From the Vicar...

Being an "invitational" and not just a "welcoming" church

This week, I received a message from the Rev. Peg Custer, Christ Church's former interim (twice!), that really piqued my interest. Click here to read the entirety of a terrific article by the Rev. Rob Moss, a Lutheran pastor from Colorado. Here, in part, is what he had to say:

We've decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We're giving it up. It won't be easy, but we're committed to it.

Like so many churches, we've sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, we trained greeters and ushers, we wore name tags, we percolated coffee, we went to workshops on hospitality, we put our friendliest people in the most prominent places on Sunday mornings. But we've realized we've been misplacing our emphasis. So we're no longer going to do it.

Here's what we're doing instead. We are becoming an Inviting Church. That's different. You see, "welcoming" from a missional perspective is passive. It denotes waiting for visitors and guests to drop by. When they do, we attempt treat them very well and do everything possible to make them comfortable. We'll be willing to change who we are. We'll do whatever it takes to have them come back the next Sunday, even if they shouldn't. Welcoming is about us, not about them.

"Inviting," however, is different. That means we leave the comfort of our congregational home-court advantage. The main activity doesn't happen in our worship space when people drop in, but in the neighborhood when we go out. It isn't so much welcoming them into our place, but going out into their place and meeting them there.

Each congregation has a purpose within God's mission. Each congregation has particular gifts. Each congregation reveals the life-giving reign of God in unique ways. No congregation is everything to everyone. But every congregation is something to someone. Who can know God through your worship style? Who can experience forgiveness and grace through your congregational community? Who needs the gifts you have to offer? Who can offer gifts you need?

Welcoming involves hoping whoever happens to find you will join. Inviting involves sharing God's specific gifts - made real in your congregation - in the world.

I welcome - strike that, I invite - your though ts, your feedback, on Moss's insights. I think he's "spot on" in naming a significant reason why our "evangelism" efforts so often fail. Here's a link to the full article. As we begin preparing for this coming fall's Seacoast "Come and See" campaign, we would do well to consider what it is to be not just a "welcoming" church but an "inviting" church.

-Fr. Chip

             Saturday - May 11th 9 to 2

    
 If you know the difference between a plant and a weed, we need your help and your plants!!  Unsure of what's growing in your garden - ask one of our knowledgeable gardeners - Paula Kidder, Tena Wolf, Jim Sparrell, Rickie Marden or Kris Ebbeson. 

  

We need perennials - are you dividing some?  Would you share some with us? Hosta. Black-eyed Susan, Lupine, Jacobs Ladder, Day Lilies, Lavender , Lemon Grass, Hollyhock, Bleeding Heart... to name a few.

  

We'd gladly accept your extra Herbs as well  - any that you can divide and care to share!  Please remember - legal plants only!

 

  Moms love pies, cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats so bring in some lovely items for our Mother's Day Bake Sale!  Perhaps she likes coffee cake or muffins for breakfast in bed?  Or chocolate cake or fruit pie for that special lunch or dinner?  Or a lovely bag of cookies?  Bring your contributions to church by Saturday morning so we can begin selling as soon as we open!

 

 

Two-Part "Grubby Sunday" at Christ Church

This spring's "Grubby Sunday" clean-up day will be a two-parter:

• On Sunday, May 19, we'll need some help assisting Little Blessings parents and staff in sprucing up the playground areas and fencing in a new area for the toddlers.  
• On Sunday, June 2, we'll do a general clean-up of the church grounds, assisted by volunteers from Crossroads House who are earning their Community Service hours.

As always, "many hands make light work," so come in your jeans and "grubbies" and join us!

- Craig Davis and Paul Seward

  

  

at Trinity...

•  May 18th - Spaghetti Dinner- a community dinner.                                
  HELP WANTED!!!     The sign up sheet can be found in the Narthex at Trinity or you can call me to let me know how you can help with this fundraiser.             603-734-2394    Patrice

•  YARD SALE  Saturday June 8th - being organized by Cathy Wahl. If you haven't already done your spring cleaning - now's the time!  Start a box or two (or three or four) of your 'never used' or 'not used for more than a year' items to be donated to the yard sale.  Remember - no electronics!!!  You can start to drop off those unwanted items - Sunday June 2nd.

 

New Hampshire Fisher Cats Vs Portland Sea Dogs 

at Manchester

 

NO-it's not another FUNdraiser...

it's JUST FOR  FUN!!!

 Gary Dozier will drive the Holy Roller bus- leaving Portsmouth at 5:45.  Don't want to take the bus??? No problem, we will also car-pool!   

  

We had a lot of fun last year so let's see if we can top our 35 fans of 2012.   20 tickets have been donated for our use and JR is working on recruiting some young-uns from the area youth groups to join us!!       Tickets are only $7.00 each - what a deal!

 

When:  Saturday, June 29, 2013  at 7:30 pm 
Where:  At Delta Dental Field, Manchester, NH  

  

Sign-up sheets can be found at both Trinity and Christ Churches - Lets have some fun!

Women Singing Out Concert 

 

 

2013 SPCA Paws Walk

  

J

oin the Christ Church team on June 9, 2013 for the SPCA Paws walk.

 If you and your pet(s) are interested in being part of the team, please see John Wolf.    

 

You can also learn more at 

2013 Paws Walk.  

 

  

Perhaps you noticed...

 

Perhaps you noticed at our pot-luck and community dinners the organizers (mainly me!) becoming repeatedly frustrated when-although all appeared to be going well- there would be a hustle to find electrical outlets that worked.   The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was at the funeral reception for our own Bea Fitgerald.   

 

 

Shortly after that reception, we had several local electricians come to Hobbs House to evaluate the problem and offer solutions.  With Rusty's knowledge of Hobbs House and his help, we had two new 4 socket outlets installed by Stebbins Electric.  Seeing that they are on their own circuit breakers (in the kitchen), we should not have that problem again!

Money to pay for this much needed upgrade, was withdrawn from the Next Generation Fund (NGF), under the guidelines set forth for NGF use - the upkeep of the buildings for the next generation.

 

However...Hobbs House is old (no surprise there) and so is the wiring. Our treasurer describes it as B.E. construction...'before electricity' with most wires run thru the old gas light lines. Not an ideal situation. There are two circuit breakers and two fuse boxes in the building.  As guardians of the buildings, and for the safety of all who use it, we need to update the electrical panels.  Stebbins Electric will work with us in stages - as the money becomes available.  The estimated cost for the remaining updates is approximately $1,500.00 - and is an item that was not budgeted for. 

 

A donation has been already been made towards this project and another generous offer has be made.   As owners of the property, we are all responsible for seeing that it is maintained.  So I ask, can you help?

 

Any donation you can make towards this project would be greatly appreciated.  If we are lucky enough to have more donated than is needed, that extra will go back into the NGF and be used towards any future upgrade in Hobbs House (perhaps we can get the kitchen done - well I can dream can't I?!?).  

 

 

Patrice Wood

 

Trinity Sr. Warden

 

Yoga at Hobbs House

A local yoga instructor has offered to give yoga classes that welcomes all levels, ages, and abilities. Although there will be no charge for this class, the instructor has indicated that he will have a 'free-will' collection that he will donate to Trinity Church.

Before this can happen, we need to know if there is interest.  The classes will be open to all with the day & times will be worked out based on the information you provide. If interested, please sign-up on the sheet in the narthex or e-mail Nita (admin@trinityhampton.org).  Let her know what works best for you -weekday  morning or evenings and your contact information.  If there is enough interest, the day and time will be announced.  Keep watching for information to be posted! 

 Children and Youth Programs  

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.