Keeping Connected March 1, 2024 | |
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Connect Virtually
We will continue using our new live streaming equipment. You may access our Sunday morning worship service via our YouTube Channel and our Facebook page.
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We have begun our special journey through the Love-First – Lent & Holy Week unit within our curriculum, in conjunction with "Lesson Plans that Work." a curriculum designed to follow the
Revised Common Lectionary in our 5th – 8th grade class.
CHURCH SCHOOL SCHEDULE
9:00 CC Singers (open to all students ages 5+)
9:30-10:30 Church School
10:30-11:15 PREPARED COMMUNION CLASS
Sincere appreciation is extended to those who have shared their willingness to lend a hand in the church school whenever they are available and as needed. Your commitment and readiness to contribute are deeply valued.
If you have any questions, please contact Donna Eby at education.christchurchplymouth@gmail.com or Su D'Ambrosio at assunta999@gmail.com.
Interim Church School Coordinators.
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Dear Ones of Christ Church,
While Lent itself is a season of repentance and fasting, every Sunday in Lent is still a feast day, and what a feast this last Sunday was! Our visitation with Bishop Alan Gates was wonderful and Spirit-filled—we are grateful for him and for his ministry with and among us. Many thanks to all of you who came together to worship, to bless and be blessed, to listen, break bread, and be present with Bishop Alan and one another. So many ministries and communities from our parish came together to make this visit special—our staff, men’s group, overnights of hospitality community, worship team, musicians and choir, church school, creation care ministry, resource committee, vestry, and the beloved ones who set up our sound system, tested out the “holy squirters” for the solar panel blessing, brought flowers for the tables, brought even more food… it truly was a Lenten feast. Bishop Alan was amazed, yes, by the amount of literal nourishment we shared at brunch, and also by the ways we at Christ Church are living into God’s call to nourish one another and our neighbors by “seeking Christ in ourselves, and serving Christ in the world.” In our times of fasting and feasting, may we continue, as Bishop Alan shared in his sermon, to be followers and bearers of the Cross of Christ and its transformational message of ultimate hope and love.
With gratitude and blessings,
Melissa +
| Photos from our February 25th Visitation with Bishop Alan Gates | |
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Finances: Last week we received in over $2677. When giving online, be sure to change the 'Fund' to 'Pledges' so your contribution goes toward your pledge.
Thank you for your loving support of Christ Church.
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“My Lenten Mite Boxes”
Dear Christ Church Family,
As we step into the reflective Lenten season, our church school children invite you to join them in a heartwarming initiative to conclude their "Loving Neighbor" segment of the church school curriculum. This year, we introduce "My Lenten Gift Box" – a simple way to spread love and kindness throughout Lent. Donations collected will support our Christ Church Food Pantry, an essential resource that helps those in need within our community. Your generosity will contribute to the ongoing efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
In alignment with our Loving Neighbor lessons, our church school children have been encouraged to express gratitude and love to family, friends, neighbors, and God through kind actions. You might consider encouraging your children to take on extra chores, such as helping with household tasks, collecting cans from family and friends to contribute to the Lenten Gift Box and various other ways your children may choose.
Along with the financial contribution, you may want to create a Lenten Love Jar or something similar to express heartfelt gratitude, love, and reflections on God's sacrifice and love for humanity. Take time to write notes to your family, sharing moments of appreciation. Also, consider crafting love notes to God, expressing your deepest thoughts on His boundless love and sacrifice. All of these notes can be put into the Lenten Love Jar or something similar to be shared with each other.
By participating in this Lenten initiative, we symbolize our collective commitment to love, generosity, and service. The commitment to love, generosity, and service reflects the essence of Lent and the resurrection story of Jesus Christ, embodying the transformative journey of self-sacrifice, renewal, and the triumphant victory over darkness, echoing the divine example set by Christ during his sacrificial journey towards redemption and resurrection.
Kindly return your Lenten boxes the weekend of March 17th & 18th, to be blessed at the 10AM service March 18th by Rev. Melissa Howell, adding an extra layer of spiritual significance to the collective journey of reflection and generosity we've undertaken during this season.
For those wishing to participate, the Lenten Gift Box will be conveniently available for pickup at all church entrances.
Wishing you a meaningful Lenten journey,
Our Church School Children, Coordinators, Teachers and Assistants
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The Resource of Prayer: Six Week Lenten Series |  | |
Join us at Christ Church in Plymouth this Lent as we explore the meaning and gift of prayer in the Christian tradition and share resources and practices to enrich our prayer lives. We will meet for six weeks, with two options for meeting times and "spaces:" either Thursday evenings by Zoom from 6-7:30 PM, or Saturday afternoons in-person from 3-4:30 PM at church.
Here are our meeting schedules and topics for each week:
Week 1: Introduction - What is Prayer? - Thurs 2/15 and Sat 2/17
Week 2: Praying with Scripture - Thurs 2/22 and Sat 2/24
Week 3: Time and Space: Making a Habit of Prayer - Thurs 2/29 and Sat 3/2
Week 4: Praying Through Action, Movement, and Service - Thurs 3/7 and Sat 3/9
Week 5: Praying Without Words (or With Very Few Words!) - Thurs 3/14 and Sat 3/16
Week 6: Praying With the Senses and the Arts - Thurs 3/21 and Sat 3/23
Melissa will start each meeting by sharing about a particular way to pray, and then we will break into small groups to share our thoughts and experiences using reflection questions to guide us. There is still room in our Thursday evening Zoom group - to join, or if you have questions about the series, please contact Melissa: revmelissa@christchurchplymouth.org
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Margaret Hill's Stations of the Cross artwork on display | |
St John's Church on Washington St. in Duxbury will be having two services of the Stations of the Cross on Wednesday evenings 2/28 and 3/13 at 7 PM with artwork from our very own Margaret Hill. All are invited with a reception to follow. | |
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Creation Care Team
Join our Church Creation Care Team and be part of a community dedicated to stewarding God's creation! We're looking for passionate individuals who want to make a difference in caring for our planet. Whether you're interested in gardening, environmental education, advocacy, or simply want to learn more about sustainable living, there's a place for you on our team. Together, we can work towards a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come. Join us in putting faith into action by nurturing and protecting the world that God has entrusted to us. Our next meeting will be in person on March 14th at 3 PM. Contact Connie at conmel@aol.com or 508.746.3805, if you wish to be included!
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Easter Flowers and Musicians | |
If you wish to remember or honor a loved one or give in thanksgiving, you may do so by sponsoring the flowers and guest musicians for our Easter services. The form will be included at the end of the service bulletins or you can download it here. In order to have your memorial listed in the Easter bulletins, please return the form to the church office by Sunday, March 24. | |
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Overnights of Hospitality Winter Emergency Shelter
We want your help!
The Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness, in collaboration with the Fr. Bill’s and Mainspring (FBMS) organization, offers winter emergency shelter to 20-25 single individuals which began here at Christ Church on Nov, 26th and will continue through Saturday, March 30. We can’t continue this important ministry without your help. We want volunteer chaperones to commit to giving one evening of their time from 5pm-11pm to provide support to the Fr. Bill’s staff person and to show our unhoused neighbors that they are not forgotten. We who have volunteered in the past have been touched by the appreciation shown by many of the guests. It has been a very rewarding experience!
Two people are needed at the shelter at all times. There are two Fr. Bill’s staff from 11pm to 7am, so the volunteer chaperone is only needed for the evening until the second staff person arrives.
The shelter rotates weekly among three congregations which began Sunday, November 26 and will continue through Saturday, March 30 - Christ Church, First Baptist Church and St Mary’s and St Joseph Collaborative at St Mary’s Parish Center, using the fellowship halls. Orientation is provided.
To sign up as a chaperone, go to https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/k4w5gd
To review the chaperone guidelines, go to https://plymouth-taskforce-homeless.org/volunteer/
Questions? Call Connie Melahoures, President of the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness at 508.367.0516 or email conmel@aol.com.
The next week that Christ Church will be hosting begins Sunday, March 17th.
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Christ Church Thrift Shoppe | |
While dropping donations at the Thrift Shoppe last week, a young woman shared that she was clearing her home of clutter. She went on to admit that her clutter wasn’t about being disorganized, rather it was a reflection of her family having too much. This realization she said, motivated a desire to donate her family’s excess to help her neighbors in need.
We are grateful to this woman and to the many donors who are the at the core of our ministry.
Do you have an excess of items you no longer use? Our need for your gently used items is even greater today as we prepare to assist our neighbors in Middleboro who tragically lost their young daughter and their home in a fire this past week.
Please take a look around your home for any excess household items you would be willing to donate. Donations can be dropped inside the shop during open hours or at the garage on Saturdays from 10-1.
Shoppe Hours
Thursday and Friday 10-4
Saturday 10-2
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Christ Church Food Pantry | |
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All are welcome to the Christ Church Food Pantry!
We are open by appointment:
Tuesday 4:00-5:15
Thursday 12:00-1:15 and 4:00-5:15
Saturday 10:00-11:15.
Call the pantry message line: 508-746-4959, ext 6, BY 1 PM THE DAY BEFORE YOU WISH TO PICK UP YOUR ORDER. Our volunteers check messages and return your call from their homes to ask you what you need.
Christ Church Food Pantry uses its funding only for the purchase of food items, in accordance with our mission to help those in our community who are dealing with food insecurity. We welcome donations of food (see specific needs below) but also other items, such as personal care products, which are always needed by our clients. A collection box is available at the front entrance of the church, or donations may be made during Food Pantry operating hours. We also welcome financial donations. Our volunteers and clients are so appreciative of the ongoing support for our mission provided by Christ Church Parish.
The Pantry currently needs empty egg cartons as our cheapest source of eggs provides them in large containers inappropriate for using with our clients. We are currently in need of the following items:
Cheerios (name brand preferred), canned baked beans and pork, white tuna, any canned meals, such as Chef Boyardee Ravioli and Spaghetti O’s (brand name preferred) and canned soups. Also, shampoo and toothpaste.
If you wish to volunteer, contact Eileen Paris at eileenpca@aol.com
For more information, please contact Barbara Wojtklewicz at 617-291-4634, or by email at barbara.wojtklewicz@gmail.com
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Pastoral Care
For any pastoral care needs of Christ Church, please call Robin Nielsen (774-454-2776) or email robinmarianielsen@gmail.com ~ A home visit, a home visit with holy communion or a phone call can be arranged. Although a small group, our Pastoral Care Ministry team meets monthly in confidence.
For any pastoral emergencies, please call Rev. Melissa Howell 508-746-4959 ext 4, and follow the instructions in her voice message.
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A word from the bishops about the Poor People’s Campaign:
A National Call for Moral Revival
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Dear People of the Diocese of Massachusetts,
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is a faith-based movement to end the interrelated injustices separating us from achieving justice and mercy for all of humanity and creation. We resolved at our 2022 Diocesan Convention to support and stand with the movement. Now we have the opportunity to show our public support and literally stand with the movement.
This effort will live into our diocesan mission strategy, as it will seek to:
“Influence public policy by advocating for justice for all people and for the creation. As our own lives and communities are transformed, we hope to shine with the light of Christ, bringing love and justice to every part of our life together in this nation and in the whole human family. We have an important witness to offer to our leaders at every level of government as we stand up for the integrity of creation and the dignity of every human being.”
On Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m. the Poor People’s Campaign will be holding coordinated assemblies at capital state houses in more than 30 states, including Boston. Our Cathedral Church of St. Paul will serve as a welcoming and warming place before and after the assembly. We invite you to support this event. Event details and registration can be found here. It will provide a public demonstration of our baptismal commitment to strive for justice and respect the dignity of every human being. We also invite you to announce this event during your Sunday services, especially on Feb. 25.
There are many ways to support this campaign. The Massachusetts Episcopal Network for the Poor People’s Campaign, which is working to connect local Episcopalians to the Poor People’s Campaign movement and to foster a supportive community among those doing justice work in the Dioceses of Massachusetts, is happy to provide resources. For additional information, please contact the Very Rev. Amy McCreath, Dean, Cathedral Church of St. Paul (amccreath@diomass.org) or Martha Gardner, Missioner for Networking and Formation (mgardner@diomass.org).
We extend to you our Lenten blessings and encourage your participation in this Gospel work.
Faithfully,
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The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates
Bishop Diocesan
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The Rt. Rev. Carol J.T.W. Gallagher
Assistant Bishop
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You're Invited to Join Us on
March 7, 2024
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
The Ministry of Immigration Partnership convened by The Office of Immigration & Multicultural Ministries invites you to the next journey in the Pilgrimage Series* to
The Pocasset Wampanoag Reservation
Thursday, March 7, 2024
Gathering Place: St. Peter’s Dartmouth
351 Elm Street Dartmouth, Massachusetts
We travel by bus together from St. Peter’s to The Pocasset Wampanoag Land, incorporated within the Freetown-Fall River State Forest, to walk their paths and engage in conversation. Then we will return to St. Peter’s Dartmouth for lunch, reflection, and worship.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
10 AM – 3:30 PM (Lunch is included)
Cost: $10 **if this is a hardship, scholarships are available
There WILL be MUD. We will be outside. Please dress accordingly!
If you would like to carpool to Dartmouth: please let Jocelyn (jcollen@diomass.org) know.
*in 2019, we went on a Pilgrimage to Providence, Rhode Island, for the Walking Tour of Slavery & the John Brown House Museum.
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We want to keep you in the loop regarding the happenings at Christ Church. Please send your announcements for the weekly bulletin and Keeping Connected, to the office by 12 Noon on Wednesday. They should include date, time, place, description of event, contact information and should be written exactly the way you want them to appear.
The church office will be closed on Tuesday, March 5th.
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