From the Director of Spiritual Formation | Church of the Incarnation

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Hello my friends in Christ,

It’s been a rough end and beginning of the year. I haven’t seen you in person since Christmas Eve. My Mother has been in the hospital with Leukemia, and I’ve been busy being her healthcare navigator and honestly, I didn’t think she would be here right now, but things are stable and looking up. For me personally it’s been a harder journey. I have been diagnosed with radiation induced Angiosarcoma cancer of the breast. It’s extremely rare and it’s taken a minute to find out what my options are and recommendations from tumor boards etc. I now have my plan; I will have a radical mastectomy February 2^nd followed by chemo. I will spend the next couple of weeks finishing up work tasks and then I will step away for surgery and recovery.

I have experienced so many blessings on this journey, feeling Gods comfort and grace. It’s a miracle that this was caught so early, and everyone has responded so quickly. It’s an incredible blessing that I don’t have to choose between sitting with my mom on hospice or my own treatment. There are just too many blessings to count, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be in ministry with all of you.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or schedule changes and I ask you to keep my mother and me in your prayers.

Daphne Vernon, Director of Spiritual Formation

Tags: News & Notes

People decide to visit a church for lots of different reasons, often because they're at some sort of transition point in their lives. Maybe you're a longtime Episcopalian; maybe you have experience in another faith tradition; or maybe you've never been to a faith community at all.

Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you enrich us with your presence, and there's a place for you here.

Learn more about visiting Incarnation.

Incarnation is located at 550 Mendocino Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa, just south of the corner with Cherry Street.

Our church parking lot is located around the corner at 636 Cherry Street. The lot often fills up for our Sunday morning services. Additional free church parking is available in the small gravel lot at the corner of Mendocino and Cherry, or in the city garage at 521 7th Street (free on Sundays), which is a two-minute walk from the church. Finally, street parking is also free on Sundays.

We're also located close to several bus lines, and we have a bike rack in the central courtyard.

Children aren't just the church's future—they're an essential part of our faith community right now. At Incarnation we strive to serve our kids' growing faith, and we know they have much to teach adults, too. Children are always welcome in worship: any age, any time.

Learn more about our children's ministries.

Episcopal worship follows an ancient pattern that dates to the earliest days of the Christian church. The first half of the Eucharist is the Liturgy of the Word the second half is the Liturgy of the Table, also called Holy Communion. If you've spent time in Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Eastern Orthodox churches, much of our liturgy will seem familiar. If you're unfamiliar with liturgical Christian worship, don't worry. You're welcome to participate as fully as is right for you, or to just relax into the liturgy and let the rest of the congregation carry you in worship.

Click here for online worship, or to learn more about Episcopal worship.

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Often someone who's been visiting for a while will ask us how to become a member of Incarnation. Learn more about becoming a member.

To support our work sharing God's love here in Sonoma County, you can make a donation online.

Giving is one of the most powerful spiritual practices in existence. It's a statement of gratitude and trust in God.

At Incarnation we encourage all our members and friends to prayerfully choose a percentage of their income to give toward causes that serve God's mission. We ask that part of that intentional giving be a pledge of financial support to the parish, both so our leadership can plan ahead in making a budget, and as a tangible commitment to what God is doing here at Incarnation. For more on the practice of proportional giving, see this FAQ.

You can make a donation to Incarnation online, toward your pledge or as a special offering, by clicking below.