From the Bishop...

"I need all lanes open here!"

This was the urgent plea of a Boston Police officer responding to his radio dispatcher moments after one of the bombs exploded Monday near Copley Square. He was pleading to make all paths clear on the roads in and out of the disaster area so the injured, maimed, and dying could be helped as soon as possible. He could also have been asking for the airwaves to be clear of any unnecessary chatter so that all lines of communication could be open. Both were needed.

The officer gives us a prayer. It is a prayer we have heard before and know. It's the plea we usually hear in Advent from Isaiah 40: "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'" Clear the way. We need all lanes open here!

We need all lanes open here! In the wilderness, the desert, the wasteland of our violence, confusion, anger, and grief, we need, again, to know of the Presence that is stronger than sin, hatred, death. In the emptiness of hearts that are tempted to become numb to such suffering, we need lanes of God's compassion to open up again.

Yet again, a child! O, God. So close to where that kind Officer in that classic children's book about Boston made the Way for those ducklings, touching the hearts of children all over through the years. O God, no! Make a new way for us, O Holy One! Come, Lord Jesus.

O God, help us clear all the lanes for your grace, your healing, your justice, your peace. Even in the hot panic on the streets, we behold your glory when people rushed to the aid of your hurting children, with acts of compassion, wisdom, skill. But we need even more wide pathways for your Arrival, your Advent, to show us the Way. We need all lanes open here. Help us open all lanes, so we know You are here. Show us your healing and health in Boston and in all the cities of this earth.

The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld

Bishop of New Hampshire

On Wednesday, April 10, a seven-member working group convened for the first time to begin drafting a Covenant for our Shared Ministry. Rusty Bridle, Thelma Hutton, Peter Monte, Chuck Ott, Katie Towler, and Patrice Wood joined with Fr. Chip to overview the task and begin the process, which is expected to take several months.

One of the group's first actions was to come to an agreement as to what we would call the document being drafted. The group was unanimous in its feeling that the product of our work should be called a "Covenant." Among the reasons for our naming it this were:

• A covenant is not as binding as a contract - but it does represent a promise based on the spirit of our intention to work together
• "Covenant" is a word that has a spiritual dimension: the power of God is involved as in the covenants  described in scripture
• It comes with a time frame: we can revisit it in a specified period of time rather than consider it "locked in" in perpetuity

After a review of the documents that arose from the Bishop's Committee retreat, the Lenten series, and our Shared Ministry conversation on Saturday, March 23, the group reviewed some sample covenants from other shared ministries and a fine document produced by the Diocese of Massachusetts on congregational vitality, viability, and mutuality. It contained an outline for a covenant with three elements:

• Those things which bind us together in community and for which we give thanks
• Common understandings that we affirm
• Things we therefore pledge through this covenant

Chuck Ott spoke of his experience in creating similar documents in his career as a school administrator. Key ingredients in the process were to set out the framework, have a single individual create each element's first draft, refine that work in committee, then submit to the larger body for feedback. He then recommended that the resulting document be submitted to the full congregations for adoption by ballot with a two-thirds majority as the threshold for adoption. These suggestions were adopted by the group, and we agreed to be frequent in our communications with the Bishop's Committees and congregations.

At the end of the meeting, Katie Towler offered to create an outline of next steps in developing our Covenant. She will use the materials summarized at this first meeting as a basis for key elements of that outline. Meanwhile, as specific action steps that are outside the scope of the Covenant are identified, the group will communicate these to the Bishop's Committees and urge follow-up. 

Shared Ministry Office Test Period 

1. We will bill the office in Hobbs House as the "Shared Ministry Office" so it's clearly "owned" by the two churches, not just Trinity. The initial "test period" will run from April 15 - June 14, after which we will evaluate whether or not this arrangement is workable and can continue.
2. We will set up call forwarding so if the Christ Church phone rings, it can be answered in the shared office. Effective April 15, Nita will answer, "Good (morning/afternoon), Trinity and Christ Churches."
3. Pending Bishop's Committee approval, Christ Church will pay for 5 hours per week of Nita's time and cost-share office supplies, etc., we share in common.
4. Should this arrangement be continued beyond 60 days, we will re-evaluate the best ways of handling such matters as copier maintenance contracts, etc., to provide the most efficient use and cost savings to both churches.
5. Fr. Chip will continue to have Christ Church office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-12:00.
6. All are asked to note an earlier Christ Church bulletin deadline due to the new production schedule: by the close of business Tuesday.

• Trinity Church 
• Christ Church 

'Goodsearch' can help us raise money for our ministry

Help raise money for Christ Church Portsmouth or Trinity Church Hampton by using  Goodsearch whenever you search the internet, shop online, or dine at select local restaurants.

It's easy!

First go to  www.goodshop.com. At the home page, click on "Choose a Cause." This will take you to a screen titled: "Who do you want to help?" Type in the name of your cause - "Christ Episcopal Church - Portsmouth" or "Trinity Church - Hampton." Then create a user profile that will allow you to keep track of your individual amount raised. Goodsearch does the rest. They will send out checks for the combined amount earned by all of our supporters through Goodsearch, Goodshop and Gooddining during their fiscal year of October 1st through September 30th.  

There are also quick-to-install add-ons that make your use of Goodshop easy: The GoodShop To-Go Button, GoodApp Toolbar and Goodsearch Plug-in all install in less than 30 seconds and help you to earn donations for your favorite cause when you shop and search even when you don't visit Goodsearch first.

From our perspective, it's "free" money - the more we search, shop, and dine, the more money we can earn for our respective churches. If you have any questions or need help getting started, please feel free to contact Kris Ebbeson at  kebbeson@metrocast.netor 603-319-4685.

 

Gospel for Kids

During the Gospel for Kids we will be looking at how we sometimes reject Jesus from our lives and do things that do not please him. We will look at how when people rejected him in his hometown. We will work on ways that we may welcome him into our lives.

Youth Database

If you have a youth between preschool and High School please consider sending J.R. Bridle your e-mail address, so that he can add you to the youth e-mail list, and get you the most up to date information the fastest. 

JR Bridle 

j_bridle@hotmail.com

  .

Sunday Schedule

1st & 3rd Sundays

• At Christ Church: Godly Play (10:30 am) 
• At Trinity: Gospel Lessons for Kids (8:45 am) 

 2nd & 4th Sundays

• At Christ Church: Gospel Lessions for Kids (10:30 am) 

• Gospel for Kids 

Volunteers Needed: J. R. needs a volunteer to help out at each church to run the Gospel for Kids programs. This commitment is for two Sundays. If I could get six volunteers that would mean every volunteer would miss TWO Sundays the whole year to offer our expanded Sunday school offerings.    

Alexis Zaricki, Music Director

• Trinity: 8:00 am - 8:30 am
• Christ Church: After the 10:30 am service

• Saturdays: Food Pantry at Hobbs House Trinity. 10:00 am - noon (Sandi Nickerson & Gordon Lane)
• Sundays: The Christ Church "Holy Roller" Bus (Chuck Ott)
• 1st Saturday of the month: Portsmouth Salvation Army Suppers, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Jean Wadman)
• 2nd & 4th Mondays of the month: St. Vincent Soup Kitchen, Hampton (Ginny Bridle-Russell & Phoebe Bischoff)
• 1st Sundays of the month: Pastoral Visit to the Oceanside Rehabilitation Center, Hampton (Bob Main & Belinda Wilkes)
• The Canister Ministry at Trinity. Have you ever walked out of Trinity Church, and noticed those random boxes by the exit? Were you curious to what that ministry was all about? Well there are actually several ministries being offered in a one drop stop. Learn more   

Contact Amanda or Aidan for clothing donation drop off or clothing needs 603.918.6816 or email dress4schoolsuccess@comcast.net.

 Content Submission Guidelines 

The Shared Ministry E-News is an electronic newsletter for members of Trinity Episcopal Church, Hampton and Christ Episcopal Church, Portsmouth. It is published weekly on Thursdays. We welcome submissions that have a connection to the ministry of these churches. Inclusion of submissions is at the discretion of Reverend Robinson.

Please email submissions to porthamp@gmail.com or mail to the office at Trinity Church, 200 High St, Hampton, NH 03842 or Christ Church, 1035 Lafayette Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Entries should follow the Submission Guidelines.

NOTE: The deadline to send a submission is Wednesday at noon.