SUNDAY SERVICE INFORMATION 



Our current worship schedule is as follows:

8:00 AM Rite I Holy Eucharist Service

10:30 AM Rite II Holy Eucharist Service. This service will also be live streamed. 

Live Stream links can be found on our CEC Facebook Page and our CEC YouTube Page.

If you receive an email from Fr. Richard or the Christ Episcopal Staff requesting money or gift cards please DO NOT RESPOND, instead, contact Fr. Richard or the staff directly. Thank you.

THANKSGIVING OUTREACH

Don’t forget to bring back your shopping bags full of Thanksgiving groceries by November 17th. Distribution of these meals will take place on Friday, November 22nd at the TCCC in Jonestown. If you are interested in helping hand out the dinners, please contact Carol Monroe (carolmonroe71@gmail.com).

Annual Thanksgiving Bake Swap

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is time to prepare for our annual Bake

Sale/ Swap. On Sunday, November 24, we will hold that event in the library. The idea is to bring baked goods from scratch or store-bought to swap and/or sell to each other in the congregation.

If you love to bake, this is your time to shine. Bring your goodies to sell or trade with others. If you are not a baker or haven’t gotten to the store but want delicious delicacies to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner, you can come prepared to purchase them that Sunday.

The library will be set up to receive your baked goods or for shopping

before the 8:00 service and will remain open through Community,

Conversation, and Cookies or as long as the baked goods last.

On December 7, 2024, the Wellness Commission will host its annual Advent Retreat. This year's topic is Practicing Peace with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind.

Registration will begin online on Nov. 11, 2024 HERE. You can also register by signing up on a sheet in the narthex on that Sunday. The hours will be 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

This year, we are very excited to include a Special Needs Hand Chime Choir performance, which includes two of our parishioners, Taylor and Austin Hill.

The Advent booklet will be available starting Sunday, November 10. We ask for a donation of $1.00 for the booklet. These are also available in Spanish.

We hope you will join us for a day of “Peace” as we prepare for Christ’s birth.

Intercessors will be at the back of the church in the narthex to pray with anyone who would like special prayers during communion on Sundays. Often people will ask for prayers for healing for themselves or others, but any prayer request is welcomed. If you would like to pray with one of our prayer partners, you are encouraged to come forward for communion and then make your way to the narthex for additional prayers. If you have any questions about this ministry or are interested in becoming a prayer partner to pray with others, please contact Cindy Gravis or Fr. Richard.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Stewardship Update:

To date we have received pledges totaling …………… $183,710.

Our target for 2025 Pledges is …………………………..$240,000.

Thanks to all that have already turned in a pledge card. We have a great start to the 2025 pledge drive! We still have a little way to go but our goal is well within reach. If you haven’t yet pledged, please prayerfully consider filling out a pledge card. You can also pledge online by clicking here. Filling out a pledge card online is quick and easy.

Weekly Reflection

November 10, 2024

Authenticity

 As followers of Christ, we are called to engage in worship with authenticity and sincerity. Our devotion calls us to anchor ourselves in the unwavering love of Jesus and to radiate that boundless love to all corners of the earth. This, undeniably, forms the bedrock of stewardship. In my Jamaican cultural upbringing, the act of giving transcends mere action; it embodies a language of love. On many occasions around the Sunday dinner table, the sweet aroma of food gracefully breaks the silence, reminding me of the profound exchange of God’s unwavering familial love.

God reveals the depth of Christ’s love for us through the people who grace our lives—the ones who selflessly sacrifice for our well-being, and those for whom we willingly do the same. Giving is not just a monetary task. Giving is a heart task. It’s something that all of us are called to do, for the kingdom of God to flourish, and for the walking, living testimonies that surround us in our lives.

So, what does it mean to truly “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God?” For me, it means embodying sacrificial love in our everyday lives, extending grace and compassion to those around us, just as Christ did. It means seeking reconciliation and peace in all circumstances, being willing to step out of our comfort zones to minister to the marginalized, the oppressed, and the brokenhearted. Sharing the good news of salvation not only through our words but also through our actions, demonstrating God’s love through tangible acts of kindness and generosity.

We need to live a life that reflects the transformative power of Christ’s love, allowing His love to permeate every aspect of our being and overflow into the lives of those around us.

​

Shannon Whittaker is a young adult and active member of St. David’s Episcopal Church, Cambria Heights, New York.

​

Questions for Reflection:

•  How can we ensure that our actions, words, and attitudes reflect the boundless love of Christ, fostering unity and growth within our spiritual communities?

If you would like to learn about other ways to financially contribute to the life and work of our parish, please contact our Treasurer, Wright Meyer.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2, NRSV

CEC VESTRY MEETINGS

The Vestry usually meets on the third Monday of each month, at 7:00 p.m. Any congregant can attend a Vestry meeting and observe. Only Vestry members have voice and vote. Vestry meetings do become "closed" when discussing personnel issues or staff salaries. Vestry meets via Zoom. If you wish to attend, please notify Fr. Richard, and he will send you the Zoom link.

CEC Finances – Available in the Library

Quarterly financial statements are available on the bulletin board in the library following the vestry meeting.

Discipleship Group - This group meets the first and third Sunday of the month at 6:00 pm in the library. It includes study of the Sunday service gospel readings and is open to anyone wishing to participate. Please contact Bill Sterling at silverbillwes@gmail.com for more information.

The Senior Shepherds is a Service/Social organization at CEC. Anyone over the age of 50 in the church is welcome. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 11:45 am in the Library for a delicious Potluck meal and lively conversation. A short program normally follows the meal. We do various interesting and creative service projects for the church children and the local community; host exciting outside speakers; visit unusual local places and have occasional seminars for better living. Contact: Betty Prince at bettyprince25@gmail.com for more information. 

The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the 3rd Sunday of every month from 4-6pm in the Library. We knit, crochet and do various other needlework and sewing crafts to meet a known need in the community such as providing pretty and comfortable caps for cancer patients; providing crocheted and knitted prayer shawls for those in need of comfort in our church community. These items are made with prayer and much interesting conversation. They are blessed by Father Richard before being distributed. Learn to knit or crochet at our meetings. Teens are welcome. Contact: CarolMonroe71@gmail.com or bettyprince25@gmail.com.

The Tuesday Book Club is reading Citizen: Faithful Discipleship in a Partisan World by Bishop C. Andrew Doyle. Bishop Doyle will be visiting in December so reading this book now is very timely. We meet from 10:30-12:00 in the Outreach Room. Please join us. It’s a welcoming group for men and women of all ages. 

Questions, please contact Mary Wybenga at EJayW@msn.com or at 303-850-7347.

Choir Practice is held every Wednesday at 2:30 PM in the sanctuary. Anyone who is interested in joining, or getting more information on our choir, is invited to attend a practice. Questions? Contact Dave Gravis.

Ministry to and with Infants/Toddlers and their Families.

We have three spaces available to minister to our youngest members and their families on Sunday mornings.



1. Our church nursery is open from 9:00 am to noon. The nursery is located in the Family Life Center. The nursery serves children through the age of 4 and is open every Sunday morning.
2. A “soft” play space is located in the back of the sanctuary where children will find a small selection of toys and parents will find rocking chairs.
3. A “cry room” is located above the sanctuary and accessed by the stairs in the narthex/lobby of the church. The cry room contains comfortable seats, toys, and a changing table.

Children's Chapel meets Sundays during the 10:30 service in the Family Life Center.

Volunteers are needed! Come help our youngest parishioners grow in Christ! Children's Chapel meets Sundays during the 10:30 service in the Family Life Center. If you can help, please contact Fr. Richard. Lesson plans and supplies will be provided.

All third party events held at the church are listed here. For parents, if at the church campus while the event(s) is taking place, children should be supervised by a trusted individual, as Safeguarded personnel / volunteers will not be present.

Upcoming Third Party Events:

AA Meeting - Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Library, Stone Building

ROCK Enrichment Academy - Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, FLC and Grounds; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00-12:30 PM, Stone Building

PEACE Homeschool Village - Fridays from 8:00 AM - 4:30, PM, FLC and Grounds