Profiles of St. Christopher's Church

Describe a moment in your worshipping community’s recent ministry that you recognize as one of success and fulfillment.

St. Christopher’s is a small, but energetic worship community that, with the exception of our clergy person, relies exclusively on member volunteers for our many active ministries. Given the breadth and diversity of our various ministries, the answer to this question would depend entirely on who was asked. Undoubtedly, a large group of us would think of something that happened on Sunday morning – the Eucharist, or a particularly moving sermon or a piece by one of our musical groups. Some may say that knitting or crocheting shawls for our prayer shawl ministry is successful and fulfilling. Others may identify participation in our Lenten adult education program as particularly meaningful. Still others may name participation in one of our many Outreach programs such as Aid for Friends or support for the Lighthouse Youth Center or Neighborhood Services.

In the end, we as a worship community find fulfillment in a wide variety of ministries that all center on our relationships with God and with each other.

Describe your liturgical style and practice. If your community provides more than one type of worship service, please describe all.

St. Christopher’s essentially has three types of regular Sunday service, all using Rite II in the Book of Common Prayer. The early Sunday Eucharist service is at 8 a.m. and is entirely spoken without music. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday Eucharist varies. On the first Sunday of each month, we have a more contemporary service with music provided by Wing & a Prayer, St. Christopher’s version of a praise band. We also try to emphasize families on the first Sunday (there is no church school on the first Sunday in order to allow families to be in church together) by asking a family to serve as greeters for the day and encouraging older children to present the readings and serve as acolytes. On every Sunday other than the first, church school starts at 10:00 a.m. with a chapel service and then the children go to their age grouped classes. The children join the rest of the congregation for communion. The Eucharist begins at 10:30 with a more traditional service led by our choir and organist. We have remarkable music programs particularly given the size and financial resources of the congregation.

We also conduct special services at various times of the year such as Sunday evening ice cream socials with Compline in the summer, occasional Morning Prayer on Sundays during clergy vacations, and outdoor worship services in either our Chapel in the Grove by the Church or in a local park for our “Welcome Back Picnic” in the fall.

How do you practice incorporating others in ministry?

We take seriously the words of the Catechism that “the ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons,” and that “the ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.”

We are small congregation with limited means. That means that virtually every member of St. Christopher’s participates in our ministries in one way or another. Whether as a Vestry member, committee member, musician, acolyte, usher, greeter, cook, baker, fundraiser, church school teacher, youth group leader, coffee hour host, prayer or in some other capacity, we actively minister to our congregation and community.

How do you engage in pastoral care for those beyond your worshipping community?

St. Christopher’s is dedicated to outreach. Our Vestry, Outreach Committee, Church School, Youth Group and other ministries support a wide range of local, national and international causes. Some of our recent outreach projects have included Adopt-a-Platoon, the Seaman’s Church Institute, Operation Christmas Child, Bricks for Haiti, adopted children, Lighthouse Youth Ministry, adopted grandparents at Ware Village, food and clothing drives for Neighborhood Services, Smile Train, meals through Aid for Friends, Baby Bundles and many others.

As a worshipping community, how do you care for your spiritual, emotional and physical well-being?

St. Christopher’s supports the spiritual, emotional and physical well being of its members through our Inreach Committee, Christian Education Committee and our various fellowship activities. The Inreach Committee maintains an active email prayer chain where any member can ask the congregation for specific intercessory prayers. Prayer requests are also made through the Parish Prayer list published in each weekly bulletin. The Inreach Committee is also charged with providing assistance to members who may need transportation, food, clothing or other essentials.

Our Christian Education Committee has initiated a Lenten education program, which is a weekly program during Lent in which participants share a light meal and then view and discuss a video series intended to increase knowledge and deepen understanding of our lives in Christ.

Our fellowship activities include coffee hour on Sundays, ice cream socials in the summer, Agape meals at members’ homes, etc. We also have special events that include fellowship such as the Welcome Back Picnic in the fall, our Advent Lessons and Carols service, and a Cookie Walk in December.

Describe your worshipping community’s involvement in either the wider Church or geographical region.

As mentioned, St. Christopher’s is very dedicated to outreach. In addition, we actively engage with other congregations in our area. For instance, over the last few years, we have shared Holy Week services with the Community of Love Lutheran Church in Oxford. Our clergy and other members of the congregation have also been active with the Episcopal Carmel of St. Teresa, which is just across the Maryland border from us. Our clergy have also been active members of the Oxford Ministerium. In addition, our musicians have participated in local, interdenominational choral music programs.

Tell about a ministry that your worshipping community has initiated in the past five years.

Prayer shawls, Prayer squares, Aid for Friends, Lenten adult education program, Renovations, Agape dinners

How are you preparing yourselves for the Church of the future?

St. Christopher’s is celebrating its 50^th Jubilee Year in 2011. In connection with that celebration, we recently undertook a much needed renovation of our church building exterior and interior. Those renovations included a new roof, new carpet, paint, refurbished pews and a more open design for the sanctuary. Our recent improvements also included renovation of our rectory, which we are currently using for parish offices, meeting and fellowship space.

We are an intentionally welcoming congregation that is poised to grow given our recent refurbishment and the demographics of our area. Our congregation is drawn from 2 different states and at least 3 different Diocese.

Please provide words describing the gifts and skills essential to the future leaders of your worshipping communit y: Leadership Development, Pastoral Sensitivity, Community .

Provide any media links to y our worshipping community www.stchrisoxford.org

Provide links to other sites where you might be found: facebook, DIOPA