February 2012

christchurchguilford.org

Counting Our Blessings

Current political and social commentary seems dominated by the-world-is-going-tohell-in-a-handbasket rhetoric: the quality of family life, work and enterprise, participation in civic and activity groups, and commitment to communities of faith are all in decline. Some of this may be the hyperbolic political wrangling of an election year, but some of it is well-documented in books like Robert Putnams Bowling Alone. In any case, it all makes me grateful to live and serve with you, Christ Church in Guilford. On a community level, the Guilford Citizens Parade annually demonstrates the amazing breadth of civic engagement in our town. When the Food Bank announced that their shelves were bare, the response was immediate and overwhelming. We at Christ Church played our part in turning a crisis of bare shelves into a crisis of not having enough shelves! (This is no time to slack off however!) Similarly, you were Angels Under (and in) the Balcony in efforts to keep our neighbors warm through your Mitten Tree gifts for Charlies Closet, and your generous response to the December 18th Second Offering for the Towns Fuel Assistance Program. On the parish level, instead of being challenged by a decline in participation, the challenges we face at Christ Church are the best kind: They come from increased participation in Worship, Sunday School, the Acolytes and Choristers, and educational offerings for adults. A couple quick worship examples: On Christmas Eve, with the addition of a third service, 70 more people participated than in the previous year; our Epiphany Evensong had one and a half times the attendance of the previous years Advent Lessons & Carols service that it replaced. Increased attendance creates more opportunities for ministry through the Altar Guild, Choir and Ushers. Similarly, as our Sunday School and youth classes grow, so do the opportunities for adults to get to know our youngsters as teachers and mentors. Our life together as a community of faith inspires our lives to be sure; we come together and are nurtured by Gods grace for life at home, in our vocations, and in the larger community. So what we do together not only matters to us, it matters to our neighbors. In this season of epiphanies we have heard Jesus proclaim that the Kingdom of God has drawn near.(Mark 1:15) In our life together we manifest that proclamation for one another and for the world around us.
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We have been blessed so that we may be a blessing to others. That in short will be the business of our Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, February 5 following the 10a.m. service. We will thank our leaders for their service, and elect leaders to serve in the year(s) to come; we will review reports, and we will` take counsel together for the opportunities that our challenges present. Far from talking about how the-world-is-going-tohell-in-a-handbasket, we will gather in hope about the future into which Christ calls us. I look forward to seeing you at our Annual Parish Meeting! Harrison West+ Your Friendly Neighborhood Rector

Feast of the Epiphany

On Friday night, January 6th, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. It was a beautiful, joyful service.

Festal Evensong by Candlelight with Choir, Choristers and Youth Readers

Spring Military Whist

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) will be hosting a Spring Military Whist on Friday, March 9, 2012. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with games starting at 7 p.m. Tickets will go on sale March 1 for $7 each. The tickets will be drawn early in the evening for door prizes and include refreshments that are served when you arrive. Diane Link is accepting any and all donations for raffle prizes, basket items, and penny auction treasures. Any unwanted holiday gifts or items you have and wish to donate will be gratefully accepted. We have found that there are many participants from our community and surrounding areas, but not as many as we thought from our own parish. Perhaps you think you are too young or too old, dont know how to play, or just are not going to enjoy the evening, but you will be pleasantly surprised how enjoyable it will be. Why not give it a try; in fact, why not get a table of 4 together? For further information call Diane W. Link at (203) 458-1806.

WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US!

Sunday School News

The weather outside may be frightful but our Sunday School kids remain delightful! We are thankful for their sunny smiles as we meet in the very warm parish hall for Children's Chapel (9:30 a.m.) and Sunday School (10 a.m.). This month we begin a new program for Children's Chapel called The Church at Work. We hope to provide a behind-the-scenes look at what is involved in operating the church and fulfilling its many missions. Representatives from the congregation will meet with the kids and share information about their involvement with the church. This program also provides a unique opportunity for the kids to create relationships with members of the congregation they might only know by sight, allowing them to expand their church family network. Although spring seems very far away, it will be here soon and with it fun activities for the whole family. Look for more information coming soon about our Haiti fundraiser event and another communion workshop. P.S. We are looking for board games appropriate for ages 6th - 8th grades (Pictionary, Outburst, etc.). If you have games to donate, please let me know. Thank you! Lisa Ste. Marie, Director of Sunday School
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Music News
On Friday, January 6, the Choirs of Christ Episcopal Church presented a Choral Evensong for the Feast of the Epiphany. Thank you to all who made the evening memorable: choir members, Yale singers, youth readers, and volunteers who brought refreshments for after the service. And a personal thank you to all who attended my half-length recital in Marquand Chapel on January 11. As one of my classmates said, Frank, you seem to have drawn the biggest audience so far for our organ recitals. It was encouraging to have the support of so many of you my church family at the performance. My final degree recital will take place on April 26 at 8 p.m. in Woolsey Hall. Be sure to mark your calendars! This month the Choristers will join with the adult choir in singing Clarence Dickensons Jesu, Joyance of My Heart. Come hear this beautiful anthem at the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist service on February 5. Speaking of Choristers, we are looking for volunteers to sign up to bring dinner for them on Thursday nights. Dinner is served at 5:45 and there are normally about 20 mouths to feed. A sign-up sheet is located in the parish hall. Your help is greatly appreciated. Frank Dodd, Organist/Choirmaster

Greetings from ECW

Our New Year started off with several members attending our Thursday, January 12, 2012, meeting, with Jean Courtney and Cynthia Losche as hostesses. We held our regular business meeting, followed by lunch and a program presented by Gail Porteus of Portland, Connecticut. Gail is the daughter of Evelyn and Bob Linskey. She demonstrated how to make needle-felted animals and do rug hooking. Gail brought with her several small woodland animals and hooked rugs she created. We all were enthusiastic about how to make these projects and hope that she will join us again to instruct us further how to make them. Our next general business meeting will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2012, at 11 a.m. with a carry-in luncheon to follow at noon. Mary Gray and Jeanette Koncz are hostesses. Our program will be an afternoon of fun and games! We hope to see you there. Our weekly work meetings are every Thursday morning at 10:30. Barbara Ayotte, President, ECW
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Our Stewardship Campaign Is Still Underway!

We have embarked on a parish journey together; we are moving from surviving to thriving! By Gods grace, we are building our ministries for education, service, fellowship, worship and music. Our stewardship of the time, talent and treasure entrusted to us by God shapes our life as the Body of Christ gathered as Christ Episcopal Church. To help plan for 2012, our Vestry asks for your estimates-of-giving, your pledge, for the New Year. If you have not yet made a pledge, please make your estimate as soon as possible. It is never too late. Our grateful thanks for your generousity.
If you have not received your Stewardship packet, there are extras on the table at the back of the center aisle.

Acolytes -- So Who Are They?

Each Sunday and at many special services, there is a group of youngsters who fill a very important role: they are the Acolytes. They don their cassock (black robe) and cotta (short white vestment worn over the cassock), and with respect and pride they light the candles and serve as either Torch Bearers or as the Crucifer (person who carries the Cross). So who are they? Starting this month, there will be a new section of our monthly newsletter that will be called Meet Your Acolyte, where we are going to find out just who they are. Starting with this edition, the Acolytes are going to write a couple of paragraphs telling us about themselves, which will also be accompanied by their pictures. We currently have 20 enthusiastic Acolytes who look forward to serving. We hope that you enjoy getting to know more about them. On Sunday morning say hello and thank them for serving. Sue C. Shackford, Acolyte Coordinator

Megan McNamara
My name is Megan McNamara and I was born on October 27, 2002, in Connecticut, the only one of my siblings born in Connecticut. I am 9 years old. I am the youngest of 6 children. I have 4 older brothers and 1 older sister. I am in the third grade, and Mr. Flanagan is my teacher. We have been going to Christ Church my whole life. I was baptized here. I like Sunday School and coffee hour. My favorite things to do are go to the beach, watch movies, and do cartwheels! I play the violin, take a kung fu/hip hop class, and I like to play different sports. My favorite color is lime green. Pizza is my favorite food.

Luke McNamara
My name is Luke McNamara. I have been part of the church for 10 years. I am 13 years old and love sports. I attend Adams Middle School here in Guilford. I play baseball, basketball, and football. For an instrument, I play the saxophone in the school band. I also love watching sports, both on TV and live. My favorite teams are the Philadelphia Eagles for football, the New York Yankees for baseball, the New Jersey Devils for hockey, and Notre Dame for any college sport. I also love to travel. My family and I have been to many countries. These include Uganda, Turkey, England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Spain, France, Belgium, and Canada. When we went to Europe, it was for my Dad's sabbatical. This summer I plan on going to Spain to live with some family friends. I love animals, too. I have two cats, a dog, a bearded dragon, and a corn snake. Their names are Ivy and Adobe for the cats, Scout for the dog, Spike for the bearded dragon, and Thor for the corn snake. I share the dog and two cats with my family and the reptiles with my brother.

Alex Mayo
Hello! My name is Alex Mayo. I live in Guilford and go to Guilford Lakes Elementary School, where I am in 4th grade. I have a younger brother named Sam and my parents are Holley Claiborn and John Mayo. My grandmother, Kay Claiborn, also goes to Christ Episcopal Church. My grandmother was the reason I started serving as an acolyte, after helping her a few times as an usher. Taking part in the church service as an acolyte is a lot of fun, but also a lot of responsibility. I enjoy sitting at the altar, helping Father Harrison, and carrying the torches, but I have to admit, I enjoy lighting the candles the best! Some of my other interests are soccer, Girl Scouts, and traveling with my family. We go to the Outer Banks of North Carolina every summer and we also try to visit Dads family in Chicago often. One other thing you may not know about me is that I have donated my hair to Locks of Love twice. Locks of Love is a place where they make wigs for people who have cancer. My grandmothers both had cancer, so I did it for them.

268th Annual Meeting

Sunday, February 5th, following the 10 a.m. service.
Election of Vestry members, church business and budget, and other matters will be discussed. PLEASE COME!
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Sunday

Monday

FEBRUARY 2012
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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7:30 a.m. AA PH Groundhog Day 7:30 a.m. AA PH 5:30 AA SSR 6 p.m Planning Mtg 6:45 Dog Club PH 7 p.m. Yoga PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH 9:30 Bible Study 11 am ECW Meets PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH 9:30 Bible Study 10:30 am ECW Meets PH 5:45 Chorister Rehearsal 7:30 Choir Rehearsal PH

7:30 a.m. AA PH

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7:30 a.m. AA PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH 7:30 a.m. PH

8 a.m. HE, Rite I

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

9 a.m. Rectory Forum 9:30 Children's Chapel 10 a.m. HE, Rite II 5:30 p.m. AA PH 7 p.m. Women's AA PH 7:30 p.m. OA PH 5:30 AA SSR 7:15 Vestry 5:45 Chorister Rehearsal 7:30 Choir Rehearsal PH

ANNUAL MEETING 7:30 a.m. AA PH Valentines Day 7:30 a.m. PH Harrison's Birthday 7:30 a.m. PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH

5:30 AA/Alanon PH 8 p.m. AA SSR & PH

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Lincoln's B-Day

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

9:30 Bible Study 10:30 am ECW Meets PH

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President's Day 7:30 a.m. AA PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH

8 a.m. HE, Rite I 9 a.m. Rectory Forum 9:30 Children's Chapel 10 a.m. HE, Rite II

5:30 AA/Alanon PH 8 p.m. AA SSR & PH

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE 5:30 p.m. AA PH 5:45 Chorister Rehearsal 7 p.m. Women's AA PH 5:30 AA SSR 7:30 a.m. AA PH 7:30 Choir Rehearsal PH

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Office Closed 7:30 a.m. AA PH

8 a.m. HE, Rite I

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10 am HE & Baptism 9 a.m. Rectory Forum 9:30 Children's Chapel 5:30 p.m. AA PH 7 p.m. Women's AA PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH 5:30 AA SSR 7:30 a.m. AA PH

7:30 a.m. PH 9:30 Bible Study 10:30 am ECW Meets PH 5:45 Chorister Rehearsal 7:30 Choir Rehearsal PH

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

5:30 AA/Alanon PH 8 p.m. AA SSR & PH

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

8 a.m. HE, Rite I

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7:30 a.m. AA PH

9 a.m. Rectory Forum 9:30 Children's Chapel 10 a.m. HE, Rite II 5:30 p.m. AA PH 7 p.m. Women's AA PH 7:30 a.m. AA PH
S 1 8 15 22 29 Ja nua ry M T W 2 3 4 9 10 11 16 17 18 23 24 25 30 31

5:30 AA/Alanon PH 8 p.m. AA SSR & PH

5:30 AA SSR
2012 Th F 5 6 12 13 19 20 26 27 Sa 7 14 21 28 S 4 11 18 25 Ma rch 2012 M T W Th F 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 30 Sa 3 10 17 24 31

Notes:

Christ Episcopal Church P O Box 574 Guilford, CT 06437

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Guilford, CT 06437 Permit Number 1

Change Service Requested

GLAD TIDINGS

February, 2012

Christ Episcopal Church 11 Park Street Guilford, Connecticut

Glad Tidings

The Annual Meeting of Christ Church

Sunday, February 5, following the 10 a.m. service.
Election of Vestry members, church business and budget, and other matters will be discussed. Baby Sitting will be available!

The Rev. Harrison West Rector harrisoncec@snet.net 203-453-2279 Edward Seibert Senior Warden seiberte@ix.netcom.com 203-458-6516 Pat Wakefield Parish Administrator cecsec@snet.net 203-453-2279 Diane Barker Managing Editor RunSlo@aol.com 203-457-9484 Pat Daunic Graphic Design

Newsletter Deadline - February 15 Calendar Planning Meeting

Wednesday, February 1, at 6:00 p.m. beginning with dinner in the Rectory

Presidents Day
Monday, February 20, Office is Closed

ANNUAL MEETING PLEASE COME!

9:00a.m. Rectors Forum 8 a.m. HE, Rite I Service


9:30a.m. Childrens Chapel 10 a.m. HE, Rite II Service with Hymns 10:00a.m. Sunday School

Sunday Services