The Church of the Advent is for those who seek personal renewal and community transformation through shared faith in Jesus Christ. We are united by an astonishing claim: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” As followers of Jesus, our lives have been changed by this good news, and our hope is to share it with the world.

History

In 2002, seeing a shortage of vibrant, Gospel-centered churches in the District of Columbia, a group of people began meeting together with the vision of planting a network of smaller, interconnected churches throughout the city, rather than a single large church.  With God’s blessing, The Church of the Resurrection was soon established in Capitol Hill.  In 2007, this church commissioned a young group of men and women living in northwest area of Washington DC to prayerfully consider planting a new church that would extend this vision into Columbia Heights.  

Left ravaged and forgotten for decades following the race riots in 1968, Columbia Heights has been the focus of a revitalization initiative since 1999.  Despite the rapid transition that occurred, this neighborhood remains one of the most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods in D.C.  Luxury condominiums and subsidized housing share the same city blocks. It is a microcosm of the unique crossroads of wealth and poverty, power and weakness that is Washington, DC., and thus fertile soil for the Gospel message of radical reconciliation.  So, with roughly 30 persons living and working in Columbia Heights, we began meeting as a house church, and eventually began Sunday services in January 2008 in the building belonging to Casa Del Pueblo United Methodist Church.  

A Cruciform Vision

We believe that a healthy church ought to be two dimensional: vertical and horizontal. By means of the vertical dimension, people experience reconciliation and peace with God, and are moved to worship and serve Him. Through the horizontal dimension, people experience reconciliation and peace with one another, and are moved to care for one another and work for the common good. Churches often focus on one dimension to the exclusion of the other. We want to do both. Taken together, the horizontal and vertical dimensions form our cruciform vision as a church for the city of Washington.