Our staff has set a goal that may or may not be ambitious. Time will tell. We have agreed that we will accumulate 2020 miles of activity in 2020. That means we will, as a group, walk, run, hike, bike, swim, or paddle ½ mile per day each, on average, to achieve our goal. I actually think it's quite reasonable. While I don't get out as often as I want, when I do, it is usually for long enough that I could knock out a week's worth in one run or ride. But then getting out more frequently is the point. This goal is a motivator for all of us. We're not sure what we'll do to celebrate, but already, after just a few days, we've reached 1% of our goal! Hey, it's something.

Join us for weekly worship at Christ Church. Holy Eucharist worship services will take place on Saturday at 5:30 pm at St. Ignatius Chapel, on Demere Road, and on Sunday at 8:00 am, 9:15 am (services in both historic Christ Church and the Parish Hall), and 11:15 am at Christ Church, Frederica. Kidurgy, our Liturgy of the Word for younger children, takes place during the 9:15 am worship service at Christ Church.   

On Thursday, January 9 and 15, at 11:00 am, Randy Siegel will lead a contemplative group in the Vestry Room of the Christ Church Parish House. Contemplative practices help us know God. Through prayer, worship, scripture, meditation, and silence, we experience God's presence and are healed, renewed and transformed by God's love. All are welcome! For more information, please contact Randy Siegel at 828-301-0819.

The Daughters of the King will meet on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at 5:30 pm, in the Vestry Room of the Parish House. All Daughters are asked to please bring in foods collected throughout Advent to replenish the non-perishable food stocks for the Food Baskets program. Contact Mtr. Ashton at [email protected] for more information.

This winter, the women of Christ Church are invited to come together at Epworth by the Sea on Saturday, January 25 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm for a spiritual retreat. This retreat will include a presentation by Katie Tippett (creator of Selah St. Simons), praying together from the Book of Common Prayer, sharing our stories with each other and a closing Eucharist. Food for the soul! (Childcare will be available on site!) The event is free and lunch can be purchased for $14. Call the Church Office at 912-638-8683 to register.  For more information, contact  Mtr. Katie at [email protected] and Kathryn Saunders at [email protected] .

Families! Please join the Christ Church Families Facebook group to keep up with all the latest events and activities. Find us on Facebook here !

The annual Frederick Cousins Guild Oyster Roast and Barbecue will take place on Friday, February 7, 2020 in the Parish House and on the church grounds. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. All proceeds will go to support local and international charities. To get your tickets and more information, please contact Jeannie Wade at [email protected] or Louise Bartlett at [email protected].

Last year, 29 agencies, primarily serving women and children in need, benefited from ECW's Annual Tour of Homes, and from the sale of our Christ Church Cookbook. This year, we're hoping to have another great tour day, to help as many folks as possible, and we need your help to make that happen! If you'd like to be a patron or volunteer on Tour Day, March 21, 2020 please contact Susie Henning at  [email protected]), or Tami Black at  [email protected], or visit christchurchtourofhomes.org.

Mark your calendars! The ECW Tour of Homes Kick-Off Party will take place on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm,  at the St. Simons Island home of Debbie & Tony Doliveira.  This annual event celebrates the more than 300 volunteers and supporters who help make the Tour possible.  We will send mailed invitations and evites in January.   We look forward to a great evening. For more information, please contact Susie Henning at [email protected] or Tami Black at [email protected].

Please consider purchasing an official Christ Church T-shirt to wear the day of the run. This year, you have a choice of either a black long sleeve soft cotton shirt for $20, or a black short sleeve Dri-Fit shirt for $15. The shirts are available to all who wish to buy them, whether you participate in the run or not! 

NOTE: Names of loved ones affected by cancer, who you would like to remember or honor, may be added to the shirt by sending the names to Julie Hancock at [email protected] by January 23. (If the name of your loved one has been on a shirt in previous years, it will still be on the list this year, as well. Names are not removed.)

To purchase a shirt, please contact Julie at [email protected] with the sizes and amounts you'd like to order. Payment must be made at the time you order the shirt and all orders must be in by January 30. Proceeds from shirt sales will go to the cancer programs at the hospital. Make checks payable to Christ Church, Frederica and write Bridge Run in the memo line. Checks may be mailed to Christ Church, Frederica 6329 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, or they may be dropped off at the church office. Please write ATTN: Bridge Run on your envelope. Pick up your CCF shirt at the church office on February 13-14. Contact Diane Sheehan at  [email protected]    or Judy Douglas at [email protected] for more information.

The Mom's Time Out group will meet for dinner on Friday, January 10, at 6:00 pm at Half Shell, in St. Simons Village. Please RSVP to Mtr. Ashton at [email protected] by Thursday morning, January 8, if you'd like to join us.

The O(utrageously) M(ature) G(roup) will start off the new year meeting on the second Friday, January 10, at 11:30 am, in the Parish Hall. Join them for lunch and games, or just come to socialize. Bring a friend! If you'd like to purchase lunch, please call the church office at 912-638-8683, by Thursday, January 9, with your order for a sandwich or salad from Honeybaked Hams for $10. For more information about the OMG, pleased contact Mtr. Ashton at [email protected].

All are cordially invited to join us for the Capital Campaign Launch on January 12, 2020, at 4:00 pm, in the ballroom at the Island Club Retreat. This gathering will kick off Rooted. Growing. Building: A Campaign for Christ Church. Light fare and libations will be served. Childcare for children 4 and under will be provided, so bring the whole family. Please contact Amy Certain at [email protected] if you can come.

The Frederick Cousins Guild will have an important meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. at Jeannie Wade's home, 167 Butler Lake Drive, to finalize the plans for the fabulous annual Oyster Roast and Barbecue. Sign-up sheets for members to make either a pot of Brunswick stew or desserts like brownies or cookies will be available. If you're unable to attend the meeting, please email Louise Bartlett at  [email protected] or call her at 638-3303, to let her know if you can bring a pot of stew or dessert for the Oyster Roast on February 7.

Make plans to join us for the Annual Meeting, Chili Cook-Off and Children's Baking Battle, which  will take place on January 26, at 6:00 pm, in the Parish Hall. If you would like to enter in the Chili Cook-off, please bring your entry, heated and ready to eat, by 5:45 pm in a crock-pot, or bring a salad, sandwiches, bread, cornbread, chips or a dessert. 

Attention kids!! Please bring six of your best homemade cookies to the Parish Hall between 5:45 and 6:00 pm, on January 26, to be part of the competition. The results of the Vestry election will be announced during the Annual Meeting. For more information about the Chili Cook-Off and Baking Battle, please contact Mtr. Katie at [email protected].

The Vestry Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate of nominees for the 2020 Vestry election. Additional information on the candidates will be shared in the coming weeks. The Candidates for Vestry are: Van Black, Marty Bland, Susan Garrett, Catherine Holt, Sarah Kreimborg, Troy Meeks, Beth Smith and Ed Turner. Elections will be held January 25 and 26, 2020, and results will be announced at the Annual Meeting on January 26.

Christ Church Gift Shop

This week, check out our beautiful assortment of storage boxes - perfect for January organizing.

The Christ Church Gift Shop has a wide assortment of unique items, including handmade jewelry to benefit House of Hope and Faithful Love, the Christ Church history book, local honey and all natural bath and body care products from Thistle Farms. (Read a great NPR story about Thistle Farms and their mission with troubled young women here.)

 

The store can be found in the parish hall, across from the church office and is open on Sundays 10:30 am until 1:00 pm and Tuesday - Friday 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Contact: Ellen Kuehm at 912-996-3392 or at   [email protected] .

We are in the process of adding emergency contact information for parishioners into the Christ Church Realm database. When you log into your Realm profile, you may enter the information yourself. If you need help with Realm, please contact Glenn at [email protected]. If you prefer not to use computers, call Mother Ashton at the church office, at 912-638-8683, and she will happily take your information and enter it into the database.