The Holy Comforter Congregational Survey is Ready!

The Comfortable Word
Church of the Holy Comforter Weekly eNews | March 23 , 2017
Worship Schedule

Saturday, March 25
5:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Sunday, March 26 - The Fourth Sunday in Lent
7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II* with Children's Chapel
10:10 a.m. Adult Forum
10:10 a.m. Children's Study of the Holy Eucharist 
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II* with Children's Chapel

Wednesday, March 29
7:00 a.m.
Morning Prayer
12:10 p.m.
Lenten Midweek Eucharist

*childcare available

Liturgy Notes
The liturgy notes provide brief commentary on specific parts of our worship life. We hope they serve to clarify and invite further reflection on our central act as Christians. Learn more.

Lenten Midweek Eucharist
Wednesdays, Through April 5,
12:10 p.m., St. Mary's Chapel    
Please join us during the season of Lent for a midweek Eucharist. The service will be brief to allow time for those returning to work.

Readings This Weekend
Visit Our Website
Event Highlights
Britepaths
Volunteers Urgently Needed!
Britepaths Deliveries
This Sunday, March 26
We'll be delivering household supplies and toiletries to 30 Britepaths client families this Sunday. If you can deliver groceries, pack, shop, or make phone calls to Britepaths clients, please contact Susan McGuire or Chris Ostendorff. Thank you for your support of this ministry.
Taize
Taizé Contemplative Worship
This Sunday, March 26; 5 p.m.; St. Mary's Chapel
Join us for a powerful and moving combination of song and scripture featuring lush greenery, incense, candles, icons and considerable time spent in silent meditation -- a unique opportunity to decompress and prepare for the week ahead.
Contribute to the Easter Altar Flowers
The brilliant array of lilies on the altar is one of the visual joys of Easter at Holy Comforter. Please help the Altar Guild to create a vibrant display by contributing to the Easter flower fund. Download a Easter Altar Flower Form.
Help support the financial vitality of the parish.
Our pledge goal for 2017 is $1,150,000 from 350 individuals and families. As of March 22, we have received pledges from 288 individuals and families, totaling $981,539. This spring we will be seeking a construction loan and a permanent loan for the Ministry Center, and your pledge along with a robust stewardship commitment is crucial for securing bank financing with optimal terms and rates. All pledges are strictly confidential. All pledges are tax-deductible.
The Path Towards Discernment: Searching for Our Next Rector
The Holy Comforter Congregational Survey launched this week!

Our thanks and appreciation goes out again to those of you who have been expressing your hopes and feelings to us in the recent Focus Groups and in your personal comments at the Red Table, on the Wall and elsewhere. Your input will become part of the foundation in our Path of Discernment for a new Rector.

Now it is time for the much-anticipated "HOLY COMFORTER CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY" which launched by email on March 22. Be sure to check your junk mail in case it gets filtered into that folder! We would like each adult parishioner (18 years or older) to complete a survey. If you did not get the email invitation, the survey is posted in the News Room section of the church website home page or you can reach the survey by clicking on the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HolyComforterSurvey

A separate but very similar survey will be sent to the youth of the parish (7-12th graders) under a different email in a few days.

All responses are anonymous. It is expected take about 20-30 minutes to complete. We hope that you will all take the time to provide us the information and your own hopes and desires for the future of Holy Comforter and for our new Rector. We also hope that you will find this process personally enlightening and maybe even fun to do.

Your answers and comments to the survey will be imperative in guiding us in the creation of the Community Ministry Portfolio. That is the document, in a standardized format, that we will provide to all prospective candidates to be our new Rector. Candidates in turn will provide us with a similar document explaining their qualifications and desires. Later this spring we will share the results of the survey with you at a parish meeting. Look for more information on that in the future.

The Discernment Committee

MUSIC
Summer Choir Camp
August 21-25 and 27
All children entering second grade or above are eligible for this week of singing, musical learning, friendship, and fun. Questions? Contact David Kelley. More information on how to register is coming soon.
ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Lent
Lenten Adult Forums
Sundays, Through April 2, 10:10 a.m.; Chapel

Brownbag Lunch & Discussion
Wednesdays, Through April 5, 12:45 a.m.; Chapel

Come explore why the language and role of sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation are central to anticipating the events of Holy Week and the proclamation of Easter. Learn more.

CHILDREN & YOUTH
Register Now!
Pickup truck needed! 
Hogwarts VBS 
July 31-August 4
Registration is now open for new and returning students. Learn more and download Registration Forms here. Hogwarts VBS is seeking the use of a large pickup truck (F150 type or larger) Wednesday, August 2 for 2 shifts; 8:00-9:30 a.m. and 12:30-2:00 p.m. If interested, please contact Linda Lee Malone, VBS Director for details.

NEWS & FELLOWSHIP
NEW
Senior Saints BYO Lunch
Friday, April 7; 11:45 a.m. in McGill Hall
Philip Russell, joined by Evan Godwin, will bring the Gospel Passion story to life as he portrays Saint John the Apostle, as an old man. Come and see, come and listen, come and pray! Bring your own lunch. Dessert and beverages will be provided. If you would like to bring a dessert to share, or if you have questions or need a ride, please email Barbara Fitzsimmons.
NEW
RSVP by April 3!
All-Parish Eggstravaganza and Potluck Dinner
Friday, April 7; 6-8 p.m.
We invite all parishioners to bring their undecorated hard boiled Easter eggs and join their Holy Comforter friends in a seasonal gathering. The event will start with the dyeing and decorating of Easter eggs (as well as some Easter-themed crafts) and culminate with a shared potluck dinner. Baked ham and rolls will be provided-please bring a side dish or dessert to share along with a dozen (or as many as you would like to decorate) hard boiled eggs. All egg dyeing/decorating supplies will be provided. RSVP to Kristen Long by Monday, April 3!
Registration Open!
Men's Retreat
April 28-30
Former Maryland Bishop Bob Ihloff will lead the retreat this year, as we gather and discuss how men in the Church can support and mentor one another, listening to God's Spirit and assisting one another in community. Learn more and download a Registration Form.

Registration Open! 
Women's Retreat  
May 5-7
Theme: Spiritual Discernment
Speaker: Stephanie Hull, Senior Program Associate with Listening Hearts Ministries and co-author of Grounded in God: Listening Hearts Discernment for Group Deliberations. Learn more and download a Registration Form.

Volunteers Needed at Pennywise!
Learn more.
Pennywise is now on Facebook! Track items that can be found on Craigslist and keep up on what is featured and on sale each week.

Church of the Holy Comforter | 543 Beulah Rd, NE | Vienna, VA 22180 | communications@holycomforter.com | www.holycomforter.com
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