Our Journey

As we’ve grown, our values of Spirit, Art, Social Justice, and Inclusion have taken shape, guided us, and become an expression of our care and commitment to our community. We have big plans for the future and they all center around a single notion—no matter who you are, no matter who you love, all of you is welcome here.

Growth for us is not about getting bigger, it’s about digging deeper, into ourselves, our faith, and our values.

As we approach our centennial, it’s important to reflect on our beginnings as we plan for the future. Our beautiful building has operated as a church since 1933 and the name St. Andrew’s-Wesley is a combination of two former Vancouver churches, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and Wesley Methodist.

We’re an affirming United Church, but what does that mean for our congregation and wider community? Affirming churches seek to go beyond issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation to work for justice and inclusion for all people. In 2001, the United Church was the first to marry same-sex people in Canada; in 2010, we broke the mould and ordained an openly trans minister; today, we partner with Rainbow Refugee to build safe, supportive nests for newly arriving queer refugees escaping persecution.

We’re proud that over the last nine decades we have created a spiritual home where community can come together for worship, connection, and a sense of belonging. Even in life’s most difficult moments, we have kept sight of each other’s humanity and worked towards compassion and collective understanding as we try to follow the path of Jesus: peace, love and justice for all. Our faith is a lived practice and we’re just getting started.

Community

Christmas Services

*Doors will be open half hour before service start time. Dec 24 – 11am Parent & Tot Service, 3pm Jazz Vespers, 7pm Family Service, 11pm Traditional Service Dec 25 – 10:30am Christmas Day Service

Community & Worship

Jan 11

Eat Pray Love is a gathering for all ages. A time of singing and story and prayer, a time to to be creative and a time to share a meal and conversation together. We will be gathering 5 times this year to celebrate the seasons of Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. This gathering will happen at St. Andrew’s Wesley and at Christ Church Cathedral as we collaborate together.

Community & Spirituality

Wednesdays in January

The Heart of Christianity: this ancient spiritual path is liberating and life-giving, and can also be bewildering. What are we “supposed” to believe, and does belief even matter? How can we grow in faith? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus, and who was the historical Jesus, anyway? These and other essential questions will be addressed and discussed in our five-week Epiphany series that we all might be “rooted and grounded in love.”

Our Place
In the World

St. Andrew’s-Wesley respectfully acknowledges that we gather on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. For thousands of years, First Nations people have walked on this land and their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives and spirituality. As a church, and settlers on these shores, we have a life-long responsibility to unlearn our misunderstandings of history, territory, and identity through critical reflection, acknowledgement, and listening.