Christ Episcopal Church Mission Statement: The mission of the church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

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.

Please note there will be no livestream this Sunday.

If you receive an email and/or text message 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.

The blood drive is coming up THIS SUNDAY starting at 9:30 AM! We are close to filling all of the slots, but we still need 26 appointments for them to come out. There's still time to sign up using the barcode below!

WALK IN LOVE WITH US AT AUSTIN PRIDE!

Episcopalians from across the Austin area will gather to celebrate our LGBTQ+ siblings on August 22. Join us for Eucharist at St David's Church at 6:00pm and walk together in the parade afterward starting at 8pm. We'll finish by 9pm. We need your help! Sign up here to let the organizers know you're coming and tell us if you'd like to help lead the worship service or with parade planning.

Join our CEC family after the 10:30 service for a good ole fashion picnic celebrating Labor Day. Bring your favorite dish to share.

We are looking for help for set-up and clean-up. Sign up HERE or in the Narthex. 

Note: We will have a sign-Sign-up Sheet on the desk in the narthex beginning this Sunday. 

People can also use this link: https://evite.me/YsBucYRNGt

We are reinstituting quarterly Newcomer Lunches (NCL) to offer an informal opportunity to learn more about the church's history, ask questions, and begin to form relationships. Our first event is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, immediately following the 10:30

Worship. Anyone is invited to attend. You might be new to the Church; you might have been attending for a while but never had the chance to attend an NCL; or you might be a well-established member who would like to come to get to know our newcomers better.

In addition to the October lunch, there is another scheduled for

January 12, 2027. Two other dates are TBD. The plan is to hold an NCL once a quarter.

If you are interested in serving in this ministry and helping plan these events, there will be a sign-up sheet in the Narthex this Sunday. We will begin asking for RSVPs for the October event from those who want to attend as we get closer to the October date.

Have you noticed any seeds sprouting lately?

This summer, our Gospel readings have been rich with parables from the Gospel of Matthew. Recently, you might have seen our children joyfully scattering wildflower seeds across our beautiful grounds—on rocky paths, beside weeds, and in fertile soil. In Jesus' teachings, seeds symbolize our spiritual growth and journey. The parables illustrate how something small can lead to incredible transformations in our faith. From the sower scattering seeds on various types of soil to the tiny mustard seed growing into a towering tree, these stories remind us of the importance of how we respond to God’s word and the potential each of us has to help the Kingdom of Heaven flourish. They encourage us to nurture our faith, showing that even small beginnings can lead to lives that reflect God's love and purpose.

At Christ Episcopal Church, Cedar Park, there’s so much to love. Our generous, loving, and accepting community is nestled in a serene and beautiful setting. The dedicated staff efficiently manages church operations, while our clergy offer caring, patient, and supportive guidance. Numerous ministries act as the hands and feet of Jesus in our wider community, embodying our vision of being a vibrant, Spirit-filled congregation that celebrates God’s love and seeks wholeness in heart, soul, strength, and mind. Together, we pursue our mission to restore unity among all people in Christ.

This year, Father Pelkey invited the Vestry to read Seeds for Church Growth: A Practical Handbook for Episcopal Rectors, which also applies to vestries like ours. This insightful book presents 80 small “seeds” that can help congregations grow.

As we read, we recognized many seeds we already nurture well. Some seeds have been tried in the past but didn’t take root, while others seem dormant, waiting for the right conditions to flourish. We also identified new seeds that could enhance our existing efforts, and those are the ones we’re actively working to plant now.

After our discussions, each vestry member selected two to three seeds to focus on this year. We’ve found some overlap, leading to collaborative efforts. All represent initiatives, big and small, aimed at planting seeds that will glorify God’s kingdom here at CEC.

Here are some of the accomplishments you might have noticed:

• Join the Parade: On July 3rd, we participated in the Leander Liberty Fest, setting up a booth and providing over 100 kits for making Anglican Rosaries to our neighbors.
• Increased Visibility: We’ve enhanced the promotion of our CEC mission, vision, core beliefs, and purpose statements across our website, newsletter, and service slides.
• New Posters: Improved posters are now displayed in our external cases.
• Window Decals and Bumper Stickers: Our CEC window decals and bumper stickers are now visible all around town!
• Newcomers Lunch: We’re excited to renew the “Newcomers Lunch” starting this fall!
• Monthly Events: We’re putting a greater focus on intentional monthly church-wide special events.



Together, we’re planting seeds of growth within our community, and we can’t wait to see what God has in store!

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.

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

And Mary Said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..."

Luke 1:46-47 NRSV

CEC VESTRY MEETINGS

The Vestry usually meets on the third Monday of each month, at 6:30 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: Fr. Richard at rector@cectx.org for more information. 

PLEASE NOTE SR. SHEPHERDS WILL NOT BE MEETING IN JULY AND AUGUST. MEETINGS WILL RESUME IN SEPTEMBER.

The Tuesday Book Club is reading The Meaning of Jesus, Two Visions by Marcus J. Borg and N. T. Wright. For the summer we will be meeting at 10:30 AM in the Library. 

Choir Practice is held every Thursday 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.

Please join us for Sunday Worship:

8:00 AM Rite I Holy Eucharist Service

9:00 AM Adult Forum Class (Library)

10:30 AM Rite II Holy Eucharist Service

Please visit our website (cectx.org) for more information.

Mission: The mission of the church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

Vision: We are a vibrant, Spirit-filled community celebrating God’s love and seeking wholeness in heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Core Values: Wellness of being, Connecting and supporting, Diverse yet belonging, Beauty of all creation.

LEAD Values: Caring, Community, Prayerful, Serving, Inclusivity

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LEAD Purpose Statement: The purpose of Christ Episcopal Church is to be an authentic, liturgical worshiping community that strives to love God and our neighbors through welcoming, caring, and serving.

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 who are attending the 10:30 service participate in the service with their parents until after the Collect (the Prayer of the Day). After the Collect, the officiant calls all the children to the altar. The Children’s minister will select one of the children to come forward to be the children’s crucifer, who will lead, and the others will follow the cross out of the church to the Family Life Center. Children return at approximately The Peace in time for the Communion Service. Lessons will focus on learning about either the Gospel or Epistle or one of the Prophets or Kings.

Volunteers assist with the crafts, songs, prayers, or playing Bible games. Once a month or quarter, the children will ‘perform’ a song, recite a prayer or Bible verse, or act out a Bible story for the congregation at the end of the announcements.

If you are one of the volunteers for this ministry, you will be asked to help once a month or once every other month on the same Sunday of the month so that it is easier to remember when your commitment is. Swapping is, of course, allowed. Please join us in our fun way of learning about our belief, our faith practices, and Bible stories.

If you can volunteer, please contact Sarah Martinez.

During youth group meetings, Roots teens discuss Christian educational topics. Teens have input into the selection of topics. Teens also participate in Service Projects such as Trunk or Treat and the Easter Egg Hunt in Spring. Teens also vote on Social activities/outings. Events in the past have included visiting a hay maze, meeting at movie theaters, ice skating, touring Main Street Bethlehem, having parties, swimming, hiking, etc. Join us!

Contacts: Ruth Sobieralski and Fr. Richard

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, 8:00 AM - 4:30, PM, FLC and Grounds