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THIS WEEK AT CHRIST CHURCH, GEORGETOWN
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
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Parish Office Hours: The Parish Office has re-opened for telephone inquiries on a limited basis. Members of the staff will be available Tuesday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In an effort to protect both parishioners and staff, in-person visits are discouraged until further notice.
Summertime Bible Study: Throughout the summer months, Father John McDuffie will lead a weekly Bible Study on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. Participants will explore the theology and unique narrative design of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. All are welcome—even if you were unable to attend previous sessions. To join via Zoom, click here.
Race in our Culture: As we continue to digest the events of recent weeks and seek to understand the many issues they raise anew, the Rector along with parishioners Rodney Hood and Eric Motley have begun planning a series of conversations around race in our culture. The sessions will take the form of webinars via Zoom. They will feature panels of parishioners and notable guest speakers. Details will be announced shortly.
Parishioners Helping Parishioners: As we are all well aware, the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted many people, particularly in terms of employment. Some have had their hours at work dramatically reduced, while others have lost their livelihoods entirely. The economic, emotional, and spiritual strain on individuals and households is real. In an effort to assist those in need, Mother Crystal Hardin and Vestry member Julia Ainsley have developed a resume bank where unemployed or underemployed parishioners can post their job materials. To do so, contact Julia Ainsley. Parishioners who are aware of employment opportunities and who wish to access the resume bank are encouraged to do the same. All information, including the names of those who participate in this initiative, will be kept confidential.
The Thrift Shop: There have been many inquiries regarding the status of the Christ Church Thrift Shop, for which we are deeply grateful. The Thrift Shop’s leadership team has decided that, due to health concerns, it will not reopen until September and perhaps later, depending on circumstances at that time. Sadly, even though many have been cleaning, down-sizing, and purging during these days of quarantine and distancing, we are unable to accept donations until the Thrift Shop reopens.
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Weekday Services: The new schedule of weekday services is as follows:
Monday: Virtual Morning Prayer
Tuesday: Morning Prayer in the Chapel of Saint Jude, 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday: Virtual Sung Evening Prayer
Thursday: Morning Prayer in the Chapel of Saint Jude, 7:30 a.m.
Friday: Virtual Morning Prayer
In keeping with both diocesan parameters and guidelines, and District of Columbia restrictions, no more than ten people may attend Morning Prayer on Tuesday and Thursday. Masks must be worn and appropriate social distancing must be kept at all times. Since copies of The Book of Common Prayer have been removed from the Church and Chapel, attendees are encouraged to bring their own. To purchase a simple pew edition of the Prayer Book, click here. To purchase a leather-bound Prayer Book and Hymnal combination, click here.
PLEASE NOTE: All who plan to attend Morning Prayer in the Chapel of Saint Jude must read, sign, and date the Diocesan Covenant for Regathering in Worship. Signed copies of the Covenant may be mailed, or scanned and emailed, to the Parish Office. Alternatively, attendees can read, sign, date, and submit the Covenant upon arrival at Christ Church. Copies will be available at the entrance to the Chapel.
Virtual Sung Evening Prayer on Wednesdays features members of the choirs of Christ Church and Saint John’s Church, Georgetown, who chant various portions of the liturgy.
All virtual services will be posted on the parish blog, Grace under Quarantine. We once again extend sincere thanks to parishioner Lain Wilson and the Reverend Gini Gerbasi, Rector of Saint John’s, for their ongoing leadership of this important collaborative ministry. If you would like to become involved in the production of weekday virtual services, contact Lain Wilson.
Sunday Services: We encourage you to make time for worship on the Fourth Sunday of Pentecost, June 28. A virtual service of Morning Prayer with hymns, choral music, and a sermon by the Rector will be released that morning. The video will be “premiered” on the parish’s Facebook page at 11:15 a.m. We encourage you to make time for worship, and to share the virtual liturgy with family, friends, and neighbors, particularly those who are not yet part of the Christ Church community. If you would like to become involved in the production of Sunday services, contact Mother Crystal Hardin.
Photos for Sunday Services: We invite your photographs for inclusion in forthcoming Sunday virtual services. Pictures of individuals, couples, and families are welcome. And while we would love to have photos that were taken at Christ Church, we are more than happy to accept any high resolution images that were shot in landscape (horizontal) orientation. Submissions may be sent to photos@christchurchgeorgetown.org.
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Women’s Bible Study: This summer, participants in the Women’s Bible Study will read The Heart of It All: The Bible’s Big Picture, by noted theologian Samuel Wells, who currently serves as vicar of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields in central London. Copies may be purchased on Amazon.com. The next gathering will take place via Zoom on Monday, July 6, at 6:00 p.m. For more information or to sign up, contact Mother Crystal Hardin.
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Pastoral Emergencies: As always, the parish clergy are ready and willing to assist those who are experiencing a pastoral emergency—particularly during these difficult and uncertain times. If you or someone you love would like to speak with a priest, please contact Mother Crystal Hardin, who is coordinating matters of pastoral care for the clergy team. Please note that, in keeping with diocesan guidelines and parameters, all pastoral care must take place via telephone or video call until further notice.
Emergency Financial Assistance: Parishioners who are experiencing financial hardship due to the health crisis are encouraged to contact the Rector. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of a number of parishioners, he is able to offer support on a case by case basis. Please note that all requests for assistance will be kept strictly confidential.
Intercessions and Thanksgivings: To submit a name or names for inclusion in the Intercessions and Thanksgivings that are part of Sunday virtual services, contact Mother Crystal Hardin. Due to privacy concerns, particularly because our Sunday liturgies are being viewed by thousands of people each week, we ask that you do not submit any names without the explicit permission of the person or persons for whom you would like us to pray.
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Mission and outreach are an integral part of the work and witness of the Christ Church community. Simply put, the Committee on Mission and Outreach aims “to bring the Church to the world and the world to the Church.”
Members of the committee manage the church’s mission and outreach budget and grant-making process, and disseminate information about the work and needs of various partners. Each Fall, they review applications from non-profits that are sponsored by Christ Church parishioners and make annual gifts of support. Although requests far exceed the committee’s budget, applications from new and existing partners are always welcome.
During the decision-making process, members of the committee consider each organization’s level of support within the parish, what kind of impact a gift will make, and whether there are ongoing opportunities for parishioners to remain or become involved. In 2020, the committee is prepared to grant $145,000—ten percent of pledge revenue—to 22 local, national, and international non-profit organizations, making a difference in the areas of education, housing/homelessness, poverty, anti-trafficking, job training/life skills, and animal welfare.
In the coming weeks and months, we invite you to visit this space, reading about Christ Church’s mission partners—one each Wednesday—and considering how you might become more engaged and involved, particularly during this challenging time, when so many partners are struggling and in need of additional financial and hands-on assistance.
Forgotten Voices International (FVI) works with 59 churches in Southern Africa (currently 22 in Zimbabwe, 25 in Zambia, and 12 in Malawi), empowering families and caregivers to meet the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities. Seeking to demonstrate the love of Christ, FVI partners with the churches and families to provide for the children’s spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. FVI intends that every child experience the love of God and the security of a family, church, and community. Working with committed and qualified churches for three (3) to five (5) years to establish local, sustainable orphan care ministries, FVI and church orphan care committees develop custom plans to empower at risk families and caregivers with parenting, psychosocial and educational support, creating savings groups and providing financial education for economic sustainability. Church partners receive financial support for three years with provisional matching grants the last two years. Periodic assessments ensure that caregiver support results in improved child wellbeing. Currently, FVI and the 59 local churches serve 5,117 vulnerable children and caregivers.
Funds from Christ Church support the training of field staff as well as church and community members in using evidence-based tools to perform initial needs assessments and to evaluate the effectiveness of programs. FVI plans to include the development of additional trainers so that a sustainable model of training is established. For more information or to become involved, contact parishioner Beverly Nyberg.
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IMPORTANT LINKS
To sign-up or reserve space
for a program or event,
email the Parish Office
or call 202-333-6677.
Click here for audio
recordings and printable
copies of sermons from the
11:15 Sunday service.
To view the readings
appointed for Sundays
and feast days, visit the Lectionary Page.
For more information about
Christ Church, visit the
parish website.
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