Seek, Serve, Grow in Medina

Tucked into a quiet corner of Medina just west of downtown Bellevue, St. Thomas Episcopal Church has gathered people from across the greater Seattle area for worship, formation, music, and service. The parish describes its life with three short words: Seek. Serve. Grow. Members come together to experience God’s presence in worship, share their lives in authentic community, and are then sent out to serve their neighbors and the wider world. The church welcomes newcomers of every background and affirms that God’s love has no exceptions.

The church building and its adjoining Ebsworth Life Center sit at 8398 NE 12th Street, with parking and gathering spaces that make the campus a hub for a wide range of parish life. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 3 PM, and the parish office can be reached at (425) 454-9541 or office@stthomasmedina.org. Mail is sent to PO Box 124, Medina, WA 98039.

Sunday Worship at 8 and 10

Worship is the center of life at St. Thomas. Two Sunday services of Holy Eucharist anchor the week. The 8 AM service is held in person in the sanctuary, while the 10 AM service is offered both in person and via livestream on YouTube and Facebook. The livestream requires no login, and a new link is posted each Sunday morning after 9:15 AM.

The liturgy at St. Thomas is rooted in the ancient patterns of the Episcopal Church while remaining creative and life-giving. A typical service includes sacred music, readings from Scripture, prayers spoken by the whole congregation, a sermon that connects the day’s texts to daily life, and the celebration of the Eucharist, the sacramental meal at the heart of Episcopal worship. Visitors who have never attended a liturgical service are warmly welcomed, and the bulletin provides everything needed to follow along comfortably.

The Sunday schedule weaves formation around the two services. The nursery opens at 8:45 AM for children age four and younger. At 9 AM, youth in grades 6 through 12 gather for their Sunday program, adults meet in the Library for Adult Formation, and the whole parish shares a Family Breakfast on the last Sunday of each month. From 9:45 to 10:45 AM, the Godly Play and Building Blocks of Faith classes for elementary-aged children meet in the Ebsworth Life Center. During the summer, Children’s Chapel gathers children in grades four through five at 10 AM, after which they return to the sanctuary at the Peace. Coffee Hour follows both the 8 AM and 10 AM services, and is one of the simplest and most cherished ways the community practices fellowship each week.

A Distinguished Music Tradition

Music is one of the most distinctive features of St. Thomas. The parish music program is recognized throughout the Diocese of Olympia and beyond, with a legacy that stretches back to the late 1960s. It was then that organist and choirmaster David Locke guided the parish in acquiring the Metzler pipe organ from Switzerland, an instrument that remains a defining feature of worship and continues to be celebrated with regular recitals. In October 2026, the parish will mark the 55th anniversary of the Metzler organ with a recital by Director of Music Paul Meier.

In the early 1970s, the composer and church musician Richard Proulx was called to St. Thomas to build a world-class music program. Under his leadership, section leaders were added, the chorister program was expanded, and a vibrant concert series emerged. The choir and organ were featured prominently at the 1978 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists. Proulx was succeeded by Dent Davidson, himself a son of the parish, who broadened the repertoire with global and jazz-influenced sacred music. In the mid-1990s, David White founded the Evensong Choir and led the ensemble on its first tour of England, singing at St. Albans Cathedral. Charles Rus arrived in 2006 with experience from San Francisco’s musical community and enriched worship with creative liturgies and a broad range of organ repertoire. Douglas Cleveland, who took the post in 2016, led a residency at Gloucester Cathedral where the choir sang daily Evensongs and a Sunday Eucharist.

Since 2024, the program has been led by Dr. Paul Meier, an organist who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music from Rice University, with additional studies at the Norddeutschen Orgelakademie. Under his leadership, the choir and choristers completed a 2025 residency at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the parish launched the St. Thomas Music Academy.

The St. Thomas Adult Choir leads music at the 10 AM Eucharist each Sunday and supports special services throughout the year, including Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Christmas Eve, and the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. The choir offers Choral Evensong once a month. With around 35 members of varying ages and experience, the ensemble rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM from September through May and sings a rich repertoire spanning five centuries of global choral music.

The St. Thomas Music Guild extends the parish’s musical reach into the wider community. Its free concert season brings organ recitals, chamber music, jazz, and choral works with orchestra to Medina throughout the year, each program followed by a reception.

Choristers, the Music Academy, and the Joy of Singing

The Chorister program at St. Thomas welcomes young singers in grades 1 through 8. Under Director Jacki Sullivan, choristers learn to read music, develop healthy vocal technique, and grow as confident young leaders in worship. More than 40 singers are currently enrolled. The program rehearses on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM in the Music Room, and the choristers sing once a month at the 10 AM service, often joining the adult choir for music from the Anglican tradition. As a member of the Royal School of Church Music in America, St. Thomas uses the Voices for Life curriculum. The choristers have also performed at Benaroya Hall alongside the Canadian ensemble The Three Tenors.

The St. Thomas Church Music Academy, launched in recent years under Dr. Paul Meier’s direction, welcomes people of many ages, levels, and abilities who are interested in private study of an instrument or voice. From Monday through Friday, a small but accomplished roster of teachers offers lessons in piano, organ, flute, and voice on the St. Thomas campus. Faculty include organist Paul Meier, pianist and singer Suzanne Anderson, mezzo-soprano Rose Beattie, flutist Sungwoo Steven Kim, soprano Susan Payne O’Brien, and baritone Charles Robert Stephens, all of whom bring substantial national and international careers to their teaching.

Children, Youth, and Family Formation

St. Thomas takes seriously the formation of its youngest members. The staffed nursery on the first floor of the Ebsworth Life Center is open on Sundays from 9 AM to 1 PM year round for children aged four and younger, offering a safe space to play while parents worship.

For elementary-aged children, two parallel programs meet from 9:45 to 10:45 AM between September and June. Godly Play, a Montessori-style religious education program rooted in the work of Jerome W. Berryman, serves children from age four through second grade. Each session welcomes children, builds the circle, presents a Scripture story, invites wondering and response, and closes with a goodbye. After the program, children are escorted to the west transept of the church to join their families for Holy Communion. Building Blocks of Faith, for children in grades 3 through 5, uses the Building Faith Brick by Brick curriculum and engages imagination through Legos. Each week includes a prayer practice, a retelling of a Scripture story, time for wondering, and an opportunity to build the story with bricks.

Middle and high school youth gather on Sundays at 9 AM from September through June for the parish Youth Group. In addition to weekly meetings, the program includes service projects, fellowship events, and seasonal gatherings throughout the year.

Adult Formation and Fellowship

Adult formation at St. Thomas offers regular opportunities to gather around the questions of Christian life. Adult Formation meets in the Library on Sunday mornings at 9 AM, and the parish also hosts small groups called Breaking Bread, where circles of six to eight people share meals and conversation in homes and other settings.

Fellowship is woven throughout parish life. Coffee Hour after both Sunday services is the most familiar gathering, occasionally growing into potlucks or festive celebrations for Halloween, weddings, baptisms, or New Member Welcome Sundays. The men of the parish meet for breakfast on the first Saturday of each month in the Library to share fellowship and discuss upcoming service opportunities. Game Nights and other seasonal gatherings bring the community together across generations.

Reaching Out into the Community

Outreach at St. Thomas is rooted in the conviction that faith is lived out in practical service. The parish supports a range of local partners and seasonal giving opportunities, and members regularly roll up their sleeves for hands-on projects.

One of the longest-standing commitments is the PorchLight Meal, a monthly cooking and serving project that supports the PorchLight Emergency Shelter. Volunteers gather at the church early in the morning to prepare food, load up the car, and drive to the shelter to serve a midday meal alongside the men who live there. The parish also supports the annual Light the Way luncheon fundraiser for human services across the Eastside, and gathers each fall for a Pet Blessing in the Park in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Music Guild concerts are free and open to the community, and the Music Academy welcomes students from beyond the parish. Members are invited to share their time and talent through parish ministries, and the church provides clear pathways to get involved through its online portal, St. Thomas Connect.

Baptism, Weddings, and Funerals

St. Thomas celebrates the great moments of life in the context of community. Baptisms are typically offered at four points in the liturgical year: the Baptism of Our Lord, the Great Easter Vigil, Pentecost, and All Saints’ Day. The parish teaches that all people of any age are welcome to be baptized and that one baptism is shared for the forgiveness of sins.

St. Thomas affirms marriage equality and hosts weddings for any couple regardless of gender. At least one member of the couple must be a baptized Christian, and the officiating clergy member meets with the couple four times to prepare. The parish also offers funeral and memorial services for members and their families and walks alongside grieving loved ones from the first conversation through the service itself. Event rentals are available to members for engagement parties, baby showers, retirement parties, and holiday events.

What We Believe

St. Thomas follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection the church holds to have saved the world. The parish believes that Scripture is the living word of God and that it invites the community into continual discernment and thoughtfulness. Liturgy roots the parish in the living traditions of the Christian past while equipping and inspiring members to seek justice, equity, and love for all God’s people.

The Episcopal Church embraces a legacy of inclusion, and St. Thomas carries that legacy forward. People of all genders and sexual orientations serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in the wider church, and the parish affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every human person regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, socioeconomic class, or gender and sexual identity. At St. Thomas, laypeople and clergy share leadership and governance, working together as one body bound in Christ.

Clergy, Staff, and Lay Leadership

The Reverend Tom Ortung serves as Interim Rector. The Reverend James McEachran serves as Priest Associate. The music program is led by Director of Music and Organist Dr. Paul Meier, with Jacki Sullivan as Director of the Choristers Program and Suzanne Anderson as Administrator of the St. Thomas Church Music Academy. Barbara Feldon directs formation and parish development, and Maria Piñeda coordinates childcare. Lisalynn Reed serves as Director of Operations, with Kevin Chrisinger and Velvet Chrisinger overseeing the campus as Facilities Manager and Sexton. Mary Jean Waite serves as Parish Accountant, and Aaron Reed serves as Tech Aide.

Stewardship, Pledging, and Legacy Giving

St. Thomas’s annual stewardship campaign is called Forward in Faith and invites parishioners to make a yearly pledge of financial support for the operating budget. A special Rector Housing Fund is being supported through pledges paid over the next two years as part of the campaign. Pledges may be submitted by physical pledge card or by emailing pledge@stthomasmedina.org; they may be fulfilled through one-time or recurring gifts via St. Thomas Connect, by check, or through stock gifts and donor-advised fund grants.

The parish also maintains the St. Thomas Legacy Society for members who choose to include the church in their estate plans. The Resurrection Giving Campaign each Eastertide supports the long-term financial reserves of the parish, with bequests placed in the Diocesan Investment Fund and managed by the St. Thomas Legacy Foundation. The Foundation currently holds around $850,000 in endowment funds, with the goal of growing disbursements to cover most facility costs and utilities in the years ahead.

Stay Connected

Parishioners and newcomers stay in touch through St. Thomas Connect, an online portal that serves as a directory, calendar, and event hub. iPhone users can also access the platform through the LEAD app. The weekly e-News, the latest bulletin, and sermon archives are all available online, and regular updates appear on Facebook and Instagram. Whether someone is seeking a deeper spiritual home, a place to serve, a musical tradition to join, or simply a community to belong to, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Medina offers a steady door and a warm welcome.