A vision for restoring & renovating our new home

For the City is a campaign of spiritual and physical renewal, wherein by God’s grace we will raise the funds needed to restore our future church home so that it will enable us to fulfill our mission. We envision a multifunctional and community-focused space that meets both our ministry needs and a variety of community needs.

We're excited to share more about our plans and vision and would love your support!

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Renovating our home

Renovating our hearts

Our Story

The Shaw Neighborhood

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The work we need to do to the building before we move in falls broadly into three categories.

A safe and accessible space for both children and adults

We need HVAC replacement and repairs, electrical upgrades, fire alarm and sprinkler system upgrades, and an ADA bathroom in the fellowship hall. In the sanctuary, we need to stabilize the balcony and upgrade railings, add ductwork to support the new mechanical system, and provide ADA access to the sanctuary by installing a lift. We need to paint and patch throughout the properties, repair and replace some windows and doors, repair the courtyard drains, conduct structural work in the basement and fellowship hall, and abate hazardous materials.

A warm and inviting space for hospitality, community events, and the arts

We want to beautify the fellowship hall by replacing the ceiling and adding new light fixtures. We also want to replace the floors, paint, and exchange the storefront doors with wooden doors on the front of the church. In addition, we want to replace outdated windows and the fellowship hall door out to the courtyard. Lastly, we want to create a permanent installation in the fellowship hall that tells the history and legacy of Third Baptist Church.

A transcendent worship space that reflects our Anglican spirituality

We want to open up the sanctuary ceiling to expose the original wooden beams, remove the sound booth from the balcony to create additional space and admit light into the sanctuary, redo the floors and paint the walls to brighten the space, restore and update the pews, add lighting fixtures to better illuminate the sacred architecture, remove the defunct organ from the stage and create an Anglican chancel area, and add a baptismal font in the back of the sanctuary.

It starts with us…

The For the City campaign is about what God is doing through the people of Church of the Advent in this city. It is about the worship and spiritual formation that will shape generations of Christ-followers. It is about the ministries of hospitality, mercy, justice, and evangelism that will happen not only on Sundays, but every day of the week. It is our opportunity to take our place in God's story, to help build a great city for all people where Jesus Christ is king.

We are preparing to move into our new location by praying and by seeking the Lord through his word. In particular, our fall 2024 sermon series in Nehemiah provides important lessons and reflections for us and believers everywhere! We invite you pray with us.

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our mission is to join people to God, to one another, and to Christ’s work of renewal in Washington, DC, and through it, the world.

By far, the greatest practical challenge we have faced over the last seventeen years is the lack of a permanent worship and ministry space. We have been forced to relocate multiple times, greatly hindering our ability to invest in the local neighborhood and community. Our locations have included nine spaces throughout the DMV area.

Our Next Steps Together

We have an amazing opportunity before us. For generations, the 5th and Q St. building and grounds in Shaw have been a place where the good news of Jesus Christ has been celebrated. Together, with God’s help, the Church of the Advent will continue this legacy for generations to come. Through our collective generosity, this historic, holy space will continue to be a launchpad for mission and ministry to the greater DC area and the world

We are grateful to the Lord for providing this building and long to make it a space that blesses our neighborhood and this city.

A brief history

The Shaw neighborhood has a rich history, and has played a central role in the development of Washington, DC. The neighborhood was originally developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a home for emancipated enslaved people, as well as those who had escaped slavery and found refuge in DC. It was the center of African American culture and social change from the early 1900s into the 1950s, and was nicknamed “Black Broadway” because of the many Black-owned businesses, cultural venues, and theaters. Thurgood Marshall stayed here, and Duke Ellington grew up here. Following desegregation and the 1968 riots, the neighborhood’s economy declined and the community was severely impacted by the crack epidemic in the 1970s. In the early 2000s the neighborhood began to reflect the population growth of Washington, DC, and has since evolved into a multi-ethnic, socio-economically diverse community.

shaw today

Today, approximately 100,000 people live within a 1-mile radius of Advent’s new building. Over half of Shaw’s residents are in their twenties and thirties and nearly three-quarters of the neighborhood is single, either living alone or with roommates. The neighborhood is racially and ethnically diverse: half of the residents are white, more than a quarter are Black, and a quarter Hispanic, Asian, and multi-racial.

Shaw is also home to people who have material needs and organizations that serve those on the margins across the city. Fourteen percent of households in Shaw live near or below the poverty line, earning less than $30,000 a year for a family of four. One out of six are severely rent burdened, paying more than half of their gross income on housing.

I am ready to make a commitment.

The For the City Campaign is seeking to raise $2 million. Thank you for your prayer and financial support. You can either use the form below to indicate a commitment over the next three years or use the 'Donate Securely Online' button to give now.

As more and more people become followers of Jesus who embody the gospel, we will see loneliness eradicated, neighborhoods become more vibrant and communal, workplaces become more humane, racial healing accelerated, institutional corruption cease, the arts imbued with beauty and hope, and people become more truly human. Please pray with us!