 I recently finished watching a new show on Netflix entitled, Away. It's the story of a mission to Mars - the first mission to send human beings to the red planet. The endeavor is sponsored chiefly by NASA, but with financial and technical support from other nations. The astronauts also hail from different nations, one each from the United States, Russia, England, China, and India. As you would expect from a television show, the science is good enough to be mostly believable, but the crux of the storytelling is in how the characters deal with challenges and setbacks. As a fan of reality-based science fiction, I enjoyed the series.
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| Worship This Week |
Please join us on Sunday, at 9:15 am, for online Holy Eucharist, which will be available on the Christ Church Facebook page here, on our YouTube page here, or the Christ Church website here.
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| Outdoor In-Person Worship |
Christ Church has returned to in-person, outdoor worship on Sundays, at 8:00 am. The service is Holy Eucharist, Rite I. Communion will be distributed, bread only.
All worshippers must register in order to attend outdoor services. We are required to keep attendance below 50 persons in accordance with Diocese of Georgia guidelines. To register, call the office (912-638-8683) Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, or on Fridays, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. You must speak with a staff member or volunteer in order to be registered. Registrations will start over each week on Tuesday for the following Sunday; we will not be registering anyone beyond the current, upcoming Sunday. You will need to call the church each week you intend to attend worship.
Please dress casually and comfortably for the weather. Those at high risk for severe symptoms are still encouraged to stay home and worship virtually.
All who attend worship will be screened before participating. We will make sure you don't have any COVID-19 symptoms, haven't been recently exposed, or haven't been recently tested. If you have any common COVID symptoms, we ask that you do not attend in-person worship. Such symptoms may include:
* Fever or chills
* Cough
* Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
* Fatigue
* Muscle or body aches
* Headache
* New loss of taste or smell
* Sore throat
* Congestion or runny nose
* Nausea or vomiting
* Diarrhea
* All who attend will be required to wear masks.
* All who attend are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, however, we will have metal folding chairs on hand for those without.
* We will spray for bugs each week, but we encourage you to bring bug spray.
* We will provide hand fans to all who attend (the fans are yours to keep and reuse - we will not collect them).
* Please know that restrooms are only available for emergency use.
If we quickly fill up the 8:00 am service, we will add a second service at an appropriate time.
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| Celebrate Communion with Us Via Drive-Through Every Sunday |
Join us for Drive-Through Communion at Christ Church each Sunday, following the live stream of the Eucharist, until 12:00 NOON. There is no need to make a reservation. Cars will enter at the gate next to the mailbox on Frederica Road and drive down the path. Car windows should remain closed until directed to be lowered by the clergy. A member of the clergy will administer the Eucharist, after which parishioners will drive to the back gate, to exit onto Stevens Road.
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Drive-Through Blessing of the Animals -
October 4, 2020 |  |
On Sunday, October 4, at 4:00 pm, you are invited to join us for the first drive-through Blessing of the Animals at Christ Church! Bring your beloved pets and animals for a blessing from your car! Volunteers and staff will direct you where to enter from Frederica Road. After your pet receives a blessing you'll exit onto Stevens Road. We'll have some treats for your animal friends, and St. Francis medallions for cages or collars. We hope to see you!
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Bishop Visit - October 11, 2020
 Our Bishop, the Right Rev. Frank Logue is doing virtual visits to churches across the Diocese in order to officiate and record Sunday worship. He will be visiting Christ Church, Frederica on October 11, 2020 and will preach and preside at all services.This will be a pastoral visit with no reception or additional meetings.
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| All Saints Sunday |
 All Saints Day will be celebrated on Sunday, November 1, 2020 this year. This is a time of reflection and celebration, as we remember those who have died. We will be collecting their names for the All Saints Book of Remembrance.
If you would like to have the name of someone who has died since last year's All Saints Day services, or the name of a loved one who died prior to last year, read during the November 1 service, please email us at [email protected] with the name of the person you wish to honor. Please have the names in by Friday, October 23, 2020.
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| Prayer in the Church |
 Christ Church is now open for limited private prayer time by appointment. To sign up you must call the office during regular business hours (912-638-8683), we will not take reservations via email. You will be scheduled for your time only after speaking with Glenn Queener or another staff member who can confirm the reservation. We ask that those who come in for prayers wear masks while in the church and wipe down the pew they sit in and anything they touch with provided cleaning materials as they leave. A staff member will meet those with reservations to allow them access to the church, as our buildings are still closed to the public. That staff member will screen for COVID symptoms including taking your temperature and recording names in our contact tracing log book. |
| 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.
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| Celebrate All Saints' Day with the Diocesan Choir |
From The Rev. Joshua Varner: All Saints' Day is one of the Principal Feasts of the Church. On this day we remember all the saints, known and unknown, and we are reminded of our own participation in the Communion of Saints.
This year, we will be celebrating our connections with all the saints through music. As we did for Bishop Logue's Ordination, we will be creating a Virtual Choir. This time we will sing Hymn 287, "For All the Saints." This hymn has options to sing harmony on some of the verses but all are welcome to sing melody for the entire song if preferred. In order to sing in this choir, all you need is a pair of earbuds, a computer, and a smartphone that can record video. You will download the appropriate guide track and then sing along with the guide track in your earbuds while you video yourself using your phone. We need your submission no later than Sunday night, October 18 in order to incorporate it into the final choir. In order to participate, you need the full instructions, which can be found here: http://bit.ly/ForAllTheSaintsChoir. The instructions include links to guide tracks, rehearsal tracks, an example video, and instructions on how to submit your video once you're done. Many thanks to Kathleen Turner, Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church, Frederica, for creating these tracks. Please read the instructions carefully before you record anything! Contact Canon Varner at [email protected] with your questions. Please note that while singers sometimes feel like they are singing a solo during this process, and therefore choose not to participate, your offering will be mixed with others, creating the sound of many voices singing together through the miracle of technology. So go ahead and sing and submit your music. Your song will join with everyone else's offerings to create something glorious!
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| Join Our Online Contemplative Group |  |
Parishioners from Christ Church Frederica have been meeting regularly online with a group of parishioners from Trinity Episcopal Church, in Asheville, North Carolina for an hour of prayer, reflection, and contemplation on Wednesday mornings, from 11:00 am through 12:00 pm.
The group is going strong and would be happy to welcome any new participants. Email Randy Siegel at [email protected] if you'd like to join us!
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| Devotionals |
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 [email protected]. 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.
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| Wednesday Men's Study Group Meeting Remotely |
 The Men's Study Group meets via Zoom on Wednesdays, at 10:30 am. They are currently exploring the book Heaven and Hell: a History of the AfterLife by Bart D. Ehrman to uncover the processes by which, and how, the New Testament came to be. If you'd like to join the group for this Bible study or upcoming studies, please contact Te Turner at [email protected] or Fr. David Somerville at [email protected] for the Zoom access information.
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| Women's Book Study |
 The Women's Book Study is meeting via ZOOM at 1:00 pm on Thursdays. They are reading White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo. Please contact Mother Ashton at [email protected] if you'd like more information about this book.
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| Adult Sunday Class Continues Break |
The Adult Sunday Class, led by the Rev. Bob Brown continues to be on hiatus. Plans for the fall are evolving. For questions about the class and future studies, please contact Bob at [email protected].
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| Virtual Sunday School for Children |  |
There will be no Sunday school for children on Sunday, October 11, as schools are on break that weekend.
Until we can gather back in our classrooms in the Parish House, Christ Church is dedicated to providing Christian Education for the school program year!
Here is what it will look like:
Worship: Hear the Bible story for the week in the Kidurgy service! - available by 8:00 am on Sunday Morning.
Share: At 10:20 am, sign on to our Zoom Sunday School class and listen with Mr. and Mrs. Turner for the PreK-2nd Grade, or Mr. Lenon and Mother Katie for the 3rd-5th grade class! These sessions will be about 15-20 minutes sessions maximum, so you can get to drive-thru communion if you need! Use the Zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84574938145
Learn: Take advantage of further learning with the lesson leaflet (that will be passed out at the drive-thru or delivered to your door!) and an On Demand lesson to accompany that weeks lesson, available by Monday morning to do at your leisure that week!
Participate in all or one offering to help form your child in the Christian Faith!
The zoom meeting especially, is an opportunity for your child to have shared experience with their peers in learning about the Bible, Jesus and themselves! Building those relationships with their peers and their teachers is the key to allowing faith to develop! So we hope to see you Sunday! If you'd like more details about the upcoming Sunday school classes please contact Mtr. Katie at [email protected].
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| Kidurgy |  |
Kidurgy is now using an Anglican Rosary for the Prayers of the People. If you do not have a rosary to use to follow along with at home, please let Mother Katie know and she will deliver! (They are also available at the drive-through communion line!) Kidurgy will be emailed at 8:00 am on Sunday morning as well as posted on Facebook at 7:00 am.
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| Youth Group - September 27! | |
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Our youth had an in-person meeting for the first time in months on Sunday, September 27, 2020. It was a great evening of games and fellowship for all who attended! The next Youth Group meeting will take place on Sunday October 4, from 6:30 to 7:15 pm on the Parish House lawn. Don't miss it!
On Sunday, October 11, we'll be taking the night off, as it's a school break weekend for the students.
For more information about Youth Group, please contact Mtr. Katie at [email protected].
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| Please Update Your Contact Information! |
 We would really like to update our information on each child at Christ Church and our parents. We want to make sure we are communicating as effectively as possible! So when you get a chance, please text, call or email Mother Katie and let her know your child's name, grade, cell phone # (if they have one), email address (if they have one) and double check that we have correct parent contact info, as well. Thank you! [email protected], 913-396-2922
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| 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!
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Mission and Outreach  |
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| Our Virtual Learning Backpack Buddies Head Back to School |
A lot of our young buddies are heading back for in-person schooling this week, which will add stability and structure to their lives. We are back to serving our students though the schools now, so the needs are not as ever-shifting from week to week as they were.
We're happy to announce that we've added Golden Isles Elementary to our distribution, thanks to Christ Church parishioner Laurie Bullard, who has been coordinating with that school and delivering bags to them each of the past four school years. Backpack Buddy and Farm Bureau Office Manager Debra Orr is exploring whether we can serve Glyndale Elementary, too.
If you've thought about adopting a young buddy, or have had one in the past, this is a great time to begin a new sponsorship for 2020-2021. You can "adopt" a child for the upcoming year for $100, which will supply the youngster with weekend food bags for the entire school year. You are welcome to 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).
Foods We Need This Week
We have a few items that we'd love to add to our assembly line this week. In addition to the always needed juice boxes, we've got a couple of important staples we could definitely use:
* JUICE BOXES!
* Fruit Cups (any kind)
* Packs of Oatmeal
Also, our friends at the St. Athanasius Feed My Sheep Food Pantry, in Brunswick, could use these important items to help restock their shelves:
* Full Size Boxes of Cereal
* Canned Green Beans
* Canned Diced Tomatoes
We are always grateful for your help with the Backpack Buddies mission! If you have any items you'd like to donate this week, they may be dropped off on the front porch at the Christ Church Parish House. If you have any questions about the Backpack Buddies program, please contact Susan Shipman at [email protected].
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| Small Bud Vases Needed for the Flower Ministry |
 Our Pastoral Care team is once again in need of small bud vases for the shut-in flower ministry. If you have any small vases that you would be willing to donate or purchase for this mission, we would be glad to receive them. Vases may be dropped off on the front porch of the Parish House at your convenience. Please label them for "Pastoral Care' If you have any questions, please contact Mtr. Ashton at [email protected]. |
| Diocesan Convention - November 6-7, 2020 |
 This year, our Diocese has decided to hold our annual convention completely virtual. In order to make this possible, we needed to find a virtual venue that will provide a safe, clear and simple way to interact and allow the body to conduct all the business that needs to be done.
Our selection, Hopin, allows us to create a custom, virtual stage to allow attendees to watch speeches and attend events. This will include pre-recorded material, speeches, live sessions and break-out meetings. In addition, there are features that allow for more social interactions such as booths and expos for groups within the convention. We chose Hopin because it is easy to navigate: allowing users to see a full calendar and join sessions with the click of a button. If you have used Zoom, Teams or any other teleconference software, many of Hopin's features should be familiar to you. There will be more updates about Hopin and other details about our virtual venue in the weeks to come.
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| Registration for the 2020 Georgia Diocesan Convention Is Now Open | |
 Registration for delegates and guests is now available! To register, click here. There is a registration fee of $25. A portion of this fee will help cover the cost of the technology needed for Convention, and a portion will be donated to Honey Creek.
Convention will take place November 6-7, 2020. An initial session will take place on Friday evening, beginning at 6 p.m., with additional sessions on Saturday. In addition, a service of Holy Eucharist will take place on Saturday morning. The hope is that this schedule will permit the participation of delegates whose work requirements may have precluded serving in this role in the past.
There are several canonical eligibility requirements that must be met by those who serve as delegates to the Diocesan Convention. Click here to read the Canons of the Diocese that pertain to Clergy and Lay Delegates.
In addition to the Canonical requirements for Delegates, the following list of items will allow delegates to participate fully and as easily as possible:
- Strong internet access: This can take place from diverse locations including your home, work, or church.
- Internet capable device: If a delegate does not have an internet capable device, we encourage the congregation to work with them to enable access.
- Local WiFi Connection: We strongly encourage a connection to a local wifi network, rather than the use of a cell phone data plan. The Diocese cannot reimburse any costs incurred by cell phone data usage.
- Audio and visual connection
- In order to participate fully in large and small group discussions, a computer camera and microphone (built in to many laptops and newer desktops but available separately) are strongly recommended.
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| 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.
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Pastoral Care and Prayer List
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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 [email protected].
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 [email protected] or call the church office at 912-638-8683.
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Nancy Acree
Sam Barrick
Bill Bartlett
Tory Braden
Judy Bradford
Rowland Bradford
Anne Brown
Bob Dart Brown
June Brown
Beverly Burns
Jackie Byrne
Colleen Cassidy
Zoann Covington
Jim Curran
Sarah Dance
Jackie Davis
Linda Davidson
Mary Lou Detwiler
Natalie Dixon
Dave Geiszler
Julie Hancock
Kim Harrison
Burgess Hartsell
Larry Hartsell
Andrew Hobbs
Carol Hoffine
Lise Hofmann
Angela Holland
Jessica Hope
Bob Huggins
Gordon Jackson
Holly Lamb
Mary Landen
Bill Littleton
Dorothy Lowery
Dott Marler
Tom Martin
Kathy Marvel
Claire McCarty
Frank Owenby
Andy Padgett
Pep Peppiat
Dale Pierson
Heath Power
Hope Queener
Johnny Riddle
Julia Riddle
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Willou Smith
David Somerville
Sam Spak
Nancy Stamper
Mike Swindling
Edith Tayloe
Christina Taylor
Sam Ward
Sarah Whitman
Jennifer Willingham
Ava
Betty
Bob
Carol
Dale
Dave
Dick
Fran
Gail
Hugh
Jack
Jake
Jim
Joanne
Jordan
Larry
Maria
Marianne
Marjorie
Marla
Megan
Muriel
Pidge
Richard
Susan
Traci
Virginia
Walter
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