and Sunday signups (altar flowers, sanctuary candle, and coffee hour) make giving easy. A $35 donation is suggested for altar flowers and $15 for the sanctuary candle, with coffee hour hosts invited to bring snacks or a light meal for roughly fifty people after the Sunday liturgy.
Parishioners who include St. Luke's in their estate plans are enrolled in the parish's Legacy Society, and those who check the legacy box on their pledge cards are also enrolled in the Bishop's Society of the Diocese of Olympia. Donations can be made online through the giving page, mailed to the church office at 99 Wells Avenue South, or sent through the Venmo app under StLukesRenton.
A Liturgy, an Icon, a Place at the Table
St. Luke's has gathered around one table in downtown Renton since 1882. The most accurate way to come to know it is to show up on a Sunday morning, walk through the icon courtyard, take a seat in the wooden pews, and join in the song. The congregation describes itself this way: "We're old and young, rich and poor, gay and straight, single people and families of all kinds. We come from many places, cultures, and races. And there's one table where we all have a place to know God's grace." That table, in a 1928 building on Wells Avenue, is the steady center of the parish' life.