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Page updated February 7, 2010

Christ Church on Capitol Hill

Christ Church is on a pilgrimage to become a welcoming, diverse, thankful, and joyous Episcopal community of faith
committed to nurturing its members and neighbors through worship and service. Please join us.

620 G Street SE | Washington, DC  20003 | fax 202.547.5098 | 202.547.9300
just 2.5 blocks south of Eastern Market Metro

Welcome to tropical Washington, DC

Vestry Retreat was cancelled - stay home and keep warm

Search CommitteeVestryPrayer ListHistoryLinks
EducationStaff
ScheduleParish LifeOutreach
PublicationsStewardshipNewsletters
LiturgySermons


Stewardship Season 2010

2010 Stewardship:  So far we have received 70 pledges totalling $235,940. Please make your pledge soon so that we can plan next year's budget. We need everyone's prayerful pledge, with each of us considering pledging a proportion of our  income and, if possible, increasing that proportion. 

Thank you to all who have already pledged.  Please contact Charles Floto, 2010 Stewardship Chair or any member of the 2010 Stewardship Committee Carolyn Cheney, David Taylor, Carol Knight, Mona Guarino, and Randy Norton.

 To listen to this year's Stewardship Sermon presented by Carolyn Cheney from the Stewardship Committee click hereTo read the sermon click here for the MS Word version of the sermon or click here for the PDF version of the sermon. 


Click here for the daily office calendar

Search Committee Update click here


  • Bill's Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, 2010 ─ Click here
  • Bill's Sermon for the Feast of the Presentation 2010 ─ Click here
  • Martha's Sermon from January 17, 2010 Marriage Feast of Cana and Dr Martin Luther King
    "not my time . . . not my place"  ─ Click here
  • New Vestry Members elected Carol Knight, Dan Rosenberry, Bob Conly, and Pat Lusk

    Joe Citro and Carolyn Chaney receive Rector's Award for "service above and beyond"

    Christ Church is on a pilgrimage to become a welcoming, diverse, thankful, and joyous Episcopal community of faith committed to nurturing its members and neighbors through worship and service. Please join us.


    Watercolor courtesy M'El Abrecht

    Click here for a panoramic view of the interior of Christ Church  


    Christ Church + Washington Parish
    is part of Region 1 of
    the Episcopal Diocese of Washington

    Staff

    click on any of the names below to send an e-mail
    It will not generate a web based email like gmail or hotmail

    The  Reverend Martha E. Wallace, Interim Rector
    The Reverend Doctor Bill Doggett, Associate Rector
    Richard Thibadeau, Director of Music Ministries

    Charlotte Cantrell Doran, Coordinator for Sunday School and Nursery Programs
    Gerry Connolly, webmaster


    Elizabeth Eby and Vera Phillips, Nursery Workers
    The Kevin Lindsay Family, Sextons


    Christ Church Vestry Information

     

    The Final Version of the Vestry's five year strategic plan for Christ Church is now available.  The plan's purpose is to provide a vision for what we hope Christ Church will be and become by the end of 2012 - and to set out a road map for realizing that vision.   The plan is available in two formats: MSWord or Adobe pdf.

     Click here for 2008 Vestry minutes
      Click here for 2009 Vestry Minutes
      Click here for the "Norms of Vestry Membership" 
      Vestry liaison  assignments to activities and committees
      Click here for Vestry responsibility for Parish events.
                             


    Contributions to Episcopal Relief and Development's Haiti Fund will provide critical assistance such as food, water and medicine, as well as long-term recovery and rehabilitation aid, in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake. Make donations by clicking here here, or by phone at 800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Mail checks to:
    Episcopal Relief & Development/Haiti Fund PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058


    Contributions to Doctors Without Borders may be made online here,  or by phone at 1-888-392-0392. Mail checks to: Doctors Without Borders USA PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741


    Contributions to the American Red Cross may be made here

     

    The Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held on February 16 at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall. If you are able to help flip pancakes, set up or clean up, please let Sid Neely or Kirsten Sloan know.

    Ash Wednesday Service Schedule: Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 am, 12:00 noon, Family Service at 6:00 pm, Choral Service at 7:30 pm.

    In Memoriam. The Church lost a dear former member of our family in the recent death of John Maxim.  John was a much loved member of Christ Church for many years and many of our members still number among his dear friends. Please pray for the repose of John's soul and for all his friends and family to be comforted in this time of sorrow.   He was a long time member of the Vestry, former Treasurer and Junior Warden and a moving force in the creation of the association for the preservation and care of our historic burial ground, Congressional Cemetery. We will miss him in many ways.    There will be a memorial service for John on March 6 at 2 p.m. at his current parish, St. Peter's, Arlington.  For more information, contact the Rev. Ann Martens at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, in Arlington, Virginia. Her email address is: amartens@saint-peters.org .

    The Parish Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, January 24 at 9:15 am in the Parish Hall. We elected new Vestry members ─ Bob Conly, Carol Knight, Pat Lusk, and Dan Rosenberry.

    Search Committee News: Search Committee teams have completed their visits to eight candidates. We have held another discernment meeting and have invited five outstanding candidates to come to Washington in the next few weeks to meet with the full committee. At the end of these visits we will select two or three candidates to recommend to the Vestry. Please keep the Search Committee and our parish in your prayers during this critical phase of the process.

    Capitol Hill Group Ministry's Social Service Office has been consolidated with the Potomac Garden Office. Their address is 1227 G Street SE and their new phone is 202.548.0548

    Capitol Hill Village offers discounted memberships to those with incomes less than $40,000 a year.

    Lunches for the Homeless: Volunteers are needed to purchase the lunch supplies for the first Sunday of the month.  Click here for more information.  Lunches usually contain a meat and cheese sandwich, chips, fruit, soda and cookies. The cost for 100 lunches is about $130. Reimbursement for up to $100 is available from Christ Church, or you can take a charitable deduction for the entire amount. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Mellgren or John Payne.

    Thumbnail for Lincoln: The... The Monday Night Class is starting to read "Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer" by Fred Kaplan We meet in the church Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30.  All are welcome and books will be provided if the Library copies are all out.

    MONEY MATTERS
    $1,600 is the cost per day to operate Christ Church.
    Dollars & Cents (Plate & Pledge Offerings YTD):
    Budgeted YTD: $24,519 Received YTD: $27,673 Received 1/31: $9,497

    Heritage Fund Update
    Pledges & Gifts to date $154,050
    Received to date $102,774
    Net Heritage Weekend $ 16,359
    Total Fund $170,409
    Goal $200,000
    Balance to go $ 29,591


    The Christ Church Men's Spirituality Group meets every Saturday morning at 9:00 am in the Christ Church kitchen. Calling all men: come and meet around the kitchen table for fellowship, coffee (or beverage of choice), and light breakfast. A great way to start the day and share your experience,

    The Parish and Rector's Discretionary Fund is used by Bill and Martha to help people who come to us with needs - like utility shut-off notices, to help with transportation, to prevent eviction of families with children, etc. With many job losses, some families' resources are no longer able to meet their needs. Increased demands have drained the Discretionary Fund. People still need help, but the clergy are having use their own funds or turn people away. If you are able to help with a donation to the discretionary fund, Bill and Martha would be most grateful, as they are grateful to all of you who have donated to the discretionary fund in the past. Thanks you for your generosity.

    Birthdays--We give thanks for the following people who celebrate their birthdays in February: Gary Abrecht, Joe CItro, Bob Conly, Charles Floto, Joe Howard, Evelyn MacPherson, Nicholas Martin, Sherry Saunders, Lina Stensland, David Taylor, Barbara Wells, Tommy Wells, Karen Román and Rick Yekovich. We may not have your birthday on file. Please let the office know.

    Quilting every Monday night at 7:30 pm in the Nursery.   All are welcome.  Contact Linda Mellgren or Andrea Harles through the Church office.

    "Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org"
     

    The Gospel for
    Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

    Luke 5:1-11

    Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.


    Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Comfortable Words

    Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. Luke 5:4

    Mostly, we want to stay in our comfort zone. Water shallow enough so that our feet can touch the bottom, so that we can stand on an earth we recognize, on our own two feet. So that we will be able to walk to safety, if need be.

    Well, that's not where the fish are, except for the wonderful denizens of the reef, animals whose strange beauties make you wonder if this can really be Planet Earth. But most of the big guys are farther out there. Out there, which can be a frightening place -- because, after mining, fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the world.

    Someone who is not a fisherman comes and tells three experienced people who are to go to the deep water. Someone who is, it would seem, a long way from his own comfort zone. Jesus was willing to go there a lot, it seems. He seems not to have thought he was always supposed to be comfortable.

    I'm just not comfortable with that, someone says, as if that statement ended all discussion. But maybe sometimes it shouldn't. Why aren't you comfortable? Is it because you're being asked to think of something you haven't thought of before? Be with someone different from you? Learn something new? Risk something in the service of a great hope?

    Actually, to be comforted isn't always to be soothed, as much as we may enjoy soothing. What it really means is to be strengthened. We should all get some practice at living outside our comfort zone, so that when we find ourselves in deep water, we won't panic, won't waste time and effort trying to walk to safety, the way we would if we were on terra firma. Better go there now, sometimes. Better seek it out now, once in a while, get acquainted with that deep water, that unknown place. Get used to being a little afraid, grow in acceptance of it, so that you won't be terrified by your own fear. Learn some new things now, before you need them.

    Because you won't be able to walk to safety in the deep water, the way you can on land. You'll have to swim.
    +
    Barbara Crafton

    The Almost-Daily eMo from the Geranium Farm Copyright © 2001-2010 Barbara Crafton - all rights reserved

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    Christ Church Prayer List (click here)

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    Prayer List

    Click here to send an email to request your intercessions be added to or deleted from the Prayer List.   The auto generation only works if you are using a program like Outlook, Windows Live Mail, or Windows Mail If you are using a web based email like gmail or hotmail you need to add the following to your address line CCWPoffice@gmail.com and add this to your subject line "Prayer List: Addition or Deletion." 

    Prayer requests will be deleted after 4 weeks unless a request is made to continue on the list longer.

    A prayer of Thomas Merton - My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.   I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know my self, and the fact that I think I am following you does not mean that I am actually doing so.   I believe the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. " Amen
    Thoughts in Solitude, New York: Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1958, p. 83

     


    ye olde web guy, Gerry Connolly,
    click here to send him an email

    Page updated February 7, 2010