This Week at the Church of the Redeemer

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

8:00 am

Holy Eucharist in the Morning Chapel

 10:30 am

Morning Prayer - Third Sunday of the month

All Parish Eucharist – Last Sunday of the month

Holy Eucharist – All other Sundays

Wednesdays at 8:30 am (beginning September 10th)

Morning Prayer with Healing in the Morning Chapel

Vestry Nominating Process Review

The Vestry’s Committee that is researching our Vestry Nominating Process as part of an ongoing Governance review is continuing its work throughout the summer.  As was mentioned at the Parish Forum in June, any parishioners who might have suggestions about how we might improve our process to better serve the Redeemer are invited to submit their ideas in writing to the Committee c/o Graeme Mills.  Graeme’s email is GMills@cambridgeassociates.com.   Ideas need to be in writing to be included in the Committee’s deliberations.

Church School News

Welcome back to Church School at the Redeemer!

 Children’s chapel will now begin at 10:15 every Sunday. This will enable Marc to worship regularly with the children and provide a consistent church school assembly. Everyone will then go to their respective classrooms.  The 4th Sunday of every month will continue to be the All Parish Eucharist (A.P.E).  This is time where all families worship together.  There is no church school or chapel on an A.P.E Sunday. Childcare is always provided for age 4 and younger. 

Our mission at church school is to plant and nurture the seeds of faith in our children.  Through the wonderful stories of the Bible, we hope to bring God into their lives.  We pray our Redeemer children will absorb the goodness of God and his many messages of love, forgiveness, truth, generosity and commitment.   

  We, as a parish, can all share in the faith journey of our beautiful children.  Please come downstairs and visit in our classrooms or join us in the newly refurbished Old Parish House for the 10:15 Children’s Chapel.

SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE

 Children’s Choir and Youth Choir

Greetings!  We are going to have another wonderful, fun filled, musical year with the Youth of the Redeemer.  I am so excited to say that we are going to be able to enjoy a newly refurbished rehearsal space – The Old Parish House is getting a face lift.  We are also expanding our Youth into two choirs so that we can build on the great progress we made last year and continue to grow this exciting program.  I look forward to seeing all the children and please invite a friend to enjoy our fun morning!

Children’s Choir  

The Children’s Choir welcomes all children ages K-5^th Grade who have the desire to sing.  We will rehearse every Sunday in the Old Parish House from 9:30-10:15 am.  This group sings on a regular basis at the All Parish Eucharist, Christmas Pageant, Christmas Eve, Easter and Youth Sunday services.  We have a great time – Please come!

*If you have an enthusiastic 4 yr old who would like to sing in this Choir, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Youth Choir + Junior Youth Bible Study

The Youth Choir welcomes all youth 6^th – 10^th Grade who would like to continue singing with their Redeemer friends and challenge themselves to new musical heights.  We have a wonderful morning planned for this age group.  We will rehearse in the Old Parish House from 9:00-9:30 am and then the Youth will participate in the Junior Youth Bible Study with the Rev. Marc Eames beginning at 9:40 am. 

*If any Youth choose not to participate in the Bible Study we ask that you choose from the following:  (a) the Youth can assist by singing with the Children’s Choir (b) Parents retrieve their Youth from the OPH at 9:30 am.

Rehearsals begin September 14^th

Youth Choir  - 9:00 am     Old Parish House

Children’s Choir  -  9:30 am    Old Parish House

I AM SO EXCITED to share with the children the wonderful music that we will be singing this year!  Their toes will be tapping and all hearts will be filled with the love of God.  My hope is that the OPH will be overflowing with Children’s Voices!  Please come!!!!

Many thanks & Blessings!

Mary Reynders 

Mission to New Orleans Forum

This past summer the Church of the Redeemer sent 27 missionaries to work with Resurrection House, New Orleans.  We were involved in many projects including painting houses, sheet-rocking, demolition, and animal rescue work.  We met some fascinating people and have many stories and pictures to share.  Please join us to hear the mission team report back to the congregation on Sunday, September 21^st at noon.  We are also in the early stages of planning for next summer’s trip.  The past year’s trip was fully booked, so don’t miss out!

Confirmation Class

The Confirmation class will be for the eighth graders interested in being confirmed in the spring.  Confirmation is a serious commitment made by a Christian to God and to God’s church.  Confirmation is also the welcoming of an individual believer as a mature disciple in the wider Church Catholic.  In confirmation, the Holy Spirit strengthens the confirmand so that the Christian can accept a greater leadership role within the church and function as a representative of the church in the world.  Confirmation is not mandatory or a graduation rite from church school.  Since confirmation is not a requirement of church attendance or a barrier to full communion in the church, the decision to be confirmed should be a deliberate one that only the individual believer can make, certainly with consultation with clergy and parents.  A student may choose to take the class as a catechetical exercise without deciding to become confirmed. 

The Confirmation class will dwell on theology and ethics as well as learning to talk about the faith.  The point of the class is not to indoctrinate, but, as St. Anselm of Canterbury wrote, to have a “faith seeking understanding.”  Our class will allow any and all questioning of Christian theology in the hopes that a greater understanding of the faith can be achieved.  Because the class addresses difficult questions of faith and creates an environment of trust among the confirmands, regular attendance is necessary for the benefit of both the individual confirmand and for the others in the class. 

Our first class will be Sunday, September 14^th beginning at 4:30.  I would like to begin the class by addressing the students and answering their questions, and I would like to conclude the class with a cookout with the parents invited.  This time together will be a great opportunity for the students to get to know each other better, and for parents to ask any questions of me.  The dinner also gives me a chance to ask parents and students what they want to get out this experience.  I have a syllabus, but that doesn’t mean the curriculum is firmly fixed. 

I hope to see you on Sunday, September 14^th!      

Confirmation Class Dates Currently Scheduled for September ‘08

Date                Time    Topic

9/14                 4:30     Orientation – Why are you in this class? 

                        5:15     Parent / Confirmand Cookout 

9/26-27            4:00     Confirmation Overnight Retreat at Prouts Neck– Grace and The Great Commandment.

Youth Bible Study 

The Youth Bible Study will begin on September 14^th at 9:40 in the back class room.  The Bible Study will begin this year with the Book of Ruth, one of the more inspiring women in Scripture.  We will begin each class by reading scripture, and will conclude by playing Biblically inspired games like Bible Jeopardy, Bible Pictionary, and Bible Charades.   

This Bible study will be offered most Sundays over the program year.  September’s Bible studies will be the 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th of September.  As we read through the Bible, the last part of the class, when we review what we have learned through a Bible game, becomes increasingly important.  I was pleased that last year’s students began to learn and understand stories that went beyond Noah and Moses.  The students also really engaged the text and questioned the motives and wisdom of some of the Biblical characters.  It was observed that Jephtah’s Vow was “terrible – he didn’t have to do that,” and on Samson’s devotion to Delilah, “Why does he trust this woman, who keeps betraying him?” and “the Jubilee year must have been great!”  Please join the Bible study at its new time of 9:40 on Sunday morning beginning on September 14^th.  The Bible study will not begin until after the students from The Youth Choir (the older group) finish rehearsing at 9:30.  I hope to see you on the 14^th!

Mega Maze and Apple Picking

Some Saturday in September (check out the blog www.redeemerchestnuthill.blogspot.com for a time) we will be taking a trip to Davis Farm’s Mega Maze (check it out at  http://www.davisfarmland.com ).  They have corn mazes for youth of all ages (some are very challenging for adults).  They also are an apple farm where we can get some tasty treats.  If you have interest in participating, write on the blog, email me at meames@redeemerchestnuthill.org, or call the curate at 617 566-7679 x13. 

Once again, the Fellowship Committee is pleased to announce

Foyers 2008 - 2009 !  

 Sign up today to reserve your spot in the 2008 – 2009 Foyers Program!  Sign up is all you need to do now to participate in the highly successful Foyers Program!  The Fellowship Committee does all the up front work.

We put together participants into groups of 8-10 people.  Groups meet 4-5 times throughout the year for a pot-luck supper, rotating between different homes.  Each group will have a Captain to keep things organized.

The only rule is to have fun.  The goal is for the evenings to be low key, and low effort, a chance to stay in touch with long-time friends and make new friends alike.  Foyers is for everyone; long-time participants and those new to the church, as it allows us to strengthen the bonds that make being a member of the Church of the Redeemer so special.

Ask any of the many who continue to participate year after year.  Being a part of Foyers is great!

Sign up today !

Call the Redeemer Church Office at 617-566-7679

E-mail office@redeemerchestnuthill.org

Sign up on the table outside the Church office.

Any questions? Call or e-mail Mary Crown and William Ellis (781-235-4143, mecrown@lotsoc.com) or Liza and Walker Jones (617-522-0455, lizajones1@verizon.net). 

2008-2009 Concert Series

Our own Keisuke Wakao, oboist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is arranging for three concerts to be held at the Church of the Redeemer again this year.  These will be with a variety of professional musicians of the highest caliber and each concert will be followed by a reception.  One will be in the fall, one in the winter and another in the spring.  This is a wonderful opportunity to hear fabulous music and to invite friends and neighbors to visit our parish. 

Please consider being a Sponsor, Patron, or Benefactor to help underwrite the costs of these events.  For a minimum donation of $150, Sponsors will receive two tickets to a concert of their choice in addition to an invitation for two to a special cocktail party with Keisuke on October 5^th where he will be accessible for conversation and will play the oboe in a mini-performance.  Patrons, for a donation of $250, will receive two tickets to two concerts of their choice in addition to an invitation to the special cocktail party.  Benefactors, for a donation of $500, will receive two tickets to each of the three concerts in addition to an invitation to the special cocktail party.  Names of Sponsors, Patrons, and Benefactors will be listed in the programs if so desired.

Additional advanced tickets for each concert are available at $20 each.  Tickets at the door will be $25.

More information will be forthcoming.

Do you drive to Church on Sunday mornings? 

Would you be willing to be on a list to pick up a fellow parishioner occasionally in your area? 

If so, please let me know.

Likewise, if you are someone who would like a ride on a regular or occasional basis,

please let me know.

Velura Perry

617-964-2237

Velura@verizon.net