"Hey, Father Tom! Welcome Back! How was your trip?" "It was wonderful, thanks for asking." "I can't wait to read about it." Am I that predictable? Of course I am! How can one take a walking pilgrimage through the countryside and hills of Scotland and not reflect on it, especially when one's vocation gives multiple, regular opportunities for doing so? So yes, of course I am going to write about it, and you'll probably hear bits and pieces in sermons now and then, too. But you won't hear everything. I have thoughts about a book based on the trip, but we'll see how that pans out. In the meantime, I do think there are some things that lend themselves to Ramblings and sermons, so bear with me. It should be slightly more enjoyable than a captive after-dinner slide show of vacation photos. But I'm aware of the comparison!

 

For those of you who don't know, our family went on a spiritual pilgrimage along a Scottish walk called The Way of St. Cuthbert. When I first starting thinking about taking this trip, I thought Donna might be able to join me, and as it went along, it turned into a full family spiritual adventure - and I'm glad it did. St. Cuthbert's Way covers 65ish miles from Melrose, Scotland to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, off the coast of northern England. A tour company arranged the bed and breakfasts along the way and shuttled the bulk of the luggage from place to place each day while we walked. There were nine of us total on this walk; four Episcopal priests, with spouses and families (we were the only ones with kids at home and kids on the trip).  

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On Sunday, August 13th at the 9:15 service, we will be blessing the children's backpacks and commissioning our Sunday school teachers. Please come, if you are student, no matter your age, and bring your backpack so we can bless you as you begin a new school year! 

Christian Formation is an important ministry at Christ Church. The Sunday school teachers volunteer their time and efforts to deepen the faith and understanding of the Gospel for our children and adults. If you are a Sunday school teacher, please join us at the 9:15 service as we commission you to start a new program year!  

Icon  writing is much more than learning to paint an  icon; a painting depicting Jesus, Mary, angels or saints. Orthodox Christians consider making  icons more a form of prayer than art, and believe the writer's hand is guided by God as s/he writes in paint. Each brush stroke is a meditative act. Those who have painted  icons describe the experience as deeply spiritual and faith-enhancing.

 

Our instructor is Fr. David Holland, who has been teaching icon writing for  24  years. No previous artistic ability is needed. Fr.  David  has never had anyone not finish an  icon . We will  write  the  icons  shown above.

 

The only thing you need to bring is a willing spirit, as Fr. David will furnish all materials and instruction. On Sunday, August 27, our icons will be blessed during Sunday morning services. The cost for the workshop is $425. To register, call the church office at 912-638-8683. For more information, contact Mtr. Becky at [email protected] or give her a call.

If you would like to glorify the altar at Christ Church by donating flowers in honor or in memory of a loved one or friend, please contact Ethel Horton at 912-634-8327.

Beginning Thursday, July 20 at 11:00 am, Barbara Sullivan will lead a summer reading club. In addition to the July meeting, the group will also meet on August 17 and September 21. The book for this month is The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker. Plan to join Barbara in the Vestry room at 11:00 am on July 20th to discuss this great read.

Please join us on Sunday, August 20th, immediately after the 11:15 service, when we will be Chillin' and Grillin' on the lawn! The church will provide hamburgers, hotdogs, buns, condiments, iced tea, lemonade and paper products - you bring your FAVORITE SUMMER COOKOUT SIDES, SALADS, and DESSERTS! Tables and chairs will be set up, but please feel free to bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. Donations will also gladly be accepted to help offset the costs. There will be games and activities for children and a good time for everyone, as we kick off the new program year! Feel free to invite guests and neighbors to join us!

 

SNOW IN THE SUMMER?!?!

One of the activities will include snowballs!  Come and see a snowball fight at Christ Church!

 

AND NOW...for the main event...THE TANK!

 

Want to make a splash and make a difference at the same time? Here's Your Chance!

Starting now we are auctioning off our clergy and staff to take a swim in a dunk tank. The highest bidder will get to throw the first pitch at the person of your choosing. Call the office today at 912-638-8683 to place your bid...we will let you know if you have been out bid!  The money collected from the dunk tank auction will support our children, youth, and family ministries. For questions please contact Ashton at [email protected] or Brad at [email protected]. Don't miss an opportunity to submerge our clergy and staff!

Bring your donations to the church office.

The start of a new school year is just a few weeks away! There are many families in the area that struggle to provide the needed school supplies for their children. In the past few years, Christ Church has worked with GEM (Glynn Episcopal Ministries) to make sure area students have the materials they need for a successful school year. Your generous donations in previous years have gone to help six area schools! Please see the following list and consider helping our area students by donating these school supplies and leaving them in the church office by August 13th. 

Items Needed: Backpacks, #2 pencils, Colored pencils, Pencil boxes and pouches, Pencil sharpener, Pencil top erasers, Pink erasers, Glue sticks, Crayons (16 and 24 packs), Large crayons (8 pack), Scissors - Fiskars for the lower grades, Wide rule composition notebooks, Single subject spiral notebooks, Primary paper, Loose leaf notebook paper, 2-pocket folders, Pocket folders with prongs, Black or blue pens, 3-ring binders, Markers, Highlighters, Composition books with grid paper

This summer the Backpack Buddies are packing bags for Safe Harbor teens, Glynn Episcopal Ministries Summer Fun Friday afternoon kids, and the Children in Action Sports Camp participants. Hunger doesn't take a summer break and neither do the Buddies!

Now you can make gifts and offerings to Christ Church by using your phone. Please text ccfssi to 77977,  enter your details, choose your payment method, and give. You may also go to the Christ Church website at ccfssi.org, click on the Donation tab at the top and give there.