I have heard from a number of people that they are curious about other aspects of the pilgrimage I first wrote about a couple of weeks ago upon my return. So I'll share a reflection from another day of the trip today. Then, I promise to spread out further reflections a bit, so none of us get sick of hearing about it! But, I'm still processing some of our experiences, so this is still an active subject for me. Spiritual experiences, retreats, pilgrimages, even some single liturgical experiences can stay with us for a long time.  That's one of the reasons I've been encouraging people to head to Honey Creek to the Diocesan revival with our presiding bishop in September. I have a feeling it will stay with us, as a diocese, as a parish, and as individuals, for a long time to come.

 

So, getting back to Scotland. As I said, each day ended up having a kind of theme, or a learning of some kind. Day six ended up being: There's always a plan B! Sometimes things don't go according to plan. We can do our best to prepare, to have things lined up to adjust on the fly, and yet we can still find ourselves having to find a new path, and new plan, or adjust in ways we had never imagined.  

READ MORE HERE

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.

The Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, is traveling throughout the country this year offering a series of revivals. On Sunday, September 17th, the  Diocese of Georgia will offer a revival based on Fearless Faith and Boundless Love. Join us for a day of renewal and to celebrate the life and legacy of a Saint in Georgia, Deaconess Anna Alexander. The revival worship will use the propers for Deaconess Anna Alexander of Georgia (1865-1947) and displays, handouts, and a video will tell the story of this saint of Georgia.

The day begins with a service at Good Shepherd, Pennick where Deaconess Anna Alexander served.  At 2:00 pm, parishioners from all over the diocese of Georgia will gather under a large tent on the grounds of Honey Creek Retreat Center to hear the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, as he shares his message of love and renewal. Please save September 17, as it will be a day to celebrate our faith together and to share it with others. For more information and to register online, click here . Because parking at Honey Creek is very limited, we will be arranging group transportation from Christ Church. Details will be available in coming weeks.

On  Thursday, August 17th, at 11:00 am, the summer reading group will discuss the book  "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi. 

 Please call the Church Office before  August 13th to make a reservation.

Sunday School Starts on August 20th!

August 20th will be the first day of Sunday school for children and youth! Teachers and students will meet in their rooms with their classes for a short time to get acquainted. No lesson this day, just a time to introduce everybody and share. There will be a picnic on the lawn immediately following the 11:15 service (see article below). Please encourage friends and neighbors to come and join in the fun! We will also have Kidurgy during both the 9:15 and 11:15 services.

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!

In addition to all of the other fun activities, we will be auctioning off our Clergy, Staff, and our Senior Warden to sit in a dunk tank. The highest bidder will get to throw the first pitch at the person of your choosing. 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, out of love, of course, and for a good cause!

The Adult Sunday morning Class will resume on August 20th. The class will be doing a 24-week series from The Great Courses lectures on the New Testament. The Class meets from 10:30 to 11:15 am each week in the Parish Hall and the Rev. Dr. Robert W. (Bob) Brown is the facilitator and teacher for the Class. The New Testament course promises to be an inspiring and educational event. 

 

The New Testament is undoubtedly the single most important book in the history of Western civilization, whether seen as a religious book of faith or as a cultural artifact. The 24 lessons of this course will approach the New Testament from a historical perspective, bracketing questions of belief and theological truth to acquire a historically rich grounding for our understanding of these foundational documents. 

The course will begin with four lessons on the historical context in which the New Testament was written, considering both the world of Greco-Roman pagan cults and the world of early Judaism.

 

In the second four lessons, we will examine the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are our principal sources for knowing about the life and teachings of Jesus; they are also major literary works in their own right, each with its own perspective on who Jesus was and why his life and death matter.  Come join us for these lessons and be enriched in your understanding of the New Testament.  Everyone is welcome. 

If you're interested in learning about boundaries in your life, please join our soon-to-be-ordained Curate, Ashton Williston, as she leads this study on Sunday mornings. The class will meet in the vestry room for Sunday school beginning on August 20th at 10:30. 

The first morning will be an essential meet and greet, with the passing out of the book, Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No - To Take Control of Your Life. Click here to read a review of this fascinating book. 

If you would like to know more information or have any questions, please contact Ashton at [email protected] . 

On September 15-16, 2017, Christ Church, Frederica presents the Rev. Dr. Paul Hanneman's introduction to "The Enneagram ...your new best friend!" Join Dr. Hanneman for this workshop as he explores this ancient spiritual tool... the wisdom of the Fourth Century Desert Fathers, the first Christian monastics...deep, universal and life-changing. 

The Enneagram is about people - how we are the same, how we are different, what makes us tick and how we get in our own way. The Enneagram offers an accurate description of the inner geography of our minds. It describes nine fundamental personality styles. It helps explain why we behave the way we do. It offers specific directions for personal growth.

 

Rev. Dr. Paul Hanneman, a graduate of Richard Rohr's The Living School, is a certified Enneagram trainer, has studied extensively with Don Riso and Russ Hudson, Thomas Condon, and Helen Palmer. He has taught The Enneagram for over 20 years. He retired after pastoring four congregations over 25 years and serving 15 years as Program Director/Community Educator for the Urban Ministry Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. He now teaches spiritual formation (including the Enneagram) throughout the area, and offers spiritual direction and counseling from his office at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in uptown Charlotte.

 

Everyone is welcome!  Join us September 15-16, 2017, in the Christ Church, Frederica Parish Hall for this higher- spiritual-learning course.  

 

Friday September 15, 2017 - 7:00-9:00 p.m. 

"Dynamics of the Nine Personality Types, Ego Structure, Soul"

 

Saturday, September 16th - 9:00-11:30 a.m. 

"You're NOT Your Personality"

(Light lunch served in Fellowship Hall.)        

 

1:00-4:00 p.m. 

"Who Does God See When He Looks at Us?"

 

Advance registration is required and registration forms can be found in the church office. The cost for the workshop is $40 and checks may be made to Christ Church, Frederica. Please write Enneagram Workshop in the memo line. For more information, please contact Billie Sargent Conyers at [email protected]

Please bring in your canned and shelf stable foods this weekend to help stock the St. Athanasius Feed My Sheep Food Pantry. Pasta, rice, dried pinto beans, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, canned fruits, vegetables (particularly canned tomatoes), meats, and soups are especially welcome. You may leave canned and packaged goods all month at the church office or at the Saturday service at St. Ignatius. The donations are delivered to the pantry the first week of the month.

If you'd like to read about St. Athanasius, for whom our sister church in Brunswick is named, click here.

	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

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.