An innovative approach to Sunday services begins this month at St. Matthew/San Mateo. The South King County Episcopal Church – a diverse parish of Anglo, Japanese American, African American, Native American, Fijian and Hispanic congregants – started a bilingual service at 11 a.m.

“We wanted to join together our English-speaking and Spanish-speaking parishioners, and also focus on children and young people,” said the Rev. Susan Armer, rector.

The new service format has parishioners meeting at 11 a.m. in the parish hall where the groups begin the liturgy by choosing from one of four groups: children, youth, English-speaking and Spanish-speaking. For the Eucharist (communion), the four groups meet as a whole in the St. Matthew sanctuary.

The church also has started a multi-cultural children’s choir who will perform at the 11 a.m. service and rehearse at 6:15 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

For those seeking a more traditional Eucharist, there is a 9 a.m. service in English without music.

St. Matthew/San Mateo is located at 123 L St. NE. For more information, call 253-833-0890, or visit http://stmatthew-sanmateo.org.