Again our hearts are rent by horrific news, this time of the worst mass shooting in our nation's history. As I write this, the Las Vegas Police are reporting nearly sixty dead and more than five hundred wounded. I can barely conceive of a number that high in terms of casualties. The numbers are staggering in and of themselves, and yet as we consider how an individual could do such a thing we realize that understanding is even harder to grasp.

 

In the coming hours and days, we will learn more, perhaps more than we ever want to, about the shooter, his motivations, his victims, and a host of other details that news outlets are already scrounging for. In our fear and anger we will all look to lay blame somewhere, be it on gun laws, mental health laws, international terrorism, or a host of other factors. All of our attempts to lay blame come from a desire to understand the how's and the why's, and hopefully prevent another similar event in the future. It is a completely normal and expected response, and yet none of it will undo this terrible evil that has been done. 

READ MORE HERE

Join us this fall for one of the many worship opportunities we're offering at Christ Church! On Saturdays, at 5:30 pm, we offer the Rite II Eucharist service at St. Ignatius Chapel on Demere Road. On Sundays, we start the morning in the historic church with the 8:00 am, 1928 Book of Common Prayer service, followed by two 9:15 am Eucharist services (usually Rite II) in the church and in the Parish Hall. At 9:15 am, we also offer Kidurgy, our Liturgy of the Word for our younger children. At 11:15 am, Rite I Eucharistic worship takes place in the church. On Wednesdays, the Healing Service is held at 12:00 pm in Christ Church.

Next Wednesday, October 11th, X Church begins again, at 6:30 pm, so make sure to join us for this wonderful time of pause and reflection in the middle of the week. There are also special worship services planned throughout the season, that you won't want to miss. To see the schedule for fall worship and read about all the programs and activities happening at Christ Church, click here.

Due to the impact of Hurricane Irma, the Diocese has postponed the Fearless Faith, Boundless Love Revival until Saturday, January 20, 2018. Click here for more details.

The eleven week study based on the book,  Convictions - How I Learned What Mattered Most , by Marcus Borg, continues in October on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm. Marcus Borg contends that Christians in America are at their best when they focus on hope and transformation, and return to what really matters most - bringing to earth the kingdom of God Jesus talked about and transforming our relationships with one another. The class is being  led by the Christ Church clergy team.

 

On Saturday  morning,  October 7, 2017, at 10:00 am, the Christ Church ECW will have their annual fall general meeting and brunch . The speaker for the morning will be Darcelle Burandt, who is beginning a wonderful new ministry in our area called "House of Hope". It is an outreach to young victims of human trafficking. She has renovated a house* in Brunswick where these victims can be safely housed and receive the counseling and treatment they might need. (Read more here.) All women from Christ Church are invited to attend the meeting and to come hear about this important mission in our community. 

Please contact the church office to let us know if you'll be attending, so that we may give the caterer an accurate headcount for the FREE brunch. 912-638-8683

Nursery care will be provided for children up to age 4.

* The house was slated to open before Hurricane Irma struck Glynn County. Unfortunately, a tree fell through the roof and now the roof and ceiling need repairs. If you'd like to help with this work, click here to make a donation.

Nearly everyone in the Christ Church family was affected by Hurricane Irma, some more dramatically than others. If you would like help others in our community and beyond, please consider making a donation to the Rector's  Discretionary Fund by check, or to Episcopal Relief and Development, either by check or making a donation on their website here:

http://www.episcopalrelief.org. Contributions made to Episcopal Relief may also be designated to help those affected by the more recent Hurricane Maria.

 

Do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? Then please join the Christ Church Comforters as they gather once a month to make prayer shawls for those who need warmth and comfort.  Some of the members also make watch caps which are distributed to the International Seafarers.  It's an excellent time of sharing and putting your skills to good use. Even if you don't knit or crochet, please plan to stop by and visit with us at our next meeting - Thursday, October 12th at 2:00 pm. (We've got plenty of talented yarnsmiths who will be glad to give you lessons!)  If you have any questions, please call Gay Barron at  770-366-5091 or by email to  [email protected]

 

Parents, mark your calendars for Friday, October 27th, for Parents' Night Out! Enjoy an evening out, while we entertain the kids from 5:30-9:30 pm in the Christ Church Parish Hall. Cost: FREE! Dinner, snacks, movie, games, bouncy house, and crafts will be provided. Child care is for children 12 and under only. Reservations are required. You may call, text or e-mail Kathleen at 512-750-9299 or at  [email protected] , to reserve a space.

 

John Hartland of HartYoga is offering a weekly class at Christ Church on Mondays at  11:00 am , starting  Monday, October 2 . The class will meet in the Parish Hall. John offers several classes around the island and is excellent.  Donations are accepted. (For example, when he offers his classes at Holy Nativity folks give a $10 donation).

Have you enjoyed Coffee Hour visiting with clergy, meeting new people and relaxing with friends?   We need volunteers for two-person teams who are willing to bring light refreshments once every four months.  If you would like to make Sundays even more meaningful, call Christine at 540-270-1215 or email [email protected] for more information.

Your Vestry is eager to get feedback from the congregation about the Christ Church Master Plan. Our Town Hall meetings scheduled for September were preempted by Hurricane Irma, but we think we can learn a lot from a simple survey.  

If you are not familiar with the Master Plan, you will want to familiarize yourself with it before responding to the survey. You can see an executive summary of the plan by clicking   here . 

Please take time, as soon as possible, to fill out our brief survey by clicking on the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCFMasterPlan

A few people have had difficulties logging in to the survey.  If you can't get the page to load, try cutting and pasting the website from the email into your browser's address bar.  Also, if you find that it isn't saving your answers as you take the quiz, try clicking "ok" when it pops up after each question before scrolling down. It may also be a cookie setting on your browser. You might try using another browser. If all else fails, come to the office for a paper copy! Please get survey responses in as soon as possible.

A recent  article on the Confetti Travel Cafe website, featured St. Simons and included historic Christ Church as a must-see destination.  Click here to read the article.

October 27, 2017

Parents' Night Out

October 29, 2017

EYC Souper Sunday Fundraiser

October 30, 2017

All Hallow's Eve Family Fun Fest

November 1, 2017

All Saints X Church Eucharist

November 2, 2017

Day of the Dead Family Activities and Evensong