Ministries and Outreach
Contact
Contact us: CHRISTEPISCOPAL@JUNO.COM
Links
To visit the site of Hezekiah Stone’s Coffeehouse go to:
Equal Exchange
Fair Trade
Coffee
At christ church we serve Equal Exchange Fair Trade Coffee. You can learn more about them at:
The Episcopal Church
To visit the web site of the National Episcopal Church go to:
The Episcopal Diocese of Western Masssachusetts
To visit the web site of The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts go to:
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Group will not be meeting on the following Thursdays: Dec 23 and 30
WHEN YOU WALKED AMONG US
Lord, when you walked among us, you embraced many. You embraced the young and the old. Your love gave life and courage to those who sought you. We, as your disciples, carry on the work you began 2,000 years ago. The shawls we make are created with your prayers upon our lips and your prayers within our hearts. We pray that your spirit of love, joy, and compassion be entwined in each thread. We pray that your spirit of love and hope embrace those who receive our shawls. We pray that we may always be faithful servants of our loving Lord. - Mike Kiley
ECW
Thanksgiving is now a delightful memory and we’re in the midst of the Christmas season. The days are laden with busy shoppers, wrapping presents and baking Christmas cookies! Oh, those Christmas cookies…I can remember the day when my sister and I would bake 11 different kinds. Everyone had their favorites, I loved the Chocolate Kringles, Mom loved the Snowballs and Spritz, my Dad and Sister had their favorites but enjoyed each and every one. They were all stored in Christmas tins and brought out after each meal. I would encourage you to bake cookies this year and share them with neighbors and friends. There is nothing like a cup of tea and a cookie to put a smile on your face.
At this magical time of year, I can’t help but think of the Bulman Family! Their grandson, Shamus was born on November 13! Now, with four generations under one roof, they will be celebrating the child’s first Christmas. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shamus and his family during this special season as his father is serving in the U. S. Military in Afghanistan. We wish his father “God’s Blessings” as he serves his country and wish him a safe return home.
“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing others’ loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts become for us the magic of Christmas.” W. C. Jones
Join us for the next meeting of the ECW on Monday, January 3 at 7:00 PM.
Happy Christmas to all!
Respectfully Submitted
Kathy Israelian-Fleming
Gift Cards
Did you know....A family loses a parent or job, suffers an accident, illness or disability and in turn loses their place to live. It happens somewhere every day....it happens here every day!! As a result each night in Worcester County hundreds of children sleep in church halls, homeless shelters, vehicles, or "doubled up" with others willing to take them in. For these children, academic success, friendships, good health and a bright future becomes less attainable outcomes in life.....HOPE FOR HOUSING
What can you do? Take the time to pick up your HOPE FOR HOUSING Gift Card at church on Sunday. You use the full value of the card and the supermarket donates a percentage of what you spend to prevent families in Worcester County from becoming homeless.
Thank you for your continued support of HOPE FOR HOUSING gift cards.
What can you do? Take the time to pick up your HOPE FOR HOUSING Gift Card at church on Sunday. You use the full value of the card and the supermarket donates a percentage of what you spend to prevent families in Worcester County from becoming homeless.
Thank you for your continued support of HOPE FOR HOUSING gift cards.
Deacon, Audrey Cronin
Church School Cookie Bake
It’s time to get in the holiday spirit with some cookie baking and decorating! All young people of the Church School are invited to remain after coffee hour on Sunday, December 12, for a festive cookie bake: we’ll have dough and cookie cutters aplenty as well as already-baked cookies and decorating materials, ready to create our own beautiful and delicious holiday treats. If mature members of the parish would like to offer your help, please be in touch with Cookie Mastermind Sean Connly.
Leicester Food Pantry
From Cheryl Cooney, Director of the Leicester Food Pantry: “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! You've done it again..... taken organized chaos and put smiles on the faces of 180 Leicester families. Through the generosity of you, our town, lots of silent donors, and the Worcester County Food Bank we have managed to fill the baskets and provide for Thanksgiving dinner and additional food items to get our shoppers through the holiday weekend. NONE of this could have been accomplished without your hard work and dedication! Best part of the whole deal? In four weeks, we get to do it again!”
Chip’s Chatter
The month of December is upon us and with that come some special days to remember besides Christmas. On December 6th, it is the Feast Day of a bishop in Asia Minor, Turkey today. This bishop lived in the 4th century and was at the Council of Nicea where the Nicene Creed we say on Sunday was created. He was a young man when he became a bishop and gave away his wealth inherited from his parents. He was generous and always helping people in many ways because he felt he was helping our Lord Jesus Christ himself. There are many stories about him and many churches named after him around the world.
Of course, his name is St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Turkey. He was the original Santa Claus of today. People around the world celebrate December 6th with gift giving and all sorts of treats. On Sunday December 5th, we will celebrate his life and good deeds at the 9:00 AM service and at coffee hour after. I invite you to come to worship with us. There will be no Church School because everyone will be in church to celebrate St. Nicholas, and watch there may be a surprise at the service.
Love, Joy, Peace
Chip
Mission Committee
The parishioners of Christ Church are wonderfully caring and giving people and many are the examples that speak to this generous spirit! The Mission Committee was formed in part to help focus and channel this compassion to local, national, and international concerns. It is not the intention of this committee to dictate this parish’s involvement in projects but rather to elicit suggestions, determine the feasibility of a particular undertaking, and to help see it to fruition. It is also our charge to help circumvent compassion burnout and to avoid duplication of efforts!
While some outreach will target immediate or seasonal needs such as the local food bank, warming tree or, should the need arise, disaster relief, other projects might be of a larger scope that will require a greater time and financial commitment such as a well for a village in Liberia. Please bring your ideas to any of the following committee members: Mairgread Gray, Chip Leis, Mary Levesque, Peggy Prynoski, Cathy Racine and Rev. Molly Scherm.
The Warming Tree
You’ve heard the expression “cold hands, warm heart” but sometimes cold hands mean just that. You can help keep some young hands (and heads) warm this winter by donating hats, mittens, gloves, and even scarves. Throughout Advent bring your donations in and place them on the warming tree. In time for Christmas the items will be collected and distributed to needy children.
The tree will also be decorated with tags holding the first name and age of a child and a suggested gift item. If you would like to participate simply remove a tag (or tags), purchase a gift, wrap it and bring it back into church. Please be sure to attach the nametag on the gift as well. The deadline is Sunday by Dec 19.
Simple gestures guaranteed to warm your heart.
Hezekiah Stone’s Coffeehouse
On Thursday, December 2 the Coffeehouse will present renowned singer/songwriter Bob Franke for an evening of great entertainment. In "Dragged Into Christmas," Bob’s inimitable brand of one-person musical theater meets the holidays, with funny and touching results. Bob reserves the first half of the evening for his usual non-holiday show, but in the second half, the increasing holiday pressure pulls him beyond the event horizon into a Christmas (and Hanukkah) show of 21st century re-interpretations of the Christmas story and a celebration of the profoundly ambivalent hold it has on American culture. Christmas comes whether you want it to or not, and Bob's show has something in it for folks on both sides of that line. Whichever side you're on, you'll have a good time. The show begins at 7:30 PM; tickets are $15.
Sunshine Secretary
Whenever you know of someone who is sick or celebrating a special occasion, or is just in need of a kind thought/prayer, please call Gertrude Greenleaf the ECW Sunshine Secretary and she will gladly send a thoughtful card along from their friends at Christ Church.
Christmas Giving
Calling all knitters/crocheters - Yarn and some knitting needles are available for making hats/scarf’s/mittens for our Christmas giving this year to those community families in need. Yarn etc. boxes are located on the top shelf over the children's coat rack in the parish hallway. Please help yourself. Completed items can be left in the church office.
