January 29, 2015
News from the Shared Ministry 
of
Christ Church, Portsmouth  & 
Trinity Church, Hampton 
In the Episcopal Diocese of NH
 
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Worship Services
The Rev. David "Chip" Robinson

Vicar 

 

All people of faith are welcome to receive Holy Communion at the Lord's Table 


 

Christ Episcopal Church 

1035 Lafayette Road

Portsmouth, NH 03801

Rite II at 10:30 am
Coffee Hour follows
 
Clergy office hours 
Tues & Thurs 9am-12noon

200 High St.
Hampton, NH 03842
Saturday Rite l at 5pm
Rite II at 8:45 am
Coffee Hour after the service
  
Clergy office hours
Mon & Wed 9am-12 noon
 
 
The Vicar's sermons can be found by clicking on the link for either church and going to the Worship page.
Pastoral Care
Leaders
 
Jean Shula
Linda McVay

603-430-9888 (home)
603-988-9755 (cell)
Links

Little Blessings Child Care Center at Christ Church Portsmouth  

Little Blessings Child Care Center 

(603) 431-1809 

at Trinity Church, Hampton

Village Preschool
(603) 929-7349

Episcopal Churches on the Seacoast
 
Seacoast Convocation
 
Christ Church,Portsmouth
St. John's, Portsmouth
St. Thomas, Dover
St. George's, Durham
Ministry Schedule

 

Christ Church
 

Going into the hospital?

 

Due to privacy laws, churches are no longer routinely informed if you or a loved one is admitted to the hospital.  Please be sure you let us know when and where you will be a patient so we can be in touch with you and include you in our prayers and healing ministry. Don't assume the Vicar knows - he would much rather hear from several people than from no one!

 



 

  

From the Vicar...

Being "Christ-focused" in our invitation and welcoming

 

Part two of a four-part series

 

Last Sunday, we explored one of the most familiar passages in scripture - the invitation of Jesus to his potential followers to become "fishers for people."  In last week's column, I spoke of the need to ask ourselves more than just "how do we go about fishing for people?" We also need to concentrate on what they'll find once they're "in the boat."

 

In that column, I suggested that a church that is faithfully following Christ in this regard will be

  • Focused on Christ;
  • Centered in what we value; and
  • Pastorally responsive to the needs of our communities.

This week, I'd like to start with what it means to be focused on Christ. Next week, I'll say more about what it means to build our life around what we value. My final column in this Epiphany-season series will relate to how we better respond to the pastoral needs of our communities.

 

*      *      *

What does it mean to be focused on Christ?

 

Often, the received wisdom is that the Church is "broken" and needs to be "fixed." So, how should we go about fixing it? More often than not, we think the "cure" for fixing the Church is to focus on the Church: 

  • How can we make the Church more attractive?
  • How can we get more people in the door?
  • Who should we target in our "marketing?"
  • What should we say?
  • What politics should we promote?

I truly believe that we do not need new or exotic methods to carve out a "portion of the market." Rather, what we need is a Church that takes seriously the fact that our entire reason for existing is to point a hurting human family towards the redeeming, transformative love of God in Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus has told us in the Gospels how he will build his Church, and it isn't through slick marketing or bold new initiatives. Christ builds his Church through his own life given for us, which renews us. The faithful proclamation of that good news calls us into that mystery.

 

If, for our age, and in our cultural context, we can find a way to recover the reality of the truth of the gospel, and find in Jesus more than the guy who is our friend, our cheerleader, our example, or a guy who gives really great advice, we will find that we have a Church that is attractive to many. People won't just come and "try us out" - they'll stay because they are being nourished by the message we preach and live.

 

Jesus may indeed be our friend, cheerleader, and example - but the job of the Church is to point beyond these surface realities to the cross and the empty tomb. The entirety of the message that we proclaim begins and ends with the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's where the truth of Christ is to be realized - and that is the truth that will keep people coming to hear what we have to say.

 

Fr. Chip

 

Elected at Trinity Church's Annual Meeting

 

On Sunday, Jan. 25, Trinity Church held its Annual Meeting, and we added a new member to our Bishop's Committee: Fran Plank, who was elected to fulfill the unexpired term of Peter Wahl, who resigned for health reasons. In addition, Anne Newell, currently an Alternate, was elected as a Delegate to Diocesan Convention and Seacoast Convocation. Our congratulations to both of these dedicated people.

 

 

Our Shared Ministry Cycle of Prayer

 

Each week, in both of our churches, we pray for one ministry we share and one or two households in each church. About once every six weeks, we will instead using the Shared Ministry Collect we prayed throughout the opening months of our Shared Ministry.

 

In our prayers the next two weeks, we give God thanks for...

 

Feb. 1

Our newly elected Bishop's Committee members: Suzanne George and Peter Monte at Christ Church and Fran Plank at Trinity Church; we also pray for Ginny & Ted Bridle-Russell of Trinity Church and Shad Christopoulos of Christ  Church

Feb. 8

(We will use the concluding collect for our Shared Ministry)

  

 

New Orleans Style Mardi Gras Feast 

 

When: February 17, 2015 

Time: 6:00 to 8:00 PM

 

Where: Trinity Episcopal Church - Hobbs House

200 High Street, Hampton, NH

 

$5.00 Donation - Hobbs House

Entertainment: The EPISCO-CATS Jazz Band

 

Eats: Traditional New Orleans Food and Fixin's, including King's Cake!!

                                               

  

Looking ahead to Lent...

 

Plans are now underway for our Lenten series for 2015. This year's program will be titled, "The Parables of Lent" and will focus on a series of biblical parables that connect to Lenten themes. Meditations by renowned Lutheran theologian Dean Nadasdy will show us that within each parable's plot is woven a unique message about what we receive through the crucified Christ. Parishioners can take the message with them to enrich their own stories of faith in Christ as they journey through Lent.

 

Our schedule will be as follows:

  • Christ Church: Soup and bread luncheon and session at noon on five Sundays, beginning Feb. 22.

  • Trinity Church: Soup and bread supper and session on five Wednesday evenings at 6:00, beginning Feb. 25.

Week 1: "Receive the Word: The Sower and the Seed" * Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23

Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon, Christ Church; Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m., Trinity Church

The seed that falls on fertile soil takes root and grows, while seeds in other soils fail. The Word of Christ flourishes within us.

 

Week 2: "Receive the Treasure: The Hidden Treasure and the Priceless Pearl" * Matthew 13:44-4

Sunday, March 1 at noon, Christ Church; Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m., Trinity Church

Two men give all that they have to buy objects of great worth. We who are priceless to Christ receive him who gave all that he had to call us his own.

 

Week 3: "Receive Mercy: The Good Samaritan" * Luke 10:25-37

Sunday, March 8 at noon, Christ Church; Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m., Trinity Church

A man beaten on the road gets help from an unlikely traveler. We who are often beaten down along the road of life encounter the healing of Christ through the cross.

 

Week 4: "Receive Grace: The Workers in the Vineyard" * Matthew 20:1-16

Sunday, March 15 at noon, Christ Church; Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m., Trinity Church

All workers in a vineyard are given the same pay from the master, no matter how long they have labored. All who have been called by the Master are blessed by the same reward in Christ.

 

Week 5: "Receive Forgiveness: The Prodigal Son" * Luke 15:11-32 

Sunday, March 22 at noon, Christ Church; Wednesday, March 25 at 6 p.m., Trinity Church

A wayward son returns to the forgiving embrace of his father, who welcomes him home. We who have strayed return again and again to the embrace of our Father, through the sacrifice of his Son.

 

As there are study materials to order for this year's program, we are asking that people sign up ahead of time if at all possible. No one will be turned away from attending, but if you wish to have your own set of materials, you will need to sign up by Sunday, Feb. 8. The sign-up sheet will be in the Narthex at Trinity and in the Marshall Room at Christ Church. There is no set charge, but a voluntary donation of $6.50 to cover materials costs is welcomed.


 

 

Contacts
The Rev. David "Chip" Robinson, Vicar
Christ Episcopal Church, 1035 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801
phone: 603-436-8842
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-Noon

Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 High Street, Hampton, NH 03842
Shared Ministry Administrator: Nita Niemczyk
phone: 603-926-5688
Office hours: Monday-Friday from 9:00-1:00