It sure is! “Dinner Church” is a phrase we’ve coined to describe what we do when we gather at St. Lydia’s, which happens at 6pm every Sunday evening. Sharing a meal is a tradition from the earliest days of the church—one that we’re reviving in our practice together. In recent years, more and more of them have popped up all over the United States. It’s a movement!

Waffle Church happens on the second Sunday of the month at 11am. At each service, we sing, pray, hear the stories of Scripture, celebrate communion by sharing bread and cup, feast on waffles, share peace and conversation, and finally clean-up! There is often movement, and sometimes an invitation to create art or crafts. Children and adults are invited to participate in every aspect of Waffle Church.

Yes. We're a group of people who tell the story of Christ's dying and rising, and through it, uncover the daily dyings and risings that comprise our lives. We’re a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (a progressive Lutheran denomination) and have many ties to the Episcopal Church as well.

It means that we approach the bible both spiritually and intellectually, and we affirm the spiritual journeys of those of other faith traditions. We are also a queer church, embracing sexuality and all sexual orientations and gender identities, and hope that every person who joins for worship will bring their whole selves. At. Lydia’s, no one is barred from leadership because of their gender or sexuality.

Absolutely! You’ll be in good company. At St. Lydia’s, we place practice before belief. It’s the practice of eating, praying, and singing together that moves us deeper into faith. Instead of trying to figure out what we believe, we’re trying to live what we practice.

St. Lydia appears in the biblical book of Acts. She was a wealthy businesswoman who sold purple cloth. As the head of her household, she was a church leader who hosted the new church in Philippi, and is remembered for her hospitality:

The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.”

Acts 16:14–15

St. Lydia’s was founded by Emily Scott in the fall of 2008 in collaboration with congregants, friends, mentors, and colleague Rachel Pollak Kroh. We met in the home of one of our congregants, then began to partner with a Lutheran congregation in the East Village, called Trinity Lower East Side. A year later, we brought Rachel on board as our first Community Coordinator, and began to worship every Sunday evening. In the summer of 2011, our congregation affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and developed a partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.

We worshipped for over two years at the Brooklyn Zen Center, then raised funds to move to our own storefront at 304 Bond Street in Brooklyn, which we rent. Here, we have built a strong relationship with our neighborhood and developed a voice for justice in our city.

To hear more about how St. Lydia’s got off the ground, listen to Emily Scott’s interview on Spiritually Speaking.

St. Lydia’s is committed to the health and safety of its congregants. Rather than going “back” to our pre-pandemic realities, we strive to move forward in ways that remain as accessible as possible for those across the spectrum of health and abilities. Services are held outside in the fresh air when possible, and when they are held inside, congregants are asked to mask or take a rapid test (supplies are provided at the door). Click here to read our full safety guidelines.

We have a portable ramp for small wheelchairs to ascend the step to enter the building, or to access the backyard. The bathroom is also accessible for a small wheelchair. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate large/electric wheelchairs due to the step to enter the building and the width of our front door. If you are visiting and have questions about accessibility please email us and we will do everything we can to accommodate you.