join us on Facebook  follow us on twitter
May 6 , 2020

IN THIS ISSUE
If you'd like to have a photo of your mother included in the Mother's Day worship service, please send it to julie@ccfssi.org by Thursday, May 7. Scroll down for more details.

Rector's Ramblings


If you don't already know the name Ahmaud Arbery, you need to. Many of us, myself included, were only vaguely aware of a shooting in Brunswick back in February; such things don't always garner our attention right away.  Shootings don't happen every day, but they happen enough that we are unfortunately a bit numb to them. It also happened at a time when we were shifting into pandemic mode and there wasn't as much reporting or public response as there might have been otherwise. On February 23, 2020,  the unarmed Arbery, running near his home, was chased down by two armed men in a pickup truck. A struggle ensued and Arbery was shot and killed. What happened that led up to Arbery's death is rightly getting more attention. As I have learned more about the incident, I agree with so many others that justice has not yet been served in this case.  

Worship


Worship This Week
Please join us on the Christ Church Facebook page here, on our YouTube page here, or the Christ Church website here, this coming Sunday for worship at 9:15 am. We will be celebrating a musical Morning Prayer from the church and invite you to watch the service with us live.

Make sure to send us a photo of your mother, or other mothers you'd like to recognize, by Thursday, May 7, so they may be included in the Mother's Day special presentation on Sunday, May 10. (Please send photos to Julie at julie@ccfssi.org.) 
Evening Prayer
If you enjoy hearing Evening Prayer read, please look for it at 5:00 pm on the Christ Church Facebook page here. The Rite I bulletin for evening prayer can be found here. The Rite II bulletin for evening prayer can be found here.
Daily Morning Prayer, Wherever You Are
Start your day and lift your spirits each morning by reading Morning Prayer. If you're at home and have your prayer book handy, find a quiet spot, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and select Morning Prayer I (BCP page 37) or Morning Prayer II (BCP page 75) and begin. If you're away from home, you can find the Book of Common Prayer at https://www.bcponline.org and the Scripture and Collects of the Day at http://lectionarypage.net.
 
From the Organist and Choirmaster
Greetings! 

Thanks be to God for Zoom meetings where we can see each other. If we don't touch base there, we find other ways to stay in touch. The Children's Choir and I spent an hour this week telling knock-knock jokes and reviewing the new hymns we started earlier in the season. The Handbell Choir is enjoying materials shared from the Handbell Musicians of America, an organization I've belonged to for some time. While all choirs miss one another, I think perhaps the Adult Choir misses their corporate ministry the most.

While the exact date and time we reume rehearsing is unknown, when we do resume, it will look and feel different. 

Please read Canon Joshua Varner's invitation (below) to sing in a virtual Diocesan choir.  Hymn 370, I bind unto myself,  is being recorded for the Consecration Service of Bishop-Elect Frank Logue, at the end of May. This hymn will be sung in unison and ALL are invited to participate. I've been setting up the tracks for the Diocese when they record more traditional hymns that incorporate the organ. It's fun!!!

Cum laude digma (with joyful voice),
Kathleen Turner


From Canon Joshua Varner



Dear Friends,
 
I am reaching out to you again because you all were generous enough to sign up to sing for our Consecration Choir, back when we thought we would all gather together for that worship service. Now, after a successful experiment with Virtual Choirs for Holy Week and Easter, we would like to invite you to be part of our Consecration Choir! Bishop-elect Logue has invited us to sing Hymn 370, "I bind unto myself today" as an opening to the service. I would love to have you be part of this event!  Many thanks to Kathleen Turner, Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church, Frederica, for creating these tracks.

Our deadline for submissions is Friday, May 15! Submissions received after that day may not be part of the choir.
 
The full set of information, including links to guide tracks, instructions for recording, an example video, and directions for submitting your video, and more, are all in the document at this link: https://bit.ly/OrdinationChoir. Please read these instructions carefully, and after doing so, please feel free to ask any questions you have! I am available by email, phone call, and text.
 
I look forward to singing (virtually) with you!
 
God's Peace,
Joshua Varner

Formation 


Join Our Online Contemplative Group
A group from Christ Church Frederica are joining parishioners from Trinity Episcopal Church, in Asheville, North Carolina for an hour of prayer, reflection, and contemplation on Wednesday mornings at 11:15 to 12:15. Email Randy Siegel at  Link2Randy@gmail.com if you'd like to join us! 
Bishop's Eastertide Bible Study
Bishop Benhase is leading a diocesan-wide Bible Study focusing on the Letter to the Philippians during Eastertide. It is available on both the Diocese's Facebook page and YouTube channel each Wednesday at 11:00 am. Each session will be pre-recorded, so there will not be an opportunity to ask questions in real time, but the Bishop encourages folks to ask questions on the Diocese's Facebook page and he will respond to them following each session. Below is the schedule. the materials are available here. Please join us! 
 
May 6 - Nothing in the Law Can Save Us (3:1-11) 
Pressing Towards the Goal, Which is Christ (3:12-4:1) 
 
May 13 - Closing Exhortations (4:2-9) 
Acknowledgment of the Philippians' Gift (4:10-20) 
Benediction (4:21-23) 
Forward Day by Day
If you are a regular reader of the Forward Day by Day devotionals that are typically available in the Christ Church office and would like to continue to have access to them, please contact Glenn Queener at glenn@ccfssi.org. Glenn would like to have your name and street address, so he can send you copies of the booklets. You can also find the devotionals online here.
 
Adult Sunday Class Zooming Along
The Adult Sunday Class, led by the Rev. Bob Brown has moved to Mondays, at 11:00 am, via Zoom. If you'd like to join the group, you can find it here: https://zoom.us/j/430040512  The meeting ID is: 430 040 512  

The Adult class is reading  Stories based on a book by Will Willimon who is the Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke University Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. 
  
For questions about where to get the book or how to connect with Zoom, please contact Bob at rwb385@gmail.com.
Wednesday Men's Study Group Meeting Remotely
The Men's Study Group that meets on Wednesdays, at 10:30 am, is meeting remotely using Zoom. They are currently studying, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, by David Quammen. If you'd like to join the group , please contact Te Turner at royteturner@gmail.com .
Women's Book Study
The Women's Book Study Group is meeting remotely, via Zoom, on Thursdays, at 1:00 pm. The book they're reading is Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman.  The book is available at Christian book stores and on Amazon. Please contact Mtr. Ashton at ashton@ccfssi.org if you'd like to join the group and for more information about meeting using Zoom.
EC101
EC101 continues to meet remotely, via Zoom, on Thursdays, at 5:30 pm. If you'd like to know more about the class, or just want to get more information about the Episcopal Church, please contact Mtr. Becky at  becky@ccfssi.org
 Children and Youth

 
Youth and Children's Activities


Mtr. Katie continues to minister to our children and youth in a wide variety of ways, including newsletters, emails to parents, check-ins, the Christ Church Families Facebook page and last, but not least, weekly Kidurgy worship. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience Kidurgy, click here, or on the caption above, to see the message from the past Sunday. Whether you're a child or a child at heart, you'll enjoy this rewarding presentation of God's Holy Word.

Mtr. Katie's suggested devotions for youth can be found at  d365.org . These  daily devotions are geared towards teenagers - put together by youth ministers. You can even sign up to have the devotion emailed to you daily.

If you need to get in touch with Mtr. Katie, please contact her at katie@ccfssi.org.
Graduate Recognition Sunday
On Sunday May 17, we will be recognizing our graduating high school seniors and college students during our 9:15 am online worship service. If your child or grandchild will be a 2020 graduate, please contact Julie Hancock at  julie@ccfssi.org with the name of your graduate and information about where he or she went to high school or college and at any post-graduation plans. We would also like a photo of your graduate, to share with the parish. Please send in your information to Julie by Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
Kreimborg Cross
On Sunday, May 17, the presentation of the Kreimborg Cross and Scholarship will be shown at the 9:15 am worship service. The cross is given by Tony and Sarah Kreimborg in honor and memory of their son, Evan, who faithfully served as an acolyte at Christ Church. 
Christ Church Families on Facebook
Families! Please join the Christ Church Families Facebook group to keep up with all the latest events and activities. Find us on Facebook here !

 

Mission
and Outreach


The Backpack Buddies Update
Christ Church parishioner, Deb Lubinguhl and Calvin Herrington, custodian at Burroughs Molette Elementary School, pass out weekend food bags. Mr. Calvin is there every week helping the Communities in Schools staff distribute food to the BME students and their families. Each week, he takes food to kids in the community who have no transportation and cannot get to the school neighborhood park to pick up their bags.

A big THANK YOU to everyone within and outside Christ Church Frederica parish who is involved in the Backpack Buddy ministry, in any way.  With your help, we were able to distribute 2,482 weekend food bags, containing 11,170 pounds of nutritious food in the Brunswick community, during April!  We have many friends and neighbors of parishioners who are providing food on our hard-to-find list, helping load, unload, sanitize, remove packaging, pack bags, resupply, and hand out bags. Thank you ALL!!!!
 
Right now, the Backpack Buddies wish list (due to supply chain interruptions) includes: Vienna sausages, Beanee Weenees, and small-sized Chef Boy R Dee Pasta meals in a can.  If you can pick up any of these protein items the next time you're in the grocery store, we would be very grateful. All items may be dropped off on the front porch at the Christ Church Parish House.

If you would like to help the Backpack Buddies ministry with a monetary donation, it would be greatly appreciated. You can donate by check (just mail it to Christ Church, at 6329 Frederica Road St. Simons Island, GA 31522 - check memo, Backpack Buddies) or give online here (choose Backpack Program). We are now feeding nearly 300 additional children per week, so every cent will be put to good use!

For more information about the Backpack Buddies program, please contact Susan Shipman at susanshipman920@gmail.com.
Recognizing Our Street Beat Graduates
Street Beat is a Safe Harbor program that supports homeless teens in Glynn County. Christ Church ministers to these youth through our hunger outreach program. We are now collecting cards and donations for gift cards for three Street Beat graduates, Shakiya, Isreal and Taliyah, who will soon graduate from high school. Two of the young ladies will be joining the military and the other will be going to college. You may congratulate these young women by dropping off signed graduation cards and contributions towards gift cards in the basket on the front porch of the Christ Church Parish House, by May 25. Please contact Tony Kreimborg at sarahsburden@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Helping the Community in Times of Need
We invite all parishioners to support community relief efforts as they are able. 
 
Two local non-profits (there are others) that will be doing good works to address this current crisis include: 
 

FaithWorks - many of you know FaithWorks and their many outreaches, from The Well, to Sparrows Nest and much more.  https://faithworksministry.org
 

Firebox - a relief organization here in Glynn County, started by the folks as Southern Soul to support restaurant workers in need. Many restaurant workers have been out of work for a while, with no income for themselves or their families.  https://ssbbqfirebox.com

Parish People


Celebrating Our Friends at Christ Church
We're very proud of and grateful for Dr. Stephen Chitty, a member of Christ Church, who is on the front line of our local fight to care for COVID-19 patients. Thank you Dr. Chitty, and all those who are serving our community in a myriad of important ways! Read more about Dr. Chitty and the work he's involved in, in this recent article from the Brunswick News that can be found  here.
Fellowship

 
We Need Your Photos!
Mother's Day is this coming Sunday and this year, we'd like to honor our mothers with a special musical tribute during our online morning worship service, at 9:15 am, on Sunday,  May 10, 2020. 

What we would like to do is show photos of all of our beautiful mothers and the women who have been like mothers to us. If you have photos that you would like to share, please send them to either Fr. Tom at tom@ccfssi.org or to Julie Hancock at  julie@ccfssi.org, by Thursday, May 7, and we will include your mother in a special Mother's Day visual presentation. If possible, please share your mother's name with your submitted photos. (Names will not be shown during the visual presentation, but will be listed in the service bulletin, for which you will receive an email link.)

We're also missing seeing all your dear faces and would love to see how you're faring at home, as you practice social distancing. If you've got photos of yourself or your family members at home that you'd be willing to share, please send them to Julie at  julie@ccfssi.org. We will, in turn, share them with all of the congregation on a Sunday in the near future, so that we can all "see" each other again!

 
Virtual Coffee Hour - 10:30 am 
After Sunday Worship, why don't you drop by the Christ Church Virtual Coffee Hour at 10:30 am and see who's there. Stay and chat for a bit with some of the other friendly folks you haven't seen in a while!  It's easy enough to do from your laptop, tablet or phone. Just go to  Zoom Meetings at: 


Meeting ID: 792 428 337
Password: 005760

 See you on Sunday!
Stay Informed

 
Giving Made Easy


You may use the CCF website to make pledges, donations and payments for some activities. Just select "Giving" at the top of the CCF homepage. This brings you to the pay portal. The process is fast and easy and allows you to pay by credit or debit card or by electronic bank transfer. You may change or add new payment methods at any time. Contact: Stan Kyker, CCF financial administrator at 912-638-8683.


Pastoral Care and Prayer List


Pastoral Care 

Your pastoral care team is here for you! If you have a pastoral concern, a blessing you'd like to share, want to arrange a hospital or home visit, and/or receive Holy Communion, please contact Mother Ashton Williston at 912-638-8683 or ashton@ccfssi.org.

Prayer List

To amend our prayer list or to update the church on the condition of your loved one, please email Mtr. Ashton Williston at ashton@ccfssi.org  or call the church office at 912-638-8683.

Nancy  Acree
Bob Baker
Tory Braden
Judy Bradford
Rowland Bradford
Gene Broadwell
Bob Dart Brown
Beverly Burns
Jackie Byrne
Colleen Cassidy
Zoann Covington
Jody Custer
Jackie Davis
Linda Davidson
Mary Lou Detwiler
Dave Essig
Dave Geiszler
Sheika Gramshammer
Mary Hanley
Burgess Hartsell
Larry Hartsell
Andrew Hobbs
Carol Hoffine
Lise Hofmann
Angela Holland
Jessica Hope
Gordon Jackson
Holly Lamb
Mary Landen
Bob Lazier
Bill Littleton
Dorothy Lowery
Dott Marler
Tom Martin
Kathy Marvel
Claire McCarty
Frank Owenby
Pep Peppiat
Johnny Riddle
Julia Riddle
Terry Hall Robbins


Clyde Smith
Willou Smith
David Somerville
Sam Spak
James St. Clair
Mike Swindling
Edith Tayloe
Meghan Thrift
Sarah Whitman
Jennifer Willingham
Mell Wray
Hollis Youngner
Ava
Betty
Carol
Dale
Dave
Dick
Fran
Jake
Joanne
John
Lara
Marianne
Megan
Muriel
Olivia
Pidge
Richard
Susan 
Traci
Virginia
Walter