Parish Life and Fellowship

Christ Church recognizes the importance of fellowship as an integral part of an Anglo-Catholic parish. We offer many opportunities to participate in parish life throughout the liturgical year. Each Sunday, we welcome all that have worshipped with us to join us at Coffee Hour for conversation and refreshments. The Hospitality Ministry of hosting a Coffee Hour allows parishioners to show off their favorite hors d'oeuvres and dessert recipes, while receiving the joy that comes from serving others. On feast days, we often progress from Mass to the camaraderie of delicious home-cooked potluck suppers. When Yale is in session , Christ Church welcomes seminarians, Yale students and the New Haven community to join us for hot cider and cocoa after Compline. Christ Church members are also invited to help in the bookstore or the many tasks of the office. Keeping with Anglo-Catholic tradition, parishioners manifest their commitment to social justice by supporting or working at the on-site soup kitchen, serving those in need and serving Christ in them. Fellowship at Christ Church offers the opportunity to be welcomed into and fully participate in the rich life of a diverse, cosmopolitan parish rooted in Anglo-Catholicism. For more information contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org.

 

Church School and Childcare

 

On Sundays, a trained adult child care provider oversees the Church Nursery from 8:45 a.m. before the 9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist well into the Coffee Hour following the 11:00 a.m. Solemn Mass, about 12:45 p.m.  During the Summer Schedule, the child care provider is in the Nursery from 9:45 a.m. un till after the Mass.

 

Pre-School Christian Education

 

We at Christ Church recognize our children to be full members in the worship and life of our congregation.  We honor each child's natural sense of the sacred and seek to provide a richly structured, age-appropriate, and interactive environment in which the religious potential of each child may freely develop.   Our program for pre-school-aged children is based on Godly Play, a Montessori-based curriculum, which teaches children to use religious language--parable, sacred story, silence, and liturgical action--to help them become fully aware of the mystery of God's presence in their lives. In order to help our children develop a deeper understanding of stories, symbols, and rites of our Anglican tradition, our curriculum is enhanced by offering additional music and art experiences. For more information contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org.

 

Christian Education for School-aged  Children

The class for school-aged children uses the Episcopal Children's Curriculum.  Each year's curriculum consists of several units, which most recently included a study of several Old Testament prophets, Advent and Christmas, the Church's ministry and liturgy, Lent and Easter, and an introduction to the Catechism.   Each session incorporates prayer, a biblical reading, discussion, and an activity to reinforce the lesson.  The curriculum encourages the children's developing understanding of participation within the Christian community and as Christians ministering to the world. For more information contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org.

 

Adult Christian Education

Christ Church offers a place where faith is nurtured in prayer and in community, it also can be a great resource for thinking about the Faith.  Adult Christian education on Sundays is offered in a open-discussion setting covering a broad range of topics from Bible study to church history to current events. The 10am Forums are scheduled on Sundays between the two principle Eucharists running from the Fall through the Easter Season. Questions? ccmail@christchurchnh.org.

 

Seminarians at Christ Church

The parish has a great history of contributing to the formation and education of people preparing for ordination. Just as the parish is often an important part of their formation, their presence with us has a profound effect on the parish. Students at Berkeley Divinity School and the Institute for Sacred Music, both part of Yale University, take an active role in the parish, serving at the altar and taking part in adult education. Students who are doing field education with us often preach at the Sunday Masses. Their sermons provide a thoughtful and wide ranging perspective. This is a parish where one will often hear a member of Generation X or someone with wealth of professional and life experience interpret the Gospel and the Christian life. Just as our location on a major university campus presents us with a great responsibility , the presence of a seminary of the Episcopal Church offers us a great resource.

 

The Guild of Ushers

Ushers at Christ Church greet and hand out a Service Bulletin to all worshippers as they enter the building. They may also assist with any question about the liturgy, seating, and the facilities. When one is unable to approach the Altar rail to receive Communion, an usher will alert the Celebrant to administer Communion at the congregant's seat. Ushers also appoint members of the congregation who, on behalf of all in the congregation, take up to the Altar the bread and wine at the Offertory. Finally, the ushers keep a count of all who attend the Mass and keep watch of the door as the Service proceeds.

 

Pastoral Caregivers

The Pastoral Caregivers include both Lay Eucharistic Ministers and lay pastoral visitors. Their purpose is to actualize our ministry of caring for one another. Lay Eucharistic Ministers, who must be trained and licensed by the diocese, visit and bring Communion to those unable to come to church for whatever reason, temporary or permanent. Members of the pastoral caregivers assist clergy by visiting those in the hospital, in nursing homes, or in their own homes. They also help to coordinate rides for those who wish to attend church but lack transportation, and are open to other pastoral work as needed. Church members in any need or trouble are encouraged to ask the clergy to notify the Pastoral Caregivers, who regard their services as due by right to anyone who requests them. Those interested in participating in the pastoral caregiving work of the parish should contact the Rector, Father David Cobb.

 

The Guild of Intercession

The Christ Church Guild of Intercession was originally founded in 1912 and was active until the late 1960s. It was restarted in 1995 by three parishioners interested in focusing on intercessory prayer. Though there are general prayers offered at each service, the intercessory prayers provide for specific intentions. The Guild follows its original purpose which was "to gather up each month petitions for the parish with appropriate collects, and to distribute them to those who expressed a desire to use them. No one is bound to use them all nor to say any of them a stated number of times, ... that the spirit of prayer and especially of prayer for others would thus be nourished." The idea was to provide a way for parishioners and friends of the parish to pray intentionally whether they are able to be present at church or not. "New members may be received, the only requirement being that some portion of the Intercessions shall be used some time during the month. There are no dues."

What began with 15 members in 1912 soon grew to a membership of 46 over the next ten years and continued strong until the 1960s. Early on the list of intercessions was used in the Lady Chapel, after Evensong, every second Saturday. Then copies were sent to members of the Guild. In addition to requests for prayer, "a feature incorporated this year [1921] is a list of persons who have been helped by the Church Mission of Healing, for whom prayer has been continued from month to month." In 1932, Deaconess Lyon commented that the members of the Guild are "widely scattered. Those at a distance, especially, feel it a very real bond with the interests of the parish. The members are scattered so that the Intercessions are offered from many parts of the world, and from as many points come requests for prayer."

In 1946, a report on the Guild stated, "Requests for Intercessions are constantly coming in and are offered at the daily Mass and at Evening Prayer. The prayer desk at our lovely Shrine has a book for Intercessions, and it is very gratifying to know the comfort that so many have found in offering their Thanksgivings and Petitions there."

If you find that praying for others is part of your devotions and you would like to be a member of the Guild of Intercession, please contact Fr. Cobb to receive information. The Guild continues to hold no meetings and requires no dues-only the intention to pray for those on the list and thereby be connected in prayer to others in the Guild and to the parish as a whole.

 

Support Groups

Since the 1970's the parish lounge has been used by various meeting groups of Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and Narcotics Anonymous. The use of the facility is not an official ministry of the parish because of the confidential nature of the gatherings, and this confidentiality is respected and assured. The spiritual and holistic approach of Alcoholics Anonymous and the recovering process are therapeutic philosophies endorsed by the parish. For information on meetings at Christ Church contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org and see www.alcoholics-anonymous.org ,   Currently, no chapter of Overeaters Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meets at the parish, but if you would like information about the organizations, with links to local meetings, see:www.overeaters.org. and www.na.org, respectively.

 

Affirming Anglican Catholicism

Christ Church serves as the national office for Affirming Anglican Catholicism in the United States . Affirming Anglican Catholicism is a new international Catholic movement in The U.S., Canada , and the British Isles . The international patron is the Rt. Hon. and Most Rev'd Rowan Williams, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury . The American patron is The Most Rev'd Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church. The organization promotes a progressive Catholicism that incorporates orthodox theology into a modern, inclusive social praxis. More information may be found at www.affirmingcatholicism.org.

 

The Episcopal Church at Yale

As needed, Christ Church provides meeting and fellowship space to the Episcopal Church at Yale, an official chaplaincy of the Diocese of Connecticut to Episcopalians at Yale University , as well as to other Christians or seekers of faith looking for a sacramental community. ECY conducts worship Services at Dwight Chapel in the heart of Yale's Old Campus, centering on the Holy Eucharist with hymns offered at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. ECY provides counseling and Christian education opportunities for undergraduates. It also serves as a partner with Christ Church in promoting the popular campus worship Service of Compline at Christ Church , which is sung by the Christ Church Choir at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday Evenings and is attended largely by undergraduates. More information about ECY may be found at http://www.yale.edu/episcopal.

 

The Community Soup Kitchen

Since the 1970's the large dining hall and industrial-size kitchen at Christ Church have housed the Community Soup Kitchen five days a week. The largest soup kitchen in New Haven , the CSK provides a vital service to New Haven 's neediest, as well as an opportunity for parishioners, local residents, and college students to serve the poor. Though Christ Church has representation on its Board, the CSK is a non-sectarian, independent charity with an independent Board on which a number of Faith traditions are well-represented. For more information visit http://www.fsumc.org/community/csk.

 

Christ Church Library

 

The Christ Church Library has a collection of approximately 2500 volumes, alphabetized and organized under subjects ranging from Anglican Communion to World Religions.  The holdings of the Spiritual Classics, Spiritual Reading, and Studies of Scripture sections are particularly strong. Most of the collection is located against the east wall of the Undercroft.  The Theology and World Religions sections, along with all reference works, are located in the Library Reading Room, which is the northeast office in the Undercroft.  The Undercroft is open to the public on Sundays from the 8:00 a.m. Low Mass until an hour or so after the 11:00 a.m. Solemn Mass.  At other times,  key to the Undercroft can be obtained Mon. through Friday by visiting the Church Office during regular business hours.  All parishioners are welcome to browse or study in the Reading Room or to take out books by signing the register located immediately in front of the bookcases.

 

The Society of Mary

The Ward of Our Lady of the Epiphany at Christ Church is the parish branch of the international Anglican Society of Mary. Members of the Society of Mary celebrate and focus on the unique role the Blessed Virgin Mary has played in salvation history as the mother of Jesus Christ. Her answer to God's will that she give birth to Our Lord is the model of how all humanity is called to respond to God's will for us: "Be it unto me according to Thy Word." Members of the Society make use of Marian devotions such as the Rosary in their own spiritual life and sometimes lead the recitation of a Corporate Rosary in the church after the Mass on important Marian Feasts. At Christ Church , the Angelus, a Marian devotion contemplating the Mystery of the Annunciation, is prayed daily after Morning Prayer, and the tower bells call those nearby to pray the Angelus at the start of each day. The Marian Antiphons are read or sung after Evening Prayer. And, many in the parish light a votive candle and kneel to pray at the shrine of Our Lady as they return to their seats after receiving Communion.each person's prayer being a matter of faith and conscience, not of dogma. For more information contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org.

 

The Gay Christian Readings Group

The Gay Christian Readings Group of Christ Church is a gathering of gay, straight, and bisexual Christians who meet monthly throughout the year to discuss issues about Christian formation and spirituality, and issues of theology, sociology, and church history as seen from a gay perspective. After Solemn Mass on the last Sunday of the month, the group gathers for an informal brunch. Since its founding by a supportive, heterosexual clergy member in 1992, the GCRG has stood as a strong Christian witness for social justice and against homophobia in the Diocese of Connecticut. Highlights of GCRG's past include the publication of the spiritual essay "God's Gay Tribe" by Mother M. R. Ritley, the commissioning of a scriptural opera titled "David and Jonathan" composed by Christ Church parishioner Susan Halsman Bingham, and representation of Christ Church with the Integrity contingent of the annual Gay Pride Parade in New York. Members of the GCRG are also active in the "Welcoming and Affirming Parishes" and "Love Makes a Family" campaigns. For more information, please contact the Rev'd Carol Archer with questions. Email: nebula@snet.net ; Phone: 203-907-9504. contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org .

The Monday Night Mysticism Group

The Mysticism Group meets from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, in the parish lounge. Visitors and new members are always welcome. Please enter by the Elm Street gate. The group reads texts aloud and discusses them without any homework preparation. No prior knowledge or experience is required.

 

Christ Church 20's/30's Group

Thw 20's/30's Group is a gathering of people in their 20s and 30s (with some leeway and not too many questions asked) offering companionship and a way of contributing to the larger parish community. The Groups meets monthly for a variety of forms of fellowship such as potlucks, polishing the parish brass, holding a book sale, or just seeing a film.  For more information, contact Laura Miles.  Email: Laura.Miles@gmail.com Phone: 508-4686 or ccmail@christchurchnh.org .

Christ Church Mental Healthcare Professionals

The Psychotherapists' Group at Christ Church came into being a few years ago when one of us, taking note of the large  number of men and women of the parish engaged in the practice of psychotherapy, proposed that we gather together to talk about the ways in which our Christian faith made a difference in our work. Of the fourteen or so practicing at that time, six or seven began and have continued to meet monthly. The discussions are informal, candid, and usually unprogrammed, but centered each time on some question of importance. The subjects have included guilt and responsibility, confession and forgiveness, problems of faith, Christian anti-semitism, and conflicts within the parish. We don't look to reach conclusions, but to open our minds. Currently we are psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists, Jungian, Freudian, and eclectic in our theoretical backgrounds. We welcome additions to our number.    For more information contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org .

Facility Usage

Subject to schedule permissibility and the needed approval of the rector and church organist (when necessary), the church and parish house may be available for rental for those needing a meeting, banquet, or recital facility. Christ Church has a parish banquet facility which can easily accommodate 200 people as well a restaurant-sized kitchen facility. The undercroft (basement) of the church can also accommodate meetings of up to 150. The church itself accommodates over 300, and more seating is easily added.

For a music recital the church has an amazing and unique gothic acoustic, needing no amplification and with a gorgeous reverberation.  Desgned and built by Lively-Fulcher in 2005, the William G. Kibitz Organ, installed behind the glorious wooden case designed by church architect Henry Vaughan, consists of 59 stops, 63 ranks, and 3752 pipes. It is played from a three-manual and pedal console.  The instrument is characterized by large scaling of pipework and an abundance of rich fundamental (i.e. 8-foot) tone. The new instrument for Christ Church utilizes all of the best components of the old Christ Church organ (the E.M. Skinner Clarinet and warm, lush strings for example.) The softest sounds of flutes and strings are ethereal, the foundation stops envelope the listener, and the glory of the tuba thrills with its blazing, emphatic power.   For more information contact ccmail@christchurchnh.org.