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CHRIST CHURCH |
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Outreach
Christ Church strives to be a good neighbor, reaching out to help people both inside and outside the parish. But outreach means more than handing out money—we also offer our buildings to local organizations, such as AA, the Boy Scouts, and Exeter’s WIC Program, and are involved in the following ministries:
IHN: Interfaith Hospitality Network
IHN unites congregations in the area to assist families experiencing
homelessness due to a crisis such as job loss or catastrophic
medical condition. Rotating on a 2-3 month schedule,
Host congregations provide families with basic human needs - shelter, safety, and sustenance - with a spirit of warmth and hospitality. Families are treated as “guests” and are accepted as they are. This environment allows guests the ability to maintain dignity as they work toward returning to permanent housing. Host congregations furnish sleeping quarters and a hospitality room where guests may relax, socialize, and complete homework.
Interested in becoming involved or learning more? There are many ways in which you can help! Please contact the Associate Rector.
This annual fall event is one of our major outreach activities, providing the opportunity for all members of the parish to come together in fellowship and fun to serve our community. The parish hall is filled upstairs and down with every kind of item imaginable, including clothing, housewares, and books. Our sale provides an alternative to shopping in retail stores for those with limited incomes, and all proceeds support outreach programs in the community.
Mission Trips Each year (or as current events dictate), Christ Church has either traveled to perform mission work, or hosted mission work happening in the Greater Exeter area. Past experiences include a trip to Pottersville, New York, to aid in church renovations; helping families in Alabama after Hurricane Katrina; and hosting 400 high school kids from around the country during a week of free home repair for area residents in partnership with Group Workcamp Foundation. For information about the Summer 2008 Mission Trip, click here. Thanksgiving/Christmas Baskets
At Christmas, we have “Star Gifts” for children under the age of 18. About 25 families in need submit a star with their children’s top three gift wishes. Parishioners take a star and purchase those items, bringing the items to the church, to be distributed by the members of the Confirmation Class. These are wonderful programs, very much needed by the town. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Linda in the church office. The Labyrinth at Christ Church A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that has long been used as a meditation and prayer tool. The path leads you on a circuitous path to the center and out again, and is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.
The Labyrinth at Christ Church, located on our front lawn, was completed during the summer of 2004. Reed Loy, a member of our parish, oversaw its construction for his Eagle Scout project. Funding was provided by both Mrs. Julia Lamb, in loving memory of her husband, Dr. Richard Lamb, and by Bishop Gene Robinson. The labyrinth provides a new way for us to invite the community into our fellowship and experience God. Even before the finishing touches had been added, passersby had begun walking the labyrinth. |
