Welcome to Christ Church, Middletown
the Episcopal parish in Middletown since 1702
90 Kings Highway
Middletown, NJ 07748
732-671-2524
the Episcopal parish in Middletown since 1702 90 Kings Highway Middletown, NJ 07748 732-671-2524 |
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MINISTRY AT CHRIST CHURCH Photo of Old Christ Church by Virginia Lamarche.
Worship
Worship Ministry includes all of the groups (up-front or behind the scenes) who enable our worship services each week in cooperation with the clergy. They are under the general supervision of the Pastor. Acolytes add dignity to the ceremony and assist in the service of the Table. Open to members 9 years and older. Training is provided. Read an interview with Acolyte Master, Bill Cuff. Pictured below: Christ Church Acolytes lead the procession on Palm Sunday. Photo by William Cuff.
Altar Guild cares for the vessels, linens and adornments used in worship and sets up and cleans up for all celebrations of the Eucharist, as well as all funerals and weddings. Coordinates donations for altar flowers and sanctuary lights and provides flowers for Sunday worship services. more Chalice Bearers administer the cup of Holy Communion. They are appointed and licensed by the Bishop of New Jersey, supervised by the Rector, and serve a one year term. Lay Eucharistic Ministers are a specially trained and licensed ministry of the Sacraments. LEMs take communion most Sundays to the homebound and those members unable to attend worship due to illness. more Lectors & Intercessors read the scriptures (Hebrew & Epistle) and lead the Prayers of the People at Sunday and weekday liturgies. Training is provided and no license is needed. A course to enable people to become Licensed Lay Readers, authorized to lead public worship, is offered as demand arises. Memorials & Fine Arts collect and allocate monies given as general and designated memorials. They are responsible for suggesting appropriate memorials of a lasting nature, appropriate to the architecture of our worship spaces and consistent with our worship style. They also serve as trustees and caretakers of the Christ Church Memorial Garden. Parish Choir rehearses weekly on Wednesday at 8 p.m., except during the Summer, to sing at the 10 a.m. Eucharist on Sundays and prepares special music for feast days and celebrations. Teens and adults are welcome. read an interview Saturday Evening Choir provides contemporary (keyboard and, occasionally, guitar) music to accompany the 5:30 p.m. weekly worship service. New voices are always welcome. Ushers greet people as they arrive for worship and assist them with service leaflets and seating. They also collect tithes and offerings, designate oblation bearers to present the bread and wine for Holy Communion and provide an attendance count. Following the service, they straighten up the worship area.
Community Outreach and Pastoral Care
Community Outreach and Pastoral Care Ministry centers on ministries of love, care and service to parishioners and reaches out to those in need in our community and the world. Advent Spaghetti Dinner is a very popular parish social and culinary event. Parishioners enjoy the best spaghetti dinner ever, at a nominal cost, specially prepared in the parish kitchen by our own “master chef” and served in the parish undercroft.
Bill and Vicki Cuff enjoying the festivities at the Advent Spaghetti Dinner. Bill is the Acolyte Master; Vicki is the Children & Youth Minister.
Annual CROP Walk for the Hungry focuses our participation in an annual community effort to feed the hungry. Local charities supported by the Red Bank area CROP Walk include the Calico Cat Thrift Shoppe Cupboard & Pantry; and Saint Mark’s Kitchen. Education and information on hunger issues are also provided. Find out more about the CROP Walk at www.churchworldservice.org. Read an interview with Laura Gleason, Christ Church CROP Coordinator. Calico Cat Thrift Shoppe, Cupboard & Pantry is a ministry of the Community Outreach Group (COG), supported by Christ Church, with volunteers and building use supplied by Christ Church. The Thrift Shoppe volunteers collect, sort, display and sell used clothing and household goods with proceeds being donated to community outreach projects by COG. The Cupboard and Pantry provide clothing, household items, food, personal care, paper and cleaning products to referred clients in real need, free of charge. Community Outreach Group (COG) consists of ten member churches who pool volunteer resources to operate the Calico Cat Thrift Shoppe, Cupboard and Pantry; the Emergency Financial Fund, and similar projects directed to the homeless and others in crisis. COG distributes funds raised by the Thrift Shoppe and other contributors to local charities such as Manna House, Women’s Center, Kitchen at St. Mark’s, Monmouth Day Care Center and St. Ann’s Day Care Center. Intercessory Prayer Chain is an organized group who commit to daily intercessory prayer for each of those on their prayer list who are in special spiritual need through illness or any other adversity. Read an interview with coordinator Deb Ellwood in the Ministry of the Month archives. Knitting Ministry The Christ Church knitters will monthly to pray together and knit. Each meeting begins with a guided meditation. Then we knit or ask questions of the expert knitters among us. Come and knit a shawl for someone who needs a little TLC -- those who are sick, have suffered a great loss, or are lonely. Little Red Wagon Outreach Program requests that each parishioner remember the poor and the hungry with a weekly donation of a non-perishable food or household item. Offerings are deposited at the Little Red Wagon collection points that are conveniently located at each building entrance and are delivered to The Calico Cat Pantry for distribution to their referred clients. We are called to these simple acts of kindness and generosity in our own time and place through Christ’s servant ministry example. Outreach Committee makes recommendations to the Vestry on community and world needs that might be addressed through our annual outreach budget. They conduct need assessments, hear cases for donations and organize outreach projects for parish involvement such as the Christmas & Thanksgiving In-gathering, the Emergency Financial Fund, and collections for the Calico Cat Pantry. Other charities supported by this ministry include Love In the Name of Christ (LOVE INC), Manna House, The Pantry and Kitchen at St. Mark’s, Interfaith Hospitality Network, and our own Rector’s Discretionary Fund for emergency assistance. Pastoral Support Team serves as a representative of the Christ Church community and as the embodiment of God's love from our caring congregation. In addition to delivering altar flowers to those who are sick, bereaved, homebound or in a nursing home, members of this team may prepare a meal, provide transportation, or run errands for fellow parishioners who are in a stressful situation. They also provide periodic workshops, training and seminars on Christian pastoral care. The Kitchen at St. Mark's: Friday and Saturday Feeding Program consists of volunteer teams of 4 or 5 people to set up, cook, serve, wash dishes and clean up at the noontime meal that Christ Church parishioners prepare and serve at the Kitchen at St. Mark’s on Fridays and Saturdays. About 40 - 50 free meals are served daily to the hungry who visit the kitchen six days a week. Another 20 - 25 meals are prepared for delivery to area shut-ins. Each volunteer team generally serves only one Friday or Saturday a month. Read about The Kitchen at St. Mark's Extreme Makeover Family Promise of Monmouth County (formerly IHN) is a program of ten area churches who offer their facilities on a weekly basis throughout the year to host the temporarily homeless. The area program is coordinated by a social worker who assists the participants with job and housing searches from the Day Center located in Keansburg. Christ Church members perform several duties during the week we host, such as preparing meals, setting-up and breaking-down temporary sleeping quarters, attending to overnight needs, and serving as hospitality providers. Read an interview with Christ Church Co-coordinator Erna Sottile; Visit the Family Promise Bulletin Board to find out what items are needed by FP families now, and an update on the guests. The Monmouth Career Network Group - Our mission is to provide support, education, and networking opportunities to those in any type of career transition. All are welcome. The group meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, at 8:30 AM in the Christ Church undercroft. Please contact the coordinator, Chuck Watson, directly for further information at monmouthnetwork@comcast.net. The group will not meet on holiday weekends.
Christian Education and Youth
Christian Education and Youth Ministry seeks to implement the parish long range objectives with regard to Christian education and spiritual growth for children, youth, and adults. Adult Inquirer’s Program is a survey course for adults who would like to renew their baptismal vows and receive the rites of Confirmation or Reception. This program surveys the Christian faith as lived in the Episcopal tradition and usually runs 8 - 10 weeks during Lent and Easter. This program is ideally suited for new members to the Episcopal Church and/or to Christ Church. Baptism Instruction prepares candidates, parents and sponsors for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism five times each year. Baptism is conducted on All Saint’s Sunday, Epiphany I: The Baptism of our Lord, the Easter Vigil, Pentecost and at the annual Episcopal visitation. Christ Church Men’s Group meets every Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. for continental breakfast and discussion subjects in the area of “what it means to be a Christian at home, in the workplace and in the world.” All men of the parish are always welcome to join any Saturday. Christian Growth and Development Committee generates ideas for adult programs and educational opportunities, schedules and coordinates program series for adults, sponsors an annual parish retreat, and coordinates Lenten suppers and programs. Church School - Grades pre-kindergarten through eight meet in regular classes on Sunday during six terms based on the Church seasons. Curriculum is focused on Bible familiarity, Christian community formation, understanding the traditions of the Episcopal church and age-specific worship. A year-long course in the Sacrament of Holy Communion is offered to fourth grade students. Children participate in Holy Communion with their families weekly. more Rite 13 youth, grades 6 and 7, meet weekly for fellowship, service and learning. An annual calendar of meetings and special events is planned. J2A (Journey to Adulthood) youth, grades 8 & 9, meet weekly continuing their journey to adulthood and exploring the content and experience of the Christian faith. YAC (Young Adults in the Church) is the final stage in the Journey to Adulthood. This group designs their own programs. They meet weekly for discussion. Tuesday Bible Study is a small group study and discussion. This group meets year around in the Library. All Bible interested students are welcome to enter and exit the group as individual schedules dictate. more Centering Prayer Group is a group who are participating in a regular discipline of contemplative prayer. They meet weekly on Tuesdays at 9 AM to discuss the purposes and procedures of “centering prayer,” to pray, and to support each other.
Communications
Communications Ministry provides the means of keeping up with what’s happening within the parish community and getting the word out to the community-at-large. Advertising and Publicity seeks to place the program and special event schedules before the local community. Also coordinates advertising including signs, newspaper and yellow pages. Annual Parish Report is used widely in the Christ Church community as a reference and to acquaint newcomers with our programs and ministries. Each ministry, program or activity leader submits a brief annual activity report for their specialized area of interest. The Annual Parish Report is distributed in time for the Annual Parish Meeting which is conducted on the first Sunday in February. “The Church Crier” is the monthly church calendar and news publication for the Parish Family of Christ Church. Articles for publication are always welcome; copy deadline is the 15th day of the month preceding publication. The Parish Administrator prints the publication and it is assembled and mailed by a small group of volunteers. Historian retains, files and preserves articles of historical significance so that we do not forget where we came from and who we are in Middletown. Volunteers are always needed and welcome. Library is a lending library with many titles of interest. Lending procedures are in the library. Undercroft Bulletin Boards are a great place to share information and news. Articles, ads, information, etc. are always welcome. A volunteer is responsible for keeping all news current and removing dated items.
Buildings and Grounds
Buildings and Grounds Ministry is responsible for and oversees the good stewardship of our buildings, property and grounds. Buildings and Grounds Committee allocates responsibility for the repair and upkeep of church property to committee sub-heads by zone and function. They generate project lists for accomplishment by volunteers and the maintenance staff person. Our property is a valued gift that requires constant attention so that it serves our ministries well.
Photo of Old Christ Church by Virginia Lamarche.
Membership Development - Existing
Membership Development - Existing Ministry focuses on the assimilation and integration of all existing members into the worship, service, and fellowship life of Christ Church. Coffee Hour Hosts are volunteers who set up and clean up Sunday Coffee Hours and host special receptions to mark noteworthy occasions. Kitchen Committee maintains supplies, schedules use and recommends improvements for the parish kitchen. This facility is the heart of our Fellowship and Hospitality Ministries for much love is exchanged around a good meal. Progressive Dinner is an evening of adult fellowship. Its format is traveling to and from parishioner homes for refreshments, dinner and dessert.
“Stewardship Through The Year”
“Stewardship Through The Year Ministry” focuses on our God-given roles as stewards of all our gifts. Christians believe that they are “gifted people,” that is, we possess only what God gives to us - down to the next breath we take. Therefore, we pledge our gifts back to God to accomplish the mission and ministries given to the Church and its members. These education and development ministries help us to see our role as stewards and perform the important practical functions of organizing, educating and guiding our response as stewards, including the pledging of our time, our talents and our monies to the work of our community of faith. Pledge Treasurer records pledge payments and provides parishioners with quarterly statements of financial contributions to the church.
Membership Development - New
Membership Development - New Ministry focuses on inviting, welcoming and incorporating those persons sent to us by God to join our faith community. These ministries incorporate the spiritual and educational dimensions of evangelism and new member growth and development. Assistant for Membership assists the Rector and the Membership Development Committee in the implementation of visitor and new member policies and in tracking potential members until the time they become full members. This person also updates the various parish membership lists and records. Greeters regularly greet and welcome visitors and newcomers to worship services at Christ Church on Sundays. This corps of volunteers assists visitors by providing them information on programs and facilities and registering their visit. They work with the Ushers to assist visitors in finding their place in our worship and liturgy. More about Greeting Ministry The Shepherding Program at Christ Church serves to assist new members in feeling welcomed and a part of the Christ Church family. The shepherds are individuals or families that have volunteered to greet, guide and serve as a contact for new families. Every attempt is made to match the shepherd and new family, such as the ages of children, a new home etc…Christ Church has a commitment to the growth of our Episcopal family therefore inviting people into a life with Christ. Membership Development Committee addresses the goals for new member welcoming and incorporation and recommends and implements programs and procedures to respond to those persons sent to Christ Church to be members. They also seek, through education and activities, to raise our awareness of the stranger in our presence and make us all more sensitive to the role of hospitality in bringing new persons to a full life in Christ. Ministry Committee responds to requests by parish members for assistance in discernment of a call to ordained ministry. This committee is also accountable for promoting the ministries of all within the Christ Church community without limitation to only those seeking ordained ministry. Nursery provides a safe and loving environment for the care of our youngest members while their parents worship. Nursery care is provided in room 114 of the education wing for infants and toddlers from newborn to age three.
Finance and Administration
Finance and Administration Ministry focuses on the corporal functions of our faith community, including finances, budgets, audits, fund raising, insurance, risk management and legal issues. Calico Fair is our annual parish fair held each October. It features booths offering baked goods, rummage, crafts, books, produce and a silent auction and varieties of good food. It’s a day of fun and fellowship to benefit the parish program budget and outreach projects. The Fair leadership revolves around the parish. more Counters count and record the weekly tithes and offerings and make weekly bank deposits. Building Fund Treasurer Any capital funds campaign proceeds and other funding is kept and recorded by the treasurer. Finance Committee formulates and monitors the parish operating budget, including cash flow. Makes recommendations to the Vestry regarding all financial, insurance and investment operations. A subcommittee makes and recommends a budget for each year to the Vestry based on income and expense projections. The finance committee is responsible for all required financial audits of parish organizations. Use of Facilities sets policy and schedules various non-profit organizations and parish members who request the use of Christ Church facilities for meetings and other special events.
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Christ Church is accessible to persons with disabilities. updated November 18, 2008 |
Every
person baptized into Christ shares Christ’s ministry.
Old
Church Foundation