Communities of Church of the Saviour
The "Scattered Community" of Churches
The current structure of The Church of the Saviour is a “scattered community” of small independent churches. Having come from a common family history and vision, the churches and other affiliated communities share similar, but not identical, practices and commitments. Each is a unique local expression of the Body of Christ. The churches welcome your participation in their worship services, classes and other gatherings.
Some Common Themes Among the Scattered Churches
Comprised of ordinary people making extraordinary commitments, the churches in the tradition of The Church of the Saviour are structured to nurture intentional relationships and practices to support the journey of faith in Christ.
Each church calls for an “integrity of membership” in the spirit and tradition of the original Church of the Saviour. This means being accountable to one another in small circles called mission groups that make commitments to study and pray, give and serve at a particular point of need. Members take classes in the church’s School of Christian Living or the School for Liberation (Servant Leadership; Soteria), as well as join in the community’s ongoing life of worship, celebration and service. Formation for an intern member might last from one to three years. Annually, after a period of discernment, members renew—or withdraw—their covenant membership. “Integrity of membership” invites members to discern each year whether or not they still are called to this way of journeying with Jesus and his friends.
Inclusitivty Statement
The Church of the Saviour is an ecumenical Christian community, made up of eight small churches, rooted in the radically inclusive life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We believe that in our diversity, each of us is an image-bearer of God, equally valued and loved. We welcome all individuals to join in the life of worship, fellowship and ministry in any of our small faith communities. All of us have an essential role in bringing God’s love, justice and mercy to our world.
Several of the faith communities have developed their own inclusivity statements. Please see those below within each of the congregational descriptions.
Communities of Church of the Saviour
Bread of Life is a church called to live in ways that are consistent with God’s intention, with a particular emphasis on the economic dimensions of life. Through specific, local relationships, and through a connection to the Church at large, we support new economic practices and structures that will be life giving for ‘haves’ as well as ‘have nots’. Through our gathered life, we attempt to embody alternatives to the way of culture that accumulates, protects and self-secures.
Worship: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
The Potter’s House, back room, 1658 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Bread of Life
Bread of Life is a church called to live in ways that are consistent with God’s intention, with a particular emphasis on the economic dimensions of life. Through specific, local relationships, and through a connection to the Church at large, we support new economic practices and structures that will be life giving for ‘haves’ as well as ‘have nots’. Through our gathered life, we attempt to embody alternatives to the way of culture that accumulates, protects and self-secures.
Worship: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
The Potter’s House, 1658 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Dayspring Church
We are a small community of faith in Germantown, Maryland, devoted to following the way of Jesus. Our roots are in the 200+ acres of Dayspring’s woodlands, meadows, creeks and ponds, of which we are stewards for our sister Church of the Saviour communities. We share among us the leadership of worship and community life. Based on a sense of call and honoring the gifts the Spirit gives, we seek to combine a deep inner life of prayer and silence with active mission and prophetic witness in the world. We treasure silence and contemplation; caring for the earth and working for its healing and restoration; justice, peace, and nonviolent witness; and, always, the challenge and blessing of sharing our lives in community.
Worship: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
From June to September, we worship at the Pavilion in the woods at Dayspring. During the rest of the year we meet in the Farmhouse.
Dayspring Farm and Retreat Center
11301 Neelsville Church Road, Germantown, Maryland
301.515.4399
Email “dayspring5 @ verizon.net” for Zoom information.
Inclusivity statement:
Dayspring is an ecumenical Christian Church set in the beauty of 200+ acres of woodlands, meadows, ponds and wildlife. We are a small, deeply committed faith community with shared leadership of worship and ministries including a silent retreat center and creative Earth ministries. We are rooted in the radically inclusive teachings of Jesus. We believe that God created the great diversity of humanity. We celebrate and welcome people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultures.
Eight Day Faith Community
Christ calls us, the Eighth Day Faith Community, to be his body in the world and to respond to his overwhelming love for us by making a radical commitment to building a caring and just society. We do this by joining concretely with the oppressed in their struggles; speaking truth and listening to our brothers and sisters as we support one another in following Christ; contemplating our relationship to God, our lifestyle, and the community of faith; joyfully participating in life as it is given; and celebrating our belonging to the whole of creation and to God.
Eighth Day takes its name from the belief that God has continued to create beyond the biblical seven days. The ‘eighth day of creation’ is the life we now lead, one in which we are co-creators with God of a reign of justice and compassion as witnesses of Divine Love expressed in Jesus Christ. One of our central offerings to the neighborhood and the wider church is The Potter’s House, a coffeehouse and bookstore focusing on themes of spirituality and justice.
Worship: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Website: www.8th-day.org
Zoom conference
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5320553902
Liturgy: https://8th-day.org/sites/default/files/this_weeks_lectionay.pdf
Instructions: https://8th-day.org/instructions-participating-8th-day-worship-sunday-mornings
Inclusivity statement (Outward journey commitment):
Build, sustain, celebrate, and challenge 8th Day to do God’s will in the world and to respond to Christ’s call to stand with ‘the least of these’ by committing resources of time, money, and energy to help build a world of inclusiveness, love, and equity.
Festival Church
Believing that reconciliation is the heart of the Gospel, we are called to be a multicultural, intergenerational, open and affirming community, centered in Christ, bathed in prayer, and grounded in Grace. Knowing ourselves to be broken and vulnerable, we seek to live, as Jesus did, in solidarity with all ages, abilities, races, classes and sexual orientations.
Worship: Mondays at 6:00 p.m.
The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Cindy Martens, “cmartens_dc @ yahoo.com”, 202.422.3033
Email “smitheoo @ gmail.com” for Zoom information.
Jubilee Church
Jubilee Church is centered in prayer and in listening to God’s direction for us. We are a church that focuses on what the Bible and Jesus’ life reveal to us about our lives. We desire to grow closer to what Jesus challenged us to be in this world: servant leaders, working to achieve justice and human rights for all, and to end racism, poverty, materialism and militarism. We are a close-knit spiritual family encouraging each other to become the people we were born to be, through God’s Spirit. We are committed to living lives of simplicity so that all God’s creation will remain healthy and flourishing.
Worship: Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. A light supper is served. (currently meeting via conference call, see below)
The Potter’s House, 1658 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009, back room
Contact: Kurt Finsterbusch, “kurt @ socy.umd.edu”, 301.570.9597
Conference call
1 (605) 562 8401 Code: 5694375#
Inclusivity statement:
Jubilee Church believes in the fellowship of all believers and is an ecumenical faith community, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ who was radically inclusive. We believe that God created the great diversity of humanity as a means for our shared growth, deepening our humanity through our mutual love amid differences. All people are welcome and invited to our worship, and all are able to fully participate in all aspects of church and missional life including leadership, sharing, and sacraments regardless of any identity category such as race, religion, gender, sexuality, age, ability, immigration status, criminal background, etc. You are loved by God just the way you are and we love you too.
Communities of Church of the Saviour
| Church Name | Link | Worship Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Bread of Life | [button url=”http://www.breadoflifedc.org” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Thursdays at 7pm Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/507546289 | Potter’s House, back room 1658 Columbia Rd, NW Washington, DC 20009 |
Dayspring Church | [button url=”http://dayspringchurchmd.org/” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Sundays at 10am (Farmhouse Summer worship in the Pavillion (outdoors) Email “dayspring5 @ verizon.net” for Zoom info | 11301 Neelsville Church Road Germantown, MD 20876 |
Eighth Day Faith Community | [button url=”http://8th-day.org/” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Sundays at 10am Zoom link: Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5320553902 | Festival Center 1640 Columbia Rd NW Washington, DC 20009 |
Festival Church | [button url=”mailto:cmartens_dc@yahoo.com” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Email[/button] | Mondays at 6pm Email “smitheoo @ gmail.com” for Zoom info | 1640 Columbia Rd. NW Washington, DC 20009 |
Jubilee Church | [button url=”mailto:cbb49@aol.com” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Email[/button] | Wednesdays at 5:30pm Conference call 1 (605) 562 8401 Code: 5694375# | Potter’s House, back room 1658 Columbia Rd, NW Washington, DC 20009 |
New Community Church | [button url=”http://newcommunitychurchdc.org/” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Sundays at 11am Adult Sunday School at 10am Email “worship @ newcommunitychurchdc.org” for Zoom info | 614 S St, NW Washington, DC 20001 |
Seekers Church | [button url=”http://www.seekerschurch.org/” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Sundays at 10am Circle Time at 9:30am Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/497708757 | 276 Carroll St. NW Washington DC 20012 |
Affiliated Communities of Church of the Saviour
| Church Name | Link | Worship Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Christ House | [button url=”http://christhouse.org” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Sundays at 9am | 1717 Columbia Road NW Washington, DC 20009 |
Church of Christ, Right Now | [button url=”https://sites.google.com/site/churchofchristrightnowdc/home” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Website[/button] | Various days and times Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/535087646 | 614 S St. NW Washington DC 20001 |
New Creation Community Church | [button url=”https://recoverycafe.org/get-recovery/activities-and-events/” target=”_blank” size=”small” style=”politicalblue” icon=”” popup=”” title=”New Creation Community Church”]Website[/button] | Sundays 5:30-6:30pm | Recovery Café 2022 Boren Ave Seattle, WA 98121 |
Bread of Life Church
Bread of Life is a church called to live in ways that are consistent with God’s intention, with a particular emphasis on the economic dimensions of life. Through specific, local relationships, and through a connection to the Church at large, we support new economic practices and structures that will be life giving for ‘haves’ as well as ‘have nots’. Through our gathered life, we attempt to embody alternatives to the way of culture that accumulates, protects and self-secures.
Worship: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
The Potter’s House, back room, 1658 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009 Contact: Mike Little, “mike @ faithandmoneynetwork.org”, 240.606.2282
Zoom conference
Link: https://zoom.us/j/507546289
Dayspring Church
We are a small community of faith in Germantown, Maryland, devoted to following the way of Jesus. Our roots are in the 200+ acres of Dayspring’s woodlands, meadows, creeks and ponds, of which we are stewards for our sister Church of the Saviour communities. We share among us the leadership of worship and community life. Based on a sense of call and honoring the gifts the Spirit gives, we seek to combine a deep inner life of prayer and silence with active mission and prophetic witness in the world. We treasure silence and contemplation; caring for the earth and working for its healing and restoration; justice, peace, and nonviolent witness; and, always, the challenge and blessing of sharing our lives in community.
Worship: Sundays at 10:00 a.m. From June to September, we worship at the Pavilion in the woods at Dayspring. During the rest of the year we meet in the Farmhouse.
Dayspring Farm and Retreat Center
11301 Neelsville Church Road, Germantown, Maryland
301.515.4399
Website: www.dayspringchurchmd.org
Email “dayspring5 @ verizon.net” for Zoom information.
Inclusivity statement:
Dayspring is an ecumenical Christian Church set in the beauty of 200+ acres of woodlands, meadows, ponds and wildlife. We are a small, deeply committed faith community with shared leadership of worship and ministries including a silent retreat center and creative Earth ministries. We are rooted in the radically inclusive teachings of Jesus. We believe that God created the great diversity of humanity. We celebrate and welcome people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultures.
Eighth Day Faith Community
Christ calls us, the Eighth Day Faith Community, to be his body in the world and to respond to his overwhelming love for us by making a radical commitment to building a caring and just society. We do this by joining concretely with the oppressed in their struggles; speaking truth and listening to our brothers and sisters as we support one another in following Christ; contemplating our relationship to God, our lifestyle, and the community of faith; joyfully participating in life as it is given; and celebrating our belonging to the whole of creation and to God.
Eighth Day takes its name from the belief that God has continued to create beyond the biblical seven days. The ‘eighth day of creation’ is the life we now lead, one in which we are co-creators with God of a reign of justice and compassion as witnesses of Divine Love expressed in Jesus Christ. One of our central offerings to the neighborhood and the wider church is The Potter’s House, a coffeehouse and bookstore focusing on themes of spirituality and justice.
Worship: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Website: www.8th-day.org
Zoom conference
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5320553902
Liturgy: https://8th-day.org/sites/default/files/this_weeks_lectionay.pdf
Instructions: https://8th-day.org/instructions-participating-8th-day-worship-sunday-mornings
Inclusivity statement (Outward journey commitment):
Build, sustain, celebrate, and challenge 8th Day to do God’s will in the world and to respond to Christ’s call to stand with ‘the least of these’ by committing resources of time, money, and energy to help build a world of inclusiveness, love, and equity.
Festival Church
Believing that reconciliation is the heart of the Gospel, we are called to be a multicultural, intergenerational, open and affirming community, centered in Christ, bathed in prayer, and grounded in Grace. Knowing ourselves to be broken and vulnerable, we seek to live, as Jesus did, in solidarity with all ages, abilities, races, classes and sexual orientations.
Worship: Mondays at 6:00 p.m.
The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Cindy Martens, “cmartens_dc @ yahoo.com”, 202.422.3033
Email “smitheoo @ gmail.com” for Zoom information.
Jubilee Church
Jubilee Church is centered in prayer and in listening to God’s direction for us. We are a church that focuses on what the Bible and Jesus’ life reveal to us about our lives. We desire to grow closer to what Jesus challenged us to be in this world: servant leaders, working to achieve justice and human rights for all, and to end racism, poverty, materialism and militarism. We are a close-knit spiritual family encouraging each other to become the people we were born to be, through God’s Spirit. We are committed to living lives of simplicity so that all God’s creation will remain healthy and flourishing.
Worship: Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. A light supper is served. (currently meeting via conference call, see below)
The Potter’s House, 1658 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009, back room
Contact: Kurt Finsterbusch, “kurt @ socy.umd.edu”, 301.570.9597
Conference call
1 (605) 562 8401 Code: 5694375#
Inclusivity statement:
Jubilee Church believes in the fellowship of all believers and is an ecumenical faith community, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ who was radically inclusive. We believe that God created the great diversity of humanity as a means for our shared growth, deepening our humanity through our mutual love amid differences. All people are welcome and invited to our worship, and all are able to fully participate in all aspects of church and missional life including leadership, sharing, and sacraments regardless of any identity category such as race, religion, gender, sexuality, age, ability, immigration status, criminal background, etc. You are loved by God just the way you are and we love you too.
New Community Church
New Community Church is a recovery and resurrection church in the tradition of Jesus’ call and vision articulated in the Beatitudes. We are small in number, vast in vision, diverse in membership, informal in style, and dedicated to putting our faith in action by embodying and sharing God’s love and alternative Way of life in Jesus in all areas of life, personal and public. We began in 1982 as a biblical and neighborhood based church that is racially, culturally and economically mixed. We operate both weekday and Sunday ministries to the historic Shaw Neighborhood near Howard University.
Worship: Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. Children’s Sunday school and daycare are offered during the sermon.
614 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
202.332.0220
Website: www.newcommunitychurchdc.org
Email “worship @ newcommunitychurchdc.org” for Zoom information.
Seekers Church
Our call is to be a “seekers community” that comes together in weekly worship rooted in the biblical faith, with shared leadership, and disperses with a common commitment to understand and implement Christian servanthood in the structures in which we live our lives. Koinonia with one another and genuine self-giving to the world are the ways we can be in Christ today. Seekers are not persons who have arrived, but persons who are intentionally on the way. We are committed to evoking and giving space to new gifts of preaching, liturgical leadership, creative worship forms, giving, mission, and other acts of faith. We desire and welcome participation in Seekers of women and men and children of every race and sexual orientation.
Worship: Sundays (with Sunday School for children/youth) beginning at 9:30 a.m.
276 Carroll St. NW, Washington, DC 20012 (accessible by Metro on the red line –Takoma stop)
202.829.9882
Website: www.seekerschurch.org
Zoom conference
Link: https://zoom.us/j/497708757
Inclusivity statement:
We celebrate and welcome people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, beliefs, and cultures to full participation in the church’s community life, rituals, and leadership.
Christ House
A 24-hour medical respite facility and welcoming home for formerly homeless men, the Christ House community worships together at weekly Table Fellowship and on Sunday mornings.
Due to limited space, call ahead to inquire about visiting Table Fellowship on Thursday evenings. No inquiry needed for Sunday mornings.
Worship: Sundays, 9:00 a.m.
1717 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
202.328.1100
Website: www.christhouse.org
Church of Christ, Right Now
Church of Christ, Right Now is not a conventional church. Our worship services look like 12-step recovery groups; our members are ordained as Donkeys; we represent a myriad of backgrounds, ethnicities, races, classes, ages and life experiences. We believe that God’s power of salvation really is made perfect in weakness, and that a church community should be as beautiful and rich as the whole world of Christians.
CC,RN’s mission to reform the injustices of the justice system is called Strength to Love. Locally we support men and women as they come home from incarceration. At the macro level, we are confronting a prison system that feeds on the poor. On second and fourth Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m., we reflect on the teachings of Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi and seek the Spirit’s guidance in coordinating details of our ministry. Most of our meetings are held at the Festival Center, even as we are developing a stronger presence in Anacostia in Southeast DC.
Worship: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., and Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. These worshipful gatherings of our church are called Freedom Circles. Confessing our addiction to the dominant culture, we come together across the societal divides of race and class to claim Jesus as our Higher Power and to commit to walking together toward recovery and healing. All are welcome.
The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
202.387.8001
Website: www.churchofchristrightnow.org
Zoom Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/535087646
