A Presbyterian Congregation at the Foot of the Mountains
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church sits on Auhay Drive on the lower slope of Santa Barbara, its sanctuary windows looking out across the city toward the Santa Ynez Mountains. Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and tied into the Santa Barbara Presbytery, St. Andrew's has built a reputation in town for two things that do not always travel together: serious, classical-leaning Sunday worship music and a contemplative program of prayer that runs through the week. The Rev. Jennifer Fraser preaches and leads worship most Sundays, and is joined by parish associates the Rev. Suzanne Malloy and the Rev. Judith Muller.
The church's published vision reads simply: a time when all people are valued, injustice and suffering are abolished, and God's love and joy abound. The work of moving toward that vision looks like a Sunday morning shaped by gifted musicians, a Thursday meditation group in the Lowry Room, monthly Taizé prayer in candlelight, an adult education class that meets after worship each week, a Sunday school that opens its doors to children during the service, and a small group of mission partners that quietly feed people in transition and stock shelves at the county food bank.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
Worship begins at 9:30 every Sunday morning and runs about an hour. The service draws on the PC(USA)'s Reformed tradition, with Glory to God as the hymnal and a screen in the sanctuary carrying the words as people sing. The bulletin guides the congregation from Call to Worship to Benediction, marking asterisks where worshippers rise in body or spirit and bolding the lines spoken together.
Visitors find an unhurried welcome. Every pew holds a Bible, a hymnal, hand sanitizer, a yellow welcome card, a pink prayer card, and a church pamphlet to take home. All seating is open. There is no expectation of an offering from visitors; some people touch the plate as it passes as a sign of their offering whether or not they place anything in it, and all are welcome to do the same or to decline. At the passing of the peace, congregants exchange "the peace of Christ be with you" and the response "and also with you," greeting each other with handshakes, bows with folded hands, or simply a smile, and visitors are welcome to stay seated if they prefer.
Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, with an open table. Bread is offered in pre-cut squares with a separate small red cup of gluten-free bread, and the cup is offered by intinction; juice is also available in individual cups. Servers will bring the elements to anyone who prefers to remain in the pew, and any worshipper may simply fold their hands across the chest or say "no, thank you." Children are welcome at the table at their parents' discretion, and Pastor Jen offers a blessing to any child whose family prefers that.
The sanctuary's defining feature is a wall of stained-glass windows facing the mountains, and the church's prayer is that the view inspires worship. The service closes with the hymn "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," sung with hands joined across the pews; visitors are welcome to reach out or to keep their hands to themselves. Coffee hour follows across the patio or in the fellowship hall.
Music as a Calling Card
Music is one of the things St. Andrew's is known for locally, and the musicians behind it are working professionals on the Santa Barbara arts scene. The church's musical style leans classical, approachable, energetic, and moving. The main instrument is a concert piano, with guest instrumentalists and vocalists joining on Sundays.
Erin McKibben directs the choir, leads the congregation in singing, and occasionally plays flute. She is also the Sing! program Artistic Director at the Music Academy in Santa Barbara. Tim Accurso, who joined St. Andrew's in 2020, is one of two staff pianists; he also serves as the Principal Pianist for Santa Barbara Opera and Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Gay Men's Chorus. Natasha Kislenko joined in 2022 as the second pianist; she is the Principal Pianist for the Santa Barbara Symphony and a faculty member at the Music Academy and UCSB. The church's Pastor Jen describes Sunday greeters with a knowing look at the door, still marveling at what the music does to a room.
Contemplative Prayer: Taizé, Thursday Meditation, and Special Services
St. Andrew's quiet side runs throughout the week and the church year. On the first Sunday of every month from September through May, the Fellowship Hall hosts a Taizé worship service at 7:00 pm, open to all. The service is meditative and candlelit, built around simple repetitive songs, short scripture readings, and extended silence. Its focus is peace, reconciliation, and listening for God's Spirit. The congregation takes a summer break and gathers again in September, often over a soup potluck dinner before the service. On Good Friday the same Taizé tradition shapes an evening service of prayer, chant, and contemplative silence in the Sanctuary.
On Thursday mornings, the Meditation Group meets at 10:15 in the Lowry Room from mid-September through May, gathering for about an hour around the intention of listening to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. The Rev. Janet Ewart leads the group, weaving in art, poetry, and Scripture.
Other contemplative and seasonal services fill the church year. Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Longest Night service at Advent are gathered into a program of small evening services that, for many members, are the most meaningful of the year.
Adult Education, Sunday Mornings After Worship
From September through May, an adult education forum meets from 11:00 am to noon in the Window Room off the Fellowship Hall. The format varies: a multiweek series of classes with the pastor, an outside guest speaker, a short film and discussion series, or a single presentation. Recent series have worked through the history and practice of contemplative Christianity, a five-week short film series built around Rachel Held Evans's A New Family: Throwing Open the Doors of the Sanctuary, and a visit from the General Presbyter of the Santa Barbara Presbytery to talk about the work of the larger church.
Adult education is also offered on Zoom for those who cannot come in person. The Window Room can hold a good-sized class, and topics range from theology, to questions in biblical interpretation, to practicing faith in action and service. A short fall forum in 2026 is built around Dr. Frank Rogers Jr.'s visit for the "Faith at the Edges" Saturday workshop, an annual gathering that has brought scholars, storytellers, and retreat leaders into the congregation.
Kids and Sunday School
Children are enthusiastically welcomed in the Sunday service, and St. Andrew's runs a Sunday school that meets during worship at 9:30. The children gather in a multi-age group in Room 5 in the preschool building and are taught by a team of experienced Christian educators who have all undergone background checks and who welcome parents to sit in at any time. Lessons are planned for children ages 3 through 12, while younger children and visitors of any age are welcome to join in.
The Sunday school year uses the PC(USA) curriculum Growing in Grace and Gratitude and Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible Curriculum, with age-appropriate storytelling, singing, prayer, creative activities, and discussion. The children spend time outdoors in a protected yard for imaginative and active play. Several Sundays a year the children join the larger congregation for parts of the worship service to participate and lead, not just to attend.
Two simple sentences hold the program together: Love God. Love one another. The Sunday school teachers are described, half in jest and half in earnest, as the secret ingredient of the program, and they take the calling seriously enough to have done it for decades.
Mission, Justice, and Peace
"Each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God's love." That line opens St. Andrew's mission page. The congregation's stated goal is to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world, and visitors do not need to be members to take part. Three steady partnerships anchor the work.
St. Andrew's provides dinner for Transition House on the third Friday of each month, with members signing up to cook and serve. Transition House is a Santa Barbara nonprofit working with people in transition out of homelessness. The church also runs a food collection site for the Santa Barbara County Food Bank; the office can connect donors to current needs. Coffee hour after Sunday worship is poured using Cafe Justo, a fair-trade coffee that supports small coffee-farming cooperatives, and the church helps the cooperative by purchasing its beans each week.
Disaster response is part of the church's wider mission work through the Rev. Suzanne Malloy, who coordinates faith-based initiatives for the Santa Barbara County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and serves as Disaster Spiritual Care Supervisor for the American Red Cross Central California region. She is also a member of the National Response Team for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Leadership: Session, Pastor, Parish Associates
The church is governed by its Session, the seated elders of the PC(USA)'s representative polity, with Pastor Jen serving as Moderator. Class-of-2026 elders include Ann Padden Rubin (Stewardship), Porter Spencer (Buildings and Grounds), and Carol Lefley (CYMC). Class-of-2027 elders include Dana Monk (Finance), Julie Sommers (Worship), and Maggie McMillan (Adult Education). Class-of-2028 elders include Eric Bowers (Mission), Andrew Reiter (Hospitality), and Diana Lee (Administration and Personnel). Dana Monk serves as Clerk of Session and Scott Eschbach as Treasurer.
The Rev. Jennifer Fraser joined St. Andrew's as pastor in December 2020, after serving churches in Gilbert and Phoenix. Before entering ministry she worked as an editor while raising three children. Her preaching often draws connections between the Bible and psychology, technology, politics, science, art, and relationships. Outside the office she runs, hikes, camps, and is learning to surf in the Pacific.
The Rev. Suzanne Malloy came to ministry after a 31-year career in law enforcement and serves St. Andrew's as a Parish Associate. The Rev. Judith Muller is also a Parish Associate, with an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and decades of pastoral care work, including long service at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara.
The staff supporting them includes Silkie Hur-Stark as Office and Property Manager, Scott Eschbach as Business Manager, Kirk Grier as Technology Manager, and the music team of Erin McKibben, Tim Accurso, and Natasha Kislenko. HoneyBee Tree Care, the property-management firm Silkie co-owns with her husband Jeff, helps tend the grounds.
Mission, Vision, and Values
St. Andrew's has committed its vision, mission, and values to writing in plain, accessible language. The vision statement is the prayer that "all people are valued, injustice and suffering are abolished, and God's love and joy abound." The mission statement calls the church to "create and sustain an environment where followers of Jesus Christ are nurtured and challenged to grow in faith in order to carry out God's reconciling work in the world."
Five values anchor the work. Curiosity grounds the congregation in intellectual and spiritual openness. Affirmation of Diversity names the church's commitment to honor each person's experience regardless of age, ability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background, theological stance, economic status, or political affiliation. God's Presence in the World calls members to live their faith in the everyday and to care for the environment as an expression of that presence. Art as an Expression of Faith pushes the church beyond words, incorporating music, poetry, storytelling, and visual art into worship and formation. Honoring Traditions names the church's affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and its place in the Reformed tradition; the Session and other governing bodies adhere to the Constitution of the PC(USA).
St. Andrew's is open to and affirming of LGBTQ people, in worship and in leadership, and strives to be a place where every person is welcomed for who they are. Communion is open, regardless of church membership.
Visiting St. Andrew's
The easiest first step is to come on a Sunday morning at 9:30 for worship. Park, walk in through the main entrance, follow the greeters or ushers to a pew, and let the bulletin guide the service. The Lowry Room off the Narthex hallway works as a quiet "crying room" with the service piped in. A greeter or usher can walk a family over to Sunday school in Room 5 of the preschool building if a child wants to join the program during the service.
Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for anyone unable to attend in person. Sunday bulletins are posted as a PDF for download. Adult education sessions are accessible on Zoom. Coffee and snacks follow the service on the patio and in the fellowship hall.
Worship runs about an hour and dress is comfortable and varied. Visitors are welcome to fill out a yellow welcome card for follow-up, drop a pink prayer card into the offering plate to request prayer, or simply take a church pamphlet to read later. The phone is answered Tuesday through Friday from 9 to 2 at 805-967-6327, and the office can be reached at office@standrewspcusa.org. Pastor Jen is available at pastor@standrewspcusa.org.
Special Days Through the Year
Beyond the weekly rhythm, the church year at St. Andrew's gathers the congregation around a handful of recurring markers. Advent brings the Longest Night service, a quiet space in the longest nights of the year. Lent opens with an Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary and continues through a Maundy Thursday service and a Good Friday Taizé service of chant and contemplative silence. Easter Sunday holds a full gathering at 9:30 with bread and cup, and the Sunday after Easter is Holy Humor Sunday, a service marked by levity, lightness, and the joy of resurrection.
Blessing of the Animals on the first weekend of October draws families, neighbors, and a wide variety of pets out to the church grounds for a free, family-friendly afternoon of blessing, music, and activities for the kids. A congregational barbecue in late June is the closest thing St. Andrew's has to an annual church picnic, with food and a state-of-the-church update from the pastor. Book club meets in the library on Saturday mornings through much of the year, and a recurring storytelling evening with master storyteller Joseph Velasco has become a fixture of the late-spring calendar.
The Saturday workshop in the Faith at the Edges series, hosted in early October 2026 with Dr. Frank Rogers Jr. on the practice of compassion, is a sample of the kind of formation event St. Andrew's has built into its rhythm: a one-day retreat with a major scholar, free and open to the public, with lunch included.
Giving and Getting Involved
Giving is handled online through a secure giving portal, with both one-time gifts and pledges available. The church's giving message is plain about why support matters: meaningful worship, mission in the neighborhood, and welcoming spaces for all are sustained by the generosity of the congregation.
Members and non-members can sign up to cook or serve at the Transition House dinner on the third Friday of the month, drop off food for the county Food Bank, attend the meditation group on Thursdays, sing in the choir, teach Sunday school, lead a book club, or join adult education. The office can connect anyone interested to the right ministry leader, and the weekly newsletter keeps current events and opportunities in view.
A Congregation in the Reformed Tradition
St. Andrew's is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian body in the country, and is grouped with other PC(USA) churches in the Santa Barbara Presbytery. The church's worship follows the Reformed tradition: a structured liturgy with a call to worship, scripture readings, sermon, prayers, offering, and benediction, set inside a service that sings the great hymns of the church and responds to the Word with intentional silence. Communion is open, monthly, and shared with bread and cup.
What a visitor experiences at St. Andrew's is a congregation working to hold two truths together: a commitment to the historic Reformed tradition from which it comes, and a present-day openness to new ideas, new voices, and new art. The stained glass looks out at the mountains; the music fills the room; the prayer, both spoken and silent, draws the congregation in. Visitors who come once, the congregation has learned, often come back.