Romp thru the Prayer Book

Father Richard has been giving classes on the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. The gatherings have been popular with much lively conversation.

Easter Vigil at the cathedral

Christ Church will be taking five people to the Easter Vigil to be confirmed/received. We will attend the Vigil at the Cathedral of St Paul in Erie on Saturday, 23 April 2011 at 8:10 pm. Check the easel in the parish house for carpool possibilities.

In and out cleanup day - 16 April

On Saturday, 16 April we will once again gather to work on the parish both inside and outside, weather permitting. The Altar Guild traditionally has their cleanup day then so we will join them. It would be wonderful for the gardens to be neat for Easter! We also need to work on the two kitchens which we didn't get to during the very successful Organize the Clutter day.

Many thanks to all who came to help on 26 March! Much progress was made with useless and broken junque filling the dumpster with more to heave once it is emptied, useful toys going to Women's Shelter and other stuff either claimed by its owner or ordered carefully so it can be found when needed. We hope.

Special prayers

Father Vic Kinnunen had a heart catheterization on 23 March. He is home and doing well.

Bill Williams is in ICU with multiple problems. Prayers requested for him and for the family.

Spelling Competition - Go Roarke!

Our Roarke will represent Meadville in the 61st annual Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee this Saturday in Pittsburgh.  We know he will do well. We send our prayers for calm and concentration, especially for his father who will accompany him.

Organize the Clutter

The parish will gather around 9 am, or whenever you can come, on Saturday, 26 March to toss, clean and organize the stuff that has accumulated in the Walker Room and the Sunday School rooms.  Anyone who has a special interest in anything that is stored in the church must be there to protect their stuff or risk losing it.  Please come and help!

Samaritan Supper, Wednesday, 23 March, 5:30 pm

Be a good Samaritan – join us for supper

In the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus describes how the Samaritan traveler had compassion on a man who had been beaten and left for dead, offering his own time and money to aid in the wounded man's healing. Jesus's closing admonition is not just for the lawyer who questioned him but for all of us: "Go and do likewise".

In Lent, we are all called to offer compassion and aid to the poor and the wounded. We do this in part through prayer and through sharing what we have with others. To help us answer this call, we will be holding a "Samaritan Supper" at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23 to benefit battered women and children in our own community. The short prayer service, to be held in the Walker Room, will include a ritual of healing, and a simple meal of soup and bread will be provided.

Participants will be asked to bring an item from the list below or a cash donation for the Greenhouse (make checks payable to WSI Inc.). Contact Shelley or Elizabeth so we know how much soup to make.

The Greenhouse needs:
Disposable diapers (med. or lg.),  New XL t-shirts,  Prepaid phone cards,  Feminine hygiene products,  Orajel/anbesol,  Umbrellas,  Adult pain relievers, esp. non-aspirin,  Hair brushes,  Band-aids,  Adult cold remedies,  Adult toothbrushes,  Laundry soap,  Antacid tablets, Pepto-bismal,  Note books,  AA batteries, Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair brushes, Body Wash, Scrubbies, Boxes of tissues, Craft Supplies (glue, paint, markers, scissors, etc.)

Ash Wednesday

The Ash Wednesday liturgy will be at 7:30 pm at Christ Church.  The noon eucharist will be cancelled and will resume on Wednesday, 16 March at 12:05.  See you in church!

Apology

The calendar in the March 2011 Chronicle is now correct.  Sorry.

A Science Scholar

Congratulations, Stephanie, for being a first place winner in the PA Junior Academy of Science regional competition on 29 January!

R.I.P. Lexie

One of Bill's roommates died Thursday evening, 10 February 2011.  She was a wonderful gal and will be greatly missed as she was friendly with certain visitors as well as her servant.

Hooray

Congratulations to Roarke Fernandez for winning the spelling bee!  On to Pittsburgh!

Routley

In his sermon on 30 January, Father Richard talked about Erik Routley. A good short biography including a list of his books is available here.

A Romp through the Prayer Book

Beginning Sunday, 6 February 2011, Father Richard will gather those considering confirmation or reception or just interested to discuss what it is to be an Episcopalian. Grab your coffee hour goodies and join the group.

Weather

Please call the church before venturing out to the Wednesday eucharist. If nobody answers, we didn't make it to the church. Above all, be safe.

After the annual meeting

Despite the outside temperature of 7° F, Christ Church members came for the eucharist and stayed for the annual meeting. Special thanks to Mary and Hank for making the effort, walkers and all. We watched the diocesan video, "It's a Great Day in the Kingdom," then elected Rod and reelected Betty and Shelley to the vestry. There were a few questions about items in the budget which were easily explained. Outgoing Senior Warden Tom expressed appreciation for his predecessor Gay who held the parish together, Father Larry Donahue for bringing healing and Bishop Sean Rowe for sending Father Richard Elberfeld. Father Richard set out four areas the parish must address - Education/Formation, Outreach, Stewardship and Community Involvement. We can't pretend there are no big challenges.

Copies of the Annual Report are available in the church office.

A brief vestry meeting elected Shelley as Senior Warden, Bronnie as Clerk and Pauli as Treasurer. The Junior Warden election was postponed.

After the meeting most people stayed for a soup and salad lunch provided by several generous souls.

At Christ Church Meadville, there is much hope for a bright future given the cheerful participation of everyone in the parish. It is truly "A Great Day in the Kingdom".

Christ Church Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of Christ Church Meadville will take place following the eucharist and before the dismissal during the 10 am liturgy on Sunday, 23 January 2011. A hot lunch will be provided afterward. Yes, provided. You won't have to bring anything unless specifically asked. For those who don't want to negotiate the stairs, transportation will be provided from the parking lot by the parish house door.

Seeking carpet

If you have looked into the Sunday School room lately you may have noticed how stained and gross the carpet is. We need approximately $200 to replace it. If you can help. please mark "carpet"on your donation.

Noon eucharist on Wednesdays

Beginning Wednesday, 19 January 2011, the liturgy of the eucharist will be celebrated at 12:05 pm on Wednesdays in the Walker Room at Christ Church. Holy Women, Holy Men, a publication of The Episcopal Church, will be used. Bring a bag lunch and join the discussion afterward.

The Rt. Rev. Robert Martin

Today we heard that our beloved former priest Robert Martin passed away last night - 11 Jan 2011. The funeral will be Friday, 14 January 2011, 12 noon at St Andrews Episcopal Church, Pickering, OH.

The obituary is here.

Watch this blog for further news.