From Our New Rector
Dear Christ Church Family,
I love this time of year! The holidays—Holy Days—are just around the corner: All Saints, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, New Year’s. ‘Tis the season to be thankful and we have so much for which to be thankful. At Christ Church we are in the midst of our annual stewardship campaign. We need everyone who calls Christ Church their spiritual home to give thanks to God for his bounteous blessings by supporting the ministry of our parish. Thank you to all who responded by making your pledge to the church. And to those who have not yet made your commitment, please do! You have a need to give thanks to God and we have a need to serve him—what a perfect match.
The season between now and New Year’s is filled with joy and wonder, with mystery and glory. We will be celebrating each of the Holy Days at Christ Church as they occur. Two events this year deserve your special attention. The first is our Bishop’s visitation to Christ Church on Sunday, December 6. Bishop Mathes will be with us at both services—8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.—and will be our guest speaker at the 9:00 a.m. Adult Forum in Hinde Hall. At the 10 a.m. Eucharist Bishop Mathes will confirm and bless members of our parish as they commit themselves to a deeper relationship with Christ. Our diocese is blessed to have such an outstanding person as our Bishop and please come on December 6 to welcome him and his wife, Terry, to our parish home.
The second special event is the ordination of our deacon, Ken Simon, to the Sacred Order of the Priesthood on Saturday, December 19, at 3:00 p.m. As you know, Ken has been serving as our deacon since July. He has served beautifully and faithfully in that capacity and I know that we will all want to rejoice with him as he becomes a priest of the Church. It will be a joyous celebration of his ministry among us, so be sure to put this date on your calendar!
I love this time of year! It is an extended time for giving thanks for all of God’s blessings in our lives. The Holy Days of this season provide intentional opportunities to express our gratitude. So, don’t miss out on joining with your parish family as we corporately celebrate the great events God has done and is doing in our midst!
May we all be blessed with one of God’s greatest gifts—that of a grateful heart.
Faithfully yours,
Edward+
The Harrison Family - Austin, Teresa, Sarah and Edward
