Pentecost Season - Summer 2006

From the Rector 

Dear Friends in Christ,

Thank you for trying something new this year. In the period between Easter and the end of school,Christ Church took some bold new steps as we utilized Better Together: 40 Days of Community throughout the parish. Let me mention a few of the highlights. We had eight new small groups meeting weekly to discuss ways in which we could grow in our relationship with God, strengthen our relationships with each other, and work together to serve others in the surrounding community. It was exciting for me to hear and see so many positive outcomes to your efforts to make this program a success. We got involved with several local ministries?and are making commitments to on-going participation in helping others. At the church, several small groups have worked hard on cleaning the kitchen and working in the garden. One small group has committed to specifically welcome Sunday visitors. Another small group is looking for opportunities to serve other church members by doing such things as yard work and small household chores. My hope is that we will use the past couple months as a building block for many more groups this fall. Several groups continue to meet during the summer and a few are taking a summer break. It's not too soon to begin thinking about participating in a group this fall. Watch for more details.

Another highlight in early June was the visit of Bishop William Rukirande from Uganda.  This time he was able to be with us for a week and visited in several homes where conversation was more easily undertaken with a number of parishioners. He visited the Junior High youth group meeting and told fascinating stories of his childhood and youth.  Even though he is in his mid seventies, he has amazing energy, traveling extensively and working tirelessly on behalf of his people in Uganda. Once again, we were blessed by his presence with us. And, he has invited us to visit him in Uganda. Several of you are seriously thinking about taking him up on his offer. Let me know of your interest so we can plan a visit or two to Uganda in the coming months. 

While the summer months bring a change in pace for many of us, let's not forget that we have exciting plans for two mission trips taking place in August. Please remember to pray for the participants, please write notes of encouragement, and please consider making a financial contribution above and beyond your regular pledge. And, mark you calendars now for a welcome home celebration dinner on Sunday evening, September 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the parish hall. 

Have a wonderful summer of relaxation and refreshment. And, remember that God isn't on vacation and is inviting each of us to find our rest and peace in Him. 

Blessings,

John Whitnah

From the Director of Student Ministries

On Vacation?from God?

What is it about the summer that makes it oh so good? Well, I guess it's the American dream, right? Drinking iced tea on the deck while the tandoori chicken smokes on the grill, the happily married couple watch their 2.5 children romp with their canine playmate, Spot. As the smell of citronella drifts through the neighborhood, mom nods her head in satisfaction. As the grill sizzles, dad nods his. The summer breeze has carried their concerns clear out of sight. On this 72 degree, low humidity evening, at least one family has found life, liberty, and the pursuit of? happiness?

Well?Let's be honest. Few, if any of us, ever reach the idyllic scene described above. Summer may bring a reprieve from the helter-skelter of the school year, but not from a helter-skelter soul.  I guess the question is, what is it that brings you peace?  I'm talking about rest in the deep places of your soul, the moment when your soul stands on the deck or your life and nods in satisfaction.  Most of us know that this moment isn't really about tandoori chicken, beautiful weather, or a great 401k.  It's about God, and vacation.

Sometimes following Jesus is hard, really hard. For example, in the book of Zechariah the Lord says this about His people, "[These] I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver, and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them." Refining metal isn't really that complicated of a process. It involves heating the metal as hot as possible, and then hammering it. Heating and hammering eventually cleanses any impurities from the metal. The same process happens when we follow Jesus. He is constantly challenging, stretching, and cleansing us as He shapes us into something shiny and beautiful.

Wait a minute; I thought we were talking about how great the summer is! Right. By the time we get to summer, we are tired of helter-skelter and schedule, and are ready for a vacation. The problem comes when we take a vacation from God, too. As I said before, sometimes following Jesus is hard, but then again, hard isn't always bad. This summer, I am committing myself to something new. I want to dig even deeper into the life that God has for me. I want to spend those early morning hours reading scripture. I am going to ask God to challenge my complacency and give me His vision and purpose for life.

So, iced tea on the deck? See you there, but that's not going to bring deep rest to my soul. This summer I'm going on vacation with God. There may be some heating and hammering, and there may even be some pain, but as the apostle Paul put it, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead." This summer, let's find our satisfaction in Him.

Ben Roberts 

Christian Education

Fiesta!

We have made the transition to the summer schedule and our summer program for children is in full swing. Even if your child has never been to Sunday school he or she is welcome to join us Sundays at 9:00 a.m. In fact, this is an easy way to transition into the Sunday school program and meet some great kids!

For those who have participated in the past, we have added something new this year to help the kids apply what they've learned on Sunday during the week: The Fiesta! Weekly Challenge.  Each week the participants will be asked to choose an activity that will help them live out the week's theme the coming week. We will start each session reviewing what kids did the previous week and marking them on a chart. We will give small prizes as incentives and the child or children with the most activities completed will get a surprise at the end of the summer. This is meant to be FUN and to add something to our overall program. Parents can help by asking their children about their weekly challenges each week. And, even if you are not around for much of the summer it is a fun way to stay connected while you are away, acting out tasks on family trips or while at camp! Let's help keep our kids focused on the way the Jesus would like us to be!

Outreach

Once again, the theme of our summer program ties in nicely with one of our mission trips. The project this year is to assemble fleece blankets that the Mexico mission team will take with them and hand out while they are in Juarez. Now, you may be thinking, "fleece blankets in Mexico?", but I have cleared this with Ben Roberts and it does get chilly at times even in Mexico! All of our blanket kits have been distributed?thank you! Please return completed blankets to church by July 30 to make sure they will be ready to leave with the mission team!

Wanted: Enthusiastic individuals to help with Sunday school & Children's Chapel!

I know the summer has just started, but planning for the fall is already underway and I invite you once again to prayerfully consider Children's Ministry as a way to serve the Christ Church community. All of our Sunday school classes are taught in teams of 3 or 4, with flexible schedules. The weekly time commitment is 2-3 hours (1-2 hours prep and 1 hour on Sunday mornings). There are a variety of ways to help out: as teachers, helpers, nursery volunteers, Chapel leaders or helpers, or special project helpers. Thank you to those who have already spoken to me about volunteering this fall!

Cyndy Bezz