Ministries

Coffee Hour

Coffee, tea, lemonade, and snacks are served in the Parish Hall following the 10:30 a.m. service most Sundays.  “Coffee Hour” doesn’t normally last a whole hour, but it’s a good opportunity for informal conversation and a chance to meet new people.  Everyone is welcome, and hosting Coffee Hour is an easy way to serve the parish community — sign-up sheets for hosts are posted on the Parish Hall bulletin board.

Koinonia Groups

“Koinonia” is the New Testament word for “community.”  Koinonia Groups at Christ Church are small groups that meet in members’ homes for a simple meal, conversation, and opportunity to know each other better.  Groups continue for a year and disband so new groups can be formed.

The Christ Church Apostolic Bread Makers

At the end of a Lenten class on bread making one spring, a group of students began using their newly-learned skills to serve others.  They have made treats for Coffee Hour, baked trays of cinnamon rolls for teachers at the local elementary school, made Kings’ Cakes for our Epiphany party, produced 100+ ciabatta rolls for a clergy lunch with the Presiding Bishop, and sold products at our Alternative Gift Fair to raise funds for international development.  This lively group welcomes new members.

Annual Meeting

The business meeting of the parish is normally held on the second Sunday of Advent.  We elect new members to serve on the Vestry (the governing body of the church), receive reports from various groups, address any matters that need to be decided, and share a meal together. View our Annual Report.

Stewardship

The ministries of Christ Church have been sustained over the years by gifts from parishioners and friends. Every fall we offer a Stewardship program to draw attention to God’s abundant grace poured out on us each day, and we invite all members to prayerfully consider their giving and return a pledge card. It is only through your generous response that we can construct our budget for the upcoming year, plan for our many programs, and look toward exciting new possibilities.  For more on giving to Christ Church, click here.

Pastoral Care Ministry is a group of lay volunteers who have been trained to assist the clergy in meeting the specific pastoral care needs of our congregation. There are several ways that Pastoral Care volunteers may be of assistance to the members of our congregation. This may include visiting shut-ins either at their home or in retirement or nursing homes; assisting with household chores; providing
transportation; providing meals during special situations; and calling on members of the congregation during times of crisis. This ministry is a special opportunity for sharing the love and caring spirit we have for our fellow parishioners during their time of need. We hope those in the Christ Church family who need us will not hesitate to call us. For those of our church family who want to help in this ministry, we would welcome you. In either instance, a phone call to the Parish Office or one of the Pastoral Care coordinators will bring us together in an expression of our Christian love.

The ministries within Pastoral Care include:

Eucharistic Visitors

Eucharistic Visitors (EVs) are Christ Church members, licensed by our Bishop, who take Holy Communion to parishioners unable to come to church. EVs serve as a physical reminder to sick and infirm members that they are integral parts of our church community. By making Eucharistic visits immediately following Sunday services, they extend the service to parishioners and symbolically carry the parish with them as a sign of the whole community’s care, support, love, and concern. (Paraphrased from Beth Wickenberg Ely’s A Manual for Eucharistic Visitors; Morehouse Publishing, 2005.)

Prayer Requests

In need of prayer? Let us know and we’ll pray for you–or someone you know about–every day at Morning Prayer and twice on Sunday. When you include a name on the Christ Church Prayer List, that person will be included for the rest of the month–as well as the following month–unless you let us know otherwise.

Prayer Cards with the names of individuals for whom long-term prayers are needed are prepared every Sunday for use at the main service and are available in the bowl at the first Washington Avenue entrance. Worshippers pick up a card on their way into the church and pray for that person during the Prayers of the People. Many also take their cards home to continue praying for that person during the week. Submit your prayer request.

Visitation

We regularly visit shut-ins, nursing and retirement home residents, and parishioners who are not able to get to church activities often. We try to express our Christian love to these parishioners by bringing companionship, a listening ear, and a compassionate heart.

Coordinator: Becky Harris

Transportation

We also have a group of pastoral care volunteers who would be happy to transport parishioners who cannot drive, are convalescent, or who are homebound. These volunteers will assist in driving people to and from church services and activities, to medical appintments and treatments, to the grocery store, or to help pick up medicines or medical supplies.

Coordinator: Becky Harris

Cooking Ministry

During special situations, members of the Cooking Ministry welcome the opportunity to help provide meals for fellow parishioners. These situations may include the birth of a new baby, recuperation from surgery or hospitalization, serious illness, or the death of a family member. If your family, or any parish family you know, would be helped by a hearty casserole or a soup meal delivered to their home, we are ready to help.

Coordinator: 

To request any of these services, please email our Parish Office. Your need will be conveyed to the appropriate coordinator.