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From the Vicar...
Reawakening from our winter "attendance slumber"
Why do we come to church on Sunday? What is the purpose of our attendance? What motivates you to attend services at Trinity or at Christ Church?
Whatever it is - and I know your reasons are many - this brutal winter has dealt a fierce blow to the attendance patterns of many of us. Some of the faces we've missed are starting to trickle back. Others, however, may have developed something of a "habit" of not coming to church. They've entered a time of "attendance slumber" from which they've yet to awake.
We need each other to be present, because together we can better glorify Christ and worship God. This is our true source of joy. A full house of prayer and singing makes a pleasing offering of thanksgiving. As Lent draws to a close and Holy Week approaches, I exhort those of you who have lost the holy habit of regular attendance to return. I invite all of us to focus on the true purpose of attending Christ Church or Trinity: to give praise and glory to our God, who gave his very life for us on the Cross of Redemption.
Fr. Chip
Mutual Ministry Review open forums
There will be an "Ask the Bishop's Committee" open forum after church on Sunday, Apr. 12 at Trinity (David Plank will cover the service that day at Christ Church) and on Sunday, Apr. 19 at Christ Church to introduce the work we are doing in response to our recent Mutual Ministry Review and answer questions/quell rumors. In Christ Church's case, there will also be some introduction to the upcoming Capital Campaign there.
We are still putting together plans for a joint "whole congregation" retreat sometime in Eastertide, facilitated by Canon Hannah Anderson to address the questions, concerns, celebrations, fears, and in some cases misconceptions the February questionnaire revealed. By bringing the whole community "on board" we can dispel myths while at the same time pull the voices of all of us together. Fr. Chip has contacted the North Hampton Congregational Church about serving as a "neutral" venue, and they have agreed.
Be watching for further communications from our Mutual Ministry Review Follow-Up Team as our response to the Review unfolds.
 Our Lenten series for 2015 concludes
Our Lenten series for 2015, "The Parables of Lent," has focused on a series of biblical parables that connect to Lenten themes. Meditations by renowned Lutheran theologian Dean Nadasdy have spoken of how each parable's plot is a unique message about what we receive through the crucified Christ.
This week, the concluding session: "Receive Forgiveness: The Parable of the Prodigal Son"
- Sunday, March 22 at noon, Christ Church
- Wednesday, March 25 at 6 p.m., Trinity Church
Week Five in The Parables of Lent is based on the parable of the Prodigal Son. In this parable, a wayward son returns to the forgiving embrace of his father, who welcomes him home. The program includes a reading from Scripture, a meditation and a thematic Bible study that helps us to remember that we who have strayed can return again and again to the embrace of our Father, through the sacrifice of his Son.
Holy Week and Easter services
Palm Sunday March 29
8:45 a.m. Palm Sunday Procession and Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church
 - Service begins in Hobbs Hall with the Blessing of the Palms
- Note: no Saturday evening liturgy
at Trinity Church on March 28
10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday Procession and Holy Eucharist at Christ Church - Service begins on front steps with the Blessing of the Palms
Maundy Thursday April 2  7:00 p.m.
Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar at Christ Church - This is a joint liturgy shared by our two congregations
- After the service, you are invited to remain in prayer in the Lady Chapel, which will remain open for those who so desire.
Good Friday April 3 7:00 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy at Trinity Church - This is a joint liturgy share by our two congregations
Easter Even April 4  7:30 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter at Christ Church - This is a joint liturgy shared by our two congregations
- Note: No Saturday evening liturgy at Trinity Church on April 4
Easter Morning April 5 8:45 a.m. Festival Eucharist at Trinity Church 10:30 a.m. Festival Eucharist at Christ Church - Easter Egg hunt follows on church grounds
Additional Holy Week notes
Maundy Thursday - Christ Church will host our liturgy, to be held at 7 p.m. The service ends with the solemn Stripping of the Altar and the procession of the reserved Sacrament to the Chapel for repose. The Chapel remains open after the service for any who wish to stay for prayer and meditation.
Ecumenical Good Friday Services - During the first of the three hours of Our Lord's suffering on the Cross, North Church, Market Square, Portsmouth, will host an ecumenical service of readings and meditations. Our Vicar is one of the clergy participants; lay participants are invited as well. Hampton will also have a service at noon that day, with First Congregational Church, 127 Winnacunnet Rd., serving as host.
The Good Friday Liturgy - Please join us at Trinity Church for our joint evening service, at 7:00 p.m. This moving liturgy recounts John's version of the Passion and includes the praying of the Solemn Collects of Good Friday and the Veneration of the Cross.
Good Friday Offering for the Holy Land - The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, has shared a request for this year's Good Friday offering. In her letter to clergy, she explains the Church "has been in partnership with the Diocese of Jerusalem for a very long time. Since 1922, we have taken an offering in our churches on Good Friday to support the work of the gospel in the Land of the Holy One. That Land is still the place of deep division and conflict, more than 2000 years after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. He and his earthly family suffered under threat of oppressive regimes, fled as refugees to another land, labored to supply their bodily needs in the face of dire economic realities, and he himself was executed as an enemy of the state. All of those realities are present today in the Anglican/Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East."
To honor the Presiding Bishop's request, there will be an offering plate placed at the entrance to our Good Friday liturgy at Trinity Church on April 3. All loose gifts will go to the Good Friday Offering; if you are making your gift by check, please provide a memo, "Good Friday Offering," so our counters are clear as to your intentions.
The Great Vigil of Easter - Ringing in the Resurrection!
On Saturday evening, April 4, you are invited to bring a bell, small or large, to the 7:30 p.m. Easter Vigil service at Christ Church. We will gather in the darkness, light the New Fire of Easter, process the Paschal (Easter) Candle to the strains of the glorious chant, Exsultet, hear the marvelous stories of God's work in salvation history and then ring those bells at each mention of the word, "Alleluia!" as we celebrate the First Eucharist of Easter. This is a joint celebration, with music from our combined choir and participants from both congregations.
Easter Sunrise Service at North Beach -
This annual service near where Rt. 27 meets Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, will be held at 6:15 a.m. Easter morning. The Rev. Mark Lowe of Hampton's First Baptist Church is the preacher; Fr. Chip will be among the clergy participants.
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...
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Mar. 22
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Salvation Army Soup Kitchen ministry of Christ Church; Debra Littlefield of Trinity Church; Eliza Gifford of Christ Church
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Mar. 29
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Outreach Ministries of both congregations; Joanie Gagnon and Carol Gobar, both of Trinity Church; Gary Dozier of Christ Church
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Office Hours Update
Nita Niemczyk will be out of the office for the next three Tuesdays: March 24, March 31 and April 7. As always, if you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Fr. Chip directly.
Calendar Raffle for our Shared Ministry
The calendars have been printed and are now available for sale! There are items worth approximately $1,500 in prizes and you can win up to 30 times for the month. Please be sure to buy a calendar for the sale and also pick up some additional copies to sell to your friends.
For anyone that donated gift cards or items to the calendar, please bring the items to church and give them to Fr. Chip or me so that they can be available for the winners.
Thank you all for your help and support of both Trinity and Christ Church fundraising events.
Tena Wolf
Easter Bunny Breakfast
Village Preschool, 200 High Street, Hampton will host their annual Easter Bunny Breakfast on Saturday, March 28, from 8:00 - 10:30. There will be a full breakfast, raffles, crafts, and visits with the Easter Bunny.
The cost is $5 per person. The breakfast will be held at Hobbs House and Village Preschool, 200 High Street, Hampton. All are welcome to come and participate.
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