The Chimes
The Newsletter of Christ
Church, Swansea,
MA
September 2005
From the Priest-in-Charge
Dear friends:
As I write this, we are
continuing to hear more daily about how Hurricane Katrina has devastated areas
of the Gulf Coast,
and left thousands of our brothers and sisters homeless and hurt. Hundreds more
are lost or have died, leaving family members in enormous grief. Whole communities have been lost, and the
scope of the destruction and the emotional toll is staggering.
In the passage from St.
Paul’s letter to the church in Rome
that we heard last Sunday, he reminds Christians to “Rejoice in hope…Rejoice
with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” When we wonder how God is possibly present at a time like this,
we can do no better than to remember these words. For as members of Christ’s body, one of our chief calls is to be
united one to another by holding each other in prayers, helping to ease each
other’s burdens, and sharing each others pain and suffering. We do this because Jesus Christ first
accompanied us in all these things; and because he continues to be there with
every human being who cries out in loneliness, pain, or need. And when we do the same, we are as Christ to
our brothers and sisters. This is truly
to help each other, even in the face of profound darkness, to “rejoice in hope.”
I don’t know why this hurricane
happened, or any other disaster. I
don’t even know if that is the best question to ask. What I do know – and so do you – is that God is experienced most
profoundly in the compassion and mercy and love that we show to one another in
the name of Jesus Christ – because he first showed that love to the world. We can help make that love and hope apparent
even in the face of the devastation of the hurricane, through our prayers and
relief efforts. We can make it known to
one another in our everyday lives. Let
us begin this new season together by being beacons of hope by pledging to love,
support, and uphold one another both here in the community of Christ
Church, and in the community of the
wider and church and the world. Rejoice
in hope! That is our call.
Please continue to pray for one
another, for me, and for our brothers and sisters in the Gulf
Coast area. And do know of my ongoing prayers and
thanksgiving for all of you.
Faithfully,
Beth+
Worship and Christian Formation
Join Our Fantastic Sunday
School!
Registration for Sunday
School for Pre-K through Grade 8 will take place on Sunday, September 11, at
9:30 am and again immediately
following the 10:00 service. Weather permitting, we will have
Registration outside. In the case of
rain, we’ll be in the Parish House. Sunday
School will begin the following week, September 18, at 9:45
am.
Please note the change in time
for the beginning of Sunday School. As
our children now regularly participate in Holy Eucharist, we want to be sure
they also have a little extra time for their learning and fellowship. We are also very excited about our Sunday
School program for the year. It is a
hands-on, participatory program that includes Bible stories, and sessions on
our liturgy, sacraments, and Episcopal heritage. It will include elements of drama, art, storytelling, games,
worship, and various other activities.
You can see our lesson plans and our Sunday School setting when you
register on September 11! We very much
hope that parents will be able to get children to church by 9:45,
and we will also have coffee on in the Parish House, so that you may have a few
minutes for a quick cup and some fellowship with other parents before church.
Sunday School Painting
Project
Part of our new Sunday School
program involves the painting of some murals on the walls of our education
area, and some decoration. If you are
good with colors, paintbrushes, or fabrics – or just enjoy working with them –
and can spare an hour or two, your help would be greatly appreciated! Please call Lori-Ann Bernstein
(774-644-2579) or Beth Grundy (508-678-0923) if you are interested.
Choir is Starting Up!
Please consider adding your
voice to our Choir! The Choir will
start rehearsals on Thursday, September 15, at 7:00
pm in the church, and will rehearse every Thursday evening.
Except for the first Thursday of the month.
For those who are unable to be present on Thursdays, or for those who
love to sing enough to rehearse twice in a week, Al Deston will also hold
rehearsals on Sunday mornings, beginning at 9:00
am. The first Sunday
rehearsal will be on September 18.
We are hoping that these two times will create some flexibility for
those of you who have considered joining the choir. Even if you cannot be present every Sunday, it is possible to
make choir a part of your life at Christ
Church. You will be glad you did!
Please feel free to contact Al Deston (508-674-2245) if you have any
questions.
Youth News
Youth Group
Youth Group will begin in early October. There will be a special planning meeting
later in September, and all members will get a mailing or phone call with
details.
Diocesan Youth Retreats for 2005/2006
Mark your calendars now for two upcoming retreats to be
held at the Barbara C.
Harris Center:
October 28-30,
2005 Junior High Retreat
February 10-12,
2005 Senior High Retreat
More information may be obtained at www.diomassyouth.org, or by calling Rob
Bacon or Suzy Spressert, at 617-482-4826.
Outreach
Hurricane Relief
The Episcopal Relief and
Development has already sent much needed funds to the dioceses of Central
Gulf Coast, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Please consider making a donation to the
continued work of ERD towards the massive work of relief and rebuilding needed
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Donations may be made online at www.er-d.org,
by calling ERD at 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129, or by mailing a check payable to
Episcopal Relief and Development to:
ERD, Box 12043, Newark,
NJ 07101-5043. Many, many thanks.
Blood
Drive
Christ
Church will soon host a Blood
Drive sponsored by the American Red Cross. Peggy Deston and Marsha Gauthier are
co-chairpersons for this mission. It
will take place in the Parish House on Thursday, September 29, from 2
– 7 PM. Won’t you
consider giving the gift of life?
We will also need some homemade
baked items for the donors’ refreshments.
If you are able to contribute, please contact Marsha Gauthier at
508-678-6486.
Soup Kitchen
We have received a letter of
thanks from Agatha Goodson, Site Coordinator of the Soup Kitchen at the Church
of the Ascension. Our contributions are
much appreciated by the 100-120 hungry and homeless patrons that they feed
twice a week. She enclosed a list of
needed items:
1. 8
oz Styrofoam cups for hot drinks. (Cold drink cups not needed.)
2. 6”
(not larger) paper dessert plates
3. napkins
4. paper
towels
5. Evaporated
milk
6. canned
vegetables
7. any
kind of soup (except tomato)
8. potato
buds (instant potatoes)
9. saltine
crackers
10. spaghetti sauce
11. cooking spray
12. sugar
13. margarine
14. salt
15. baked beans
16. tomato sauce and
diced tomatoes
17. tin foil
18. plastic gallon
freezer bags and wrap
19. mustard
20. ketchup
21. parmesan Cheese
22. Jello – sugar free
Crop Walk – Help Stop Hunger
Sign up for the Crop Walk, on Saturday,
October 15 to raise money for local food pantries, food banks and meal
sites. This is a nationwide campaign,
under the auspices of the Church World Service, which also provides shelter and
food for refugees and displaced families.
Registration is at 11
am at the Church of Our
Saviour, Somerset
and the 5 mile (2 mile option) Walk begins at noon. Helpers are also needed to assist at
registration and water stops. For more
information or to sign up, please call Jane Robinson at 508 678-1123.
Fellowship and Community
Book Group
The next meeting of the Christ
Church Book Group will be on Wednesday, September 28, at 7:00
pm. We will meet in the
Parish House, and we will be discussing My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi
Picoult. Everyone welcome!
Founder’s Festival
On Saturday, October 15, the First
Baptist Church
in Swansea will hold its Third
Founder’s Festival. This is a wonderful
opportunity to see the fine work of some of our local artists, enjoy fun
activities for all ages, have some great food, and celebrate being part of the
community. Please take a look at the
notice on our church bulletin board.
And if you are an artist or crafter who would like to display your work,
pick up a copy of the registration form on the bulletin board, or call the First
Baptist Church
office at 508-379-9728.
Stewardship
Thank You!
Many, many thanks to all of you who
responded so quickly to your Vestry’s letter telling you of a shortfall in our
pledges. Your efforts have been
enormously helpful, and we are steadily working toward catching up. It is through the faithful efforts of each
member of the parish that Christ Church
carries out its ministries. Your
contribution through your stewardship makes an enormous difference. Thank you!
Join the Stewardship Committee
Now
that the word is out that Beth will become our rector, this is all the more
reason for you to join the Stewardship Committee. As you may know, when I took over the Stewardship Committee
chairperson role about 1 ½ years ago, it would be for a 2 year term. Why?
Joining a committee should not mean you are married to it for the rest
of your life, like so many of us do!
When I recruited the members to come on the wild ride with me I said it
was for 2 years, and if any of you know me, what I say is what I mean! Long story short, 4 people are ready to move
into other areas of Christ Church
to serve in other ways. The ground work
has been done, Beth is coming on board with a wonderful passion for this
ministry, a year of planning will already be laid out for you, and you only
meet 4 times a year….What better place
to start volunteering? If you are
interested, and surely would not like me to call again (smile) please contact
me 508-675-9974 or Beth at the office 508-678-0923.
Diane Stains
Stewardship Conference
The Church
of Our Saviour in Somerset
is sponsoring a one-day Stewardship Conference on Saturday, October 1,
at the Johnson and Wales Inn in Seekonk. Highlights will include a panel of youth and
young adults sharing their ideas about living the Gospel, workshops around
year-round stewardship, and opportunities to network with our brothers and
sisters from various parishes about stewardship resources. This Conference is open to the Mount
Hope/Buzzard’s Bay Deanery of which we are a part, and Our Saviour is inviting
each parish to send teams of up to five people. This is of special interest if you are a member of the
Vestry, the Stewardship Committee, or someone who is feeling committed to
helping Christ Church
move more fully into God’s dream for us in the next years to come! Please let
Beth Grundy know if you are interested in attending.
Stewardship Education Forums
Many
of you have expressed interest in having some education around the idea of
stewardship – that is, the organization of our time, our money, and our various
gifts – as a vital part of the Christian life.
To respond to this interest, we will have a two part program on Sunday, October 2 and Sunday,
October 9, in the Parish House on “Stewardship as a Way of Life.” The program will be held between our
services, beginning at 9:00 am and
ending at 9:45 am. There will be no sermon on those two days –
rather, we will use some of our time during the program to share our own
experiences of giving and look at how we can use Holy Scripture to encourage
and teach us in these matters. Coffee
and pastries will be provided.
Cemetery Committee and Students
Committee work is part of our stewardship of our time, and
we are very grateful to Kathy Reed and Betty Traynor of the Cemetery Committee,
as they helped to oversee the work of students from Roger
Williams College,
who spent a day of community service working in the Cemetery. This is part of a program for first-year
students at Roger Williams
College, and was introduced to the
vestry by Peggy Deston. These students
did a fabulous job of helping to paint fences, fix stone walls, and trimming
brush. The results are wonderful, and
we are very thankful!
Vestry Notes
July
At the meeting of July
12, 2005, the Vestry’s primary discussion centered around a
shortfall in pledges. It was agreed
that we would write a letter to the parish, informing them of the situation,
and asking them to work with us to get our pledges up-to-date. The vestry also authorized the Treasurer to
cash in a CD to cover expenses if necessary.
It was noted that a grant from
the Hathaway Memorial Fund has come to us for further restoration of four more
of our stained glass windows.
Restoration will begin in August, and we are very grateful.
It was decided that we would
like Christ Church
to sponsor a group of first-year students from Roger
Williams College
in their requirements of community service.
August
There was no vestry meeting in
August. The next meeting of the vestry
will be on Tuesday, September 13, at 7:15 pm.
Sunday Lectionary Readings
–September 2005
Sunday, September 4 – Proper
18
Ezekiel 33:7-11
Psalm 119:33-40
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 18:15-20
Sunday, September 11 –
Proper 19
Ecclesiasticus 27:30 – 28:7
Psalm 103:8-13
Romans 14:9-12
Matthew 18:21-35
Sunday, September 18 –
Proper 20
Jonah 3:10 – 4:11
Psalm 145:1-8
Philippians 1:21-27
Matthew 20:1-16
Sunday, September 25 –
Proper 21
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm 25:1-14
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:28-32
See you at the Harvest Festival on September 10!!
The deadline for submissions for the October issue
of the Chimes is Monday, September 19!