The Newsletter of Christ Church, St. Peter’s Parish PENTECOST JUNE 2017 Christ Church, St. Peter’s Parish ♦ 111 South Harrison Street, Easton, MD 21601 ♦ 410-822-2677 ♦ 410-822-0932 (fax) ♦ www.christchurcheaston.org Healing and Holy Eucharist Wednesdays 10:00 am “We believe the Holy Spirit is real and inspires us to be the light of Christ in our community as a reflection of God’s love.” Saturday Services Alive At Five June 3, 10, 17, 24 5:00 pm Holy Eucharist with Contemporary Music Nursery available beginning at 4:30 pm June 3—Rally for Recovery—Celebration Service (see page 2) JUNE WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Services June 4 The Day of Pentecost 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Contemporary Music June 11 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Traditional Music June 18 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Contemporary Music June 25 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Traditional Music Nursery Available beginning at 9:30 am
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++ The Newslet ter of Christ Church, St . Peter ’s Parish
PENTECOST
JUNE 2017
Christ Church, St. Peter’s Parish ♦ 111 South Harrison Street, Easton, MD 21601 ♦ 410-822-2677 ♦ 410-822-0932 (fax) ♦ www.christchurcheaston.org
Healing and Holy Eucharist Wednesdays 10:00 am
“We believe the Holy Spirit is real and inspires us to be the light of Christ
in our community as a reflection of God’s love.”
Saturday Services
Alive At Five
June 3, 10, 17, 24
5:00 pm Holy Eucharist with Contemporary Music
Nursery available beginning at 4:30 pm
June 3—Rally for Recovery—Celebration Service
(see page 2)
JUNE WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Sunday Services
June 4
The Day of Pentecost
8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Contemporary Music
June 11 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Traditional Music
June 18 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Contemporary Music
June 25 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Traditional Music
Nursery Available beginning at 9:30 am
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Christ Church Workday
Habitat for Humanity
Saturday, June 3
9 am — 12 noon
201 Port Street, Easton
Join others from Christ Church and the community
to help build a Habitat House.
For more information,
contact Brett Whitehead at 302-236-6249.
Attention Golfers:
Join Habitat for a Day of Golf
Friday, June 9
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort
Call 410-476-3204 for information and to register.
UTO Spring Ingathering Thanks
We are very pleased to report that the Spring Ingathering collection for the United Thank
Offering amounted to $844.66.
From Agape Family Ministries to preschools for poverty level children and more, UTO and your donations of thanks do make a difference, extending the church's faithfulness to God's mission.
Throughout the year as you count your blessings, please remember to drop your "Thank you, Lord" coins in your UTO box. Boxes are available at the church office.
With many thanks,
Grace Brey and Wynn Volz
Prayer Group for Christ Church We invite you to come together and lift up our church in prayer at this unique time of change and opportunities. We meet on the first Monday of each month from 10:00 am—11:00 am in the church library. Hope to see you there!
The next meeting will be Monday, June 5.
Call Sandy Frantz 410-820-4773 or Maria Fischer 410-886-2820 for more information.
Stephen Ministry is Recruiting Now for the Fall
Make a Difference in Someone Else’s Life and Your Own
Did you know that Stephen Ministry is now in more than 12,000 congregations from more than 160 Christian denominations, in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and 24 other countries. Christ Church is one of those 12,000 congregations! Are you looking for an opportunity to serve others and maybe find a greater purpose in your life? Consider becoming a Stephen Minister. We are actively recruiting for our fall Stephen Ministry Training and hope you will consider this opportunity to offer pastoral care to someone in our church who needs a kind word, a bit of company, a listening, prayerful presence. For more information on this life-changing experience, contact Bruce Richards at [email protected] or see him after church on Sundays.
“Ask me about Stephen Ministry.”
Bruce Richards
Rally for Recovery
June 3 ~ 3:30 pm
DON'T MISS THE RALLY FOR RECOVERY ON SATURDAY, JUNE 3RD. The event will begin at 3:30 pm at Christ Church Easton. Participants will walk as a group from Christ Church to the Talbot County Courthouse for a brief rally at 4:00 pm. The group will then return to Christ Church by 5:00 pm for the “Alive at Five” Service celebrating recovery, followed by fellowship and refreshments on the Church lawn.
Page 3 June 2017 crossroads
Four Junior Choristers Honored
Four choristers from the Archangels Choir received bronze medallions and certificates of completion at the 11:00 am worship service on May 7. Coard Benson, Hartley Cooper, Parker Corson, and Giovanni Greaves completed the first of five levels of study in the Voice for Life program through the Royal School of Church Music. This was the first year the curriculum has been used, and it offers incentives throughout the program to teach and encourage students to become lifelong singers. For Sunday’s presentation, the Rt. Reverend Santosh K. Marray, Bishop of the Diocese of Easton, commended the four students for their achievements and offered a blessing to each chorister.
The Voice for Life program is offered to students enrolled in our choral program who are first grade and older. It teaches theory, musicianship, and other skills while offering experience through ensembles including choir, handbells, and Orff. At the completion of each level, students earn bronze medallions and certificates. Additionally, students have the opportunity to go for a regional award at the completion of the 4
th, 5
th,
and 6th levels. The awards for each are bronze, silver, and gold respectively.
The program will resume beginning Monday, September 11 at 4:30 pm. For enrollment information follow the church newsletter and bulletins in mid-summer.
Bishop’s Visit
On May 6 and 7, we welcomed the Rt. Reverend Santosh K. Marray, Bishop of the Diocese of Easton, to Christ Church. Bishop Marray celebrated at all services on both days giving him the opportunity to experience the range of worship services we offer. In recognition of the Bishop’s visit, the loose offering from the weekend, totaling $779.00, was designated for the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund which provides emergency assistance and support in the name of the diocese. Below is a portion of the Bishop’s note of thanks to Fr. Bill and the congregation for his visit:
“I write to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for a very inspirational and joyful visitation to the parish. The atmosphere was joyful and holy which allowed for a deeper engagement of worship. It is obvious your leadership has been instrumental in moving the parish to this healthy place of hope and fruitfulness, and for that I am thankful. I wish to assure you and Christ Church, St. Peter’s of my prayers and support. My gratitude to the Vestry for its leadership and all the lay people whose ministry is a force in spreading the gospel message and serving the mission of God. Together we pray the Spirit’s outpouring on the diocese and Christ Church.”
Bishop San
Salad Bowls for the Neighborhood Service Center—THANK YOU!
I am surprised that I'm surprised. Nearly every time I have asked the congregation for donations to the Neighborhood Service Center I find the response surprisingly generous. However, nothing can match my surprise and gratitude for your response to fund the 25 lettuce bowls for NSC. I was given closely guarded "coffee money", bank checks, fifty cents because it was all the person had — at one point I thought my lettuce bowl was growing money as I found bills in it when I returned from the communion rail. Not only were the 25 bowls fully funded, but there was fifty dollars left over. I took the money to NSC today. It will go into their emergency fund. With all my heart I say thank you. ~ Alexa Seip
crossroads June 2017 Page 4
Christ Church Youth:
Get Ready for Summer!
Mark these Saturday dates on your calendar and get ready for a great summer with Christ Church Youth Group.
June 3 (2 pm to 8 pm): Rally for Recovery Walk—Make Signs, Participate in the Walk, Worship at the Alive at
Five Service, Enjoy Food and Fellowship after the service.
June 4 (12 noon): Church-Wide Picnic at Widgeon Point Farm
June 11 (11:30 am): Amazing Race—Diocesan Youth Event
June 17 (After the Alive at Five Service): Bowling Night
June 24 (After the Alive at Five Service): Spiker Bonfire Bash
July 8 (After the Alive at Five Service): Tie Dye Night
July 15 (After the Alive at Five Service): Pool Party
August 5 (After the Alive at Five Service): Scavenger Hunt
August 11—August 13: Mission Weekend—”Walk in Love”
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact our Assistant to Youth Ministry, Kelsey Spiker. 443-262-2934. More details are also available on the church website at www.christchurcheaston.org.
Congratulations to Our 2017 High School Graduates
Christ Church Youth Group has three young ladies who will be graduating and heading off to college this fall. It has been a pleasure having each one of them involved in our youth group. My prayer for each of them is that they know in their hearts that they never walk alone. I pray they know how proud their community of faith is of each of them and how very proud that I am of each of them. I pray that they lift their eyes to the Lord when they have the need to seek, to question, to give thanks and to feel comfort. I pray that each of these beautiful young women always walk in love. I encourage our church family to keep these young women in their own prayers as they are finishing their high school days and starting a new chapter in their lives. Peace & Love. ~ Kelsey Spiker, Assistant to Youth Ministry
Grace Coughlin - The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. "One of my favorite things about Cooper Union is that we do not have traditional majors. Every art student begins in the foundation year where we take classes in a broad range of media. From then on out we design our own major under an art degree. As of now, I do not have a definite idea of what I will end up concentrating in. I intend to begin with an open mind, a love for learning, and a passion for
creating."
Taylor Hutchinson - High Point University. "I would like to major in Business and possibly minor in Graphic Design, which will hopefully lead into a career in advertisement."
Lizzie Verteramo - Virginia Tech. "I will be going to study Animal Science & Poultry, with hopes of becoming a Veterinarian."
Taylor Hutchinson Grace Coughlin
Lizzie Verteramo
Page 5 June 2017 crossroads
ALPHA THANK YOU AND FEEDBACK
To the 110 participants in this year’s Spring Alpha, thank you for making the time to come together, grow together, and worship together!
To Colin Edgell who confidently and expertly created meals for 9 weeks for the 110 Alpha participants, how could we begin to pay you back for this kind of gift? We are all huge fans of your cooking and extremely grateful for this amazing gift of your skill and time. THANK YOU!
To Marcia Fidis and the long list of volunteers who offered their time and gracious hospitality to assist in the preparation, serving, and clean up of the Alpha meals for 10 weeks, including but not limited to: Donna Barker, Lindy Barton, Roger & Jane Bollman, Elizabeth Cole, Kaye Dutrow, Lisa Felts, Nicholas Fidis, Jack & Maria Fischer, Jeff & Faith Gombos, Linda Goss, Ann Holladay, Carla Howell, Anne Kirby, Ron McDonald, Chance Negri, Barbara Reinhardt, Suzanne Smith, Tracey Smith, Marybeth Sullivan, Beth Trujillo, and Cordy & Luther Tucker.
To Travis Fisher who jumped in and took over meal prep on the weekend Colin was out-of-pocket!
To the 18 Alpha Leaders who steered both the adults and youth in their incredible Alpha journeys: Kelsey & Matt Spiker, Rob & Kelly Carroll, AK & Susie Leight, Bruce Strazza, Lizzie Verteramo, Emily Moody, Nancy Hawkins, Michael Valliant, Barbara Coleman, David Smith, Brenda Wood, Dan & Sandy Frantz, Susan Ortt, and Jana Leslie.
There are countless testimonies from the participants in this Alpha course. Here are just a few from some of the Alpha participants:
“...to find in a small group that these normal people care about me — like I feel loved by the church people — and I never thought they would love someone like me.”
“Talking about my faith and listening to others in our small group gave me perspective on my life, beliefs and my level of worship and prayer.”
“Listening to others weekly has helped me understand others better, how they feel, their troubles and need and relate it to my needs. This has helped me understand that we all need each other. Alpha has made me think more, believe more and love more.”
And from one of the Alpha Leaders:
“Nothing will ever be the same - praise songs will take on a deeper meaning and not be just words. Scripture readings will come alive. People will hang on to every word of Bill's sermons. The parish hall will become an overflow room every Saturday. People will be ravenously seeking knowledge of the Lord. I can remember when all that happened to me when I was in my early 40s. Until that time I was a very nominal Christmas and Easter type Christian. Over the course of a few days my life totally changed. I started devouring the Bible, attended multiple Bible studies, took theology courses, took leadership positions in major ministries, my pastor told me to slow down lest I burn out. I really want that for our people at Christ Church. God has clearly opened the door.”
This Spring Alpha course was a game changer in the lives of a lot of people—all generations—and we can't wait
to do it again. Look for sign ups later this summer for our Fall Alpha!
crossroads June 2017 Page 6
Fuel the Fire to Make Great Things Happen
Good things—no GREAT things—are happening at Christ Church. People of all ages are joining together for worship
and prayer, bible study, fellowship, pastoral care and friendship, or even sharing a few laughs on a rainy day as they
work to clean up the church grounds. We are the light of Christ, a movement bringing hope, a visible presence of God’s
love in the world. Our calling as Christians and disciples of Christ asks us to do more, give more, be more — to
make a difference and be an agent of positive change in the world.
Your offerings — be they in the plate at worship, online, or any time — help the parish put our mission into action by
providing the money to fuel our life-changing ministries. May God light the fire in our collective hearts to give
generously to support the good and GREAT things happening at Christ Church.
*Did you know you can make a one-time or recurring gift to Christ Church online? Go to www.christchurcheaston.org
and click on the “Give” tab. Or if you prefer using offering envelopes, please contact the church office.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER FOOD COLLECTION
“Basta Pasta”
Spaghetti, macaroni, tagliatelle, fettuccine, rigatoni, linguine, penne, fusilli, orecchiette, farfalle — all dried pastas are needed and wanted for the Neighborhood Service Center food pantry. (No sauces please. My garage still smells like an Italian restaurant after several jars broke last year.) Please bring your donations to church and leave them in the tub on the office porch or give them to me Sunday, June 11.
Grazie,
Alexa
Rain or Shine, Spring Clean-Up Day A Success
Thank you to our hardy team of volunteers who came out to work in the pouring rain on Saturday May 13
th to help with our first steps in beautifying the back area
and grounds behind the church. Our volunteer team of Sally Akridge, Lisa and Craig Hawkins, Ron McDonald, Suzi Peel, Barbara Reinhardt, Frank Stanco, Rich O’Brien, Susan Tiffany, Kevin and Oliver White, and Brett Whitehead worked to clean the garage, spread extra gravel, refresh the planters in front of the rectory, weed in the side garden, trim some of the large shrubs and trees, and display the large wooden cross that was next to the garage in the garden. Later in the week, thanks to Sally Akridge and her team of helpers, a selection of annuals, hostas, and shrubs were planted in the garden and alongside the Rectory. New sod is also being installed in the garden yard.
There is more work to be done in our effort to beautify our “back door” presence. We hope to plan another work day — hopefully a warmer and sunnier one! — and will communicate that date when confirmed. If you are dividing any shade-loving plants in your own garden or looking for a good home for a shrub you are changing out, please consider gifting it to the church for the garden. We also welcome new volunteers to help with our pending projects. Please contact the church office if you are interested.
We are excited about these positive changes and look forward to sharing news of the final “reveal”!
Susan Tiffany, Director of Day School and Children’s Ministries
The Vestry
Lea Ann Robinson, Rector’s Warden ● Karen Fisher, Vestry Warden Class of 2017: Karen Fisher, Cathy Hill, Marty Sikes, Brett Whitehead
Class of 2018: Nancy Hawkins, Emily Moody, Antonio Parra, Lea Ann Robinson
Class of 2019: John Coleman, Paul Weber, Carolyn Williams, JoRhea Wright
Jana Leslie, Contemporary Music Minister
Michael Valliant, Asst. for Small Groups
Jason Faller, Minister of Children’s Christian Ed.
Alex Faller, Parish Secretary
Wes Lockfaw, Organist & Minister of Music
Kelsey Spiker, Asst. for Youth Ministry
Bill Mattimore, Finance Administrator
Lisa Hawkins, Parish Manager
Vestry Meeting Notes
At the March Meeting, Fr. Bill provided the second
part of a Vestry Orientation to acclimate new Vestry Members and refresh information for current members. Topics included overall trends at Christ Church with the focus on demographic changes and finances. Fr. Bill also encouraged the Vestry to take the evangelical opportunity of inviting people to join them at our Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday services.
With the April calendars so crowded, it was decided to cancel the April 18 Vestry Meeting. The next meeting of the Vestry was scheduled for May 23.
Copies of Vestry Minutes may be requested from the church office. The Vestry meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm in Parish Hall.
