Welcome (back) to St. Christopher's! April 28 (Sun) Noon in the Auditorium

Are you new or maybe newly back at St. Christopher's? The Membership Committee would love to have you join us for lunch, some introductions and a tour. Have young ones? Kids will join our youthful babysitters for games. Please RSVP to Jeff Baldwin at jwbaldwin73@gmail.com.

Seminarian Gift

Over the last year our Seminarian, Kris Rose has worked hard to learn her craft and in the process contributed so much to life at St. Christopher's. She will graduate from Virginia Theological Seminary on May 9th. If you would like to contribute to a graduation gift for Kris, please put your check in the plate or the mail marked “Seminarian Gift”. We look forward to celebrating this big event with her!

New Christian Formation Committee – May 5 (Sun) after the 10:30 a.m. service

The new Christian Formation Committee is having its kick off meeting Sunday, May 5 after the 10:30 service in the back corner of the church. All who would like to help guide this exciting and inspiring ministry are welcome!  

We will be enjoying lunch together. There will be more than enough available, but you can also let Nancy McMahon (mcmahon.nk@gmail.com) know in advance if you'd like a specific Subway sandwich.

Youth Group! – Ages 8 and up!

All kids - third grade (age 8) through 12th grade come to Youth Group!

Upcoming Youth Dates:

• May 18 Burke Lake Park 1-7 pm for a Mini Retreat Play Day
• June 9  Swim and Cookout 3-6 pm Walden Glen Pool

Catechesis for our Children

Following the opening sentence of the service, all children will be invited to come forward for a blessing. The youngest children will follow the crucifer to Children's Chapel and will return to the service for the Eucharistic Prayers. Older children are welcome to return to the pews or the children's area.  

Christian Meditation - Wednesdays at 4 p.m.

Centering or Contemplative Prayer is a method of silent prayer in which we experience God's presence within us. Rev. Carey will begin with a brief introduction to this meditative form of prayer at 4 p.m. to be followed by twenty minutes of centering prayer together. Library

Outreach Garden 2024 – April 27 (Sat) at 10 a.m.

Would you like to spend a little time in the sunshine next Saturday April 27th? Please join us at 10 AM to clear the garden of last year’s weeds and get her ready for some fertilizing and planting! No weeding experience necessary ~ everything green in the garden at this time is a certified weed! Children of all ages are welcome!! 

Prayer Shawl Ministry – April 27 (Sat) at 11 a.m.

This month the group will meet on April 27 at 11 a.m. The Prayer Shawl ministry usually meets on the last Saturday of the month and shawls are blessed on the first Sunday of the month. All who are interested in learning to crochet and knit, please come and enjoy the fellowship and prayer. Hope to see you there. 

Please contact Chriss Foster at: ladybug6116@verizon.net with any questions. Library

Memory Walks Continue – April 28 (Sun) at 7:30 p.m. 

Grace Presbyterian Church at 7434 Bath Street, Springfield, will continue short neighborhood walks (about one mile long) to remember the names of those who have lost their lives in the conflict in Palestine and Israel. They are planning monthly walks on the 4th Sunday of the month. Upcoming dates: April 28th, May 26th, and June 23rd from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Meet on the front lawn of the church. Questions? Email Lentenmemorywalks@gmail.com.

Kid-Friendly Holy Hike – 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4 at D.C.’s National Arboretum

We hope you can join us for our next Holy Hike — 10 a.m. Saturday, May 4 at the U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave., N.E., in Washington. Help us welcome spring with a cornucopia of colors on display at this local treasure.  

Parents, this will be a great place to take your kids. The trail is smooth and the flowers are beautiful. We’ll take a leisurely stroll through this vast park, past the multitude of bushes and plants in bloom. In addition, for history buffs, we’ll see the 22 giant Corinthian columns that for more than a century supported the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol. Those same columns towered over every U.S. president’s inauguration from Andrew Jackson’s in 1829 to Dwight Eisenhower’s in 1957.

For your convenience, we’ll carpool from St. Christopher’s lower lot at 9 a.m. At the arboretum, we’ll meet at the patio in back of the Administration Building at 10 a.m. Questions? Please email jim.bradshaw@cox.net. See you there!

Rogation Sunday Blessings – May 5 (Sun) after the 10:30 a.m. service

Next Sunday we will leave the Church after the Postlude of the 10:30 a.m. service and process to the Outreach and Butterfly Garden to bless the earth. Rogation is a word derived from the Latin verb ‘rogare’ which means ‘to ask.’ On Rogation Days, we ask the Lord to bless the fields, the crops, and the hands of farmers who produce our food. Come help bless our earth and Gardeners!

River Crossing Cafe! - May 5 (Sun) at 7 p.m.

Thank you for your support of this new outreach initiative designed to gather as a community, enjoy creative expressions, meet and uplift each other as neighbors, and to learn about community efforts to relieve suffering, locally and globally. These will be held on the first Sunday evening of the month. The next one will be on May 5 at 7 p.m.

Sign up here!

Ritorno a Musica’s “Serenade to Summer” – May 11 (Sat) at 3 p.m.

Come to a free orchestral chamber concert directed by Ruth Erbe and featuring works by C. W. Gluck, Max Bruch, Aurther Foote, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The concert will be held at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Springfield, on Saturday, May 11th at 3:00 pm. The concert is free. 

Chair Yoga - Saturdays at 10:00 a.m.

Chair Yoga led by Ruth Meagher gives a gentle but meaningful time to center in our bodies. This activity will occur on most Saturdays. Check our website calendar for the most up to date information. See link below. Auditorium

Breakfast Bunch - Sunday between Services

Come Eat with Us! Join a group of St. Christopher's folks for a fun, informal breakfast most Sundays at Delia's about 9 a.m. Delia's 6715-F Backlick Rd., Springfield.

Foreign Language Speakers needed for Pentecost – May 19 (Sun)

Our Pentecost tradition includes reading the Acts in as many languages as possible, all at once. If you are comfortable to read at church in a language other than English and you are willing to participate in the festivities, please email Timmie McArthur at timmiesuem@yahoo.com to help. Please let her know the language you would like to read and at which service.

Grounds Committee – Adopt-A-Plot Team

Our four acres of beautiful grounds need some tending. The Grounds Committee has started an Adopt A Plot Team of gardening enthusiasts, individuals and families, to work together helping keep our grounds weeded, planted and watered. Our innovative Vestry Member Brent Guernsey came up with this idea and created the attached plot layout. Multiple people can adopt one or more plots. The larger Plots 1 and 2 are taken by our Grounds Committee Chair Elaine Sevy. Please contact Elaine at yorkiemum.sevy95@gmail.com if you are ready to roll up your sleeves, dig in and have some fun. Our Team also will help tend the Echo Outreach Garden.  

Videographers Needed!

The Mevo Videography Team (“aka Video Mission”) is looking for additional volunteers to help stream the 10:30am Sunday services. It is a fairly easy job and is a great one for any age, including high schoolers. It includes setting up the cameras, running the iPad and putting the equipment away after the service. Please reach out to Meredith Carlton (meremayes@gmail.com) if you would like to join this important ministry.

Deacon’s Corner

Cristo Rey and St. Christopher's will receive a grant of $2,000 to develop and grow our Latino ministry. We will be working together with our friends of the Tuesday Cafe and discern new ways God is calling us to serve. We will be looking for ways that we can better and effectively identify and meet the needs of our Latino brothers and sisters and help them learn basic English skills. This is to invite you join this Ministry and meet new friends. You might want to explore this new Ministry if you believe God may be calling you to serve in new ways with all your gifts. You do not have to speak Spanish to get involved.

Please come and join us on Tuesdays at 1:30 for an orientation and then at 2:00 join the group for about an hour. We spend some time reflecting afterwards. Please contact Deacon Elvira if you have any questions at deaconelvira1@gmail.com.

Coffee Hour – Help Needed!

We all enjoy snacking and chatting during coffee hour after the 10:30 service on Sundays. Here are some easy ways you can help.

• 1^st Sunday of the month – Potluck Coffee Hour (Bring something to share with others)
• 3^rd Sunday of the month – New! Bagel Sunday! (Sign up to bring some bagels and a schmear of cream cheese, butter, jelly, etc.) Here is the link to the signup for this Sunday (April 21). More dates will be added soon.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D48ABA82EA6F4C70-48072264-bagel 

Shrine Mont Camp Registration is Open!

Camp ministry transforms so many lives within our Diocese, so make sure the children of your parish get to join in this summer! Check the camp dates and rates and encourage parishioners to register their campers today. In celebration of Shrine Mont's 100th anniversary, each and every camper will receive a $100 scholarship to attend camp in both 2024 and 2025. Additional scholarship funds are also available.

Questions? Contact campregistrar@episcopalvirginia.org. For the latest updates, follow Shrine Mont Camp on Instagram and Facebook, and sign up for the camp newsletter.

Church Office Hours

The Church office is staffed by our part time Parish Administrator Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The office will be staffed on Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon by parish volunteers when preschool is in session.

Stewardship & Gratitude Pledges are welcome at any time and can be revised if needed. Thanks to all who have pledged already. Blank pledge cards are available on the "Engage!" table in the parish hall. 

To make your pledge you can:

• Pledge Online at Stewardship Pledge Form or use the QR code below.
• Email Jen Guernsey, with any questions at stchristopherspledgemonitor@gmail.com.
• Mail in or drop your pledge card in the plate (extra pledge cards are located on the table in the fellowship hall)

Thank you for sharing your time, talent and treasure with God and our community! 

Please note Reverend Carey’s Contact Information: Email at revcareyconnors@gmail.com.

Reverend Carey is at the Clergy Retreat at Shrine Mont next week from Monday (4/29) through Wednesday (5/1). If you are in need of pastoral assistance during this time, please call the Church office, and you will be put in contact with Deacon Elvira for pastoral care.

Please note Deacon Elvira’s New Contact Information: Email at deaconelvira1@gmail.com.

This Week at St. Christopher’s

Monday, April 29

Reverend Carey at Clergy Retreat

7:30 p.m. S.A.

Tuesday, April 30

Reverend Carey at Clergy Retreat

2:00 p.m. ESL/Tuesday Cafe (Auditorium)

6:00 p.m. Outreach Steering Committee (Zoom)

Wednesday, May 1

Reverend Carey at Clergy Retreat

9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer and Conversation with Elvira. All are welcome! (Zoom)

4:00 p.m. Christian Meditation (Library)

7:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal

7:30 p.m. G.A.

Thursday, May 2

7:30 p.m. S.A.

Friday, May 3

No Preschool

 

Saturday, May 4

10:00 a.m. Holy Hike

10:00 a.m. Chair Yoga (Auditorium)

8:30 p.m. A.A.

The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Rogation Sunday, May 5

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist/Rite II

10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist/Rite II and Virtual Service

11:45 a.m. Parish Potluck Coffee Hour

11:45 p.m. Blessing of the Gardens

11:45 a.m. New Christian Formation Commitee (Church)

1:30 p.m. Cristo Rey Service

7:00 p.m. River Crossing Cafe (Auditorium)