Restoration Abbey

Plan a visit

There is already a place set for you

Come as you are, with whatever you believe today. There is coffee before the service and a seat wherever you like.

When
Sundays at 10am
Where
800 W Mission Road
San Marcos, CA 92069
Finding it
Right off W. Mission Road, between San Marcos Middle School and Palomar College.
Questions
(760) 389-8900
Call or text
Get directions Text us for directions →

The short answers

What time?
Sundays at 10am. It runs a little over an hour, and there is coffee, tea and something to eat beforehand.
Where do I park?
In front of the building, along the side, and around the back. There is plenty of it, so if the front looks full keep going.
What do I wear?
What you already own. You will see collars at the front and jeans in the pews.
Where do I sit?
Anywhere you like. The pews are not spoken for, and nobody will make you stand up and introduce yourself.
What about my kids?
They start in the room with you. After a short sermon for the children they are released, Godly Play for three and up and The Upper Room for ten and up, and they are back in time for communion.
Can I take communion?
Yes. Everyone is invited, including if you are not sure what you believe. There is gluten-free bread, and grape juice as well as wine. If you would rather receive a blessing instead, cross your arms and you will get one.

If it helps

What a first Sunday tends to feel like

The whole service is up on the screen, so nothing is a secret. Some of it will be sung. Some of it will be said by everyone at once, which is strange the first time and then becomes the part people miss most when they are away.

Partway through, the room stands up to greet each other and it gets properly loud. You can shake a few hands or stay put, and both are ordinary. At the end there is bread and wine, and you are invited.

Plenty of people come for months before they tell anyone their whole story. That is a completely normal way to belong here.

Another way in

Sunday is not the only door

A church service is a strange place to meet people. You face the same direction, you mostly do not talk, and then it ends. Plenty of us would rather be handed a task, or a chair at a table. There are three other doors into this church, and they are all open on a weekday.

  1. Come to dinner

    Parish groups meet on weeknights in homes in Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido, and eat actual dinner together. They are sorted roughly by where you live rather than by age or life stage, so you will be at a table with people at different ages, incomes, and first languages. Go to the one nearest you, or to the one in the next town over if you would rather. People do both.

    How parish groups work →

  2. Work alongside us

    We share tables and time with Universidad Popular, an organization led by and for the immigrant community here. There is tutoring every week for people studying for the citizenship test, food to collect and hand on, and two feasts a year that take a lot of hands. You do not have to belong to this church to be useful at any of it, and the company is half the point.

    What we do together →

  3. Get in the garden

    There is a community garden on our property. It is the least churchy thing we have, and one of the truest: soil, water, patience, and something green to show for an afternoon. If you would rather begin with your hands than with your beliefs, begin here.

    More about the garden →

Any of these is a real way to be part of this church, and you can start at whichever one sounds like you. Text (760) 389-8900 and say which, and someone will take it from there.

Before you come

Common questions

Where is Restoration Abbey located?
Restoration Abbey meets at 800 W Mission Road, San Marcos, CA 92069, right off W. Mission Road between San Marcos Middle School and Palomar College. There is parking in front of the building, along the side, and around the back.
What time is Sunday service?
Sunday worship begins at 10am and runs a little over an hour. Coffee, tea and something to eat are out beforehand.
I have never been to an Anglican service. Will I be lost?
No. The whole service is up on the screen, so you can follow along without knowing anything in advance. Sitting and watching is a completely normal way to spend your first Sunday.
Do I have to come to a service first?
No. Sunday worship is one way in and not the first one for everybody. You are welcome to start at a parish group dinner in someone's home on a weeknight, in Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos or Escondido, or by working alongside us and Universidad Popular, or in the community garden on the property. Any of those is a real way in, and you would be welcome at any of them first.
Will someone try to sign me up for something?
No. Visitors are not asked to stand, fill out a card, or give money. If you want to talk to a pastor, one is easy to find after the service and glad to be found, and if you would rather slip out quietly that is a fine first Sunday too.
How do I contact Restoration Abbey?
Call or text (760) 389-8900. Texting is usually fastest, including for directions on a Sunday morning.

We will look for you

Sundays at 10am. If you want someone to watch for you at the door, text (760) 389-8900 and say so.

Text (760) 389-8900