Help us outfit children who are homeless as they return to school and fall routines. A new school year and new hope … we’re in this together.

Circle of Hope has returned to its school year hours, as follows for Sept. – June:

Monday: 9 am-11 am
Tuesday: 9 am-11 am and 3 pm-5 pm
Wednesday: 9 am-11 am and 3 pm-5 pm
Thursday: 9 am-11 am
Saturday: 9 am-11 am

Over the summer, COH helped 850 people in just one week in July! More than 400 infants and children, along with 450 women and men, received essential clothing, sneakers, and toiletries from COH for a healthier summer. We made sure each shelter and clinic had an ample supply of clothing for emergency needs of homeless families, refugees, and people struggling with chronic homelessness to carry them through until September.

For more information, visit www.circleofhopeonline.org

As the days get darker and schedules busier, this brief, simple service, offers a chance to experience God’s peace through prayer, choral music, and chanting in the Anglican tradition just after daylight fades. It will be held in the chapel on Sunday, November 25, at 5:30 PM. We invite the community to extend the spirit of Thanksgiving through the weekend. This service is free and open to the public.

On Sunday, Sept. 23 at 11:15 a.m., please join us in the Upper Parish Hall for “Tending the Garden”, celebrating a season of growth and bounty. We will have a “Meet and Greet the Artists” community reception, with the opportunity to meet talented artists who have shared their creative visions of nature and bounty. We are also holding our first mini Farmer’s Market, with flowers, baked goodies, and cookbooks for sale. We will be celebrating the abundance in our lives. 100% of the proceeds from the market (and a portion of the month’s art sales) will go to Community Servings. This organization’s mission is to prepare and deliver hot, nutritious, culturally sensitive food to people with medical and emotional illnesses in Rhode Island and the greater Boston area, while also training individuals for work in the food service industry.

Christ Church is proud to announce the revitalization of its youth choir program! Aspiring singers (that’s all of you!) ages 12-18 are invited to participate in weekly rehearsals (Mondays 5:30pm – 7:00pm, beginning Sept. 10) that will culminate in performances at occasional Sunday services and other musical happenings. This is a great opportunity for young people to learn about music, community, and fellowship, as well as deepen their appreciation for the role of music in our worship traditions.
The group will be directed by Lea Peterson, with assistance from Myra Anderson. Myra is a long-time parishioner and singer at Christ Church as well as the former leader of the youth choir program. Lea has been working at Christ Church for the past 2 years as a section leader, soloist, and occasional conductor in the adult choir. She is a freelance musician in the Boston area who frequently works with high-school-age students while also maintaining her own singing career as a classical mezzo-soprano. She began her music directing path with Rejoice! Inspirational Choir, a non-denominational gospel choir, and has a special aptitude for new religious music. Lea is passionate about
choral music of all genres, including classical, musical theatre, spiritual and folk, a cappella and chamber, and traditional gospel. She is’very excited to work with Christ Church’s young community and hopes to create a group in which mutual respect, collaboration, and desire to learn come together to make
great music.
For more information, please reach out to one of us. We look forward to bringing the youth choral tradition back to Christ Church!
Lea Peterson: lea.peterson95@gmail.com
Myra Anderson: myra.anderson@comcast.net
Pamela Goody, Music Director at CEC: pamela.goody@ccneedham.org

Beginning September 19, Wednesday Bible Study will be examining the role of the major female figures of the Old Testament–their individual choices, the historical and cultural context, Jewish and Christian interpretations, and the relevance to our own times. The companion text for this class is Good Girls, Bad Girls by T. J. Wray. Copies are available in the church office are are free to participants (through the Scripture Study Fund). Please sign up for the class when you pick up your copy.  You can attend either the morning (10am-noon) or evening (7-8:30pm) session. This will be a discussion-based opportunity led by Tracy Rubin, MTS, Harvard Divinity School.  Any level of participation is welcome. Please plan to join us this fall as we begin an exciting year of communal study and sharing to deepen our faith through mindful attention to scripture.

Everything you’ve wanted to know … about Christ Church Needham and the Episcopal faith. This fall, a six-session program called “Putting Down Roots” will address beliefs, worship, theology, sacraments, governance and history of the Episcopal church as well as how members of Christ Church live out love of God and neighbor in the world. Taught by Christ Church clergy and lay leaders, the program is open to all: new residents of Needham, people considering joining and people who are already members.

The class will be held from 6:30-8:00 pm on the following Sunday evenings: September 16, 23 and 30 and October 14, 21 and 28.

To sign up or for more information, please email Rector Rev. Nicholas Morris-Kliment.