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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 the Vicar...
Reconnecting after a long, hot summer
We've reached the end, so it seems, of the long days of summer and life is settling back into its normal fall and winter rhythm. In our seaside communities, people are starting to return to their off-season homes, and some who were elsewhere for the summer soon return.
In recent weeks, I've noticed a trend that has concerned me - and which I hope ends now that fall is on the doorstep. I don't know if it was the high heat and humidity (which affects Christ Church, which lacks air conditioning, more than cool, comfortable Trinity), but attendance fell noticeably this summer from the levels of a year ago. As a colleague of mine noted in her church newsletter recently, it is very difficult for a congregation to function as a community of faith if it does not gather regularly to worship God, reflect on Scripture, and greet each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. While it is absolutely true that Christ is present even in the midst of a small group, more faces and voices bring more joy and energy to our prayer and praise. I can only pray we "bounce back" with the arrival of fall and our "Come and See" weekends.
A corollary to our sagging summer attendance has been a tendency for folks to get behind in our pledging. (I suppose this only makes sense, since folks tend to fall behind if they are not in church regularly.) Pledge statements went out in July, and some have caught up since - but we may need to ask if God is calling us to add a bit extra, given where our congregational checkbooks stand. Don't sense any panic here: we are in no immediate danger of not being able to pay our bills. But the budget this year has no room for error, and we really need everyone to follow through.
As we enter the third year of our Covenant with one another, it is our participation - through our presence, ideas, vision, energy, and financial giving - that will show whether the Shared Ministry is succeeding at its goals of rebuilding and renewing our ministry, or if the energy and enthusiasm of the last couple of years is fading a bit.
We are strongest when we gather together. Please make it a priority as the fall begins to unfold!
Fr. Chip
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.
Last weekend, we invited volunteers to come down to each of our churches prepared to take care of some of these items. Alas, Sunday, in particular, didn't cooperate weather-wise. We'd like to try again this Saturday, Sept. 19 (especially at Christ Church, where the bushes are looking awful!). If you have tools - or a long extension cord to use with our electric bush trimmer - please bring them. Many hands make light work, and it would be nice to have our properties looking attractive as our "Come and See" events get underway.
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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Sept. 20
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Village Pre-School director Ginny Bridle & her staff; John Kristiansen & LuAnn Gaudet of Trinity Church; Ruth Power of Christ Church
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Sept. 27
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The Building & Grounds ministry at Christ Church; Cassie & Ben Leavitt of Trinity Church
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Family Night Out draws near - can you help?
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. "Family Night Out" represents a bold and daring step to bring young people, especially families with children, back into fold. "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 on line by Fr. Chip, and he now has the "notebook" which contains everything needed to successfully plan an easy program for kids aged preschool through 5th grade.
While the 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 will need to provide a simple, child-friendly meal on the 3rd Monday of each month. It can be spaghetti, pizza, mac and cheese - nothing complicated or fussy is necessary.
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, and lots of word-of-mouth.
Our thanks for all you can do to make this a success.
Upcoming Dates
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September
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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
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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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12 noon
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Parish Gathering rolling out Christ Church's Capital Campaign and seeking three year pledges of support
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October
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Sun., Oct. 4
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10:30 a.m.
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Come and See: Holy Eucharist at Christ Church, followed by Blessing of the Animals
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Mon., Oct. 5
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5:30-7:00
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Family Night Out at Trinity Church
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Mon., Oct. 19
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Family Night Out at Trinity Church
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Sat./Sun.,
Oct. 24/25
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at all services
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Fall stewardship campaign gets underway: five weeks, concluding Nov. 15
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Growing Connections and Community
Capital Campaign gets underway; parish presentation to be made Sept. 27 after the 10:30 Eucharist
As our concerned and involved parishioners know, we have much to be grateful for here at Christ Church. Christ Church has been a gathering place of prayer for over 130 years and we celebrate that heritage which has shaped its mission over portions of three centuries.
As vicar, and with the enthusiastic approval of the Bishop's Committee, I look forward to the opportunity to discuss with our Christ Church members and neighbors our Growing Connections and Community capital campaign.
This Campaign 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. The current offices will be renovated to provide more flexible space; a new, handicapped-accessible restroom will be added; and updated, energy-efficient lighting will be installed. 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.
Members and friends of Christ Church will be asked to make a commitment to the capital fund over a three-year giving period at a gathering after church on Sunday, September 27. Please make every effort to be present, as important information will be shared. Pledges made during this gathering, or in a short response period following, will begin in Advent, 2015 and will continue through November, 2018. Those who cannot attend on this day will be contacted so all may have the opportunity to participate.
Your acceptance of this invitation will be greatly appreciated and will be a sign of your commitment to "Growing Connections and Community" and this congregation we all so deeply love.
Fr. Chip
The difference our new, more efficient boiler makes
This week, Christ Church received the final reconciliation of its gas bill for 2014/15 (we use a budget plan to equalize payments over the year). To our happy surprise, even despite the long, cold winter we faced last year, our gas bill ended up over $3,000 less than budgeted ($10,169 vs. $13,200 for the church and Little Blessings combined). By contrast, the older, less efficient boiler in the rectory came in about $135 over budget. The replacement of that boiler is on our "project list" for the upcoming Capital Campaign - which should mean considerable gas savings in the years to come.
Crafts for Christ Church Christmas Fair
Craft days for the Christ Church Christmas Fair are October 3rd, 24th, and November 14th. They will be at Liz & Lynda's home at 14 Kensington Road, Hampton Falls, NH from 1 pm to 4 pm. All are welcome and encouraged to bring your crafty hands and minds.
Lynda Swartz
Choir rehearsals for both churches continue
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.
Anyone is welcome to sing in the choir. No experience is necessary. Any questions? Contact me at zaricki@comcast.net or call 603-436-1358.
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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