What to Expect if you join In-Person for Celebration: 

What: A lively Celebration much like we used to share at the Hillman City Collab, but in a new, larger, more accessible and functional space, and with a bumpin, full, live band! 

Some things will be familiar and some things will be new:

Communion: We believe this is all about unconditional love, and we welcome anyone to receive Communion regardless of religious beliefs or identity (or lack thereof). Instead of a shared loaf and single cup we’ll offer small individual communion cups and wafers with contact-free distribution. 

The Offering: The basket is back! There will be options to contribute in person as well as online.

Coffee, snacks, and Tea Time: As we ease into hybrid services, we will not be offering coffee or snacks on site at this time. You can nourish and caffeinate yourself ahead of time at nearby PCC, Olympia Coffee, Empire Espresso (to name just a few options). We can hang around inside the building and chat (masked) after service.

When: Celebration begins at 11AM Pacific time. We encourage folks to come a little early (arrive between 10:40-11) as we’ll be hand sanitizing at the door, getting used to a new space, making new name tags, and catching up after over 2 years apart. 

Where: The Rainier Arts Center 3515 S Alaska St, Seattle, WA 98118 on the corner of Rainier Ave S and S Alaska Street, near the Columbia City library and PCC.

Parking: The small parking lot is reserved for community members with disabilities and limited mobility. Street parking is available nearby. More parking may become available in partnership with local businesses--stay tuned. 
Public Transit: Lightrail: the Columbia City Lightrail stop is on the corner of MLK and S. Alaska, about 3.5 blocks away 
Bus: the #7, #50, #106 bus lines are nearby with stops at: 7: Rainier @ Alaska; 50: 35th @ Alaska; 106: MLK @ Alaska

How: We’re working hard to balance the joys of convening our community with the risks of COVID spread. By implementing some key COVID precautions, we’ll do our best to mitigate some of the risks of gathering in person, while feeling the nourishment of being together in body as well as spirit. 

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home and join the service by Zoom instead.
Greeters will encourage everyone to use hand sanitizer at the door.
Masks are required and must be worn properly throughout service. KN95 Masks will be available at the door if needed.
Unmasked speakers will take a rapid antigen test upon early arrival
Custom name tags will indicate attendees’ preference for distance and contact
Community members who test positive for COVID-19 will be asked to refrain from in-person V&M events for 10 days. (And let the care team know if you need help! [email protected])
There will be a marked section for distanced seating if that makes you feel more comfortable.


Accessibility information: The RAC Website has great photos and pans of the main Auditorium and the Event Hall (where children’s ministry will take place). Check it out to get a sense of what to expect. 
Both levels of the RAC are fully accessible and have ADA restrooms. There is an outdoor wheelchair lift to the auditorium and ramps to each level. The auditorium has reserved areas for wheelchairs.
The small (15-spot) parking lot is reserved for community members with disabilities, limited mobility, or encumbrances.
Scents: as this is a rented space with its own custodial services, we cannot offer a scent-free space.




What to expect if you join online:

What: An engaging online service with professional video and audio streaming. It will be (almost) like being there in person, peppered with some of the digital celebration rituals we’ve become accustomed to over the past 2 years.

Where: the same Zoom link that we’ve been using for Celebration, found here: tinyurl.com/VMcelebration. NOTE: Services will no longer be broadcast to Facebook. If you’re joining live online, Zoom is the place to be. Recordings of service will be posted to V&M’s YouTube Channel and also available on the V&M Website

How: We’ll use professional streaming equipment to pipe the on-stage service out to our Zoom community. The Zoom grid of your beautiful faces and PJ-clad selves will be projected inside the RAC so that the speakers, pastoral staff, and your in-person friends can see and feel your presence and participation. You’re always welcome to turn your video off.  

Tea Time is ON! With the help of our Digital Hospitality team, Tea Time will be co-hosted by a community member and a rotating pastor. 

When: The Zoom room opens at 10:50. Check in and say hey! Service will begin around 11AM, and you can enjoy the live music and poppin community chat box in the meantime. 

Accessibility information: Zoom gathering will be subtitled and there is an option for full live transcription. Services are recorded and can be watched (or rewatched!) later on V&M’s YouTube Channel and on the V&M Website

Children's Celebration

Children are very welcome at Valley & Mountain online or in-person! During in-person services, visit our staffed spiritual playroom available starting after the children's prayer and lasting until the children's parade & offering prayer during service. This is optional! Many children choose to stay with their caretakers for the service, and then some join the program in the children’s space for about 30 minutes (your choice to stay together at intergenerational celebration or join the kids' space!). We take the spiritual lives of our community seriously and offer a play-based, story-centered, empathetic, liberatory form of spiritual education that moves beyond moralism and indoctrination, and into helping kids develop compassionate ethics and genuine spiritual imagination.

V&M KIDS Ministry Stories on YouTube

V&M KIDS Ministry Digital Activities Folder on Google Drive 

Sign Up to Co-create With Us!

Reflections

Messages and Interviews each Sunday

An engaging, relevant, provocative reflection or interview is part of both Celebrations each Sunday. We record the majority of our Reflections and post them on our weekly podcast, creatively called "Valley & Mountain Podcast" which you can listen to on your favorite podcast app or click the "Listen Now" button below.

Listen Now

Music

The 11 am service offers a world music mix, with an emphasis on gospel music. Our V&M music is currently welcoming the band and a community choir with shared leadership! 

Interested in helping with music? Reach out to Rev. Sekou to connect more about what that might look like.

Contact Rev. Sekou