Rejoice
April 2018
118 N. Washington St. ✠ Alexandria, VA 22314 www.HistoricChristChurch.org ✠ 703-549-1450
Celebrate and Join Outreach Ministries on Sunday, April 29
By Elizabeth Trigg Outreach Committee Chair
on service to others through massive hands-on helping ministries. Resurrection now hosts the West End Lazarus Ministry and, with Hunger Free Alexandria’s and others’ considerable help, began and operates a food pantry that has fed almost 6,000 people since its October 24, 2016, start. After obtaining City Council funding and approval in January, the church is waiting to hear in early May whether it has obtained the financing needed to build 113 units of affordable housing for working families and a new 5,000 square-foot church. Following both the 8:00 a.m. and
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utreach, when defined as the extent of reaching out, sounds simple enough. But, in practice at Christ Church, it is so much more. The Outreach Committee invites everyone to join in a celebration of our outreach ministries and to learn more about our activities in the community on Outreach Sunday, April 29. Our guest preacher at the 10:00 a.m. service is the Rev. Jo Belser, Rector of The Church of the Resurrection. Jo was ordained to the priesthood in 2012 after obtaining a Masters in Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary. Jo has been a US Navy Intelligence Officer, a professional services consultant, and an administrator of several Northern Virginia parishes. The people of Resurrection have coalesced as a team and has re-visioned the church’s mission and ministry by “doubling down”
10:00 a.m. services, all are invited to meet our outreach ministry leaders and volunteers to learn about and discuss their activities in the community, hear about the impact Christ Church outreach has had on individuals, and enjoy fellowship and community. After the 10:00 a.m. service, we will have a face painter, hot dogs, and popsicles in the churchyard. The goals and mission of the Out-
reach Committee are impossible to accomplish without the scores of dedicated volunteers and supporters who work tirelessly, and donate generously to provide services, support, and fellowship to our most vulnerable neighbors – the housebound elderly, the financially disadvantaged, the hungry and the homeless. The time, talent, and treasure of parishioners and community members alike have allowed the Christ Church ministries in 2017 to: • Provide over $171,000 in emergency financial assistance to Alexandria residents in need paying over 1,100 rent, utility and medical bills; • Feed guests on over 2,000 occasions through the Lazarus Food Pantry, the largest weekly pantry in Alexandria that offers eggs, cheese, fresh meat, and fresh produce; • Share in the preparation of a nutritious bag lunch ministry for approximately 50 each weekday; • Glean thousands of pounds of fresh produce from the Old Town Farmers’ Market and get that produce to people in need of healthy food; • Prepare healthy dinners and provide front desk coverage for the residents of the Carpenter’s Shelter; • Provide fellowship and fun with Bingo for the residents of Ladrey Senior High Rise; continued on page 5
Rejoice is the official monthly publication of Christ Church, Alexandria, Virginia, an Episcopal church in the Diocese of Virginia. The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston Thirteenth Bishop of Virginia The Rt. Rev. Susan Ellyn Goff Bishop Suffragan The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. (Ted) Gulick, Jr. Assistant Bishop of Virginia Vestry Emily Bryan, Senior Warden Dave Riggs, Junior Warden Abas Adenan, Jane Baird, Nancy Carson, Kelley Brooke Hostetler, Steve Humphrey, Jim Lafley, Kevin Metz, Anne Shine, Sandra Thompson, Julie Zahn Treasurer, Ken Knapp Bill Baker, Assistant Treasurer Clergy The Rev. Dr. Noelle York-Simmons, Rector The Rev. Heather VanDeventer, Associate Rector The Rev. Dr. Richard Jones Parish Visitor The Rev. Dr. Diane Murphy, Rev. Dr. William B. Roberts Priest Associates Director of Music M. Jason Abel Christ Church embodies God’s unbounded love by embracing, liberating, and empowering people, whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith. The Rejoice deadline is the third of the month preceding publication. Please email proposed articles to mbracco@historicchristchurch.org. Those accepted are subject to editing for length and content. Susan Hahn edits Rejoice while Craig Keith provides design and layout. Carol Donlan gives her time and talent as an advisor. Meredith Bracco is the staff liaison.
@historiccc
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Calling All Scouts! Mark your calendars for April 15 for BLESSING OF THE SCOUTS at the 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. services. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and leaders are all encouraged to wear their uniform or insignia.
Shrine Mont Parish Weekend!
Friday, June 15 evening through Sunday, June 17 lunch Come away to Shrine Mont to rest, relax, reconnect, and recharge! Singles, Couples, Families all welcome! Registration begins on April 5. Watch Parish Life for registration link. Questions or want to help? Email ccshrinemontparishretreat@gmail.com
Making the Dream Work
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here are only a small, handful of things that a smart, resourceful church staff really fear. One of those things is the breakdown of the church copier during Holy Week. So you can imagine my terror, dismay, and frustration when Parish Ministries Coordinator Brandie Mae Grubb came to my office on Maundy Thursday afternoon to tell me that, with 750 20-page Easter bulletins to go, the copier had gone to meet Jesus. While I wailed and gnashed my teeth and prayed that I might be delivered from this hour, Brandie Mae and Meredith Bracco, our Communications Manager, called local churches and local printing houses to see what a solution might be. When they found a solution that was bud-
get friendly but required some heavy driving, they got some staff help, got their keys, and got going. I am famous in my household for saying “teamwork makes the dream work” whenever I need help cleaning the bathrooms or mowing the yard. My kids roll their eyes at the corny mom-ness of the phrase. But in the middle of the office madness of Holy Week, when everyone’s time and patience are stretched thin, not only does teamwork make the dream work, but our Christ Church staff team also shows us the very definition of servant leadership. When Jesus says “love one another”, they grab their towels and get to washing feet. I am
so grateful to be a part of this team, even while it shifts and changes to meet the shifting changing needs of our parish. We are in a season of resurrection, not just on the church calendar, but also in the life of our parish. Things are changing and sometimes that is frightening and sometimes it is exhilarating. Our Scriptures tell us that the disciples were never really sure where Jesus would show up in the resurrection, maybe as a stranger on the road, maybe in a locked room, maybe cooking breakfast on the beach. We have the opportunity in this new season in our lives together to see Jesus at work around us. Those opportunities might not free us entirely of our fear or our anxiety, but they will certainly give us glimpses of the goodness yet to come as we work into a new way of being together. Easter Blessings.
A New Ministry to Enhance our Worship through Needlework By Cindi Bartol and Barbara Robson
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his is the season of new beginnings, of new focus, of renewed faithfulness—let us rejoice and hear about a new ministry, open to all, to enhance our worship space at Christ Church! A committee, formed and chaired by Barbara Robson, has been working for many months on a project to replace the kneelers that currently surround the chancel rail with longlasting needlepointed kneelers. Barbara and the other committee members—Jane Baird, Cindi Bartol, Marilyn Bromley, Jane Gilchrist, Marilyn Giovanetti, and Sunny Nolan—have determined, in continuing consultation with our Rector, the Rev. Dr. Noelle York-Simmons, the
optimum number and size of kneelers, the colors of yarn that will uplift our worship space, and 24 designs reflecting our Rector’s suggestion that all kneelers include symbols that reflect Christ and thus our church name. The Vestry has given its formal approval to move this project forward and we invite others to join us in this endeavor. Each of the 26 kneelers will cost approximately $500 for canvas, yarn, and finishing. We are seeking people to sponsor dedicated kneelers. These
sponsorships may honor or remember a loved one, or celebrate any churchrelated element in the sponsor’s life. We plan to stitch sponsor names and other appropriate information on the non-visible sides of the kneelers. Additionally, we welcome monetary gifts of any size to uplift this ministry. Please contact Marilyn Giovanetti, at mgiov1004@yahoo.com if you wish to sponsor a kneeler, or Cindi Bartol, cindibartol@comcast.net, if you’d like to stitch a kneeler; a call to either of them will be joyfully received. More information about the project and opportunities will be forthcoming. The committee members are feeling blessed by the many indications of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our deliberations and we are eager to have you join us.
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Bread for the World Sunday Is April 22 Add Your Letter to the 2018 Offering of Letters and Share Breakfast By Ridge Multop, Bread for the World Ministry
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utting your faith into action can have an impact! You can help feed the hungry by writing to Congress, and sharing a special breakfast prepared by Chef Alan Adenan on Sunday, April 22. You can be a part of Bread for the World’s 2018 Offering of Letters to Congress that day. Join fellow parishioners and people from other faith communities to write to our Representatives and Senators. Tell Congress to support programs that provide assistance to the hungry. Faithful advocacy can make a difference in the lives of hungry families here in Alexandria, throughout this country, and EVERYWHERE hunger threatens. The SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – formerly Food Stamps) provides financial assistance for more than 42 million people around the country, 68 percent of whom are low-income families with children. Thirty-one percent are elderly or disabled and cannot work. In Virginia, SNAP reaches more than
775,000 people – nearly 10,000 of whom live in Alexandria. SNAP benefits are modest: the average benefit per person is only $120 per month – just $1.31 per meal. This offering is particularly important in 2018 because the budget proposed by the White House calls for a total of $213 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next ten years. In 2019 alone, the reduction in funding would be almost 20 percent, and it rises to nearly 30 percent in 2027. For Alexandria, such a reduction in SNAP funding would cut more than $2 million in 2019 – funds that keep thousands of low-income families from going hungry. Our activity will be in conjunction with thousands of people across the country. Come to the Meade Room after both the 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. services. Members of the Bread for the World ministry, representatives from our local SNAP office, and others will deliver your letters on Capitol Hill. Chef Alan Adenan will prepare special breakfast sandwiches for everyone. Put your faith into action and tell Congress to help feed the hungry.
Help Your Neighbors as a Volunteer with Rebuilding Together on Saturday, April 28 By Dave Buffaloe and Jane Baird, Rebuilding Together Volunteers
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ebuilding Together Alexandria (RTA) is a gift of volunteered time and materials to repair the homes of homeowners who are physically or financially unable to perform these repairs. Because of the work RTA volunteers do, physically-challenged recipients become more self-sufficient with greater home mobility. Financially challenged families do not have to choose between feeding their children and fixing a leaking roof. Every family has a list of household projects that need to be completed if only you can find the time and resources. That list exists ten-fold for those who do not have the physical or mental capacity to do the work. On the last Saturday in April, you have the opportunity to make a difference for a member of our Alexandria community. As part of Rebuilding Together we will join forces with neighbors nationwide to improve the homes, and therefore the lives, of one of our elderly or disabled neighbors. Our gift will be remembered and will grow with them every day. This year, the Christ Church team will be helping a 75-year-old neighbor in Alexandria. The projects vary from year to year. You do not need to Page 4 ✠ Rejoice ✠ April 2018
be a skilled carpenter, electrician, or plumber, though we would love it if you were! All you have to do is: • Be able to lift a hammer, broom, or paintbrush • Be willing to devote one Saturday of the year, April 28, 8:00 a.m. until about 1:00 pm • Have a kind and giving heart For more information, please contact Dave Buffaloe at dave_buffaloe@yahoo.com or call 208.891.8579 by April 16. Together, we will make a difference for our neighbors.
Prepare Your Pooch for Paws for the People
By Melanie Gray, Director of Outreach and Mission
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he Olde Towne School for Dogs and Frolick Dogs Canine Sports Club will sponsor Paws for the People on Saturday, May 19, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria to benefit the Lazarus Food Pantry of Christ Church, the largest weekly supermarket-style food pantry in Alexandria. Dogs of every type can enter three categories of competition: agility; obedience; and tricks. Three rings of dogs will work simultaneously before professional judges. Dog obedience champions will also show their stuff. Vendors will be on hand offering canine related information and services. All of the participation fees will go to the Lazarus Food Pantry, which provides a variety of healthy food every week to residents of the City of Alexandria in need of food.
Last year, 2,014 guests visited the pantry; this meant that 5,697 people received fresh produce, eggs, cheese, meat, bread and staples that they select for themselves. Full-size toiletries are also available once a month. The pantry is stocked with food donations from church members, food purchased at low prices from the Capital Area Food Bank, plus generous donations from Panera, Trader Joe’s, Mom’s Organic Market, and the Old Town Farmers’ Market.
People who want to support the Lazarus Food Pantry but not have their dog compete can register as pet patrons and will receive an official Paws for the People bandana. A photo booth will be available for dogs to take memorable photos. Market Square is in front of City Hall, on King Street between Royal and Fairfax. Dogs must be on leashes not exceeding six feet. No flexi-leashes allowed. Online registration will begin in early in April; competition slots will be limited. Watch for an email from Christ Church and find more information by visiting the Olde Towne School for Dogs, 529 Oronoco Street, or Frolick Dogs, 3208 Colvin Street.
vides the gift volunteered time and materials given to repair the homes of homeowners who are physically or financially unable to perform these repairs; • Provide overnight coverage at the winter hypothermia shelter; • Ensure children have a merry
Christmas, housebound seniors receive company and hot meals, advocate for fair and affordable housing, provide immigrants and refugees quality English language instruction, and so much more. Please join us for fun and action on Outreach Sunday on April 29!
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• Provide support to ALIVE! through delivering furniture, collecting housewares and participating in on-going events. • Provide support and assistance to 23 families in our community who are here as refugees and asylees; • Participate in Alexandria Rebuilding Together ministry, which pro-
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Many Hands Provide an Evening of Fun, Food, and Learning for Refugee Families
VTS Refectory. The first dinner was in February 2017
Thanks to everyone who contributed to make this dinner a success. If you are interested in attending future dinners or in getting involved in refugee outreach in Alexandria, please contact Melanie Gray, Director of Outreach and Mission at Christ Church Alexandria, mgray@ccalex.org or 703-778-4397.
Refugee family at the dinner By Kathryn McNamara, Co-Chair, Refugee Ministry
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ighteen refugee families, volunteers from many Alexandria churches, and others from the community—170 people in all— came together for a joyous dinner at the Virginia Theological Seminary Refectory on February 10. VTS provided both the setting and the delicious halal food. The Christ Church Refugee Ministry organized the event. What a change from our first dinner in 20xx, when attendance was just 63. This dinner would not have been possible without the participation of many churches, social service agencies, and others who support refugee work in Alexandria and throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area. Throughout the evening, Catholic Charities staff answered questions about employment services and connected refugees with educational and vocational resources. Alexandria’s Office on Housing explained how refugee families could take the first steps towards home ownership. Page 6 ✠ Rejoice ✠ April 2018
Volunteers at the donation table
Children’s activities were provided by the students from St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School. Refugee families took home essential toiletries and cleaning supplies donated by Commonwealth Baptist Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, Hope United Church of Christ, Margaret’s Episcopal Church in D.C., All Souls Episcopal Church, Christ Church Georgetown, Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and or own Christ Church among others. Flower decorations for the dinner were graciously provided by Hope United Church of Christ.
Rites of Passage Deaths • Luz Klecky • Philip Burge • Sabina Scherer • Janice Keith • Betty Walter • John Chesley • Elisabeth • Tim Archie • John Chesley • Austin & Wyatt Rollins • Suzanne Quinlan
Births • Dolly Angela Abrams, granddaughter to Angela & Patrick Welsh
Registration for Summer Camp at Shrine Mont Is Underway From the Diocese of Virginia
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hrine Mont Summer Camps have been offering summer fun, fellowship, and youth ministry that transforms lives for more than fifty years. The summer camp season now offers ten different camps at the Diocesan Episcopal retreat in Orkney Springs, Virginia, with sleep-away options and interests for every age, including an expanded and popular family camp session! Art Camp: Ages 8-15, runs August 4-11. Campers can express their individuality and creativity working on art projects in a variety of media. Explorers Camp: – three sessions by age groups, beginning June 23. Campers explore the world around us through hiking, camping, swimming, and canoeing!
RELOCATION UPDATE
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he Relocation Committee is developing recommendations for the Vestry for a dignified and accessible new location for the memorial tablets. The narrative that will accompany the memorials in their new home—and eventually a campus-wide history project—will offer a more complete and inclusive story of the memorials themselves and those who built the church and worshipped here and their faith and role at the crossroads of history. If you have questions, please contact us at relocation@historicchristchurch. org or catch us after most services. We will be wearing “Relocation Committee” badges.
Music and Drama: – three sessions, by age group, beginning June 30. Campers learn and perform a musical in just a week in this high energy camp. St. Andrews: a “family-style,” camp setting offered for children who thrive in an environment with high levels of structure and personal attention. St. Elizabeth’s Camp: offers individuals with mild to moderate disabilities the opportunity to participate in traditional camp activities in a supportive environment. St. George’s: a classic large summer camp featuring hiking, swimming, sports, music, crafts, canoeing, and overnight camp-outs. St. Sebastian Sports Camp: two sessions based on age, is for young
athletes to play all of their favorite games while learning the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and the importance of staying fit. Senior High Youth Conference: July 15-22, for high school youth interested in giving back to the community and wishing to develop leadership skills. Family Camp: July 8-14, offers age appropriate programs and intergenerational activities and includes a mix each day of program opportunities by age, and free time for hiking, swimming, resting, or hanging out with new friends. Complete details about all camps and registration are available on the new and easy to navigate Shrine Mont Camp website, www. shrinemontcamps.net.
April Events April 7 Walk the Labyrinth: 9:00 a.m.– Noon April 7 Youth Confirmation Retreat in Rural Virginia April 15 Youth Group: Finding God through Photography April 20–22: PYM Retreat for 6th–7th grade April 11 Dinner Church April 12 Retreat at SSJE (thru 4/15) April 15 April Fellowship Breakfast April 20 6th and 7th Grade Parish Youth Ministries Retreat at Shrine Mont (thru 4/22) April 28 Rebuilding Together April 29 Outreach Sunday
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PHOTO CREDIT SANTIAGO RODRIGUEZ
The Christ Church contingent at the March for Our Lives rally
Marching and Mobilizing to End Gun Violence By Mari Dobbs, Volunteer Youth Leader and Sunday School Teacher
“We shall overcome, some day!” he familiar anthem was a stirring sendoff for the Christ Church parishioners who gathered for a prayer service before embarking on the D.C. March for Our Lives. Led by survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, the March 24 rally united demonstrators of all generations to demand action to end gun violence, which claims some 33,000 lives per year in the U.S. The facts are particularly sobering for young people. 2018 has already seen 11 school shootings, and gun violence is the third leading cause
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of death for American children under 17. To parishioner Miriam, 12, the issue is all too real. Just weeks after the Parkland shooting, a security officer accidentally discharged his gun at her middle school. Luckily, no one was hurt. She clutched a placard with bold orange letters, “Am I Next?” “I should be worrying about what time I’m getting out of school, not whether I can get out of school.” But the youth-led movement is “waking everyone up. People will start noticing, and start acting.” While school shootings in affluent white neighborhoods dominate the media, speakers like Chicago teen Trevon Bosley reminded the crowd
that for inner-city youth of color, “everyday shootings are everyday problems.” Observed parishioner Julia, 16: “Young people have been through way more than most of these politicians [who oppose gun control]…and that needs to be recognized.” Like the many thousands gathered in front of the Capitol, she has hope that her remarkable generation will make a difference. “You could feel the unity in the air.” “The most important next step … is to vote, and work to fix the corruption in government.” That day – when young people vote and mobilize to end gun violence – we shall, indeed, overcome.