Weekly Announcements

General Announcements for February 17 - 24, 2021

In-person Sunday Worship. We are thrilled to welcome you back! Safety protocols with mask-wearing and distancing will be followed; it will be great just to be gather again. Registration is not necessary for the 8:00 am service. Please register for the 10:00 am service which will be limited to 80-100 people.

We will continue to offer a virtual service available from Saturday evening about 5:00 pm for seven days.

Virtual Sunday Worship

Virtual Team Trivia Night, February 28, 6:30 pm. Add a little fun to your Sunday night by joining us for a trivia night. All you need is access to Zoom. You can sign up with a team of 3-6 people or be assigned one. It should be a fun night! Advanced registration is necessary. Look for the sign-up link in The Weekly News.

Contemplative Prayer Group
The Contemplative Prayer Group meets virtually on Wednesday at 2:00 pm. If strengthening your prayer life is part of your New Year's resolutions and you would like some companionship in that, please join us Wednesdays on Zoom for 45 minutes for half conversation and half shared quiet prayer time. You will find the Zoom meeting link in the weekly email.

Annual Pansy Sale, Now through March 8. It doesn't feel much like spring right now, but planning for spring is underway. Funds from St. Christopher's pansy sale go toward purchasing plants for the large containers outside our entrances. As in the past, pansies will be available in flats (18 plants) and 14-inch bowls. Both flats and bowls are $18 each. Different this year is that all orders must be placed online. There are two payment options: pay via Realm by March 15 or pay by check made to St. Christopher's when you pick up pansies on Saturday, March 20, 9:00 - 11:00 am. Learn more in The Weekly News email.

Formation

Rev. Chana to Speak at Congregation Beth Shalom, Friday, 6:30 pm. Rev. Chana will be the guest speaker at Congregation Beth Shalom during Shabbat worship this Friday, February 19, at 6:30 pm. She will be speaking on "Sanctuary and Service" in regard to Torah portion Trumah, Exodus, 25:1-27:19. If you would like to experience Jewish Shabbat worship, please email Rev. Chana for the link.

Adult Programming
Common Grounds Lenten Series
Sunday, 9:00 - 9:45 am via Zoom

The Lenten Series for Common Grounds will be based on Seven Words by Susan Robb. The book provides a hopeful and contemplative take on the cross during the weeks of Lent.

The Lenten series will begin February 21 and end on March 21 with the following topics of presentation:

2/21 - Father Forgive Them: topic is Radical Forgiveness, Marty Torrance will facilitate
2/28 - My God, My God: topic is God is Always with Us, John Bergin will facilitate
3/7 - Woman Here is Your Son: topic is New Community/Care for One Another, Linda Henke will facilitate
3/14 - I Am Thirsty: topic is Jesus's Humanity and Living Water, Jane Dunnivant will facilitate
3/21- Into Your Hands: topic is Trusting and Putting Ourselves in God's Hands, Barbara Needleman will facilitate

The Zoom link will be in the Sunday morning email.

Youth Programming

Confirmation classes. Youth participating in Confirmation classes will meet on Sundays at 11:15 am. An information letter and a Zoom meeting link has been sent directly to parents later this week.

Youth Formation (Grades 5 - 12), Sunday, 9:00 am. Our combined class, for youth not participating in Confirmation classes, will begin a Lenten Study: Lent is not Rocket Science by W. Nicholas Knisely. We will also fill in our Lent Madness brackets. Youth Leader Allie Wacker sends the Zoom link through Google Groups and Remind.

Children's Programming

We continue with our animated Bible story series, Friends and Heroes, which is shared through weekly email links directly to families, grandparents, or other caretakers of children in preschool through fourth grade to view at home. A discussion page is part of the weekly curriculum.

Coming children's event during Lent and Easter to put on your calendar now:
A "make and take" Easter garden activity, Sunday, March 21, following the 10:00 am service for families and an Easter egg hunt on Holy Humor Sunday, April 11. Pencil in these dates now and look for additional details in mid-March.Children's Programming. We have resumed our animated Bible story series, Friends and Heroes, which is shared through weekly email links directly to families, grandparents, or other caretakers of children in preschool through fourth grade to view at home. A discussion page is part of the weekly curriculum.

Outreach

Back Sack Program. The Back Sack program successfully completed its February distribution thanks to the volunteers who donated food, did the prep, packed the bags, and delivered the food to students at ten Carmel schools. Despite the pandemic, people stepped up to prepare 2,576 meals for 161 students. That translates to two meals a day for the weekend for four weeks. It was no small feat and consumed time and energy with mask wearing and distancing every step of the way. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the program whether in action, thought, or prayer.

St. Christopher Crops Survey Results. Thanks to all of you who took time to answer the recent St. Christopher’s Crops survey. We received 47 responses to the survey, with over half indicating they preferred to have the garden continue as a parish volunteer activity. There will be a restructuring of work to do this, and a team of leaders is being formed. If you are interested in being part of the team please contact Ann Niednagel. St. Christopher’s Crops - one of the ways we can be the Church beyond the building - grows fresh produce for community food banks while providing parish and community members an opportunity to serve God's people.