Caring for Each Other

In person and in prayer, Christ Church actively reaches out to those who are “in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity.”(BCP, p. 329)  The rector and lay pastoral caregivers routinely visit in hospitals, nursing and rehabilitation centers, and in homes.  Whenever hospitalized, parishioners are encouraged to ask that the parish office be contacted.  Privacy regulations prohibit medical facilities from otherwise initiating contact.  We also reach out to members facing the joys and challenges of a new baby or child, by birth or by adoption.

Caring for the Community

The Gospel calls us to serve “the least of these” and embody God’s love to the less fortunate. We answer that call at Christ Church through our outreach ministries. Our service to others meets real needs in our community and deepens our relationships to God and one another. Christ Church volunteers provide hands-on service to our community, e.g. delivering Meals on Wheels;  we also provide financial support to Meals on Wheels and the Guilford Fuel Assistance Program. Some of our ongoing efforts include:

Food Bank: Each week during the Offering, Christ Church collects food items which are donated to the Guilford Food Bank, a service of Guilford Interfaith Ministries and the Town of Guilford.

Mitten Tree: Our Christmas gift program that provides mittens, hats and coats to families in need through Charlie’s Closet, another ministry of Guilford Interfaith Ministries.

Thanksgiving Food Drive: In 2011, Christ Church directed this Drive toward our neighbors in New Haven. Parishioners collected turkeys, root vegetables and canned goods and delivered them to the Dixwell Newhallville Community Mental Health Center for distribution to their clients in need.

Sunday School Outreach Fundraisers: Each year, our Sunday School students dedicate themselves to a project that benefits a Diocesan outreach priority.  In recent years, our students have created and auctioned delightful craft projects to support rebuilding programs in Haiti.

Christ Church also hosts morning and afternoon meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous® (AA) Monday through Saturday. AA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may address their disease and support one another in recovery from alcoholism. For more information, please visit www.ct-aa.com.