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From the Vicar...
Stewardship: a virtuous circle of love, fellowship, sharing and support
In all things we are stewards - stewards of our time and treasure, stewards of one another, stewards of who we are and how we treat our neighbors, and stewards of our relationship with God. In this sense stewardship is multidimensional. It is as much about sharing as it is about giving.
At Trinity Church and Christ Church we have undertaken an ongoing effort to change the perception of stewardship from that of a burdensome tax to the fulfillment that comes from giving and sharing in the joy and grace of our common spirituality. In this sense our pledge is not a tax, but rather a gift. In this sense we are less a conglomeration of many individuals and more a family of fellow Christians who worship together in each of our congregations and give thanks, together, for everything God has provided us.
By sharing God's gifts we can make a difference in our own lives, as well as in the life of our congregations. Stewardship does indeed deal with money, but it must be far bigger, far more holistic than that. As we begin to think of our congregations' lives in terms of the joy of sharing, then we can dare to let go of the things that hold us back and work together as faithful stewards.
One of the core meanings of stewardship is a responsibility to help one another. "We're All In This Boat Together." There are countless stories told in our two churches about the little and big things we all do for one another and for our churches - whether it is volunteering on a committee, serving a ministry, helping with a worship service, or being there for someone in need. Sometimes the support takes the form of a financial contribution, but more often than not it is the time and talent shared in an area where help is required.
As, over these next five weeks, we consider stewardship, it is the message of sustenance that resonates most deeply. Through stewardship we sustain Trinity Church and Christ Church. In sustaining our churches, we sustain ourselves, our relationship with God, and our relationships with one another. It is a virtuous circle of love and fellowship and sharing and support.
Faithfully,
Fr. Chip
A note from our Bishop
Dear Friends in Christ,
Please hold our brother Doug Theuner in your prayers. The health of our friend and eighth bishop of New Hampshire is deteriorating as he battles with a degenerative neurological disease, Progressive Supranuclear Brain Palsy (PSP), and ongoing issues with his circulation. He is currently in a rehabilitation facility in Concord where they are helping him with speech and mobility.
It is no surprise that his spirit is robust, his mind clear, even as his body is weak. I invite your prayers, messages of love and support to both Doug and Sue at their home address: 5 Wildemere Terrace; Concord, NH 03301.
"The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." (James 5:6b)
Faithfully Yours in Christ, the Great Physician,
+Rob
"Ministry Minute" speakers to share their stories
Each Sunday between Oct. 20 and Nov. 10, we will hear from a parish member about some aspect of the ministry we are called to support through our offerings. First up:
Sunday, October 20
At Christ Church, Portsmouth...
Kris Ebbeson Treasurer of Christ Church
At Trinity Church, Hampton...
Gordon Lane Lay Eucharistic Minister; Acolyte;
Bishop's Committee member
New Christ Church website up and running
Last summer, Trinity Church's new website made its debut. Now it's Christ Church's turn. The new site has easy links to the latest news, ministry schedules, visitor information and more. Check it out at www.christepiscopalchurch.us
Portsmouth Herald offers "great press" on recent Christ Church speaker
Last Sunday, Christ Church had a guest speaker, Kirk Bloodsworth, director of Advocacy for Witness to Innocence, a nonprofit that advocates against the death penalty and for the exonerated. It is made up of people who were once on death row. Monday morning, the Portsmouth Herald ran a page one article on Bloodsworth's appearance at Christ Church. You can read that article here:Portsmouth Herald
ChIPs: Remember kids of the incarcerated
Last year the congregations of the Diocese of New Hampshire provided more than 700 Christmas gifts for children of parents incarcerated in the NH state prison system.
This yearly program offers the parents a chance to give something to their children and strengthens family bonds until the time parents can return to their families. Holiday parties at the prisons are where each child receives a present and a book. For 37 years, we have sponsored this great program with our gifts and donations.
For 2013, gifts and donations may be dropped off at your church prior to Nov. 2, when delegates will bring them to Diocesan Convention at the Grappone Center, for transfer to St. Paul's for sorting.
Thank you for your generosity to this important program.
United Thank Offering ingathering
Gracious God, source of all creation, all love, all true joy: Accept we pray, these outward signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life. Keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenge that come our way. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the Outreach of the United Thank Offering. This we ask through Him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. UTO monies support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.
There are UTO "blue boxes" in the Narthex at Trinity and in the hallway at Christ Church. Take one home; make using it a daily habit. We will have a UTO collection on Sunday, Oct. 20 and 27. Count out the change you've collected and write a check for that amount to your church (with UTO on the memo line) to put in the collection plate, and we will add it to other congregations' offerings during the annual Diocesan Convention, this year on Nov. 1. "Don't just count your blessings; make your blessings count."
Notes from the October Bishop's Committee meeting
The October meeting, held at Christ Church, opened with a reflection by Wesley Rowe on the post-communion prayer and its call to "go in peace" with "strength and courage to love and serve [God] with gladness and singleness of heart."
The September financials presented a contrasting picture: The Trinity financial report showed a positive balance at the three-quarters mark in the year, with pledges at 83% of budget and plate receipts at 87%. Christ Church's budget is over $11,000 in the red, owing largely to tepid pledge performance (57%) and extraordinary expenditures for repairs and maintenance, including several service calls to our dying furnace. Plate receipts were one bright spot at 80%, and investment income is also ahead of schedule. Christ Church Warden Craig Davis expressed concern over the pledge situation in light of some of the economic hardships being faced by some Christ Church parishioners.
The individual Bishop's Committees then met separately:
- The Christ Church committee heard a proposal from Little Blessings' Director, Diane Lewis, recommending a restructuring of Little Blessings to deal with some changing realities in the non-profit sector. Of particular concern was the Episcopal Church's requirement, passed at the 2012 General Convention, that all full-time employees be offered pension benefits. This will cost Little Blessings $55,000 per year when fully implemented in 2017. It is anticipated that several months' research will need to go into this proposal, as there are a number of issues that would need to be negotiated.
- The Trinity Church committee reviewed a proposal for implementing a uniform intake procedure for the food pantry. A new intake form will be used, and questions asked of clients will be standardized. Several building and grounds issues were reviewed, including parking lot potholes in need of repair and a roof leak over the Hobbs Hall stage. An update was provided on efforts to find a successor to J. R. Bridle as Sunday School coordinator.
Upon reconvening in joint session, Fr. Chip provided a report on the recent Evangelism Institute held in Laconia. Several people from both congregations attended, and came away with excellent insights, particularly about ways of implementing Come and See when it is rolled out in early 2014. Fr. Chip is meeting with his Seacoast area colleagues while attending next week's Clergy Conference, and hopes to come out of that meeting with an agreed schedule for a coordinated Come and See campaign.
In other business:
- Christ Church set a date of Nov. 17 for a "Grubby Sunday" to do grounds clean-up.
- The Bishop's Committees agreed to make invitation calls to all members encouraging attendance at the celebration dinner (Nov. 16) for this year's Stewardship Campaign.
- Lynda Swartz and Patrice Wood provided updates on FUNdraising efforts, including the upcoming Halloween Dance on Oct. 26. There will be a silent auction and a 50/50 drawing at that event.
- The Christ Church Bishop's Committee accepted with regret and deep thanks the resignation of Glen Flowers. He will be spending much of his time away from the area in months to come, and all agreed he would be greatly missed.
Full minutes will be posted at each church as they become available. The November meeting will be at Trinity on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.
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