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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.
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(603) 431-1809
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at Trinity Church, Hampton
(603) 929-7349
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Episcopal Churches on the Seacoast
Seacoast Convocation
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Ministry Schedule
Christ Church
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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!
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From a Bishop's Committee member...
An important challenge begins this September
For all the things so many members of Trinity Church do, the biggest and perhaps the most important challenge begins this September.
We have talked for years about the need to attract young families and especially children with the idea of once more having a vibrant Sunday School. This was the item that created a lot of positive comment on the Mutual Ministry Review questionnaire filled out at the beginning of the year. After considerable research and soul searching and the support and encouragement of our Christ Church brothers and sisters, the Trinity members of the MMR committee came up with the "Family Night Out."
"Family Night Out" represents a bold and daring step to bring young people, especially families with children, back into the fold, and into the arms of our Savior and our God. It requires a commitment, regardless of the results, to an additional church service and additional commitment of "Time and Talent" on the part of a lot of us.
"Family Night Out" is planned for the first and third Monday of each month, beginning on Sept. 21st. The format follows the very successful program used by the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Plymouth, NH and the "Family Night Out" curriculum, etc. was found online by Fr. Chip. Robinson.
Why a "Family Night Out"?
Our primary service is at 8:45 Sunday mornings. For a family with young children, after struggling to get the children off to school five days a week and a Saturday of activities and household chores, Sundays, in much of modern society is, as God commanded, "A Day of Rest." And while many people don't think of it in quite those terms, they generally are not willing or able to get their kids up and out early Sunday mornings (unless it is to play hockey or basketball or some other early a.m. activity - but certainly not "church"). On the other hand, there usually isn't much going on outside the home on Mondays, making a quiet, spiritual event at least something to consider. And it is only twice a month.
Now throw in a "Free Meal" that mom doesn't have to cook! The entire package becomes attractive to everyone concerned.
Except maybe to some people who already contribute a considerable amount of their time and talent to Trinity Church. This is the hard part, but even here it is not as hard as it first appears. Village Preschool has committed to provide the food on the first Monday of each month and will serve it on the first Monday in October (October 5).
We still have setup and cleanup, providing food on the third Monday of every month and food servers for the first Monday of the month. Most important are the "Sunday School teachers," which may include Bible story readers and person or persons to assist Fr. Chip with the brief communion or Eucharist. There is a signup sheet in the church that needs to be filled out.
We need to get the word out. This means lots of publicity: posters wherever we can put them; articles and maybe ads in local media, on the local TV channel, and wherever they can be placed, and lots of word-of-mouth.
And we must be prepared for failure, at least in the beginning. Even Christ did not succeed in bringing everyone to his cause, at least not in the beginning. We may not have anyone outside of our own group come the first Monday, or even the second. But whatever the initial results, if we believe in our cause, if we believe it is right, then we can succeed.
We will succeed: With God's help and with your help.
Gordon Lane
Trinity Bishop's Committee Member
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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Aug. 30
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As we prepare to offer Come and See, we give thanks for all the new faces in our midst, and those who might respond to our invitations
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Sept. 6
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Christ Church bookkeeper Marianne Cusano; Yvonne & Miguel Draper of Trinity Church
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Come and See postcard addressing parties
Weekend of Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29 & 30
This coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29 & 30, we'll be addressing postcards for this fall's "Come and See" program. The cards at Trinity Church will invite folks to two special services with open houses, one on a Saturday evening (Sept. 19) and the other on a Sunday morning (Sept. 27). The cards at Christ Church issue invitations to Homecoming Sunday (Sept. 20) and the Blessing of the Animals (Oct. 4).
We're asking each household to "put on its thinking cap" and come up with a list of ten people to whom to send a postcard invitation. It might be neighbors, friends, co-workers, or former members you haven't seen in a while. Each church has 250 postcards to address (each with space for a short personal note). We'll "seed" the list with a few suggestions - but what will really make this fly is if you bring a list of names you personally know.
At Trinity Church, Gordon Lane and Donna Northam will lead the effort. At Christ Church, Suzanne George and Craig Davis will shepherd our work. The addressing should take only a few moments at or after coffee hour. Please come prepared to lend a hand.
Getting our churches ready for "Come and See"
One key element of "Come and See" is making sure our churches are clean, bright and attractive for when the guests we invite arrive. For the most part, both already are, thanks to the generous help of those who clean, garden, and help maintain our properties. There are always, however, tasks to be done: bushes to trim, windows to wash, details to attend to.
On the weekend of Sept. 12 and 13, we invite volunteers to come down to each of our churches prepared to take care of some of these items. Those who prefer inside work might bring window cleaning supplies or whatever is needed to make our churches sparkle. Those who prefer outside work might bring hedge trimmers or other such tools to tackle those tasks. Even a few minutes spent will help a lot - and, as the old saying goes, many hands make light work. Come join us!
Upcoming Dates
August
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All month
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Christ Church Capital Campaign Contact Team will be meeting with key donors in advance of September's Cottage Meetings rolling out the Campaign
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Sat./Sun.,
Aug. 29/30
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after all services
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"Postcard Addressing Party" for this fall's "Come and See" program - bring your list of contacts and help us address postcard invitations to friends and neighbors
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September
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Tues., Sept. 8
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"Come and See" invitation postcards being mailed (see Come and See dates below)
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Sat., Sept. 19
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5:00 p.m.
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Come and See: Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church, followed by hors d'oeuvres reception
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Sun., Sept. 20
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10:30 a.m.
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Come and See: Outdoor Eucharist and Open House at Christ Church - tours of new layout of Little Blessings to follow
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Mon., Sept. 21
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5:30-7:00
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Family Night Out debuts at Trinity Church (see article below)
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Tentative date: Weekend of Sept. 26/27
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Cottage Meetings rolling out Christ Church's Capital Campaign and seeking three year pledges of support
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Sun., Sept. 27
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8:45 a.m.
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Come and See: Holy Eucharist at Trinity, followed by Open House
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Public phase of Christ Church Capital Campaign
begins in September
 Growing Connections and Community: The Campaign for Christ Church is an invitation to make Christ Church's beautiful building more suitable for use by our own members and the Seacoast community through a renovation of the office/classroom wing and upgrades in our energy efficiency.
Through a series of Cottage Meetings in parishioners' homes this coming month, you will be invited to learn more not only about the scope of this campaign, but how your three-year pledge can make support of it easier and more affordable than you may have imagined. A small number of key leaders are currently being approached to provide a "head start" for our campaign. Our plan is to complete those calls by mid-September.
Over the next four weeks, we will use this space to address various aspects of the Campaign. This week, we will describe, in general terms, the projects being funded with your generous help. The Cottage Meetings will give us an opportunity to discuss these plans in more detail as well as solicit your support for their completion.
The funds we raise will allow our current office and classroom wing to be renovated to provide more flexible space; will fund a new, handicapped-accessible restroom; and updated, energy-efficient lighting not only in the wing, but throughout the building. The Lady Chapel will also be updated with better lighting and flexible seating for use by small groups at times other than worship.
The enhancements to the other rooms in the wing will allow our congregation and outside groups to use these spaces more effectively and for a wider variety of purposes. The renovation will emphasize creation of multi-use spaces, improved lighting, accessibility, and a brighter and more welcoming look.
Christ Church currently hosts a number of 12-step groups as well as Women Singing Out and the Seacoast Gay Men's Chorus on a regular basis. The renovations will allow us to serve such groups better and to attract other community groups looking for performance and meeting spaces.
The renovations may also allow us to make the office/classroom wing available to local non-profit and community groups in need of office space. We have already reached out to groups in the area who have expressed interest if we can add a handicapped-accessible restroom.Having a welcoming facility with a restroom that can accommodate persons with disabilities will enable us to serve our existing members and the community at large with a stronger, more vibrant presence.
These upgrades are designed to improve resources for our parish and to make Christ Church an even greater asset to the Seacoast community. It is clear that our continued role as a parish is dependent on making our resources more available to the community beyond our doors. Expanding our facilities and increasing our ministries will give us a foundation for success in the years ahead. Although these steps have the potential to help our parish financially, they are most importantly an extension of the mission that has defined us since our founding.
Choir rehearsals for both churches coming up!
Choir rehearsals for both Trinity Church and Christ Church will be starting up right after Labor Day. Thursday evening joint rehearsals will begin on September 10 at 7pm at Trinity Church. Beginning September 13, Sunday mornings at Trinity we will rehearse from 8 am until 8:30 am. At Christ Church we will rehearse right after the 10:30 service for 30 minutes. I will be there early on Sunday, September 6 at Trinity if anyone is willing and able to come in early. Likewise at Christ Church, I'll be happy to stay and rehearse. I'm just not sure how the holiday weekend may impact a scheduled rehearsal.
Anyone is welcome to sing in the choir. No experience is necessary. Any questions? Contact me at zaricki@comcast.net or call 603-436-1538.
I hope to see you there!
Alexis Zaricki
Shared Ministry Director of Music
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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
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