October 2013 message

OCTOBER 2013 • VOLUME 15, NUMBER 5

Rally Day 2013

We Are What We Eat: 2 Singing a Song of the Saints: 5 Consecration Sunday: 6 Trunk or Treat: 9

FROM

In this issue:

We Are What We Eat

World Missions....................... 5 Music Ministry....................... 5 Our Church Life.................... 6 Youth Ministry....................... 9 Family Ministry..................... 9 Pastoral Care.......................10 Planned Giving....................10 Calendar of Events ............11

Sunday Services: 7:30 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 9:00 a.m.

Family-friendly Communion Service with Music 10:00 a.m.

Christian Education for Children, Youth, and Adults 11:00 a.m.

Choral Eucharist, Rite 2 6:00 p.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite 2

Cover photo by Susanna Kitayama Back Cover photo by Gretchen Duggan 2

PATRICK GAHAN Rector patrickg@cecsa.org

The

C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘He (Jesus) came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has — by what I call “good infection.” Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.1 This is the second in a series of articles I offer on the subject of conforming our lives to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The goal of our faith, as Lewis boldly states, is not a self-serving one to merely be saved, or to brush some of the dirt off of ourselves. No, the goal of our faith is to be transformed into the likeness of our Savior. Such a goal will take a lifetime from which there is no retirement.

1 C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Harper Collins, 1952), 177.

menu is branded in my brain.

One scrambled egg with no seasoning, one half-cup of beef bullion, a saucer of red Jello, two pieces of dry wheat toast, and a glass of unsweetened iced-tea.

Before each one of my college football games, this is the menu we were served – no matter where we were playing in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, or New Mexico. Coach Warren Woodson allowed no deviation whatsoever at his training table. Worse still was if you were in his line of sight while dining.

Coach Woodson expected you to chew each bite 100 times. Try that next time you are enjoying a serving of scrambled eggs!

our magazine after another will distort Janie’s personal body image. Multiple courses of highly sexual films will adulterate Jack’s romantic relations with Janie. Two highballs every evening distance Johnny from himself and his family. What we take in matters.

I am my own experiment in this regard.

You would think that a man who played competitive football from sixth grade and on into college would now spend hours on Saturday and Sunday watching NCAA and NFL football. I don’t.

Unless one of my sons or my son-in-law is around, I never switch on a game.

Why? A diet of televised football games just doesn’t sit well with me. For me,

For all his eccentricities, Coach Woodson knew that performance was closely tied to diet. As others declared before him, “We are what we eat.” What we take into ourselves matters. How we look on the inside eventually shows up on the outside.

What we take into ourselves matters. How we look on the inside eventually shows up on the outside.

I was reminded of Coach Woodson’s eccentric notions while exercising at the YMCA a few days ago. On the bulletin board situated beside the barbell rack a plain printed card read: “Six-pack abs are much more the result of what happens in the dining room than the weight room.” What we take into ourselves matters because it will show up in our lives.

the games are too long, too filled with commentary and commercials, and makes my day far too loud and sedentary. Not to mention it messes with my sleep, which shows up on Sunday morning. Don’t take this as an anti-football ad, but rather a personal admission of what I can’t eat during my weekend’s repast.

Our spiritual and emotional lives are just as sensitive to our “diet” as our physical self. A steady diet of violent television and video games will make Johnny rage. The intake of one glam-

While my curtailed televised football intake is entirely personal, we Christians as a group have been given essential menu items we need to take in and taboo ones that we should avoid if we are

From our Rector... to grow more and more into the likeness of our Savior. Recall the words of C.S. Lewis that I offered as a preface to this series: Jesus came into this world to spread “the good infection.” He intends to fill us with his life on the inside so that we exude his presence on the outside. Just any diet will not fill us with what we need to realize this transformation. In fact, two ingredients are utterly necessary if we are to be gradually fashioned into “little Christs,” as Lewis terms us – Holy Scripture and prayer.

The Holy Scripture, the Bible, is a staple of the Christian diet. It is like potatoes to the Midwesterner, pasta to an Italian New Yorker, or frijoles to a Mexican-American. Nicky Gumbel, of Alpha fame, says that an Asian is not satisfied at mealtime until the rice is served. In the same vein, Christians are running on empty until we take in generous portions of Scripture.

To that end, Jesus wastes no time in declaring to his followers the timeless importance of the Bible. Soon after he issues the call to his disciples to “follow” him, he declares, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I say to you, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until it is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). Jesus came to earth in order to bring God’s dreams for humanity to life – to fulfill the words of Moses, the prophets, and the poets of Israel. My quick, unscientific count has Jesus quoting the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament attributed to Moses) fifteen times in the Gospels, the Psalms at least ten times, and Isaiah nine times. Add to that Jesus’ determination to model his ministry, suffer-

...the Old Testament’s importance for our Lord is unmistakeable. No wonder Jesus admonishes his followers on the enduring place of the Holy Scriptures in their own lives.

The Holy Scripture, the Bible, is a staple of the Christian diet. It is like potatoes to the Midwesterner, pasta to an Italian New Yorker, or frijoles to a Mexican-American. ing, and death after Isaiah’s messianic prophecies, and the Old Testament’s (Jesus’ Bible) importance for our Lord is unmistakable. No wonder Jesus admonishes his followers on the enduring place of the Holy Scriptures in their own lives.

So important is the Bible to Jesus that he works to thrust its message inside of the believer. His favorite strategy to uncover deep Old Testament truths for his disciples and others was through the use of parables (para, “alongside” bole, “thrown”). Contrary to what we may think, parables are not Jesus’ nifty illustrations to make the scripture more understandable. Their purpose is quite the opposite. These earthy, homespun, agrarian stories that Jesus shares are meant to easily come “alongside” the hearer only to “throw” him against the wall once the deep, piercing truth of the parable gets inside him. Jesus paints us a serene pastoral picture of a farmer casting seeds on the ground, only to uproot our cozy façade with the news that the seeds of the Kingdom of God cannot germinate in the unreceptive, flinty, dry soil of our hearts (Matthew 13:3-23). Jesus sketches a woman completing a routine sewing task only to rip away our pretensions with the truth that the new cloth of the Kingdom cannot cover the old, tired, gaping holes we sport (Matthew 9:16-17). Jesus draws us the figure of the venerable father who runs out to lavish love on his reprobate son only to utterly crush any notions that the meager meat of love we dole out each day has any footing in God’s Kingdom (Luke 15:11-32).

Jesus uses his words to dash the incomplete notions we have about living in this new order he embodies. More strikingly, his words crush the false piety within us that is a far cry from King-

dom living. Jesus hurls a meteor-sized knuckle ball right at us, and we don’t even see it coming until it smacks us upside the head and heart. The earliest Bible readers knew that our initial, surface encounters with the scripture would not reveal the hidden power of Jesus’ words that he flings at us. The Bible is not like one of those toy Eight Balls we employed as children to serve sort of a hand held shaman. “Should I ask Sally out?” we’d ask. After one shake, an answer would float to the top. Unfortunately, many of us Christians engage the Bible in that same way.

We consult the Holy Scripture like the newspaper’s horoscopes, thinking we’ll receive a quick, easy answer, “Without a doubt.” It is only by “ruminating” (ruminare, “to chew the cud”) that we will uncover the Bible’s subversive truth.

Jesus, through the vehicle of his parables, wants us to chew on the scriptures much like Coach Woodson commended us to chew our toast and eggs – far more than we first imagined was necessary.

Jesus, through the vehicle of his parables, wants us to chew on the scriptures much like Coach Woodson commended us to chew our toast and eggs – far more than we first imagined was necessary.

If chewing on the words of the Bible is more than we expected to honor our new spiritual diet, consider St. Paul’s command that we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). For most of us, a quick “Our Father” mouthed as we dash out the door to work, a wooden grace offered before supper, a desperate list of SOS demands uttered at a traffic light, and a rote bedtime prayer muttered with a sleepy child at bedtime makes up our full complement of prayer. That’s not “prayer without ceasing;” that’s prayer without meaning.

That merry-go-round of meaningless prayer in my own life became glaringly

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From our Rector... apparent to me last Saturday morning.

My old friend Jack Sheffield, of Christ Healing Center, told a group of us, “God does not want us to know about him so much as to experience him.” The object of our prayers cannot be quick incantation we throw out as we race out to do what we consider more important. It cannot be a bone tossed to the Almighty before we chow down on a plate of enchiladas. It cannot consist of a fruit salad of requests for others and ourselves just in case conventional remedies do not work out. It cannot be a few frozen words from memory to appease a child at night so that we can return to the next episode of Breaking Bad. No, the goal of our new, steady diet of prayer is to begin to experience our everyday lives in the very presence of God – hence our familiar intercession, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Eugene Peterson, the eminent scholar, pastor, and author of The Message Bible, has helped my understanding of the language of prayer that will lead to experiencing God. He states that we must go back to using our “Middle Voice.” Peterson’s “aha” moment with the middle voice occurred when he was a young college student struggling to learn ancient Greek. Like most modern persons, he was accustomed to using the active voice, where I take the action. For instance, “I counsel my friend.” A modern person is also familiar with the passive voice, where I am acted upon, like “I am counseled by my

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friend.” When we employ the middle voice as the ancients did before us, we participate in an action begun by another, such as “I take counsel.” Peterson remembers the definition of the middle voice given to him by his professor: It is the use of the verb that describes the subject as participating in the results of the action. To Peterson, it was a revelation of the language of genuine Christian prayer. “I do not control the action (active voice),” Peterson declares; “that

No, the goal of our new, steady diet of prayer is to begin to experience our everyday lives in the very presence of God – hence our familiar intercession, “on earth as it is in heaven.” is a pagan concept of prayer, putting the gods to work by my incantations or rituals.” Peterson continues, “I am not controlled by the action (passive voice); that is a Hindu concept of prayer in which I slump passively into the impersonal and fated will of gods and goddesses.” No, Peterson asserts, “I enter into the action begun by another (middle voice), my creating and saving Lord, and find myself participating in the results of the action. I neither do it, nor have it done to me; I will participate in what is willed.”

Reading these lines from Peterson, I am reminded of the corporate prayer stance adopted by Rick Warren and the Saddleback Church he serves: “We do not pray that God will bless what we are doing, but that we’ll do what God is blessing.” You, I, and our parish cannot possibly enter into what God is blessing unless we engage in participatory prayer with Him. We must enter the stream of God’s being to know what He wants us to do with our lives and be fortified well enough to do it.

This is Jesus’ prescribed diet of prayer.

Remember Jesus’ invitation to the Samaritan woman at the well? “I will give you streams of living water welling up inside of you” (John 4:14).

If our Christian life flows more like a leaky bathroom faucet than a “stream of living water,” we need a drastic change in our spiritual diet. We need to steadily chew on the scriptures so that the hard words make their way into our bloodstream. We need to prayerfully participate in the river of God’s being, and willing go where the flood takes us.

One thing is for certain, Christ wants to transform our lives to more closely resemble his own. For that to happen, we must eat what’s on his menu. After all, we are what we eat.

Your brother,

Patrick U

MISSIONS

Spreading the Gospel in All Languages “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1

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ear brothers and sisters at Christ Church, We thank you all for your continuing prayers for us as we walk the path God has put us on here in the Philippines!

Though we have passed through many trials and will continue to for some time to come, our hearts are full of the hope that only God can give through Christ!

While Ginny continues to teach missionary kids at Faith Academy, I am pressing on in my ministry of coach-

ing missionaries in studying language.

When God scattered the nations and divided the languages in Genesis chapter 11, He did an amazing job preparing us for what we have to do today.

It is precisely because of the wide variety of languages that missions are still necessary here in the Philippines. Even though there is a strong church here in the Philippines, even with the missionaries they send out, they are still not enough to complete the task of getting the Gospel to all the unreached areas in all the heart languages of the people. So we partner with the Filipino church in an effort to finish the task.

on that island, there was an attack from a Muslim rebel group on the city of Zamboanga, resulting in a siege that lasted for several days. Fortunately, the Philippine armed forces kept the problems contained to that one city, and we were never in any danger. However, that and other worldwide events serve as a reminder that we must always be alert and cautious.

I just recently returned from a trip to Mindanao, where we finished up the evaluation and coaching of 5 missionaries in their studies down there. While

Blessings in Christ,

Let us continually be reminded of the hope we have in Christ! We do not live for this life alone, but for the glory of the kingdom that is to come! That is where we set the hope of our hearts!

George Olson

MINISTRY

O

n November 3 at 6:00 PM the Chapel Boychoir of San Antonio will lead the musical part of our worship at a special All Saints OWEN DUGGAN Choral Evensong Director of Music and Eucharist. and Worship The choir features owend@cecsa.org boys from around the city trained specifically in the English tradition. My 11-year-old son and his friends who are in it say I’m not allowed to say they look cute in their

For All the Saints Anglican robes and ruffles, so I will say they look very distinguished. For those who have never experienced this style of worship, it is unique among the denominations and captures both the solemn and celebratory tone of the prayer book service, especially at this time when we will be honoring the saintly believers of God’s Church both ancient and modern.

sic will host a special reception with hors d’oeuvres in the parish hall. All are welcome. Suggested donation $15.

Proceeds benefit the band program at Jefferson High School.

Following the service, Friends of Mu-

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Consecration Sunday

G

ood stewardship habits do not come naturally for most of us. They only come with regular and disciplined practice.

For me and my family, stewardship time in the past meant finding out what the budget for the church was going to amount to and then trying to figure out how much of our budget we could allocate towards the Church. I always dreaded stewardship time in the past, but I could never figure out precisely why that was. Now I know why. This method did not involve God, and did nothing to deepen my relationship with Him. Two years ago this Church was blessed with the leadership of Conrad and Pauleen Netting when we undertook a new approach to stewardship called New Consecration Sunday. I believe it was a radical departure from other models for Christian stewardship. Rather than employing a secular approach to stewardship, where we ask ourselves “How much is needed for the budget”, we are asked to prayerfully answer the question “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?”

This approach necessarily requires each of us to pray earnestly. To examine our lives and to reflect soberly upon the various scripture passages that instruct us about stewardship. And to listen in anticipation that God will answer our question. It results in a deepening of our relationship with God. And the answer that results from our efforts leaves us with a peace that comes when we are confident that we are doing God’s will.

The merits of approaching stewardship in this manner are evident from the tremendous success that we had that first year, followed up with significant increases in giving in our second year under the leadership of John and Vicki Boyce.

The time is once again upon us when we must engage in this regular and disciplined practice. Janet and I are hopeful that you will join us in prayerful consideration of the question

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“What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?”

We ask you to be present in church on October 27th to affirm your decision on an Estimate of Giving card that will be provided at that time.

After each service on Consecration Sunday a catered meal will be provided. In the weeks before that Sunday there will be opportunities to make a reservation for the meal. Whether you turn in an Estimate of Giving Card or not, it is very important that all those in attendance at each service join us for the meal afterwards. It will be catered and free to all who come. If you have been to one in the past, you know how much fun they are. We sincerely hope that you will make plans to come and be with us and celebrate God’s presence in our lives.

Janet and Douglas Daniel

2014 Consecration Sunday Chairpersons Join us on Consecration Sunday October 27 for a joyful celebration of Christ’s presence in our lives then plan to attend one of the following: 7:30 AM service followed by refreshments 9:00 AM service followed by Brunch in the Parish Hall 11:00 AM service followed by a luncheon in the Parish Hall 6:00 PM service followed by refreshments

Our Church Life...

Step Up

By Laura Nell Burton

I

recently read a wonderful book, Becoming Myself by bestselling author Stasi Eldredge. She poses the question: “Why are you struggling with the things you do? There is a reason. It is found in the life you have lived, the wounds you have received, what you have come to believe about yourself because of them, and not having a clue how to bear your sorrow. It is also because of who you are meant to be. It is not too late…God’s mercies are new every morning.”

casually reached out to several moms, and about twenty responded. Parenting school-aged children today pulls moms in so many directions. The Holy Spirit guided me to carefully consider how the study could be a respite, not “one more thing” on our to-do lists. We meet for lunch for exactly

I admit that each week I find myself nervous to facilitate. But we grow as disciples when we let Jesus take our hand and lead us out of our comfort zones. The Apostle Paul said “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not wise with persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

I was 32 years old when I first experienced the healing power of Jesus. I discovered it through a Bible study. Jesus redeemed my broken life during that study. There is such a great need in our church families to minister God’s mercies to the poor in spirit.

Once we have learned the good news of Christ, we are called to disciple others. God uses our life experiences to draw us to the ministries where He is calling us to serve. Each of us has been given very specific spiritual gifts that enable us in discipling others.

I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to share Becoming Myself with others. I

wives, mothers, and friends. Through our fellowship, Jesus is revealing that we are not alone in any of our challenges, and that our secret struggles are not shameful. We are experiencing the healing presence of Jesus as we share and listen. We are sharpening each other spiritually, and we are holding each other accountable.

one hour on Wednesdays at my house (conveniently located, relative to school locations of the current group), and I provide a nourishing lunch.

I have been so humbled by the spirit of openness among this group of women.

We are helping each other cope with the challenges of being daughters,

How are you demonstrating the Spirit’s power? What spiritual gifts have you been given? How are you being called to serve? Don’t sit back and wait for an opportunity to arise. That opportunity may never come, because it is possible that God is calling you to be the opportunity. Let Jesus take your hand and lead you out of your comfort zone.

Step up, and God will do the rest.

#Young Professionals @ CEC

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ast fall, Bill Galbreath, our senior warden, and his wife hosted a dinner at OrderUp for all of the young professionals in the church, a new demo-

graphic for our congregation. The following February, they gathered us together for a Valentine’s Day celebration in their home. From there, we compiled an email list of young singles and couples, both with and without kids, and began our own tradition: a monthly Sunday brunch.

Since the spring, various members of our young adult group have volunteered to host brunches in their homes, communicating the time and place via

emails and e-vites. Other events have taken place as well, including a pool party and a night of beer and fun at Tycoon Flats. Ultimately, we are striving to create a group of young believers who can have fun together and minister to each other.

Young professionals in their 20s and 30s, whether married or single, with or without kids, from any congregation or denomination are welcome to join. If you are interested or have a friend who may be interested, please email Jennifer Berg at jzberg@gmail.com with your name, email, and phone number, and she will add you to the list.

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MINISTRY

Finding Balance in the Body of Christ

O

CLARK NILES Director of Youth Ministry clarkn@cecsa.org

ver the last forty years ministry to young people and the youth culture has changed quite a bit, with the technology of cell phones, the internet, and the pace or “busy-ness” of teens today (which is off the chart). These changes call for new strategies and ways to communicate. However, some things remain the same.

The Gospel still carries its powerful life changing message that never comes back void. The pit falls and snares of a young Christian today still work to entice them off the narrow path and keeping a healthy balance in life still requires an internal checkup from time to time. It seems that most of us are able to handle the big hits that life throws at us, with the help and support of the Holy Spirit inside ourselves, and with those closest to us, but it is the gradual and steady tug that life exerts on us that gives us the most trouble. We sometimes find ourselves months or even years down the line out of balance and off course from our first love.

With this in mind, the youth ministry is constantly striving to stay current, particularly in the area of communication, which is the primary way we connect and stay balanced.

This balance can be found by focusing our efforts in five areas: worship, fellowship, evangelism, service, and discipleship. With the support of solid biblical teaching, these gifts are poured out for the building up of the body of Christ.

WORSHIP “I can’t sing loud enough when I’m singing for You my God.” – Phil Wickham As brothers and sisters in Christ, we love to worship together! We join together in worship Sunday mornings during Sunday school typically led by wonderful acoustic guitar! We hope you’ll join us in our time of worship, before or after whichever service you attend on Sunday mornings!

FELLOWSHIP “Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.” – Rick Warren We are fortunate enough to have opportunities to join in fellowship with one another several times a week! This includes Sunday school, boy and girl bible studies, and other special events! We get to enjoy time with each other and get to know our awesome Jesus more and more!

SERVICE “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” – Sally Koch An important part of our time spent together is ministering to those around us. These opportunities may be big or small, but each opportunity is one to make a difference in the lives of God’s children!

EVANGELISM “We should be more concerned with reaching the lost than pampering the saved.” – David McGee We have the awesome responsibility of spreading the Word of Jesus Christ! He has entrusted us with His children and we hope you will join us in sharing His love through words and actions!

DISCIPLESHIP “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” – Matthew 28:19 It is a choice daily to follow our Lords lead. It is a choice daily to love as He loves, and to forgive as He forgives us. And it is a choice daily to share the Gospel to the world around us, and follow our Lords example by humbling ourselves and surrendering the controls in order for the spirit inside us to accomplish these things.

In Christ,

Moriah Moreno & Clark Niles

The Youth explored the parable of the fountains at Bethesda at their last “Off Site Sunday School” to the fountains at Hemisfair Plaza.

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The next “Off Site” Adventures: October 20 - to the Blue Hole Springs at Incarnate Word

November 10 - to Mission Espada.

Gather at the Carriage House to leave at 9 AM and return at 10:45 AM (so acolytes can make it to the 11 AM service).

MINISTRY

Celebrating the Saints of God

W

e Sing A Song of The Saints!

Children’s All Saints Celebration Sunday, November 3 10 AM

HALLETA HEINRICH Director of Family Ministries halletah@cecsa.org

We will celebrate All the Saints in Heaven and Earth in an All Sunday School All Saints Celebration Sunday, November 3. We will begin the celebration in Children’s Chapel at 10 am with a special Children’s All Saints Chapel service. We will sing some traditional All Saints hymns including the great “I Sing

A Song of the Saints” and then have a lesson that teaches us the TRUE Christian meaning of Halloween. We like to do this celebration near Halloween so our children are equipped to know and then share the Hope of Jesus and the eternal Life, Light, and Love He gives to those who accept Him as Savior.

“Donkey’s Dream” Children’s Christmas Pageant To Be Presented Sunday, December 8 Song Practices In October and November During Sunday School and Children’s Chapel Make sure your children are in church as many Sundays as possible during October and November so they can be prepared to star in this year’s Christmas Pageant – “Donkey’s Dream.” Song practices will be held as part of Sunday School classes and 11:00 AM Children’s Chapel. Each class will have a special role and song that will help tell the story of the birth of Jesus through the eyes of the little donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. “Donkey’s Dream” is based on the beautiful children’s book of the same title written and illustrated by Barbara Helen Berger. Watch for more details to be coming soon about your children’s role in the pageant – our special Advent gift to the parish.

Children may bring a photo or drawing of a special loved one who is a Saint that has gone on to Heaven to place on the altar in Children’s Chapel. A Prayer of Thanksgiving will be offered up for the gift of their lives here on Earth and their lives now in Heaven. Our friends the Happy and Sad Jack-OLanterns will return to help tell us the story of the history of Halloween as the Christian holiday it is intended to be. (Halloween = Holy Evening or Evening of the Holy Ones/Saints.)

After our All Saints Chapel Service , we will all gather in the Tomlin Room for an All Saints Party with treats and crafts.

Children are encouraged to wear a bright and positive Halloween costume to church this day or dress as a favorite Saint. Remember, Saints aren’t necessarily famous. They can be just like you and me, as the song goes!

Join us October 31 from 5 - 7 PM in the CEC Parking lot as we

Trunk or Treat with the neighborhood kids!

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CARE Coping with Grief During The Holidays

T

he holidays are an especially hard time when grieving the loss of a loved one.

The season renews CAROL MILLER memories, family Pastoral Care ties and traditions.

Administrator We become paincarolm@cecsa.org fully aware that our special loved one is no longer present. This is often difficult for families.

The pain of the loss is confused with the spirit of the season.

Reverend Pat Baily, will lead a two hour workshop sponsored by the Pastoral Care Department of Christ Episcopal Church and Porter Loring Family Care Services to help those who are grieving better understand the grief process, how it affects us during the holiday, and how we can use this special time to continue to heal.

Pat Baily has worked in pastoral care for over 25 years and is the founder

and director of The Chancel, a non-denominational ministry of teaching, mentoring, discipleship, and pastoral counseling.

Her presentation will include: How am I going to face the holidays and handle all those first times?

What are some things that I can do to eliminate unnecessary stress?

Do I even want to attend social gatherings?

Do I need to develop a game plan just to get through?

Plan to join us on Tuesday, November 12 for “Coping with Grief During the Holidays” at 12:30 PM in the Conference Room.

For more information please contact Carol Miller at 736-3132 or carolm@ cecsa.org.

QR Codes - What IS this thing?

H

ave you been noticing what looks like squiggly bar codes showing up in the announcements and The Message?

Have you been wondering, “what ARE these things?” Help is here.

A QR or “quick response” code is a mobile device readable barcode. It typically send the reader to a webpage to gather more information or sign up for somthing. We will be using these codes with increasing frequency at Christ Church to register for events such as the Consecration Sunday celebration meals, to RSVP for Wednesday Night

dinners, to register for VBS and so much more.

Here is a brief tutorial for those not already on the QR bandwagon.

Step one: Go to the “app store” for your smart phone or other mobile device and search for “QR Reader.”

Step two: Download/install a QR code reader to your device. Find one that is free (most are). Look for apps that have good reviews.

Step three: Open up the scanner and point the camera of your device to a QR code (try the one on page 6).

Step four: You are done!

Your device should have automatically taken you to the page the code links to.

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The Great Commision Planned Giving

O ne of the simplest ways to memorialize one’s faith is to create a legacy through one’s will – in short leaving something to the church. We have done this!

Why Christ Church?

In its one hundred year history Christ Church has survived a great number of internal crises.

But somehow the proper leadership of the day has always been found. Christ Church is big enough to form a community but unlikely ever to create a bureaucracy.

We believe any gift to Christ Church will be a lasting memorial.

T.R. and Lillian Fehrenbach

OF EVENTS October 20: Youth “Off Site” to Blue Hole Springs at Incarnate Word 9:00 - 10:45 AM

JDOK Birthday Cards for Respite Care 11:00 AM October 21:

Vestry Meeting 5:00 PM

October 23: Gospel in Life and Kids in Christ Program 5:15 - 7:00 PM

Every Wednesday through November 20 October 26:

Mastersingers Rehearsal and Pizza Party 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

October 27:

Consecration Sunday

October 31:

Trunk or Treat 5:00 - 7:00 PM

November 2:

Baptism Instruction 10 AM

November 3:

Daylight Savings Time Ends 10:00 AM Children’s All Saints Celebration 3:00 PM Concert - Camerata San Antonio 6:00 PM All Saints Evensong and Eucharist Chapel Boy Choir

November 9:

Youth Confirmation Group Building Day at Camp Capers

November 10: Youth “Off Site” to Mission Espada 9:00 - 10:45 AM November 11: Veterans Day November 12: “Coping with Grief During the Holidays Class” 12:30 - 2:00 PM

for more information contact Carol Miller November 17: JDOK take Thanksgiving Flowers to Chandler House residents

Rally Day Fun

Christ Church Staff: The Rev. Patrick Gahan, Rector patrickg@cecsa.org The Rev. Scott Kitayama, Associate Rector, scottk@cecsa.org The Rev. Brien Koehler, Associate Rector for Mission and Formation, brienk@cecsa.org Carol Miller, Pastoral Care Administrator, carolm@cecsa.org Halleta Heinrich, Director of Family Ministry, halletah@cecsa.org Clark Niles, Director of Youth Ministry clarkniles82@gmail.com Dr. Owen Duggan, Music Minister owend@cecsa.org Joshua Benninger, Organist joshb@cecsa.org Ruth Berg, Director of Children’s Music, ruthb@cecsa.org Robert Hanley, Parish Administrator robert@hanleypmservices.com Darla Nelson, Office Manager darlan@cecsa.org Donna Shreve, Financial Manager donnas@cecsa.org Gretchen Comuzzi Duggan, Director of Communications, gretchend@cecsa.org Anna Jewell, Executive Assistant to the Rector, annaj@cecsa.org Donnis Carpenter, Receptionist donnisc@cecsa.org Elizabeth Martinez, Kitchen Manager elizabethm@cecsa.org Robert Vallejo, Facilities Manager robertv@cecsa.org Rudy Segovia, Hospitality Manager rudys@cecsa.org Joe Garcia, Sexton joeg@cecsa.org

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Friends of the Groom “Tableau” Gospel Presentation by the Youth of Christ Church September 29

The Message (USPS 471-710) is published bi-monthly by Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place, San Antonio, TX 78212. Periodical postage paid in San Antonio, TX. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place, San Antonio, TX 78212. Volume 15, Number 4.

Periodical Postage PAID San Antonio, TX Christ Episcopal Church 510 Belknap Place San Antonio, TX 78212 www.cecsa.org