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July 26, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE
Sunday school teachers, please plan to attend a brief Sunday school meeting on Sunday, August 13th, in the Vestry Room, immediately following the 9:15 am service. Thank you! 

Sunday school and fall programs at Christ Church will be kicking off on August 20th! (Click here for more information.) 


Rector's Ramblings


Some of you will remember the show, Extreme Home Makeover, which was very popular ten or so years ago. The producers would find a family with some kind of need, build and furnish a new home in a matter of days, and then present the home with great fanfare. We had one of the homes in the last town I served in, and it was truly amazing to see how much a large group of organized people could do. It was almost like an Amish barn raising. Each episode included the arrival of the family, who were shielded from seeing the home right away by a large bus. In anticipation of the unveil, the crowd of volunteers and the new homeowners would start chanting, "move that bus, move that bus!" It was high drama and often accompanied by tears. It was feel good TV at its best.
 
There was a similar sense of anticipation as we gathered on Sunday to hear the feedback from our Master Planners about what we might consider for our future. During the introductory slides that recapped where we had been to get to this point, there was a sense of wanting it to click on through to the juicy part, the findings from five months of listening, data gathering, and brainstorming. Granted, they had large photo boards visible from the start, but the anticipation was real, nonetheless. Everyone restrained themselves though; I heard no chanting of, "click that mouse, click that mouse!"


Worship


Ordination of The Rev. Deacon Ashton Williston
Please join us at Christ Church, Frederica on Saturday, August 5th, at 10:30 am, for the ordination to the priesthood of our Curate, Ashton Williston. Following the service, there will be a reception in the Parish Hall. All are invited.
 
Blessing of the Backpacks and Commissioning of the Sunday School Teachers on August 13th
On Sunday, August 13th, at the 9:15 service, we will be blessing the children's backpacks and commissioning our Sunday school teachers. Please come, if you are student, no matter your age, and bring your backpack so we can bless you as you begin a new school year! 

Christian Formation is an important ministry at Christ Church. The Sunday school teachers volunteer their time and efforts to deepen the faith and understanding of the Gospel for our children and adults. If you are a Sunday school teacher, please join us at the 9:15 service as we commission you to start a new program year!  

Icon Writing Workshop in August
Icon  writing is much more than learning to paint an  icon; a painting depicting Jesus, Mary, angels or saints. Orthodox Christians consider making  icons more a form of prayer than art, and believe the writer's hand is guided by God as s/he writes in paint. Each brush stroke is a meditative act. Those who have painted  icons describe the experience as deeply spiritual and faith-enhancing.
 
Our instructor is Fr. David Holland, who has been teaching icon writing for  24  years. No previous artistic ability is needed. Fr.  David  has never had anyone not finish an  icon . We will  write  the  icons  shown above.
 
Our icon writing workshop August 20th-26th is limited to 16 people, so please register soon. We will meet in the Christ Church Parish Hall from 5:00 to 8:00 pm on Sunday - Thursday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm on Friday and 8:30 am - 12:00 pm on Saturday.
 
The only thing you need to bring is a willing spirit, as Fr. David will furnish all materials and instruction. On Sunday, August 27, our icons will be blessed during Sunday morning services. The cost for the workshop is $425. To register, call the church office at 912-638-8683. For more information, contact Mtr. Becky at Becky@ccfssi.org or give her a call.

Flower Donations
If you would like to glorify the altar at Christ Church by donating flowers in honor or in memory of a loved one or friend, please contact Ethel Horton at 912-634-8327.

Who Was St. Athanasius?
By John La Boone

"Jesus became what we are that he might make us what he is." - St. Athanasius of Alexandria

Last time, I wrote about the Feed My Sheep food bank that is a mission of our sister church, St. Athanasius Episcopal, in Brunswick. Among other things, that got me to wondering about the saint for whom that church is named, so I did a little research and found out that he had quite a life and career.
 
He is most often referred to as St. Athanasius of Alexandria but is sometimes called Athanasius the Great or Athanasius the Confessor. In the Coptic Orthodox Church he is known as Athanasius the Apostolic. During his lifetime he was called Athanasius Contro Mundum, which is Latin for "Athanasius against the world" because he had so many adversaries and he was not shy at all about standing up to them and championing what he believed was the truth. That included four different emperors of Rome who exiled him on five occasions. Some of his enemies called him "the black pigmy." It seems that he was short and dark skinned. Just shows that then, as now, church people sometimes give in to the temptation to personally malign those with whom they disagree. 

Revival: Fearless Faith, Boundless Love


The Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, is traveling throughout the country this year offering a series of revivals. On Sunday, September 17th, the  Diocese of Georgia will offer a revival based on Fearless Faith and Boundless Love. Join us for a day of renewal and to celebrate the life and legacy of a Saint in Georgia, Deaconess Anna Alexander. The revival worship will use the propers for Deaconess Anna Alexander of Georgia (1865-1947) and displays, handouts, and a video will tell the story of this saint of Georgia.

The day begins with a service at Good Shepherd, Pennick where Deaconess Anna Alexander served.  At 2:00 pm, parishioners from all over the diocese of Georgia will gather under a large tent on the grounds of Honey Creek Retreat Center to hear the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, as he shares his message of love and renewal. Please save September 17, as it will be a day to celebrate our faith together and to share it with others. For more information and to register online, click here . Because parking at Honey Creek is very limited, we will be arranging group transportation from Christ Church. Details will be available in coming weeks.


Formation 


Summer Reading Club
On  Thursday, August 17th, at 11:00 am, the summer reading group will discuss the book  "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi. 

 Please call the Church Office before  August 13th to make a reservation.



EYC Summer Activities


Our EYC helping the Christ Church team of volunteers at Manna House.

Our EYC has been busy this summer with fellowship and outreach projects. On Monday, July 24th, the EYC helped serve lunch at Manna House. On August 13th, the youth are invited to the EYC Back to School Drop-In at the Parker's! For more information, contact Brad Hamil at brad@ccfssi.org.

Sunday School Starts on August 20th!SundaySchoolStarts
August 20th will be the first day of Sunday school for children and youth! Teachers and students will meet in their rooms with their classes for a short time to get acquainted. No lesson this day, just a time to introduce everybody and share. There will be a picnic on the lawn immediately following the 11:15 service (see article below). Please encourage friends and neighbors to come and join in the fun! We will also have Kidurgy during both the 9:15 and 11:15 services.

Fall Programs Kick-Off Cookout - Chillin' and Grillin'!


Please join us on Sunday, August 20th, immediately after the 11:15 service, when we will be Chillin' and Grillin' on the lawn! The church will provide hamburgers, hotdogs, buns, condiments, iced tea, lemonade and paper products - you bring your FAVORITE SUMMER COOKOUT SIDES, SALADS, and DESSERTS! Tables and chairs will be set up, but please feel free to bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. Donations will also gladly be accepted to help offset the costs. There will be games and activities for children and a good time for everyone, as we kick off the new program year! Feel free to invite guests and neighbors to join us!
 
SNOW IN THE SUMMER?!?!
One of the activities will include snowballs!  Come and see a snowball fight at Christ Church!
 




AND NOW...for the main event...THE TANK!
 
Want to make a splash and make a difference at the same time? Here's Your Chance!

In addition to all of the other fun activities, we will be auctioning off our Clergy, Staff, and our Senior Warden to sit in a dunk tank. The highest bidder will get to throw the first pitch at the person of your choosing. The money collected from the dunk tank auction will support our children, youth, and family ministries.   For questions please contact Ashton at ashton@ccfssi.org or Brad at brad@ccfssi.org . Don't miss an opportunity to submerge our clergy and staff, out of love, of course, and for a good cause!


Outreach


School Supplies Needed
Bring your donations to the church office.
The start of a new school year is just a few weeks away! There are many families in the area that struggle to provide the needed school supplies for their children. In the past few years, Christ Church has worked with GEM (Glynn Episcopal Ministries) to make sure area students have the materials they need for a successful school year. Your generous donations in previous years have gone to help six area schools! Please see the following list and consider helping our area students by donating these school supplies and leaving them in the church office by August 13th. 

Items Needed: Backpacks, #2 pencils, Colored pencils, Pencil boxes and pouches, Pencil sharpener, Pencil top erasers, Pink erasers, Glue sticks, Crayons (16 and 24 packs), Large crayons (8 pack), Scissors - Fiskars for the lower grades, Wide rule composition notebooks, Single subject spiral notebooks, Primary paper, Loose leaf notebook paper, 2-pocket folders, Pocket folders with prongs, Black or blue pens, 3-ring binders, Markers, Highlighters, Composition books with grid paper

Fellowship

 
Celebrating Hospice Volunteer Charlotte Raymond
Christ Church member Charlotte Raymond has been a dedicated volunteer at Hospice of the Golden Isles for thirty five years, first serving as a member of the board and then by spending years visiting patients, creating scrapbooks for them, knitting prayers shawls and so much more. This year, her faithful service is being honored at the  "Cocktails With Charlotte" fundraiser party at 6:00 pm on August 3, 2017, in the Sea Palms Clubhouse on St. Simons Island. Admission is $25 per person. The event will feature heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, a silent auction and a live auction that will feature a number of Raymond's prayer shawls and many other items. If you would like more information about the event, please visit hospice.me. If you would like to read more about Charlotte in the recent Coastal Illustrated article about her, click here.
 
Coffee Hour Hosts NeededCoffeeHour
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 christinehplank@yahoo.com for more information.


Stay Informed


Planning for the Future at Christ ChurchPlanningPresentation
 
The Parish Master Plan Presentation took place on Sunday, July 23, 2017. If you were unable to attend,  the final Master Plan documents and presentation are available to review online  here


Pastoral Concerns


Prayer List

Please help us keep the prayer list current by notifying Mtr. Becky of any changes in the status or condition of your loved one.
  
Nancy Acree
George Almasi
Kurt Anderson
Sherri Applebee
Malicia Atkinson
Kris Barkley    
Ella Bothwell
Chris Bradley
Harry Branch
Doug Brantley
Gene Broadwell
Barbara Canaday
Paddy Carley
Anne Chubb
Parker Covington
Mary Lou De Bisschop
Janet Daniel
Mary Lou Detwiler
Charlene Dickinson
Robbie Dickinson
Charlotte Doster
Anna Doxey
Andy Doyle
Doris Essig
Betsy Fitzgerald
Stephen Freedman
Ewell Gay
Travis Gay
Louise Gentile
Max Germaine
Mary Jean Giobino
Ben Grace
Stephen Gregory
Rosalind Griffin
Burgess Hartsell
Kay Harvey
William David Herndon
Mike Herrin
Christopher Hewetson
Cheryl Hieatt
Jane Higginbotham
Brenda Hollis
Greg Hollis
Alexander Hutcheson
Ellen Hunter
Carlin Kenny
Christi Lambert
Billie Lewellyn
Keith Lewellyn
Bill Littleton
Sam Livesay
Martha Lovett

Claudia Malone
Dorothy McClain
Cathy McCarthy
Mamie Meadows
Gene Palmer
Kathy Palmer
Mary Elizabeth Paris
Margaret Payne
Vivian Peterson
Nancy Phelan
Kari Powell
Chris Prater
Gene Rackley
Ed Ralston
Rajika Reed
Jack Riner
Mark Robinson
Gerry Rowell
Phyllis Sartin
Angie Schrum
Willou Smith
Joyce Lowe Snell
Richard Stamper
James St. Clair
Ed Stelle
Samantha Lee Stevens
Joel Stewart
Grayson Strickland
Sarah Taylor
Bill Torrey
Beth Varn
John Waite
Rhea Ward
Carah Wheeler
Summer Wheeler
Hollis Youngner
Keith Zimmerman
Alexander
Alice   
Catherine
Elizabeth 
Emma 
Jeff    
Jenna 
Katherine  
Marcia
Marilyn
Mary
Mary Ann    
Nicole   
Sandy  
Susan
 
To amend our prayer list, or to update the church on the condition of your loved one, please email Mtr. Becky Rowell ( becky@ccfssi.org or call the church office at 912.638.8683.
 
Giving

 
New Ways to Give
Now you can make gifts and offerings to Christ Church by using your phone. Please text ccfssi to 77977,  enter your details, choose your payment method, and give. You may also go to the Christ Church website at ccfssi.org, click on the Donation tab at the top and give there.


This  Week


Serving This WeekendServersNeeded

Saturday, July 29, 2017 5:30 PM (St. Ignatius Chapel)
Susan Shipman - Chalice Bearer
Sunday, July 20, 2017 8:00 AM (CCF)
David Boland - Chalice Bearer
David Boland - Lector 
David Ketcham - Usher
Anna Belle McCaskill - Altar Guild

9:15 AM (Christ Church, Frederica)
Slade Turner - Acolyte C
Kerrigan Hamil - Acolyte - PW
Alice Barlow - Chalice Bearer
Slade Turner - Chancel Master
Barbara Sullivan - Lector - First Lesson
Catherine Holt - Lector - Second Lesson
      Steve Holt - Greeter
Catherine Holt - Greeter
      Jeannie Wade - Usher
Ralph Wade - Usher
Ed Turner - Kidurgy Shepherd
Nancy Stoddard - Altar Guild

11:15 AM (Christ Church, Frederica)
Isabel Parker - Acolyte C
Janice Thomas - Chalice Bearer
Janice Thomas - Lector - First Lesson
Janice Thomas - Lector - Second Lesson
Diane Ansley - Greeter
Henry Ansley - Greeter
Richard Fox - Usher
Linda Wood - Altar Guild

This Week at Christ Church
Evening Prayer is held Wednesdays through Sundays at Christ Church, Frederica at 5:00 p.m.
 
*Unless noted otherwise, all events take place at Christ Church
 
Friday, July 28, 2017
12:00 pm - Icon Writing Group
 
Saturday, July 29, 2017
10:00 am - Icon Writing Group
5:30 pm - Worship at St. Ignatius
 
Sunday, July 30, 2017
8:00 am - Worship at Christ Church, Frederica 
9:15 am - Worship at Christ Church, Frederica
9:15 am - Kidurgy at Christ Church, Frederica 
11:15 am - Worship at Christ Church, Frederica

Wednesday, August 2, 2017
10:30 am - Men's Study Group
12:00 pm - Healing Service 
 
Friday, August 4, 2017
12:00 pm - Icon Writing Group
 
Saturday, August 5, 2017
10:30 am - Ordination of The Rev. Deacon Ashton Williston
5:30 pm - Worship at St. Ignatius
 
Sunday, August 6, 2017
8:00 am - Worship at Christ Church, Frederica 
9:15 am - Worship at Christ Church, Frederica
9:15 am - Kidurgy at Christ Church, Frederica 
11:15 am - Worship at Christ Church, Frederica

Save the Date

 
August 5, 2017
Ordination of The Rev. Deacon Ashton Williston

August 13, 2017
Sunday School Teachers' Meeting

August 20, 2017
Sunday School Starts
9:15 Parish Hall Services Resume
Fall Programs Kick-off Cookout

August 20-26, 2017
Icon Writing Workshop

September 15-16, 2017
Enneagram Workshop

September 17, 2017
Fearless Faith and Boundless Love Revival at Honey Creek