Discover the Episcopal Church
Want to know more about the Episcopal Church?
What is Faith?
What about the Bible?
Why do we…?
What are its unique gifts to the broader Christian Church?
We will explore these and the questions you bring to a five-week class, “Discover the Episcopal Church” during the Easter Season. The class facilitators are the Revs. Mary Slenski and Jane Gerdsen from St. Andrew’s.
When: Sunday afternoons 3:30-5 pm, April 11, 18, 25, May 2, 16. (skip Mother’s Day)
Where: Christ, Dayton
We’re planning to incorporate a variety of media including an on-line component as a way to make the class more accessible. For anyone interested in being received or confirmed when Bishop Breidenthal will be with us for the Deanery-wide service on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, (at St. Margaret’s), this class will serve as preparation. Please let Mary, Jane or John Paddock know if you’re interested or have any questions.
From the Assistant to the Rector
 Discovering the Episcopal Church
The Anglican Communion can be thought of as a global family of 38 churches, one being the Episcopal Church, united more than anything by a story. It’s a family story that goes something like this:
Once upon the 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great, sent Augustine as a missionary of the Roman church to the British Isles. And when he got there, he discovered someone else had beaten him there first, at least as far as bringing Christ was concerned. He had to wrestle with some things because he also discovered that the Christians who were already there didn’t do things in exactly the same way as he did in Rome. So, Augustine wrote Pope Gregory about what to do. Pope Gregory counseled Augustine to do things as seems most pleasing to God and don’t get hung up on whose way was the right way. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury and this all worked fine for almost a thousand years. Then the story gets much more complicated with things like the Reformation, and King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, and then those pesky colonists in the New England who had an independent streak. In a nutshell, that’s it.
Then, once upon the 19th century, the Rev. Philander Chase set out from Connecticut for Ohio with horse and carriage, persuaded that he could be more useful to the church of Christ out there. He stopped for a time in Dayton, became acquainted with several families who associated together as St. Thomas Church in communion with The Episcopal Church in the USA. Rev. Chase went on to Cincinnati and became bishop. St. Thomas Church, barely brought to life, didn’t survive long. Then, Bishop Chase summoned the Rev. Ethan Allen to Dayton. Rev. Allen discovered and reported to him that St. Thomas Church was in the tomb with the stone lying against it. Bishop Chase gave him some other options; but, Rev. Allen reconsidered the rich and beautiful countryside around Dayton, returned and did some preaching from the Presbyterian pulpit. Christ Church was brought to life from those sermons.
In our deanery Lenten series, we’ve been sharing the on-going chapters of the continuing story of the Episcopal Church in this area. We’ve built a single timeline and discovered new things about ourselves. For example, beams have been a recurring theme at Christ Church. St. Margaret’s tabernacle (where blessed bread and wine are stored) survived a fire that destroyed all else. The face of Jesus from Xenia’s stained glass window survived the tornado. Might these be evidence of the Holy Spirit?
During Easter season, we’ll be offering a chance to Discover the Episcopal Church in a five-week class led jointly by the Revs Mary Slenski, Jane Gerdsen and John Paddock. For anyone interested in being confirmed or received on Pentecost Sunday, this class will serve as preparation. Details are coming. Join us! Bring your questions about this branch of the Christian family!
Mary Slenski
Birthday Wishes for Willoughby Thorn
Willoughby Allen Thorn
will be celebrating her 90th Birthday,
Tuesday, April 13, 2010.
Please join her family by honoring her special day with a card shower.
Send birthday greetings and good wishes to her home address.
If you do not have her address, please contact the church office, 223-2239.
An Invitation....
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Sexton
and
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Paul
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Kelli Marie Sexton
to
Arthur Aldrich Paul
on Saturday, the first of May
 at five o'clock in the evening
Christ Episcopal Church
20 West First Street
Dayton OH 45402
Chocolate Fest 2010
What's Chocolate Fest?
It's the annual spring fundraiser for the Episcopal Community Services Foundation. Proceeds will aid Episcopal churches to serve over 60,000 people in need in Southern Ohio. A moveable feast celebrated two weeks after Easter, this year's Chocolate Fest is Saturday, April 17 from 2-4 pm in the beautiful parish hall of St. Thomas, Terrace Park, 100 Miami Avenue, just south of Route 50. It's a chocolate bake-off with a great silent auction. Tickets are only $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, maximum $20 per household. Tickets entitle you to taste any and all recipes, plus as much fresh coffee, milk, hot tea or water as you desire.
To order tickets, visit the online auction, or get more information; visit ECSF's website at: www.ECSFsouthernohio.org or send a check for tickets to: ECSF, 412 Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
We are grateful and excited to announce that TriHealth, PNC Bank, Aglamesis Brothers, Graeter's, and National Bank and Trust are sponsoring ECSF's 2010 chocolate fest with grants totaling $3,750! Their generosity will equip churches to bring help and hope to thousands of Ohioans enduring job loss, hunger, and the danger of homelessness. 
Episcopal Community Services Foundation
412 Sycamore Street Cincinnati, OH 45202
Ph: 513-221-0547
One way to Support our Military...
One of the Christ Church Foyer Groups has decided to actively support our Military. They would like to give you the opportunity to join them in this endeavor.
After reading an article in the Interchange concerning assisting our returning troops they decided to collect and send “needs and wants” to our Military who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They plan to collect items, sew ditty bags and travel size pillow cases and then, with the help of the Blue Star Mothers, mail them. They have obtained several names of friends and relatives of parishioners who are now deployed and plan to send the packages to them.
The following is a list of “needs and wants”. Please bring your gifts to church and place them in the container marked “For our Troops”. If you prefer you may give money toward the purchase of items and we will shop for you. You may also cover the cost of postage which is $ll.95 per box. Do not put money in the container—place it in an envelope marked “For our Troops” and place it in the offering plate or in the office. If you write a check please write “For our Troops” in the memo line and make the check payable to Christ Church.
No matter how each of us might feel about the war the reality is that we have men and women putting their lives on the line every minute of every day. Let’s show them that we appreciate them and that we have not forgotten them.
NEEDS: Baby wipes, shampoo, soaps, lotion, foot care products, sun block (SPF-15 or higher)Visine, Q-tips, baby powder, chapstick, hand sanitizer, deodorants, toilet paper, all dental products, stationery & envelopes, sanitary products for women.
WANTS: Small hand-held games, batteries (AA or AAA), brown t-shirts (any size), white tube socks, music CD’s and any kind of movie DVD’s.
MOST REQUESTED ITEMS: Beef Jerky, Slim Jims, peanuts, tuna fish (seal packed), small packages of cheese crackers, hard candy, small packages of cookies, life savers, gum, suckers, Crystal Light drink mixes, Kool-Aid drink mixes in presweetened packages, powdered Gatorade in small packages, tic tacs, small cans of food with pop-tops on them, and anything else that they can put into their pockets to carry with them when they go out on missions.
No aerosol cans, glass containers or things that will melt in the heat.
If you have any questions please contact a member of this Foyer: Judy & Jack Kovacs, Cathy & Phil Skardon, Joan & Lonnie Franks, Doris Miller, Martha Materne, Ray McDermott, Gina Paget, Ruth & Gordon Price or Donna & Frank Boensch.
God Bless our Troops and God Bless America
"Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
Outreach News
A recent Parade magazine survey on service in volunteering in Amerce revealed some interesting findings. Over 90% of the responders to the survey said in the last 18 months they had personally volunteered in an activity to “make a difference.” I would hope at Christ Church we have 100% participation. What motivates Americans to actually act upon their good intentions? More than two-thirds (68%) said personal experience was a major factor. Of those respondents, 40% said their motivating experience was a positive one. Typically comments included “Someone did something good for me, and I want to give back.” A family member or friend’s request is another big reason (33%), as is learning about an issue (28%). So here is another opportunity to learn about projects that need volunteers: a rebuilding program, a community garden, and microloans. You may also read about others in this newsletter.
This April, we will be participating in the Rebuilding Together Dayton (RTD) program which will rehab over 30 homes this year. As I write this article, we have 23 volunteers signed up from two churches and 14 planned projects for the house we will be rehabbing on April 24. This is a Saturday and we will start at 8 a.m. and finish by 6 p.m. See me if you have any questions.
Spring is in the air and we need to start planning for a community garden and hopefully our own 2010 victory gardens. Fresh produce from the gardens will be provided to the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church pantry and other local pantries. We will need lots of volunteers to make this work. See Maureen Boyles if you are interested in this project.
Our Christ Church microloan program is now active and we have contributed to five microloans and have already been paid back $15 which can now be used for another loan. The nine members and growing Dayton Episcopal Deanery Community through Kiva, has now contributed to thirty-three loans! This includes five loans in Sierra Leone. You can donate to the Christ Church microloan fund or participate directly by going to www.Kiva.org and signing up for a Kiva account. Then go to the community area and search for Dayton Episcopal Deanery to join our group. Once a month or when we have funds available I’ll make an announcement for a meeting to disperse loans through our microloan fund.
In His Service, George Slenski, g.slenski@ameritech.net
Emergency Update: Earthquake in Haiti
 We are working with Diocese of Haiti to provide critical, life saving assistance such as food, water and medicine, as well as long-term recovery and rehabilitation aid in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake. Donations can be made directly to Episcopal Relief and Development (electronically or by check). To donate to the Haiti Fund electronically, visit www.er-d.org. If sending a check directly to ERD, mail to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. Put "Haiti Fund" in the memo line of all checks.
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 What I Learned Last Monday
1) If you want to apply for a job, and you don't have much money or a car, it costs $1.75 each time you take the RTA bus. (Only one $.25 transfer only). You may have to pay a baby sitter, or take off from the temporary job you're trying to hang on to. When you find the place, if it is the right place and the company really is hiring, you may wait three or four hours, worrying about the neighbor who is or is not taking good care of your kids. Before you hear your name called, the women at the desk slams the window shut. "We're closed," she says. "Come back tomorrow."
2) If you need a social worker at the men's shelter ( I was told by a man who lives there): "You gotta get down to the desk by 7 a.m. and get your name on a list. The first five or six get to talk to a social worker. There are 300 men at the shelter."
3) If you have been waiting for an approved Social Security disability check for over a year (according to a lady who called City Heart), you can expect to wait months longer. Our contact at United Way says this is not surprising.
4) If a woman in an abusive home has the courage to leave, she may be told to pack a bag and hide it where he can't find it. Into the bag goes a change of clothes and her legal documents. Everything else she will leave behind. Everything in her life was not bad; it was not all black eyes, broken bones and frantic police calls where she ended up saying, "Oh, it's okay, officer. My fault, really. No charges." She must leave her pets, her photograph albums, the flowers she has so carefully tended. She must wait and wait for a phone call. At some unknown time, she will be picked up by a person she has never seen and she will carry her one bag to a place she's never been. For how long? She has no idea.
What did I learn last Monday? I should fall on my knees in gratitude for the blessed life I live.
Peggy Barnes
YOUTH NEWS
 YOUTH GROUP TO SERVE AT GOOD EARTH HUNGER MISSION
June 14-20, 2010
The Good Earth Hunger Mission grows and gleans fresh produce for food pantries, women's shelters, and free meal programs in Athens County. In addition to feeding the hungry, this ministry educates volunteers about local, sustainable agriculture and helps reconnect people from a variety of backgrounds with the earth. Volunteers help in the garden each week doing everything from planting to harvesting. Many of you were in church on Appalachian Sunday Feb. 14, when Paul Clever visted Christ Church and spoke of his mission and work as the director of Good Earth. In June, our youth group will return to Athens for mission work. Older youth and adults will arrive early in the week to work on building projects to include; an outdoor “camp” shower to be used by mission groups coming to the farm, and the construction of a greenhouse. Other youth and chaperones will join later in the week to help with the garden and farm chores. The mission trip will be a week of service and learning for all participants. We ask for the prayers and support of the congregation as we undertake this opportunity for servant ministry. More information about Good Earth can be found at the following link. http://www.chogs.org/goodearth.htm
“Come, follow me . . .”
Youth Group Retreat – April 9-11
The retreat will be held in the main lodge at Camp Wesely in Bellefontaine,Ohio. This is a time for us to just get away, be together, have some fun, and learn what it means for us to follow Jesus!! All youth will need to complete a registration form and pay a modest fee of $15.00 per person to help cover the cost of facility and food. Detailed information about the camp can be found at the following link: http://www.westohiocamps.com/camps/wesley_tour.asp
Waffle Shop 2009 Grants
Christ Church's Waffle Shop provides a grand celebration of community in downtown Dayton while raising money for programs that serve the greater Dayton area as well as our church. Every fall we open our doors four consecutive days to workers and visitors in the downtown area to serve lunch. Delicious made from scratch waffles with sausages are on the menu, which also includes soups, sandwiches, salad, desserts, and drinks. In addition to the eat-in and carryout dining, the Waffle Shop includes a Craft Bazaar, Bake Sale, Elsie’s Attic and a raffle. Since 1929, Waffle Shop has been the most successful fundraising event within Christ Church. Typically, up to 75% of the profits are invested in charities and activities outside of the parish and the rest is spent on special projects within the Church. See below for the summary of the distribution of the 2009 Waffle Shop grants.
Waffle Shop account balance (January 2010) 15,513
Waffle Shop 2010 seed money -2,000
2009 proceeds available for distribution $13,513
Grant targets: Outreach @ 66% = 9053
Internal @ 33% = 4460
Grants Given |
2009 grants |
|
Outreach Programs |
|
|
|
100 |
|
|
700 |
|
|
425 |
|
|
500 |
|
Companion Animal Partners
|
175 |
|
|
300 |
|
|
530 |
|
Dayton International Peace Museum
|
500 |
|
|
750 |
|
|
500 |
|
Good Earth Hunger Mission (Athens)
|
600 |
|
Good Shepherd ministries Supportive Housing Program
|
500 |
|
Good-to-GO Backpack program (Kettering)
|
200 |
|
Heifer Project International
|
300 |
|
|
250 |
|
Kiva Microloans (kiva.org)
|
250 |
|
MVERN After School Program (Russia)
|
750 |
|
|
200 |
|
Rebuilding Together Dayton
|
550 |
|
St. Paul's United Methodist Community Programs
|
308 |
|
Sinclair Community College Chaplaincy Program
|
900 |
|
Society for the Advancement and Welfare of Sierra Leone (SACSL)
|
850 |
|
|
200 |
|
Thanksgiving in Dayton: A Feast of Giving
|
250 |
|
Yes We Can End the Violence Community Youth Group
|
225 |
|
Total Outreach program grants |
$10,813 |
(80%) |
|
|
|
Kitchen point-of-service hot water heater
|
500 |
|
|
500 |
|
|
1200 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
500 |
|
Total Internal program grants |
$2,700 |
(20%) |
|
|
|
Total Outreach/Internal Grants |
$13,513 |
|
February Vestry Notes
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Mission Share Review: Chips Lanier, chair of the Christ Church mission share review felt that that there were good things in our request (brick works and ramp issue), but he felt the request needed to be reworked. A new package was submitted as requested.
-
Vestry Retreat: The retreat will be April 23-24 at Procter.
-
Residency Letter of Agreement with Mary Slenski: John Paddock asked for vestry support for this agreement. The agreement was signed by Mary Slenski, Rich Maresca, John Paddock and Bishop Breidenthal. The vestry endorsed the agreement.
-
Approval of the Annual Parochial Report: A requirement by a canon of the National Church is to file the Parochial Report for the previous year by the first of March. This report is used to determine our Mission Share. The report shows attendance, membership statistics, number of services held and financial information. The Parochial Report was approved.
-
Nursery Care and Security on Sunday mornings: Both of our caregivers, Jordan and Robin Warren, have resigned. Arrangements have been made to have parishioners fill in temporarily. Recently, we also realized the need for security on Sunday. The vestry decided to hire two nursery attendants and one security position for Sunday mornings. Note: remind people that there are lockers in the kitchen for purses/valuables to be locked up if they will be left unattended.
-
Building issues: The vestry approved the motion to install two heating/air conditioning fan coil units in the youth rooms and to take the funds from the capital maintenance fund.
-
Brick work: The funding has been approved and the contractor is ready to start work.
-
Transfer of Ark funds to ramp replacement: Among the designated funds is $4,800 - money donated in two different capital campaigns for the ark area (now the garden area) on the second floor. John Paddock advertised in the last Broadcast that if anyone who had contributed to the original fund objected to transferring the money to the ramp project to let us know. To date, no one has contacted us. The vestry approved the motion to transfer the ark fund money.
-
Appointments: Lori Rehling was reappointed recording secretary and Gina Paget was reappointed as corporate secretary. The vestry approved the motion for Howard Heck to continue as treasurer until a new treasurer is found; Howard Heck was also approved as a designated vestry member as the building and grounds representative.
Greg Sexton was appointed as Chair of the Finance Committee.
Marcia Muller and Maureen Boyles were appointed as deanery representatives for a one-year term. (Thanks was given to Ann Pettee for serving in this position for the last couple of years.)
The complete vestry minutes are posted on the bulletin board
in the main hallway of the church.
Pilgrimage to Russia
White Nights Pilgrimage to Russia
June 13-24, 2011
Sponsored by the Miami Valley Episcopal Russian Network (MVERN)
The Russian Orthodox Church with its gifts of iconography, liturgy, music and deep spirituality, has nourished the soul of Russia for over 1000 years. Join Bishop and Mrs. Breidenthal and explore the cultural and historical sites in St. Petersburg and witness MVERN's outreach ministry to St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in the village of Sablino.
Highlights of the trip:
* Discover St. Petersburg, long considered the artistic and cultural center of Russia.
* Tour the great Hermitage State Museum and the Russian Museum.
* Spend a day at the Palace of Petrodvorets, famous for its gardens and cascade of golden fountains.
* Witness the remarkable revival of the Russian Orthodox faith after 70 years of repression.
* Worship with the parishioners at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Sablino, 30 miles south of St. Petersburg.
* See the work of MVERN's Russian ministry in Sablino, including the outstanding Youth Education Center.
* Join youth from the Diocese of Southern Ohio as they assist with a summer camp program and work on a designated project at the Youth Center.
* Stay in a boutique hotel on St. Petersburg's main street.
* Extend your trip with an optional extension to Moscow.
For further information, click on www.mvern.org or call (937) 435-3550. |
The Easter Offering will go for the support of people in need in the Dayton area through our outreach ministry, CityHeart. Our area has been particularly hard hit during the economic downturn and we have had many requests for help. Please help us help our 'neighbors' in need. 
On Easter Sunday morning, the youth group will host an Easter Egg Hunt for the children of the parish. Please meet in the parlor following the 10:30 service. 
Our next baptism is on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2010. If you wish to be baptized or have your child baptized, please contact The Rev. John Paddock, 223-2239.
1:15 p.m. We should be finished by 2:00 p.m. Please come and check us out!
