Sunday, March 17: The Fifth Sunday in Lent
9:15 a.m. Nursery Opens
9:30 a.m. Adult Forum in the Parish House
9:30 a.m. Children's Sunday School in the Parish House
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist: BULLETIN
Wednesday, March 20
12:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing
12:30 p.m. Mid-Day Music: George Fergus, organ
Livestreamed services can be found on the on the Christ Church YouTube channel.
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MESSAGE FROM THE REV. HELEN S. WHITE
When I was a sophomore in college, I took an interdisciplinary class entitled Commitment in Community. It was taught by talented professors from the Psychology and Religion Departments. This class had a profound effect on me, which is why I’m such a believer in the power of formation for young people. I loved exploring the concept of community through the lenses of both psychology and theology. I recognized that I had experienced true community at different times growing up—in my family and in particular moments in church. I wanted this experience to continue more intentionally in my adult life.
Upon graduation, I went to live in Christian community with five other young Episcopalians in Washington, DC. We all worked full-time jobs in social service organizations, and we shared our home, meager incomes, meals and times of prayer. We also had a ton of fun together. What nearly killed me was that we only had one telephone. So, after that intense year, I realized I still had a passion for community, but maybe with a few more boundaries. Enter, Michael White. We were married the next year and my life as a clergy spouse began. I was excited to pursue my own vocation as a teacher but also commit to building true community through our church.
My hope for community did not always match my experiences. There was one very important concept from that college class that I sometimes forgot in the stress of real life. True community only happens when you share commitment to a larger vision. Otherwise, you just have a club. I could easily forget that essential dynamic when my own needs for belonging were not met. Real stressors, like raising young kids far from friends and family, can be overwhelming, and communities don’t always provide enough care for those in need. Thus, from my own experience of lack, my commitment to children’s ministry was born.
Now it’s time to leave this beloved church where I have actually experienced true community. This is the hard part about ordained ministry—needing to lay down the burden of leadership but wanting to hold on to a rare gift. My deepest gratitude is that at Christ Church I have been able to experience true community while also leading. I have felt loved and known while sharing a common commitment to the core values of my faith. This experience has fulfilled one of the hopes for my life. While trying to describe the bonds of affection we share at Christ Church, Michael told the staff that our time started with what felt like a four-year “mission trip.” I do think that the initial experience of rebuilding our congregation created the sort of Commitment in Community that I learned about in college, and this has continued to permeate the church’s culture.
I remember the first church service at St. Michael’s when we arrived in July of 2008. I was terrified on behalf of my family and myself. I knew we already shared commitment to some incredibly powerful, Christian values with the re-start congregation. However, I still held on to my life-long hope for true community for Michael, me and the boys. I asked God, Will these people hold our hearts well? I felt enough of an affirmative answer to step forward in faith. Now I can say with full conviction, Christ Church, you have held our hearts well. Together, as a true community, we have been able to commit to God’s vision of love and bring healing to this world. For that, I will always be grateful.
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Seeking Donations for "Lift High the Egg" Easter Egg Hunt
![](https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZWtDh_zoZYgYyAiCIQHETTMqAV1P56J1EyRgYt5TFUMWrnz92puluSfTqCYy3x5hfn3jgJ5jYUvA92iuZIE0KXXqpNnbhjHf-d0FtpfVoP6hLz923OdLn-2f99Dc04jLA1_zhWaBWgpJ4dE8cHws7Z8ol24coKVNlI=s0-d-e1-ft#https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/de9b0eb2-9d7c-b0f0-e3fe-5451d0340c7a.jpeg)
We need donations of plastic eggs filled with candy or stickers for the egg hunt on Easter morning. Please bring filled eggs and/or candy to the church over the next few weeks. The supplies may be left in the narthex or the undercroft.
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Christ Church Shoe Drive: Donate New or Gently Used Shoes this Lent![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/8e625ca4-b20c-e106-7721-b203492e1c2a.png)
Mark this Lenten season by donating new or gently used athletic shoes at church this Sunday. These shoes will be collected by Steps for World, a youth-led nonprofit that connects youth in East Africa to needed supplies. Because many youth travel by foot, access to shoes can mean access to education, water, and a better quality of life. Any shoe size is greatly appreciated, and youth sizes are especially in demand.
Donation bins will be available in the narthex (church entrance) and in the undercroft on Sundays, March 3, 10, and 17. Providing shoes for those who need them is a great way to travel with Christ through the wilderness this Lent. Many thanks to Steps for World for partnering with Christ Church in this project!
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Adult Forum: Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Listening for God's Call: The Spiritual Practice of Discernment
Join us on the second floor of the Parish House for our final session of Adult Forum this Lent as we explore what it means to listen for the call of God in the various stages of our lives. Nursery is provided for children ages 0-4. On Sunday, March 17, the Rev. Samantha McKean will lead a conversation on "Discerning at the Threshold." Using poetry from John O'Donohue and reflections from Jan Richardson as aids, we will discuss what it looks like to listen for God's call in the midst of transition, uncertainty, and change.
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Children's Sunday School: Sunday at 9:30 a.m
Let's Build Some Bible Stories![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/f99a3539-d514-2162-b0cb-263296ce54a1.jpeg)
Children and youth are invited to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Modeled after "Adventures with Moses" from last summer, we are going to create immersive art focused on five great Bible stories. For the fifth Sunday in Lent, we will build the Story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Right: "The Baptism of Jesus"
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Lenten Book Study: Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor
Wednesday, March 20, 6:00 p.m.
In Learning to Walk in the Dark, Episcopal priest and writer Barbara Brown Taylor asks us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to explore all that God has to teach us “in the dark.” She argues that we need to move away from our “solar spirituality” and ease our way into appreciating “lunar spirituality” (since, like the moon, our experience of the light waxes and wanes). Through darkness we find courage, we understand the world in new ways, and we feel God’s presence around us, guiding us through things seen and unseen. Often, it is while we are in the dark that we grow the most. This book discussion will continue themes explored throughout the Embracing the Dark program offered earlier in Lent.
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Easter Flowers for the Altar
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Remember and celebrate loved ones by donating toward the flowers that will cover the altar this Easter. The gifts can be given in memoriam or in thanksgiving, and the names will be printed in the Easter bulletin. You can make your donation of at least $30 at the Christ Church website, or fill out the form in Sunday's bulletin and place it in the alms basin. Donations must be received by March 24.
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Request for Historic Christ Church Photographs and Materials
Our Generation to Generation Strategic Plan is going ahead full tilt with many parishioners working on various aspects of the plan. Our new history book is well underway and is under contract with the University of Georgia Press. The working title is Christ Church Savannah: The Mother Church of Georgia since 1733; we hope it will be out in the next two years, anticipating a 300th Anniversary Edition in 2033. The author is Barrie Bradley with editorial advice from Gary Radke and new photography by Mills Fleming.
Barrie is seeking historic photographs and any material such as old fliers, bulletins, newspaper clippings, etc. that you may have and be willing to lend or donate to the Christ Church Collection at the Georgia Historical Society. You can email Barrie to make arrangements for scanning or donating items you have. Thanks!
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Save the Date for the Ordination of Bertice Berry:
Saturday, April 13
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Meet Elizabeth "Ellie" Grace Finley
![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/beff1526-f20b-201b-d395-8615aa0d28be.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/c1d6c088-8f9f-3284-640a-fc2a0ec2c603.jpeg)
The Finley family is overjoyed to announce the happy and healthy arrival of their daughter, Elizabeth “Ellie” Grace Finley, born March 4, weighing 6 lbs and measuring 20 inches. With the help of her big brother, Paul, Ellie cannot wait to meet members both new and old at Christ Church. Welcome, Ellie!
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Next Week at Christ Church
Sunday, March 17: The Fifth Sunday in Lent
9:30 a.m. Choir Rehearsal
9:30 a.m. Adult Forum & Children's Sunday School (Parish House)
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Monday through Friday, March 18–22
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Docent Tours
Wednesday, March 20
12:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing
12:30 p.m. Mid-Day Music. If Music Be the Food of Love
6:00 p.m. Lenten Book Study. Learning to Walk in the Dark.
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/f290e2ac-6448-8a4d-e6e2-43851867adf8.jpeg)
![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/1116b304-be74-f39a-b5de-fe4eb3e45da5.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/8e8e56b0-da15-49b0-0df6-d5193aa7c710.jpeg)
![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/4d10cd35-bf5b-c107-85e6-e0e788c7a9ad.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/df30441a-82f2-0b1b-5dea-c9c2bda70842.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/21cbc682-b254-cb6e-eef2-05ae78b060a4.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/52ad71f3-b223-2f88-0338-2335c4d8e195.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/d5cf02df-c979-b241-708b-0b0a4311895f.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/d6f41b85-c239-856c-9557-1cf4d5c7b5c3.jpeg)
![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/a2e6415c-0f7c-7ea4-4417-b623b245e350.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/61ee5142-7165-bc7a-60af-ba58785016d3.jpeg) ![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/fefaa2f9-822a-0e70-f066-83bb5d85dc39.jpeg)
Thanks to Eleanor Larvan for the photographs
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Centered in Worship
All are Welcome
Joyful Living
Servant Leadership
We invite you to worship with us at Historic Christ Church.
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