St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Galt, California

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Galt, California Sharing the transformative love of Jesus Christ in Galt and throughout the world. No matter who you are, no matter what has drawn you here, we welcome you.

We are a progressive, affirming church rooted in the love of Christ and one another, sharing the Good News of God's compassion for all creation. We are a part of The Episcopal Church and by extension, the worldwide Anglican Communion of more than 85 million believers. We offer a safe place for anyone at any stage of their spiritual journey see Christ's love in action within and through each of us.

Join us for worship every Sunday at 10 AM. Sermons and special services streamed live on Facebook and posted on our Youtube page and website.

42 Days to 125 Years!Today’s undated photo shows longtime St. Luke’s member Doris Holm at the organ, providing music for...
09/07/2026

42 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s undated photo shows longtime St. Luke’s member Doris Holm at the organ, providing music for worship in the familiar corner of the church where generations of musicians and choir members have served.

The musical tradition of St. Luke’s is a story often of one generation teaching the next how to share their talents with the congregation. Doris was one of those members whose service and gifts to St. Luke’s took many forms.

Behind Doris hangs the St. Luke’s banner bearing the winged ox, the traditional symbol of St. Luke the Evangelist, and the year 1901, a banner that still hangs prominently at the front of the church as a reminder of who we are and why we are here.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

09/06/2026

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - The Power to Bind or Loose

43 Days to 125 Years!Today’s photo comes from the annual Blessing of the Animals in 2020, and shows the Rev. Barbara Nix...
09/06/2026

43 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s photo comes from the annual Blessing of the Animals in 2020, and shows the Rev. Barbara Nixon blessing a pup named Magic.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed almost everything about how church congregations could safely gather and worship together. At a time when so many familiar parts of parish life had to be postponed or reimagined, the Blessing of the Animals offered St. Luke’s a joyful opportunity to gather safely outdoors and continue a beloved tradition.

Held each year in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the service celebrates the animals who share our lives and the goodness of God’s creation. In 2020, it also provided something especially precious: a chance simply to be together.

And this year’s Blessing of the Animals is just a month away! Join us October 4 at 1:00 PM at St. Luke’s. The service is open to everyone in the community, and all are welcome to bring their pets to receive a blessing!

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

44 Days to 125 Years!Today’s photo is of the Rev. Henry Douglas, who helped provide sacramental ministry at St. Luke’s d...
09/05/2026

44 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s photo is of the Rev. Henry Douglas, who helped provide sacramental ministry at St. Luke’s during the 1950s.

By 1942, St. Luke’s began having regular Eucharist once a month for the first time. Starting in 1950, Mr. John Shankland—who would later be ordained and serve St. Luke’s for many years as the Rev. John Shankland—typically led Morning Prayer three Sundays each month, while the Rev. Henry Douglas came to St. Luke’s to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.

This arrangement offers a glimpse into a recurrent theme in St. Luke’s history, when the congregation’s regular worship has depended upon the dedication of both visiting clergy and its own lay leaders. It was also an early chapter in John Shankland’s remarkable ministry at St. Luke’s, years before his eventual ordination to the diaconate and then the priesthood.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

https://www.stlukesgalt.org

45 Days to 125 Years!Today’s image comes from the October 1985 edition of Luke’s Letter, the St. Luke’s parish newslette...
09/03/2026

45 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s image comes from the October 1985 edition of Luke’s Letter, the St. Luke’s parish newsletter at the time. In his monthly message, the Rev. John Shankland gave thanks for the arrival of a new modular building that would provide much-needed space for Sunday School classrooms, a nursery, and a priest’s office.

For nearly a decade before the addition, the Parish Hall had been asked to serve many purposes at once. Along with hosting coffee hour and other parish gatherings, it provided space for the nursery and Sunday School. By the mid-1980s, accommodating all of these activities in one building had become increasingly difficult.

Fr. Shankland wrote that his prayers had “finally [been] answered” with the addition of adequate educational facilities, thanking the many members and friends of St. Luke’s whose generosity made the project possible. He gave special thanks to Bob Holm and others who helped with the details of the project.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

https://www.stlukesgalt.org

46 Days to 125 Years!In this photo from 1976, members of St. Luke’s trade the Sacramento Valley for the forests of North...
09/03/2026

46 Days to 125 Years!

In this photo from 1976, members of St. Luke’s trade the Sacramento Valley for the forests of Northern California during a church retreat to Mount Shasta.

This photograph captures a few members including the Rev. John Shankland enjoying a walk through the woods, cameras in hand. The retreat was one of a number of trips and outings that brought members of St. Luke’s together outside the usual rhythm of Sunday worship and parish activities back home in Galt.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

https://www.stlukesgalt.org

47 Days to 125 Years!Today’s photo takes us back to the late 1990s and into the St. Luke’s nursery, where some of the yo...
09/02/2026

47 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s photo takes us back to the late 1990s and into the St. Luke’s nursery, where some of the youngest members of the parish spent their Sunday mornings.

For decades, the nursery provided a welcoming place for little ones during services, while also giving parents the opportunity to participate more fully in worship and parish life. Many faithful volunteers over the years have given of their time and care to look after the littlest members of St. Luke’s.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

https://www.stlukesgalt.org

48 Days to 125 Years!Today’s photo, taken in 2013, celebrates the kind of dedicated lay leadership that has sustained St...
09/01/2026

48 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s photo, taken in 2013, celebrates the kind of dedicated lay leadership that has sustained St. Luke’s throughout its history.

Here, the Rev. Barbara Nixon presents longtime parishioner Ron Olsen with a letter of recognition from the Bishop of Northern California, honoring his many years of service to St. Luke’s.

Over the course of decades, Ron served the parish in nearly every way imaginable. He was a gifted lay preacher and worship leader, helping lead the congregation in prayer and proclaiming the Word. He also served at various times as Treasurer, Senior Warden, and in other positions of lay leadership—giving generously of his time and talents to the life and ministry of the church.

Ron also played an important role in preserving and celebrating St. Luke’s history. He had a major hand in organizing the church’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in 2001, and over the years helped safeguard many of the oldest records in our archives, irreplaceable documents that preserve the story of St. Luke’s and the generations who came before us. Much of the history we are able to share during this 125th anniversary year survives because of his stewardship.

St. Luke’s has always depended upon people willing to step forward and take responsibility for the life of their church. Ron’s decades of service are a wonderful example of that tradition. And it seems especially fitting, as we prepare to celebrate our 125th anniversary, to remember someone who helped make sure the story of our first 100 years would not be lost.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

https://www.stlukesgalt.org

49 Days to 125 Years!Today’s photo takes us back to 1996 and one of the many traditions surrounding St. Luke’s Annual Ch...
08/31/2026

49 Days to 125 Years!

Today’s photo takes us back to 1996 and one of the many traditions surrounding St. Luke’s Annual Christmas Bazaar: the Christmas Dinner.

For many years, members of St. Luke’s gathered in the Guild Hall (and later, the Parish Hall) for a Christmas meal just before the Bazaar. It was a chance to sit down together and enjoy food and fellowship before the work and excitement of one of the parish’s biggest events of the year.

This photograph captures that gathering in a wonderfully ordinary way: parishioners crowded around a long table, candles burning down the center, a small Christmas tree in the background, and one particularly festive gentleman who came prepared for the occasion in red and a Santa hat.

The Christmas Bazaar has been part of the life of St. Luke’s for more than a century, but traditions surrounding it have changed over the years. The Christmas Dinner is one of those traditions that has since passed into memory, preserved for us in photographs like this one.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” — Psalm 98

https://www.stlukesgalt.org

08/30/2026

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Greater Expectations

Address

200 3rd Street
Galt, CA
95632

Opening Hours

10am - 11am

Telephone

(209) 745-2784

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