Christ Episcopal Church, Sausalito
I took the photo above, of the Christ Episcopal Church in Sausalito, because of the simple beauty of the structure. I did not have time to wait for optimal lighting, and I wanted to capture the moment. Tonight, I am learning more about the beautiful little church (PDF).
One of the four churches in Sausalito, Christ Church is a small and beautiful redwood structure that holds up to 125 people. The church has a very small narthex, a sacristy, and a choir rehearsal room in the back. All of the windows are of stained glass and date back to 1876. The windows were refurbished in 1978.
We had no plans to visit the little church, and we did not go inside. Like many of the gems of the Bay Area, we discovered the little church by accident, while exploring the (largely vertical!) community of Sausalito. However, I found the simple beauty of the little church quite appealing.
The PDF linked above describes the people of Christ Church as a multigenerational parish comprised of “singles, couples, families, and seniors.” The parishioners reflect the demographics of Southern Marin in being primarily Caucasian and middle to upper-middle class socioeconomically. According to the IRS in 2002, Main County is the third wealthiest county in the United States. Other folks are obviously attracted by the little church since only 50% of the parishioners come from Sausalito. Nearby Mill Valley contributes 18%, other towns in Marin County – 22%, and 10% come from San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.
Downtown Sausalito, blocks below the little church on the hill, is only 1.5 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge. The 7500 residents of Sausalito are just 20 minutes away from “the City” (San Francisco). Sausalito was named by early Spanish explorers for the little willows (Saucelitos) that lined its streams. The city has 50 restaurants, dozens of galleries and tourist shops, and serpentine streets that climb the hills and beg for exploration. (We are “suckers” for serpentine streets! 
) I personally enjoyed seeing a portrait of Jerry Garcia, of The Grateful Dead, in a Sausalito gallery. The portrait was painted by Grace Slick (The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship).
Sausalito’s demographics do not represent those of the Bay Area. In the 2000 census, Sausalito was 92% white with a median age of 45 and a per capita income of $81,000. The median household income was $87,469, and both the mean and median home prices are closing in on $1 million.
The message at the beginning of the PDF above is very telling, and very inspirational: “We honor God with our gifts in a small chruch set on a hill. We are a community where strangers are welcomed and individual differences are cherished. We praise God in traditional and contemporary ways.”
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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