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THE WEEKLY E-PISTLE
news & update
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SERVING THIS SUNDAY
Celebrant: Rev. Matthew McDermott
Preacher: Rev. Matthew McDermott
Deacons: Rev. Lauren P. McCombs
Organist: Lauren Wittine
Acolyte: Louise Delafield
Altar Guild: Carol Wentworth
Greeter: Tricia Christensen
Usher: Annemarie Redmond
Lesson: Mary Hufty
Epistle: Sarah Halsey
Intercessor: Casey McKibben
LEM: Angela Hey
Audio-Visual: Angela Hey, Lincoln M., Eamon M.
Flowers: Pam Kaufmann
Coffee Hour: Jim Szewczak
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Sunday, August 30
Church Service 10:00 am
Coffee hour 11:00 am
Wednesday, September 2
Women's Spirituality 10:00 am
Celebrations
Birthdays:
Sarah Kruberg, Christopher Hintz, Christa Enns
Anniversaries:
Christopher White & Rachel Bright, Tim & Wendy McAdam
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Pray for the special needs of our congregation and lift up the following individuals to God in prayer:
Remembrance
Dale Perkins, David Riggs, Carolyn Ruddell Samuels, Gwenn Gross, Elise Reed, Beverly Stewart, Francis Blake LeBaron, A. Michael Stewart, Mollie Nielsen,
Healing
Ward Paine, Barbara Creed, Chet Wrucke, Trish, Allison Grey, Shahla, Steve Millard, Rev. Davidson Bidwell-Waite, John Terwilliger, Lisa Bonfield, Stannye Llewellyn, Bruce McCombs, Dede Jamison, George Mallinckrodt, Peggy Dubes
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
If you have Gmail...
Gmail clips newsletters and displays a truncated version. To view the full newsletter message, look for the "[Message clipped] View entire message" link at the bottom of the email. Clicking the link will enable you to view the full newsletter email content.
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Photo of the Week
A Little Friendly Competition!
Children enjoy a ride with Mary at last week’s Welcome Back BBQ & Ministry Fair, while one determined young racer tries to see if he can beat
the carriage to the finish line!
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Last Week’s Highlights & Photos
I wasn’t able to get last week’s photos and highlights
ready in time (I was at the dentist!) for this newsletter,
so they will be featured next week.
Thank you for your patience
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A Grateful Heart
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who kept me in their prayers as I went through my recent dental procedure. I am grateful to share that everything went well, and I am now on the road to complete healing over the next few weeks.
Your prayers, kindness, and thoughtful concern have meant more to me than I can express. It is a beautiful reminder of the strength and comfort we find in being part of a caring parish community.
With sincere gratitude and appreciation,
Your Parish Administrator
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Welcoming Our New Soprano Section Leader
Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Barnett to Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside as our new Soprano Section Leader.
Jennifer is a talented vocalist, music educator, and choral conductor. She is a recent alumna of San José State University, where she earned both a Bachelor of Music in Choral and General Music Education and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting. She has also taught high school choir and music in San Francisco.
Jennifer brings a deep love of singing, teaching, and the power of choral music to bring people together. We are delighted to welcome her to our choir and look forward to the gifts, energy, and musical leadership she will share with our Christ Church community.
Welcome, Jennifer! We are so happy to have you with us.
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A Special Coffee Hour, Wishing Von Farewell
As we welcome Jennifer, we say farewell to Von. Von served as our soprano section leader from 2018-2026, and also frequently played the organ or directed the choir when Lauren was away. His distinctive soprano voice lifted our worship, and his kindness was a blessing on our community. This Sunday, he will attend coffee hour as we celebrate his time here.
Join us as we wish him best of luck in his future endeavors!
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Your generosity will help provide nourishment and hope to those facing hunger around the world.
Donate today at www.ccpvw.org/giving.
Please designate your gift: "Rise Against Hunger."
or
Scan the QR Code above
THANK YOU!
| Please click below to register & support | | |
Liberty Tree Dedication Ceremony
Our substitute organist, Catha Hall, is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and has invited our congregation
to this special community event.
The DAR will host a Liberty Tree Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, September 12, at 2:00 p.m. in Palo Alto. The Liberty Tree is a symbol of the ideals of liberty and the spirit of the American Revolution. The dedication will commemorate our nation's history and honor those whose service helped secure American independence.
Our Children’s Choir will also be participating in the ceremony and will sing as part of this special occasion. We are delighted to have our young singers represent our congregation at this wonderful community event.
All are welcome to attend. Please see the flyer below for the event location and additional details.
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Help SpiritCare enhance the spiritual and emotional well-being of older
adults in Bay Area care communities at our Uplifting Lives event. Hear
how our pastors and volunteers bring joy and community to seniors
who can no longer go out and about on their own.
We have some fun and fabulous raffle prizes that include elegant, as
well as casual, restaurant vouchers and special experiences. Enjoy
guitar music from Mark Lashley.
Let's help SpiritCare make a positive impact and uplift lives together!
See you there!
Sponsored by The Avant and Palo Alto Commons
Sign up on https://givebutter.com/Sept16
Questions? Call/text (650) 483-8328
or email events@spiritcareministry.org.
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VOICES IN THE VALLEY SPEAKER SERIES
Featuring
Dr. Ali Zaidi
How to Add 10 Healthy Years to Your Life
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2026 Tour de Menlo Scholarship Bike Ride!
Saturday, September 26
Rest Stop at Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside
The ride provides college scholarships
to students in underserved communities.
The more participants, the more scholarships that we're able to give.
It's a very impactful event!
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Grace Cathedral:
AURA
Select evenings through the summer.
Experience Grace Cathedral in a new light. AURA is an immersive sound and light installation that transforms the cathedral into a space for reflection, wonder, and contemplation.
Visitors are invited to explore the cathedral at their own pace while surrounded by music and luminous artwork.
For dates, tickets, and additional information, visit www.auragracecathedral.com
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Grace Cathedral:
Resonance
An evening of music, meditation, and reflection in the sacred beauty of Grace Cathedral. Resonance offers a contemplative experience designed to inspire stillness, wonder, and spiritual renewal.
Visit https://gracecathedral.org/series/bill-fontana-resonance/ for dates and ticket information.
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Mark Your Calendars Now!
Night of Light Gala
October 17, 2026 at 6:00PM
Julia Morgan Ballroom, 465 California Street, San Francisco
Join us for the gala of the year as you support our mission of a Bay Area where all our neighbors have access to the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.
Night of Light Attire Inspiration
Disco Glam: Bring your cocktail best with a hint of Studio 54, sequins, metallic fabrics, velvet, bold prints, or
anything that catches the light. Dress to dance! (Alt: gold lamé dresses; flowing, iridescent jumpsuits; platform shoes; tight hot pants; and colorful bell-bottoms)
Celebrating Our Community
Your generosity will allow Episcopal Impact Fund and the grantee organizations and congregations we support to continue to make the Bay Area a better place for those living in poverty.
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Women’s Spirituality Group meets on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 am to 11:30 am via Zoom.
We began our new book “Unbelievable: Why Neither Ancient Creeds Nor the Reformation Can Produce a Living Faith Today” by Bible Scholar and liberal Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.
Past books from our study are available in the church library under the Women’s Spirituality section, and all are welcome to borrow and continue exploring our shared readings.
Contact Mary Jennings at emjennings@aol.com for more information.
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Toiletry Drive for Coast House Shelter - We are collecting 50 sets of toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste and more) for Coast House shelter in HMB. Signup at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FA8AE2DA13-65157691-toiletry/1424163#/ then bring items to the box in the breezeway by noon Saturday August 29th.
Making Dinner for Coast House Shelter in HMB - On Saturday August 29th we need food choppers, flam bakers and container fillers as we make dinner for 70 at Coast House shelter. Contact Ruth Ann Wrucke.
Need Help Boxing: On Sunday during coffee hour help box up adult clothing for the Navigation Center shelter and children's clothing for Redwood Family shelter. Delivery volunteers are welcome. Contact Kathy Kennedy.
Volunteer for Rise Against Hunger & Donate: 100 volunteers needed to make 15,000 meals in 2 hours on Saturday September 12th, 10:00. 73 are signed up. The food packets we make go to the starving facing disasters like typhoons, drought and more. SIgnup now at https://act.riseagainsthunger.org/event/e813562 Donations for program costs can also be made on the site (we are 85% of the way to our $6100 goal). Contact Mary Soubirous or Suzy Redfern-West.
Hoptel: Provide hotel or full-sized toiletries, new men's undies (L/XL) and new men's socks every 90 days to this special short-term veteran's shelter in EPA. Put items in the marked box in the breezeway. Our next delivery is Monday.
EpiscoDisco tickets are available now: Dust off your sequinned bell bottoms and platform shoes then groove for good for the EpiscoDisco on Saturday October 17th, 6:00 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in SF, a benefit for the Episcopal Impact Fund. www/episcopalimpact.org. Contact Tricia Christensen.
In a Crisis: Hundreds are dead in Nepal/Tibet from a flash flood. When you want to help, but don’t know what to do, donate to World Central Kitchens. www.wck.org. They are first on the scene with warm meals and continue to help in Gaza, Ukraine and famine ravaged Haiti.
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September 27: Children’s Choir Sunday and Evensong at CCPVW
Our 10am service will feature the joyful singing of our children.
The Evensong Choir is a collaboration of Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside, Christ Church Los Altos, St. Mark’s Palo Alto, and St. Bede’s Menlo Park. Clergy, music directors, organists, and choirs come together to plan four services each year, one hosted by each participating church.
This year’s services are:
• September 27: Evensong at Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside
• November 1: Service and Fauré Requiem at St. Mark’s
• February 21: Evensong at St. Bede’s
• April 25: Evensong at Christ Church Los Altos
October 4: Feast of St. Francis and St. Clare
A wonderful outdoor Blessing of the Animals. All pets are welcome. A professional photographer will be available for portraits of animals and their humans. Volunteers are needed for setup and cleanup.
Contact Chantal, Parish Administrator.
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Forward Day-by-Day Daily Devotions
The August - October small and large format booklets are available in the church and the office, or email Chantal ( admin@ccpvw.org ) to have one mailed to you.
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Carillon Preschool
Open Enrollment 2026-2027
Book a Tour Today!
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Sunday Morning Ride From the Sequoias to Christ Church
Rides are now provided by The Sequoias at 9:30 AM on Sundays with a return pickup time at 11:30. Contact the Sequoias Transportation Department at X4117 or sign up in the transportation binder.
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Important Notice
Phishing Scam Alert
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We want to make you aware of a recent increase in phishing scams targeting members of faith communities, including ours. In these scams, individuals impersonate church leaders by sending fraudulent emails or text messages requesting gift cards, money, or personal favors.
Please know: These messages are scams. No one from Christ Church, will ever request gift cards or cash from you via text or email.
If you receive a suspicious message, do not respond. Instead, contact the church office directly to verify its authenticity.
Thank you for your vigilance and continued care for one another.
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Senior Warden: Lena Perkins
Co-Junior Wardens: Paul Lovoi and Ruth Ann Wrucke
Betsy Alexander
Sarah Halsey
Andy Pflaum
Mercer Stronck
If you wish to contact our vestry members, please contact Chantal
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A Request
Dear family and friends,
I create and assemble this online newsletter.
Submission deadline for this newsletter is Monday at noon, otherwise articles may need to be published the following week.
Many thanks,
Chantal with a smile
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Book affiliate links benefit Christ Church
Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside | ccpvw.org
Carillon School | carillonschool.org
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