glad tidings - may 2010

8/9/2019 Glad Tidings - May 2010

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GLAD TIDINGSNo. 4. Vol 10 May 2010 christchurchguilford.org

As I Take My Leave: SHALOM

T

he Hebrew word both for Hello and Good-bye is SHALOM. In various pointsin our lives, we nd ourselves bidding friends Shalom after long-term relationships,

and at others, our Shaloms seem to come all too quickly, if not unexpectedly. Thetime has come for me to bid each of you my Goodbye, SHALOM. And although it mostcertainly has not come unexpectedly for Susan, Kate, and Hannah and me, it seems to havecome too quickly. Nevertheless, I am condent that the good work in ministry that we havebeen engaged in together will continue to grow and be transformed and adapted by yourWardens and Vestry members and your new Rector as you bid him a hearty Hello, Shalomin the weeks ahead. Therefore, in consultation with Senior Warden Ed Seibert, I havedecided to celebrate my last Sunday Holy Eucharist with you on Sunday, June 27 th. FatherRobert Deming will preside at Sunday Holy Eucharist throughout the month of July.

During the past two years that I have served you as Interim Rector, my life has been blessed

by the lives of so many of you, that I wouldnt dare or know where to begin to count thoseblessings. Inevitably, times of transition can be times of uncertainty. Nonetheless, duringthis interim period you have welcomed and incorporated many new parishioners into our lifein Christ. Your church school, youth, and music programs have remained strong, thanks tovolunteers and parish sta persons. You have shown a willingness to think outside the boxin the area of Christian Outreach. In addition to the Angels Under the Balcony project atChristmas and the ongoing work with the Community Kitchen, the church schools Housesfor Haiti initiative and last falls Community Thanksgiving Dinner attest that. New layleaders and liturgical assistants have begun to serve. The rst parish-wide Christmas fair,Festival Days Fair wasnt just a nancial success, it was a catalyst for deepening communityspirit and strengthening your relationships with one another.

Looking to the future, Christ Episcopal Church faces the kinds of challenges confrontingmost communities of faith. The combination of exhausted endowments and a troubledeconomic climate would seem daunting were it not for the tremendous potential that I havealways believed is present in this wonderful parish. My leave-taking prayer is that you beginmeeting those challenges by welcoming your new Rector with joyous hearts and open arms!Continue to celebrate the blessings of Gods abundant grace in your lives and ever love oneanother as God loves each of you.

I close with a quote that best describes my feelings as I take my leave:Some people come into our lives and quietly go.

Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts,and we are never, ever the same..With every best wish and Gods blessing upon you.

Shalom,


2/8

Youth Group Nightwatch

Program at the Cathedral

Church of Saint John the Divine

and Ground Zero trip

Okay, so what is a Night Watch? Themembers of the J2A and Conrmation classmembers Katie Ferrall, Cam Goss, andSandy Goss found out what it is. On March 26 &27 they ventured into upper Manhattan to spendthe night in sleeping bags in the undercroft of theCathedral Church of Saint John the Divine as wellas taking a mini pilgrimage to Ground Zero.

Night Watch is a program that starts on Fridayevening at about 7 p.m. and ends at 10 a.m. on

Saturday, barely leaving time for sleep. It includesan opening session of songs (led by three excellentguitar playing singers), games, free-time basketball,and a chance to meet and interact with about 65youngsters from all over NY, NJ, CT.

The program of the evening included speakers,Labyrinth in the vast Cathedral, and a lectureon the huge and famous Cathedral Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ with its 8,035 pipes followedby a performance. There was time to explore theCathedral (a football eld length long.) We took partin a candlelight quiet time, followed by Eucharistservice with guitar playing singers. On Saturday. we

packed up, cleaned up, toured the Cathedral, andparticipated in a closing service.

Cameron thought, Our trip to famous St. JohnsCathedral was both inspiring and made me get morein touch with my faith. First of all, this is one of thelargest indoor spaces in the world, and to be there isbreath-taking. The organ is one of the largest in theworld, and the lowest notes made the ground shakeas if God himself were there, making the stones andearth at our feet tremble. We also learned about thehistory of the church, its phases of construction,and the seven chapels behind the altar, each uniquein its way of portraying Christianity as a universalreligion.

Katie felt one of her most moving moments wasdoing a candlelight quiet time meditation in thedark vastness of the Cathedral, with all sitting adistance from each other, in deep, quiet darkness, Ireally felt very spiritual.

Dirck Goss, a parent. found that the midnightsermon from the priest who ministers to AA chapterswas extremely stirring and profound. There seemedto be a closeness to God during commentaries withinthe vastness of the Cathedral.

On Saturday, a conducted tour of the Cathedraland a closing service bought the Night Watchportion of our weekend to a close but not an end.The group hopped on a subway and headed forGround Zero and St. Paul Chapel Walls Street,and lunch in lower Manhattan.

At St Pauls Chapel the youngsters took part ina scavenger hunt, where answers to the questionwere found in the many exhibits. A few iPhonecards served as rewards.

Sandys thoughts were, The most meaningfulthing I experienced in the New York was visitingthe Ground Zero disaster site. Having only heardabout its horrors, I was unable to fathom theevent until I actually visited and saw pictures ofit. It makes me happy to see a new building being

built because it shows the resilience of the U.S.nation and its ability to overcome tragedy.As a parent, Dirck Gosss thoughts were, The

most moving moments was at Ground Zero at St.Pauls Chapel in lower Manhattan. My family wasnot in the region when 9/11 happened, and I dontthink that the full impact is fully appreciated untilyou are on site. I was struck by the memorial tothe 343 re ghters and emergency personnel whowere killed, and the collection of patches fromthe many re departments that sent personnel.

Finally, I am in agreement with Dircksthoughts. I was happy to see our kids joining

with larger groups of children to play basketballand other games in the basement gymnasiumknowing that they were unrelated, unknown toeach other, and probably would never see eachother again.

Yes, we will be going back again!!!

Susan C. ShackfordCoordinator/J2A LeaderJourney to Adulthood Program

GLAD TIDINGS


3/8

GLAD TIDINGSSearch Committee Completes

Its Mission

T

he Search Committee is happy to announcethat on April 8th they completed their primarycharge of presenting to the Vestry a set of

nalists for the position of Rector of Christ EpiscopalChurch, Guilford. The nalists represent a wide vari-ety of backgrounds, personalities, and strengths. Theyare as familiar with our church as the process allowsthem to be.

With the information gleaned from the Parish Pro-le, the Vestrys nancial statements, the Website, thenewsletters they have read and studied, the personalreference checking they have done, and their time

with the Search Committee members, they are excitedto tackle the challenges we present.The candidates next step in their discernment

process is getting to know the Vestry. They areanxious to meet the leaders of this church, see how theVestry functions, and how they will, individually andcollectively, be supporting the mutual ministry of thisplace. They know the Vestry is a reection of all of us.At the same time, the Vestry will be working to makethe challenging decision as to which candidate theyfeel will be the best match our needs into the future.

The Search Committee wants to thank themembers of the congregation for the input, prayersand support they have oered during our portion ofthe process. We ask that you continue your prayersand support for the Vestry as they complete the callingof our next Rector.

The committee has one more major task scheduledfor about a year from now. They will convene tojoin in a formal review of the progress made towardsreaching our stated, mutual ministry goals.

Youth Group Attends

Confirmation Retreat with

Bishop Laura Ahrens

Some members of the J2A and ConrmationClass attended a Conrmation Retreat atCamp Washington, hosted by Bishop Laura

Ahrens and run by the Diocese of CT YouthMinistry Leaders Emily Perow and Linda Synder.

There were a number of youngstersfrom all over CT, including our neighbors inNorth Branford. The group had a number ofopportunities to interact directly with BishopAhrens, through games, general conversation,dinner, breakfast, and lunch. Bishop Laura wasvery approachable as Katie Ferrall found out asshe and the Bishop enjoyed a conversion.

The schedule was lled from arrival on Fridayat 5 p.m. to departure on Saturday afternoon at 4p.m. Some of the highlights included a Baptismmixer (a get-to- know-you game), a Labyrinth,a number of interactive conversations, time toexplore who you were and where you are in yourfaith. We closed on Saturday. with a Eucharistservice. Cam Goss was invited to do one of the

readings, while Sandy read the Prayers of thePeople.The youngsters played a very different game

of Jeopardy where all the categories pertained

to places, people, events and history found in

the Bible, our Book of Common Prayer, lessons

throughout the day, and pictures found around the

room. This proved to be a very lively inaction, with

Willie Ferrall leading his team to victory.

A special thank-you to Jane Ferrall for who also

accompanied the group to Camp Washington.

There were no sideline watchers, as all leaders andchaperones were required to join in all the events.

Susan C. Shackford, Leader

Journey to Adulthood Program.


4/8

Christ Episcopal Church celebrated the Sunday of Our Lords Passion with Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and

10 a.m. The Annual Ecumenical Liturgy of the Blessing of Palms was held on the Guilford Green.

Clergy and parishioners from St. Georges Roman Catholic, First Church Congregational, and Christ

Episcopal Church and The Rt. Revd Laura Ahrens participated. Bishop Ahrens was in Guilford for a scheduled

Episcopal Visitation. An estimated 400 people were gathered on the Green. Following the Blessing, the Christ

Church contingent was piped back to the church by bagpiper Donald Simpson of St. Marks Episcopal Church,

Mystic, an old friend of Father Dinoto.

The Houses for Haiti silent auction was held following the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist. Bishop Ahrens visited with

parishioners at a special parish luncheon and then met with the Wardens, Vestry, and Interim Rector.

Palm Sunday


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Christ Episcopal Church celebrated the Feast of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday with HolyEucharist at 8 and 10 a.m. Special festival music and an array of Easter owers graced thesanctuary. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism was administered to three young people: Victoria

Grace Marie Baringer, Gabriella Ann Briganti, and Jack Trotter. Children of the parish enjoyed a raucousEaster Egg hunt behind the church following the liturgy.

Easter Festival Eucharist


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GLAD TIDINGSSunday School Raises Money for Haiti

through Houses for Haiti Program

F

ollowing the catastrophic January 12th earthquake in Haiti,Christ Church responded to the great need that continues

in that country. While adult members contributed throughdonation envelopes, a special program called Houses for Haitiwas created for the Sunday School children. The goals of thisprogram were twofold: 1) to raise money for the Episcopal Reliefand Development Agencys work in Haiti, and 2) to raise our

childrens awareness and understanding of Christian outreach andservice to others. Beyond just giving money, this program offeredthe children a way to personally get involved in helping the Haitipeople, by giving of themselves, their time, and their creativity.

On Sunday, March 7, thanks to the handiwork of Susan andMerle Jillson, children were given homemade wooden birdhouses

to take home and decorate. Additionally, during the service FatherTony gave each child a dollar, or talent, to invest in some wayto raise additional funds. Children were instructed to bring backtheir birdhouses and any money raised for a special Palm Sundayevent.

During those weeks, the kids certainly were busy! Coffee

hours became special events, as some children invested theirtalents and created/sold homemade baked goods. Other kids gotcrafty and made beautiful beaded ornaments, printed magnets, andpainted vases for sale. Many other children helped out at homethrough chores and yard work.

On Palm Sunday, the Sunday School children took part in theservice, offering up special prayers written by each class, singingand helping with the Offering and Communion. Following the 10am service, all of the birdhouses were displayed during coffee hourand available for sale via silent auction. There was an amazing

display of color and creativity. Designs rangedfrom dinosaurs to polka dots each birdhouse

was unique and beautiful.The best part is that the Sunday School

raised a total of $1,500! All the money raisedwill be given to the Episcopal Relief and

Development Agencys Haitian relief fund.Many thanks to the Sunday School teachers

and families for their help and exibility and

to the congregation for their overwhelmingsupport. But the greatest thanks of all goes tothe Sunday School children for the love andcare they put into this program. You havemade a great difference in so many lives.

Lisa Ste. MarieOutreach Committee Chair

ECW

Announces Two

Scholarships

ECWis pleased to oer two

scholarships to ChristChurch youth this year, thanks to thesuccessful bake sales.

The rst scholarship for $250 willbe given to an active Christ Churchmember graduating from high schoolthis June (2010), and accepted at aschool of higher learning (2 or 4 yearcollege or technical school). Anystudent interested in applying for thisscholarship should write a 50-100 wordessay stating their reason for applying

and their future ambitions. All entriesshould be addressed to Jean Valentine/Nancy Cairns c/o Christ Church, andsubmitted by Sunday, May 23.

The second scholarship is for $250for any young, active Christ Churchmember between the ages of 7 and14, who would like to go to camp thissummer. This money can be usedeither towards a week stay at CampWashington or for a week of day campat Incarnation Camp in Ivoryton.

Any parent wishing to apply for thisscholarship should make their wishesknown by Monday, May 30 by mail toJean Valentine and Nancy Cairns c/oChrist Church.


7/8

Connecticuts 15th Bishop Consecrated

Before an estimated 2,000 congregants, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, the Most

Revd Katherine Jefferts Schori, ofciated as chief consecrator at the Ordination and Consecration of the

Revd Dr. Ian T. Douglas as the 15th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. Bishop Edward

Little and Bishop Michael Curry were co-consecrators. An estimated 35 Bishops of the Episcopal Church

as well as bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America were in attendance. The Most Revd

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Archbishop emeritus of the Anglican Church of South Africa, was preacher at the

festive Eucharist held at Trinity College, Hartford on April 17th. Over 150 priests from throughout the church

and diocese attended. Bishop Douglas was installed and vested with symbols of his ofce: mitre, crozier,

Episcopal ring, and pectoral cross. A reception followed with a time of fellowship and blessings by the newly

consecrated bishop.

GLAD TIDINGS

The Most Rev. Desmond TutuAnglicanArchbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South

Africa, gave the sermon. He brought listenersthrough the accounts in Scripture of God calling awhole people together, saying that. in God there is aunity of all people. God said, I will draw ALL peopleto be held in this unbreakable embrace that won't letus go, Tutu said, repeating the word, all, over andover again. Speaking to the bishop-elect, he said, Ian,please tell the children of God that each one of themis precious," he said. "Each one of them is held in thispublic embrace, each one of them is a member of God'family." And in God's family, Tutu said, There are no

outcasts.

Concertato Presents Will Duchon Piano Radio show host and concert pianist

7:30 p.m. $15Saturday, May 15, 2010 Tickets available at Breeakwater Books or at the door.


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Christ Episcopal ChurchP. O. Box 574Guilford, Connecticut 06437

GLAD TIDINGSa publication of

Christ Episcopal Church11 Park Street

Guilford, Connecticut 06437

The Revd. Anthony C. DinotoInterim Rector

[email protected]

203-453-2279

Edward Seibert

Senior [email protected]

Pat WakeeldParish Administrator

[email protected]

William D. GloverManaging Editor

[email protected]

Non-Prot Organization

U.S. Postage

PAIDGuilford, Connecticut

Permit Number 1

Change Service Requested

Easter

Phone Coverage NeededThe church ofce will be closed May 13, 14, and 17 (Thursday, Friday

and Monday). We are looking for people to ll in for phone coverage

Please call Pat Wakeeld (203-453-2279) if you are available or would

like more information. Thank you.

Parish Family Picnic Is June 27th

Christ Episcopal Church will hold its annual Parish Family Picnic onSunday June 27th, following the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist. Parishionersare asked to bring a salad/picnic dish, or dessert to share. BYOB. Incase of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Parish Hall..

ECW Military WhistThe ECW hosted another Military Whist on April 16, 2010, that waswell supported by our parish and the community. Thanks to all whoparticipated and we hope you had a good time.

We also thank our table sponsors, Harriet Sayre, Sue Rodgers,Rhoda Whitman, Jo Baringer, June Chittick, and Evelyn Linsey. OurPenny Auction and Raes depend on the donations of wonderfulprizes, especially many donations from Jennette Koncz, BarbaraAyotte, Susan Shackford, Rhoda Whitman, and many other ECWmembers. Thank you all!

glad tidings - may 2010

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