Click here for worship updates.
If you need help with Zoom links, or didn't receive the church's email on Thursday, please contact Eric or Jen. For security reasons, we're not putting the links online.
Join us this Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, or 10:30 for worship and fellowship!
George Arceneaux will be back as preacher/presider this Sunday, July 18.
Please remember that those who are not fully vaccinated (including children over two) are required to wear masks at all times.
Eric on sabbatical
Eric taking eight of the eleven weeks he has accrued and expects to return at the beginning of September. Read more here.
Please help! July 17 is DONUT DAY at Pilgrim. Please sign up to help here!
Please help make St. Christopher's Donut Day at the Oak Park Farmer's Market a success! Estimated profit for our efforts $2500–$3000, with a possible for a bonus at the end of the year. Please support our youth/family/kid programs and come on out!
Note: some slots (eg: kitchen shifts) require the volunteer be 18 or over.
For the kid slots, it is NOT required that a parent be with them - but hey, why not make it a family affair?
Any questions, please let Jen Enriquez know. THANK YOU!
Where We Worship: Friends, the state of Illinois has entered Phase 5 of its reopening plan and the diocese has released congregations from almost all required mitigations, giving each congregation authority to make the decisions most appropriate for its context. The vestry has consulted with a team of physician-parishioners and voted to:
Basically, if you are unvaccinated, please continue to wear a mask (including children). Otherwise, most of our life will be less restricted than it has been. The diocese has continued the requirement to forgo the common cup and shared loaf at communion, and so our current practices for the distribution of communion will continue. When our technology allows, we will return to the pulpit, lectern, and altar. The makeshift lectern and altar currently continue to be necessary for streaming the service to those who otherwise cannot join us.
Our siblings in Christ, just like everyone else, are going to be all over the place in terms of comfort level and anxiety for a while yet. We will all be gracious, patient, and quick to forgive as everyone figures out what life and worship look like now. Perhaps you've noticed that these virtues seem especially short of supply in our culture these days. We can practice them together, and then extend them to a world in desperate need of them. If you are fully vaccinated, but prefer to continue to mask, please do. If you need a little more space in the pew and someone sits too close, we won't get offended if you slide over or even stand up and move. If you don't want to shake hands or hug at the Peace, for any reason, that's cool: just lead with an elbow bump or fold your arms and bow. We'll respect your needs and respond in kind.
Thursday Nights at 8:00 pm: Night Owl Lectionary Bible Study
Continuing Thursday, we'll hold a weekly Zoom bible study on the lectionary texts for the upcoming Sunday. No real preparation is required, but you can find the texts we'll be discussing next week here. We'll publish the link in the weekly email next week. Want a bible study but don't want to stay up late? Email Eric and if there is some demand, we'll add a midday bible study, too.
Pastoral Care Ministry Food Team—Volunteers Needed
Eric has asked Pastoral Care Ministry members to lead a group of volunteers able to prepare and deliver meals for Parishioners in need. Alexandra (Alex) Baig, Kathie Gillies and Jackie Pingel have agreed to lead the effort. They plan to use an on-line sign-up sheet to quickly inform everyone whenever meals are needed. With this system, we hope to expand involvement in Pastoral Care and lighten the burden of clergy and others, now shouldering so much of the work. This Ministry is a great opportunity to stay involved with St. Christopher’s.
To add your name to our list of volunteers, please contact:
Kathie Gillies at (708)613-1106 or katharinegillies@gmail.com
Just as important, if you or someone you know needs meals, do not hesitate to contact Kathie. We do not want to overlook anyone.
Invitation from St. Martin's
Zoom worship makes enjoying the company of our near neighbors even easier. St Martin's, our partner church, welcomes visitors and would especially love to have St Christopher's folks join them any Sunday at 10:00. For a Zoom link, just contact St Martins.
Give Online
No offering in person? No problem! You can give online and set up a recurring gift here. Help keep our doors open, even while they're "opened" unconventionally during this time. Don't worry if you can't give online. We are continuing to check the mail, and a mailed check will work just fine.
SUNDAY SCHOOL is suspended until further notice
If your child is 3 years old, they are eligible for Sunday School! Glitter pens have arrived, and Ms. Alex's homemade Ark is ready for action. The youngest kids have fun learning traditional Bible stories, which [somehow] always relate back to PawPatrol.
Youth groups meet EVERY Sunday at 9:15 am
All parents and youth are encouraged to partake in reminders through the Remind app.
Healing prayer available Sundays
We offer healing prayer in the chapel most Sundays (at 8:00 and 10:30) during communion. To receive healing prayer, simply take communion as usual and then duck into the Mary Chapel where Deacon Sue and other prayer ministers will be waiting with holy oil and the prayer book. Of course, receiving communion is not a prerequisite for receiving healing prayer. If you feel called to take a leadership role in this ministry, please talk to Deacon Sue or Father Eric so that a rota schedule can be set up for this healing ministry.
If you need help with Zoom links, or didn't receive the church's email on Thursday, please contact Eric or Jen. For security reasons, we're not putting the links online.
Join us this Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, or 10:30 for worship and fellowship!
George Arceneaux will be back as preacher/presider this Sunday, July 18.
Please remember that those who are not fully vaccinated (including children over two) are required to wear masks at all times.
Eric on sabbatical
Eric taking eight of the eleven weeks he has accrued and expects to return at the beginning of September. Read more here.
Please help! July 17 is DONUT DAY at Pilgrim. Please sign up to help here!
Please help make St. Christopher's Donut Day at the Oak Park Farmer's Market a success! Estimated profit for our efforts $2500–$3000, with a possible for a bonus at the end of the year. Please support our youth/family/kid programs and come on out!
Note: some slots (eg: kitchen shifts) require the volunteer be 18 or over.
For the kid slots, it is NOT required that a parent be with them - but hey, why not make it a family affair?
Any questions, please let Jen Enriquez know. THANK YOU!
Where We Worship: Friends, the state of Illinois has entered Phase 5 of its reopening plan and the diocese has released congregations from almost all required mitigations, giving each congregation authority to make the decisions most appropriate for its context. The vestry has consulted with a team of physician-parishioners and voted to:
- Continue to require masks for the unvaccinated, but to remove the requirement for the fully vaccinated. Vaccinated people may mask or not, according to their preference and comfort (or according to what is required to keep their kids masked).
- Eliminate advance sign up and mandatory physical distancing.
- Monitor attendance at 10:30 in the coming weeks, to see if it will become appropriate to designate a section of pews that will be reserved for more physical distance.
- Keep Wiggle Worship on the lawn when weather allows, with the parish hall as a backup. As long as unvaccinated members (including children) are appropriately masked, wiggle worship congregational singing will be permitted in the parish hall.
- Allow the return of indoor coffee hour.
Basically, if you are unvaccinated, please continue to wear a mask (including children). Otherwise, most of our life will be less restricted than it has been. The diocese has continued the requirement to forgo the common cup and shared loaf at communion, and so our current practices for the distribution of communion will continue. When our technology allows, we will return to the pulpit, lectern, and altar. The makeshift lectern and altar currently continue to be necessary for streaming the service to those who otherwise cannot join us.
Our siblings in Christ, just like everyone else, are going to be all over the place in terms of comfort level and anxiety for a while yet. We will all be gracious, patient, and quick to forgive as everyone figures out what life and worship look like now. Perhaps you've noticed that these virtues seem especially short of supply in our culture these days. We can practice them together, and then extend them to a world in desperate need of them. If you are fully vaccinated, but prefer to continue to mask, please do. If you need a little more space in the pew and someone sits too close, we won't get offended if you slide over or even stand up and move. If you don't want to shake hands or hug at the Peace, for any reason, that's cool: just lead with an elbow bump or fold your arms and bow. We'll respect your needs and respond in kind.
Thursday Nights at 8:00 pm: Night Owl Lectionary Bible Study
Continuing Thursday, we'll hold a weekly Zoom bible study on the lectionary texts for the upcoming Sunday. No real preparation is required, but you can find the texts we'll be discussing next week here. We'll publish the link in the weekly email next week. Want a bible study but don't want to stay up late? Email Eric and if there is some demand, we'll add a midday bible study, too.
Pastoral Care Ministry Food Team—Volunteers Needed
Eric has asked Pastoral Care Ministry members to lead a group of volunteers able to prepare and deliver meals for Parishioners in need. Alexandra (Alex) Baig, Kathie Gillies and Jackie Pingel have agreed to lead the effort. They plan to use an on-line sign-up sheet to quickly inform everyone whenever meals are needed. With this system, we hope to expand involvement in Pastoral Care and lighten the burden of clergy and others, now shouldering so much of the work. This Ministry is a great opportunity to stay involved with St. Christopher’s.
To add your name to our list of volunteers, please contact:
Kathie Gillies at (708)613-1106 or katharinegillies@gmail.com
Just as important, if you or someone you know needs meals, do not hesitate to contact Kathie. We do not want to overlook anyone.
Invitation from St. Martin's
Zoom worship makes enjoying the company of our near neighbors even easier. St Martin's, our partner church, welcomes visitors and would especially love to have St Christopher's folks join them any Sunday at 10:00. For a Zoom link, just contact St Martins.
Give Online
No offering in person? No problem! You can give online and set up a recurring gift here. Help keep our doors open, even while they're "opened" unconventionally during this time. Don't worry if you can't give online. We are continuing to check the mail, and a mailed check will work just fine.
SUNDAY SCHOOL is suspended until further notice
If your child is 3 years old, they are eligible for Sunday School! Glitter pens have arrived, and Ms. Alex's homemade Ark is ready for action. The youngest kids have fun learning traditional Bible stories, which [somehow] always relate back to PawPatrol.
Youth groups meet EVERY Sunday at 9:15 am
All parents and youth are encouraged to partake in reminders through the Remind app.
Healing prayer available Sundays
We offer healing prayer in the chapel most Sundays (at 8:00 and 10:30) during communion. To receive healing prayer, simply take communion as usual and then duck into the Mary Chapel where Deacon Sue and other prayer ministers will be waiting with holy oil and the prayer book. Of course, receiving communion is not a prerequisite for receiving healing prayer. If you feel called to take a leadership role in this ministry, please talk to Deacon Sue or Father Eric so that a rota schedule can be set up for this healing ministry.
News outlets for St. Christopher’s
Communication happens in a variety of ways at St. C's and we are always delighted to hear from parishioners who have skills they want to put to use in the following areas of ministry:
Communication happens in a variety of ways at St. C's and we are always delighted to hear from parishioners who have skills they want to put to use in the following areas of ministry:
- Weekly email updates - usually sent out on Thursdays - let people know what's going on in the coming week
- Visit our presence on Facebook at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church
- Peruse our annual report.
- Update your Online Donation information
- Read our Parish Profile.
- Read about our first 100 years.
- Read a recent Service Leaflet
