A Progressive Episcopal Parish on a San Mateo Hillside
Transfiguration Episcopal Church sits on a hillside overlooking the bay, near the corner of 39th Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas in San Mateo. From this location, the parish has shaped its identity around a handful of commitments: progressive theology rooted in a close reading of the Bible, full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people and people of every background, lively music, deep investment in children and families, and a long habit of feeding and clothing neighbors in need. The congregation belongs to the Diocese of California, which is part of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, and it carries the traditions of the Church of England as received in the United States while bringing a distinctly West Coast progressive voice to worship and parish life.
The Rev. Jennifer Hornbeck leads the parish as rector, with Jim Dahlstrom serving as Director of Music and Deacon Hailey McKeefry Delmas supporting the congregation's work for justice. Together with a vestry headed by Senior Warden Tim Fox and Junior Warden Heather Jolly, they shepherd a community that describes itself with four words: Episcopal, Progressive, Inclusive, and Active.
From a 1950 Mission to a Renovated Campus
Transfiguration began in 1950 as a mission supported by San Mateo's historic Church of St. Matthew. Early gatherings met in private homes and at the county fairgrounds before the parish settled on a hillside site near the southern edge of San Mateo, where new development was rising. The name Transfiguration was chosen to honor the location - a mountaintop place of change and revelation.
Within two years, ground was broken for the first of two buildings. The structure that now serves as the parish hall was completed in two years and has just been thoroughly renovated. Parish status was granted in 1956, and on Palm Sunday 1961, the congregation moved into its current sanctuary. The new sanctuary was consecrated soon after, and visitors today can still see the marks left on the doors when Bishop Pike knocked and demanded entrance.
Music at Transfiguration has been a point of pride for decades. A Reuter pipe organ was installed, with its first performance on Easter Sunday 1978, and the building's excellent acoustics have made the sanctuary a favored venue for recitals, dance, choral, and orchestra concerts. In 1992, the parish received city permission to inter the ashes of loved ones in a Memorial Garden, and the congregation later affiliated with the worldwide Quiet Garden movement, which now includes more than 400 members. The garden, located just above the sanctuary, remains open to all for outdoor worship, contemplation, and prayer.
A defining moment came in 2010, when the sanctuary roof failed and a flood ruined the worship space. What could have been a disaster became an opportunity. Repairs produced a beautiful, open, and flexible worship space with no pews bolted to the floor. Clergy and lay leaders can now move the altar, seats, and aisles to suit the shape of the liturgy or a concert. In 2022, the parish completed construction from a $1.5 million capital campaign that brought a complete renovation to the parish hall, preschool, and office space, along with new landscaping between the sanctuary and the hall. Improvements included a second ADA-accessible bathroom with a shower, flat parking spaces, a graded path connecting the sanctuary to the hall, a lift between the parish hall floors, a reconfigured common area with dedicated meeting rooms and an updated kitchen, a completely rebuilt downstairs space intended for an early childhood program, and a redesigned open office plan with two dedicated offices.
Two Sunday Eucharists, Two Very Different Rooms
On Sunday mornings, the Transfiguration community gathers twice, and each service has a different feel. At 9:30 AM, the family service is designed for households with young children. It is shorter, uses age-appropriate language, and incorporates a children's story and familiar songs. At 10:30 AM, the parish celebrates a Holy Eucharist with choir - a more traditional musical Eucharist with a diverse repertoire that draws on the strengths of the Reuter organ and the parish choir. After the 10:30 service, everyone is invited to a coffee hour in the Redwood Room.
On the second Sunday of each month, the 10:30 service includes particular prayers for healing. The healing team gathers in the side chapel with those who come forward, laying hands and anointing with oil. They pray for the whole person and for the loved ones who share in their struggle, asking for spiritual strength in the face of adversity. Anyone may also ask for a healing prayer at any time during the year.
Children of every age are welcome at both Sunday services. There is a soft space in the sanctuary where smaller children can play quietly, and parents are welcome to breastfeed wherever they are comfortable. Childcare is provided for the youngest children, and during the 10:30 sermon, school-age children and youth step out for their own programs. Older children return to take part in the Eucharist itself. There is no dress code: some worshipers wear jeans and flip flops, others wear their Sunday best, and everyone is welcome to come as they are.
Mornings on Zoom and in the Chapel
For those who want a thoughtful start to the day, the parish offers morning prayer and meditation every weekday. From Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM, a small group gathers by Zoom for morning meditation. On Wednesdays at 9:00 AM, a Morning Prayer service uses The Book of Common Prayer (Rite II) and meets both in the chapel and on Zoom, running until 9:30 AM. The group welcomes suggestions for other prayer resources and has also drawn from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, Enriching Our Worship, Celtic Daily Prayer, the St. Helena Psalter, the Society of St. Francis in the UK, and Forward Day by Day.
On Wednesday mornings at 10:30, the Gospel Preview group meets online to study the Gospel reading assigned in the Episcopal lectionary for the coming Sunday. The group is made up of a wide range of ages and life experiences, and the conversations are lively.
A Table Open to Everyone
Transfiguration's central act of worship is the Eucharist, the meal that recalls Jesus' last supper with his friends. The parish extends an open invitation: when the congregation comes to communion, everyone is invited to approach the front and receive the bread and wine, or to receive a blessing instead. Gluten-free communion is available at each station. No matter where a person is on their spiritual journey, they are welcome to receive communion.
The rector describes the parish as a community that loves a good conversation. In her words, a person should not join a church because its members believe everything they do, but because the church is having an interesting conversation. Transfiguration uses a mix of gender-inclusive, gender-expansive, and traditional language in its services, and people of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, nationalities, and backgrounds serve and lead.
All couples may be married at Transfiguration. Single adults, families of every shape, and people who come alone are all made welcome. Scholarships are freely available for retreats and events, and no one is turned away because of cost. The parish participates in interfaith and community events, recognizing that its own perspectives are limited and that meaningful ministry often happens outside the church's walls.
Accessibility Woven into the Building
Renovations over the past decade have transformed the building's accessibility. The sanctuary and parish hall are ADA accessible, and additional disabled parking is available at the top of the hill, with direct access to the sanctuary from there. Pews can be rearranged to make room for a wheelchair or walker - greeters are happy to help. While most worshipers come forward to the altar for communion, anyone who prefers may receive communion in their seat. Hearing assistance is available, and large-print bulletins can be arranged. Restrooms are single-stall, gender-neutral, and ADA accessible. The parish is happy to make further accommodations when asked.
Children, Youth, and a Curiosity-Driven Curriculum
Family Ministry is at the heart of who Transfiguration is. The parish's programs for children and youth use an emergent curriculum model that encourages exploration of spiritual ideas through open-ended questions and reflection. From the earliest ages, children are invited to develop their personal sense of the presence of God and their own unique spirituality.
At the 9:30 family service, leaders tell the stories of the Christian faith and end each session with wondering questions. Community of Wonder, or C.O.W., continues the same pattern for school-age children during the 10:30 service. Children gather with their families at the start of worship, are blessed by the clergy along with the youth and co-leaders, and then head to their own session. There, they explore a Scripture story together and take part in activities - crafts, games, and service projects - tied to the week's theme. Parents and other adult parishioners serve as co-leaders on a rotating basis, and on the second Sunday of each month, parishioners are invited to share their interests and passions with the children during this time. C.O.W. welcomes children from kindergarten through high school.
Faith Lab is the youth program for grades six through twelve, meeting twice a month. Through conversations and activities geared to their interests, teens explore big questions about faith in a safe space. Past activities have included virtual reality, film making, comic drawing, games, and lots of costumes - all used to look at faith and spirituality through different lenses.
Adults: Retreats, Bible Study, and Pastoral Care
Adult life at Transfiguration is shaped by three rhythms: weekday prayer and study, parish retreats, and mutual care.
The retreat program is a popular part of parish life. In January, the men of the parish go to St. Dorothy's Rest, where they grill one night, spend time in conversation and mutual support, and do a service project for the retreat center. In February or March, the women gather at St. Dorothy's Rest for mutual support and prayer, with conversations, art activities, and occasional outdoor time. In June, the whole parish heads to Bishop's Ranch for a weekend of swimming, hiking, and getting to know new friends. Each retreat is open to whoever feels most comfortable attending, and participants are invited to attend the retreat that best aligns with their gender identity and expression.
Pastoral care at Transfiguration is organized by the Parish Care Committee, which meets once a month to discuss parishioner needs. The committee organizes home communion and clergy visits, sends cards, and delivers meals. The PCC also coordinates the delivery of Easter and Thanksgiving baskets, as well as Christmas poinsettias, to those who are unable to attend church. Other adult offerings include a book club, a prayer group on Wednesday mornings, and the chance to serve as a sacristan, Eucharistic Minister, acolyte, storyteller, or lay leader of a new ministry.
Music that Nourishes the Community
Music has long been a defining strength of the parish. The Reuter pipe organ, installed in 1978, anchors a music program that includes a parish choir open to singers of all ability levels, a children's choir heard in the family service, and the occasional virtual choir recording. The sanctuary's exceptional acoustics make it a popular venue for outside musical groups, who are invited to inquire through the parish office. Worshipers can hear music in many styles across the two Sunday services, with the 10:30 Musical Eucharist leaning more fully on organ and choir and the 9:30 family service featuring more familiar songs and congregational participation.
The Memorial Garden and the Quiet Garden
The Memorial Garden, established with the city's permission in 1992, provides a place to inter the ashes of loved ones. The garden is also part of the worldwide Quiet Garden movement, joining more than 400 gardens around the world in offering a space for outdoor worship, contemplation, and prayer. Located just above the sanctuary, the garden is open to all.
Community Outreach: A Half-Century of Feeding and Housing
The people of Transfiguration have a long habit of serving those in need, and the parish's history of community work is woven into its identity.
For years, the parish kitchen produced thousands of gallons of soup that were distributed to feeding centers in San Francisco. The youth of the parish have led Sandwich Sundays, preparing hundreds of sandwiches for people in need. In 2000, the parish took the lead in developing the San Mateo County Interfaith Hospitality Network at Transfiguration and in surrounding churches. Before the pandemic, the parish hall was used several times a year to house and feed homeless families, and the congregation looks forward to resuming that work when conditions allow. Parishioners have also participated in meal-packing events that prepared up to 50,000 meals for use in the community and in Haiti.
Each Advent, the parish sets up a Giving Tree in the sanctuary, collecting items for two community organizations. Recent beneficiaries have included Caminar, a San Mateo-based nonprofit that serves people with serious behavioral health conditions (about three-quarters of Caminar's clients are homeless), and the Teen Health Van, a mobile clinic and medical team run by the San Mateo County Office of Education that travels to seven sites around the Bay Area to provide services to uninsured, underinsured, homeless, and at-risk preteens and young adults between the ages of 10 and 25. Over one Advent, the parish donated 123 pairs of new socks and 19 rain ponchos to Caminar, and the gifts were distributed to clients within an hour of being collected. A later Advent gathered more than a hundred small bottles of hair care and oral cleaning products, $500 in Target gift cards, and movie passes for the Teen Van, in memory of longtime parishioner Nancy Burnett, who had requested memorial gifts to the program.
Most recently, Transfiguration has partnered with Hillsdale High School to support the Hillsdale Peace Pantry, helping to supply food and material help to high schoolers and their families in need. Parishioners have adopted families through a financial pledge or through the commitment to purchase and deliver food, toiletries, and clothing to the high school. One in five students at the nearby Hillsdale High School lives in poverty, and fewer students are receiving free or subsidized lunch out of fear that applying for the benefit will flag them with ICE. The parish's partnership with the school is one of its most sustained current commitments.
The parish is also a long-time supporter of Home and Hope, an interfaith organization providing support and shelter for homeless families, and has partnered with Dream Dinners in Belmont to sponsor meal-packaging events.
A Parish-Wide Commitment to Racial Justice
Transfiguration states plainly that Black Lives Matter, and the commitment is embedded in parish life. The congregation's racial justice ministry is led in part by Deacon Hailey McKeefry Delmas. The parish has committed to making anti-racism part of the DNA of the community and recognizes that the work of dismantling racism in medical, educational, governmental, and societal systems is an ongoing activity rather than a one-time effort. Resources for adults and for families are compiled and shared with the parish and the wider community, drawing on books by Ibram X. Kendi, Michelle Alexander, Austin Channing Brown, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, bell hooks, Lisa Sharon Harper, Charles Marsh, and others. The parish also points members to the Episcopal Church's Sacred Ground curriculum, a film-based dialogue series on race and faith.
Getting Involved
Most ministries at Transfiguration are lay-led, and new initiatives are welcomed. Opportunities include serving as an acolyte, lector, Eucharistic Minister, storyteller for the Joyful Noise service, healing ministry team member, coffee hour host, greeter, sacristy team member, Faith Lab leader, technology advisor for livestreaming, stewardship campaign helper, Sunday banker, or vestry member. The vestry meets once a month and helps make decisions affecting the parish. Those interested in any of these roles are encouraged to reach out to the parish office.
Visiting and Getting in Touch
Transfiguration is located at 3900 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA 94403, on a hillside overlooking the bay. The parish office can be reached at (650) 341-8206 or through the office email address. Those who wish to follow along from home can subscribe to the weekly bulletin and announcement email, or follow the parish on Facebook and Instagram.
The 10:30 service is livestreamed, and recordings of recent sermons are posted through the parish's Vimeo channel. Giving is available online through the digital offering plate, by check mailed to the parish address, or by stock or donor-advised fund transfers.
The newly renovated parish hall, the Redwood Room, the Manzanita Room, the commercial kitchen, and the sanctuary itself are available to rent for meetings, parties, performances, and other events. A turnkey preschool space, renovated in 2021, is also being offered for lease, with availability beginning in summer 2027.