Looking Forward

Yes, I'm still here, and I hope to see you all on Sunday! I'm especially looking forward to planting the tree we bought as part of the gift giving at the installation. We have a cherry tree for the kids and me to plant together, in thanksgiving for love of God "planted" in us. We'll go outside for it right after the service.

In the midst of trying to tie up all the loose ends before going on maternity leave, I find myself ready to go, but also really wanting to stay to work with you on some things that are coming up. The ministry fair is on October 4 (you might remember the one we had in the spring, when we had tables and displays on all the different ministries at Christ Church), and I am excited to see how stewardship season kicks off, also on that day. This year Cindy Hutchison is our intrepid stewardship committee leader, and we'll hear from different parishioners each Sunday in October speak about giving to Christ Church.

Also starting in October, we're doing some stewardship of our own in the use of our building. As you know, we already have a number of congregations that regularly use our space for worship--one Spanish speaking Pentecostal Church (the Missionary Church of Christ), one French speaking Pentecostal Church (Mission Maranatha), and St Peter's Ugandan Anglican Church. We also rent our the halls from time to time, regularly to a labor union and also an anger management seminar. WATCH, the Waltham Alliance to Create Housing, also uses our space quite frequenty.

Of course, the rental income helps us to be more financially sustainable, but it's also a question of stewardship. Put simply, we aren't being good stewards of our building if it sits empty all the time! By partnering with other groups and organizations whose missions we support, we are partnering with them in their work. One new such program is with Breaking Barriers, a group which recently merged with WATCH.

Starting the first week of October, Breaking Barriers is restarting a chapter of their "Path to Success" leadership development program. Entitled "The Power of a Mother," the classes are focused on helping immigrant moms with young children, who often find themselves quite isolated. Along with English instruction, the classes will focus on leadership development and life skills training. The classes will be held at Christ Church for about 15 women, with care provided for their children as well. They will be held on from 10 to 12, 2 days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays, I believe). Christ Churchers have been invited to collaborate with Power of a Mother in a number of ways:

• Joining thementoring and tutoring program for local immigrants, including Path to Success mothers,
• Presenting during Path to Success life skills classes,
• Interactive literacy activities with young children in the childcare

Liz Straghalis, their program coordinator, will be speaking at next Tuesday's Outreach Committee meeting (6 pm) to talk more about it--please let committee chair Shawn Russell know if you're interested but can't make the meeting (smr8b@yahoo.com).

Those are just a few things that are coming up--in the October Fieldstone Crier you'll hear more about Allison Berry, who will come to speak about REACH, our local anti-domestic violence organization, and you'll also have an introduction from Rev. Cathy, who will be stepping in for me. After this Sunday, I'll be on leave until Christmas Eve. Our wardens, Jonathan and Marcia, are on for parish-related matters; for pastoral questions, ask Rev. Cathy.

Kristina will be emailing out an announcements-only edition of this newsletter every other week.

Blessings,
Sara+