The Blog
Making Provision for the Homeless: An Ingathering at Christ Church
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing” (Matthew 25:35)
On Sunday, December 13th at 11am, Christ Church will host a very special outreach and fellowship event. Here’s the plan. First, bring your contribution to one of the initiatives listed below and drop it off at the East Entrance. Then, find a parking spot, roll down your windows, and listen to Christmas carols sung by socially distanced members of the choir. There will also be an opportunity to enjoy carefully prepared holiday cookies, and to share in a blessing of the donations and a prayer for all those in need.
In addition to offering an opportunity for in-person gathering, this event was organized by the outreach team to provide Christ Church with an opportunity to support several projects in our community that aim to address the escalating homelessness and food insecurity problem, which the Springfield City Commission has declared a public health crisis. Here are the ways you can give aid to those who are in great need.
- The Sock and Underwear Drive. IHN needs socks and undergarments for all genders and ages.
- Hygiene Products for Men and Women. IHN could use the whole gamut: soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving gel, razors, tampons, sanitary pads (thinner ones), chap stick, and hand sanitizer.
- Toilet Paper for the Food Pantry. The Christ Church Food Pantry is back in business, but without much traffic in the church, the donations of toilet paper have fallen off. Your contributions can help Christ Church better serve the people who face challenges in addressing their basic needs.
- Donations. There are three good ways to direct a financial contribution.
- Cooler Packs. Because there is no more available shelter in our community, IHN would like to provide those who can’t be taken in with a cooler for food and a cold weather kit, which includes blankets for those living in cars. Each cooler pack costs $100, and IHN is aiming to have 100 to offer. (There are currently over 200 people on IHN’s waiting list.)
- The Christ Church Food Pantry. This congregation’s effort to address food insecurity can always use financial support.
- Second Harvest Food Bank. Second Harvest has seen more demand in 2020 than ever before, and direct contributions do the SHFB maximizes your food buying power.
Thanks for being part of a compassionate response to this rising need in our community and for contributing to the outdoor fellowship on December 13th.
A Musical, Artful Advent
Please join Canon Lee Anne Reat for Virtual Advent Mondays via Zoom from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.
December 21st from 7:30 to 8:30 pm
Professor Kay Koeninger of Sinclair College will present an interactive analysis of European artworks depicting judgment, including Johannes Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664, in the National Gallery of Art. Advent focuses not only on the first coming of Christ, but also the second coming, which is often associated with judgment.
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
To join the virtual Zoom please use the link below:
Meeting ID: 967 2274 3019
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Meeting ID: 967 2274 3019
Please join Christ Church in the Chapel for a Noonday Prayer service. The text is on page 103 in the Book of Common Prayer or online at http://www.bcponline.org
Once again, our friends in Springfield’s Promise Neighborhood are hosting a Christmas Store during the first week of December. Promise Neighborhood residents can visit the store and choose from gifts that have been donated by church folks and other community members. The Christmas Store accepts donations of NEW toys/gifts for babies through teenagers. This year our ingathering will be a drive-through, and we’ll also be accepting our annual donation of baby food for families in need this holiday season. Folks will be at the church to remove the toys and the baby food from your car and store them in the office from 11-Noon on the Saturdays listed below. We will then bless the gifts, take a photo for the December Clarion, and then turn them over to the Promise Neighborhood leadership.
Bring your donations to the parking lot near the church office on the following days:
- Saturday, November 21, 11-Noon
To find food pantry dates and times go to Second Harvest food bank pantries and mobile food panties link below:
Advent Is Here
The season of Advent begins on Sunday, December 1st, and continues until we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior on December 25th. Please join us during this holy season as we heed the call of the prophet Isaiah, who urges us to leave behind our ways of fear and selfishness and usher in a new age and a new way of living – The Way of Love.
May you be blessed with time and space for worship, prayer, and holy anticipation this Advent!
Worship Schedule
Sundays at 8:00 am (Rite I, spoken service, with sermon and Holy Communion)
Sundays at 10:00 am (Rite II, with sermon, music, children’s program and Holy Communion)
Wednesdays at 10:00 am (Rite II, spoken, with Scripture reflection, healing prayer, and Holy Communion)
Christmas Eve at 3:00 pm (Rite I, with organ and classical guitar; a peaceful, meditative worship experience with sermon and Holy Communion)
Christmas Eve at 7:30 pm (Rite II, with organ, guitar, and choir; a festive, celebratory service with candles, sermon and Holy Communion)