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A "Ministry Minute" from Paul Seward of Christ Church...
In Christ Church we have found a diverse family that welcomes us
 Linda and I have moved a lot in our 40 plus years together. As such we have been members of many churches, denominations and even religions. Yet in all that time our faith has never changed. We believe in a transcendent universal God, whose nature is utterly beyond our understanding, and who in some unimaginable way, and for reasons we cannot understand, has created a universe filled with what can only be described as fragments of God's Self: individual conscious beings. And we believe that to be such beings is to be loved unconditionally by God. We believe that therefore, our most important task on earth is to love one another as best we can, because for us to do so is to express God's love. We believe that trying to do this work of love is the best possible way to experience that for which we were created: meaningful and joyous lives. But perhaps most important of all, we believe that love is not a feeling; it is an action, an action that is best performed by being a part of a family and a community. In our own spiritual journey, Linda and I have found that all religions know those truths and preach them. However, because humans are each unique beings, each person hears that message in their own way, and therefore each religion has its own doctrines and scripture with which to translate God into something we can understand. Or more simply, in the words of the Vedanta, "Paths are many; truth is one." Religions, communities, traditions; all are valid and loved by God. However, our community and our religious tradition is to try to follow the words and life of Jesus as we discover him: within the Bible; within the many experiences of his life people which have shared; and within our own lives as we have tried to live what we have learned. As such, though we value the truth of God which extends beyond all doctrines, we have chosen to live and practice that truth through the traditions of the Christian faith. We have found in Christ Episcopal Church a wonderful place to do so. We have found it to be a place, which, on the one hand, in its music, its rituals, its prayers, and its ceremonies is profoundly traditional and sacramental; yet on the other, is a place in which great diversity - of faith, of ability, of opinions, of preferences in love, of race, of age - is not merely tolerated, but celebrated. Finally, perhaps most importantly, we have found here what can only exist in a place in which such traditions and such diversity are valued: people whose interpretations of doctrine may differ greatly - and yet who can celebrate together in a beautiful and complex way; and people whose lives differ greatly, and yet who are a family, and who, as a family, have welcomed us to join them. Paul Seward Chick Anderson
I have the sad responsibility of sharing with you the news that Chick Anderson died yesterday after having suffered multiple heart attacks within the last week. I have been in touch with her son Christopher, and plans are underway for a Memorial Service here at Christ Church on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m.
As Cindy and I are away from Nov. 21-29, I have asked the Rev. Rob Stevens of St. John's to conduct that liturgy and he has agreed. Chris was hoping we might offer a reception following the service as we did when Jean died last summer, and I would like to think our Christ Church family will step forward to make that happen. Please be in touch with me if you can help coordinate or contribute to that.
I will provide more information as it becomes available, but I wanted you to know right away of this news. Please keep Chick's family and her many friends in your prayers.
Fr. Chip +
Please bring your pledge form Saturday evening When you come to our Celebration Dinner following the Covenant Signing Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. at Trinity Church, please remember to bring your sealed pledge form with you. A boat will be placed on the Hobbs House stage to receive your form, reminding us that "We're All in this Boat Together." For those who will not be at the supper, you may mail or bring your form back so it arrives no later than Saturday, Nov. 16. Those from whom we have not heard by Sunday, Nov. 17 will receive a gentle follow-up call to remind them to return their form. Over the course of our campaign, we have been encouraged to express our goals in terms of participation, awareness and creating a nurturing environment in which conversion of life, not merely dollars, is our goal. Our collective goals, then, for the campaign have been threefold: - To encourage 100% participation of our members and households in pledging toward the support of our two faith communities.
- To make each member of Christ Church and Trinity Church aware of how our contributions enable a vibrant ministry to the Seacoast area.
- To create a nurturing environment for stewardship as an expression of our faith, no less important than our worship, our prayer, and our service to others.
Our thanks to that have already made their pledges for 2014. We look forward to hearing from the rest of you this weekend. Your Stewardship Team Episcopal Relief & Development reaches out to the Philippines Super Typhoon Haiyan leaves devastating path of destruction Episcopal Relief & Development has reached out to its partners in the Philippines, as Super Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the central part of the country on the morning of November 8. According to reports, Haiyan is the strongest typhoon this year and may be one of the strongest in history, with winds that peaked at 195 miles per hour. The impact of the storm caused flash flooding, mudslides and 30-foot storm surges, and knocked out power and communications networks in several provinces. At this point, hundreds of deaths have been confirmed and a death toll of over 10,000 may be expected. As many as one million people have fled to safer areas, with some 125,000 taking refuge in evacuation centers. Authorities had warned earlier that approximately 12 million people were at risk due to the storm. Among those most at risk were the estimated 270,000 people who had been residing in tents and other makeshift shelters following the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines on October 15, killing 222 people. "Our partner, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, has done excellent work in the area of disaster risk reduction over the past few years, but when events come one on top of the other like this, challenges are compounded," said Abigail Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development's Senior Vice President for Programs. "We are standing ready to offer assistance as the local Church assesses needs and identifies areas where it can best help vulnerable people in this difficult time." Please pray for the Church in the Philippines and for all those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Your donation to the Disaster Response Fund will enable Episcopal Relief & Development to offer immediate assistance where most needed in times of disaster. Click here for further details on how you can help. ChIPs - Thanks for your generosity The diocesan Prison Concerns Committee extends its thanks for the gifts and books given for this year's ChIPs (Children of Incarcerated Parents) Christmas Gift Drive. On top of the gifts, $1,500 in cash was donated - about double what was given last year. The cash will assist the committee in purchasing additional gifts, especially for older children. Thanks for your kindness and for making Christmas brighter for many, many families! New phone service at Christ Church will save money...but brings changes On Oct. 26, Christ Church changed its phone and internet service over to Comcast - a new bundled service that will save the church upwards of $40 per month. To get the best deal, we eliminated the third line (which had previously rung at the Rectory). Please update your contact list to show that Fr. Chip's home number is (603) 427-8720 - not the former Rectory number.
November highlights...
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16
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5 pm
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Covenant Signing Celebration with Bishop Rob Hirschfeld - Trinity Church
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7 pm
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Celebration Supper - Trinity Church
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17
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8:45
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Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church
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10:30
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Holy Eucharist at Christ Church followed by "Grubby Sunday" clean-up day
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23
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8-2
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Holly Berry Fair at Trinity Church
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5 pm
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Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church - The Rev. Dr. Bob Gallagher, guest Celebrant
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24
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8:45
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Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church - The Rev. Jane
van Zandt, guest Celebrant
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10:30
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Holy Eucharist at Christ Church - The Rev. Jane
van Zandt, guest Celebrant
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"Grubby Sunday" at Christ Church
Sunday, Nov. 17 after the 10:30 service
The leaves are falling and that can only mean one thing: It's time for our fall "Grubby Sunday" at Christ Church!
On Sunday, Nov. 17, we'll do a general clean-up of the church grounds, wash some windows, and replace some fluorescent bulbs in around the building that have dimmed with age.
As always, "many hands make light work," so come in your jeans and "grubbies" and join us!
- Craig Davis and Paul Seward
Christ Church Christmas Fair
The Christ Church Christmas Fair is Saturday, December 7, 2013 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please keep in mind that we need items for the White Elephant, Craft Table, Cookie Walk, used books, CD's and DVD's, seasonal and costume jewelry and knitted pieces. If you have any questions, contact one of our three co-chairs; Tena Wolf, Paula Kidder or Katie Towler.
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