News
Miss the Easter Vigil? See the video here.
Click here to see the recording of the April 11th Easter Vigil with St. John’s Episcopal Church, Olympia
Hot Crossed Buns without Yeast
No Yeast? Watch the video below for making this traditional Easter bread. There are all kinds of recipes on the internet – paelo, dairy-free, whole grain, etc. So whatever your dietary need or kitchen supply restrictions, you are likely to find a recipe that works for you. Search “Hot Crossed Buns ______” and add your preference/missing ingredient.
No Dye Kit? 8 Ways to Dye Easter Eggs
With the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order in place you may not have purchased an egg dying kit. Watch the video for 8 ways to dye you eggs. (If you need other options or more instructions, do a web search on “different ways to dye Easter eggs”.)
Holy Week at Home
Holy Week at Home. You’ll find all our instructions, videos, and links to online worship right here.
Lent, Holy Week, & Easter: A Coronavirus Update.
Dear Ones,
I’ve received notice from Bishop Rickel of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia that all diocesan congregations will remain closed to the public through Holy Week and Easter.
This has not come as a surprise to most clergy, including myself. And I have been talking with my colleagues about backup plans prior to this announcement. So here is our plan…
Being the Church in the Face of COVID-19: A F.A.Q. of Worship and Events at St. Christopher’s
Dear St. Christopher’s and Friends,
A number of you have asked similar question or very good questions, all of which deserve an answer. Here is what I’ve heard…
Q: Is St. Christopher’s closed or will it be closing?
A: No. Our building is closed to the public and Washingtonians have strict measures in place about gatherings, but many things are taking place online and off. The outdoor worship spaces remain open for you to use individually – the Labyrinth, the Stations of the Cross, and the Columbarium. The Open Hands foodbank garden is still slated to go on. And we are adding more and more online worship, fellowship, and learning opportunities.
Q: Will there be another Eucharist online? How does online Eucharist work?
A: Yes. We are pre-recording a Eucharist and posting it Saturday night/Sunday morning each week. We post it on Facebook at facebook.com/stchristopherolympia and we post links to the video on our website’s front page – www.StChristopherOlympia.org .
… read more …
Beyond Livestream Worship: Keeping Faith Communities Connected in the Face of COVID 19
By the Rev. Ken Howard
This is the first in a multipart series on strategies and tools for doing and being church in the face of COVID19
The COVID19 pandemic is not the first time Christianity has been faced with the moral question of how to respond in the face of pandemic. In fact, the question is nearly as old as the Church itself. One of the first times was during the third century Roman plague. Something likely akin to Ebola, the so-called Cyprian plague (after Bishop Cyprian of Carthage) which ravaged the Empire from 250-270 CE.
Stations of the Cross: An Immigrant Journey
Photographs by Thomas Kiefer, from his collection “El Sueño Americano”, will be on display at St. Christopher’s Church on Wednesdays & Thursdays, March 4 – April 8th and on Good Friday, April 10th from 1pm to 5pm each day. With permission of the artist, some of his photographic images were made into prints and mounted for the community to view and contemplate as part of the outdoor Stations of the Cross and around the church grounds.
As a janitor for Customs and Border Protection in Ajo, Arizona from 2003 to 2014, Mr. Kiefer found, through serendipity, the confiscated and discarded belongings of undocumented migrants apprehended in the desert. Being a photographer, he collected these items and eventually decided to photograph them as “symbols of humanity”.
Come see the photographs and read about Mr. Kiefer’s experience working as a janitor for CBP, how he came across these belongings, everything from cans of tuna to rosaries, what he has to say about some of them, and why he decided to photograph these belongings.
The event is free.
COVID-19 and St. Christopher’s
Updated March 13, 2020
Dear Friends,
As the situnation surounding COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop I think it will not surprise you that St. Christopher’s facilites are closed to all in-person group meetings and group worship through at least March 22nd. This is in compliance with the closures of all Diocese of Olympia congregations. Below you will find more info from the Diocese of Olympia and the Southwestern WA Synod.
This does not mean St. Christopher’s is closed… We are simply doing ministry in different ways. Over the weekend you will hear of ways we can remain worshiping, fellowshiping, and serving together. Much of this will occur by phone, text message, email, video conference, and online.
Sunday Services go online… I intend to have some form of video streaming or conferenced worship at our normal times on Sunday. I will have more info on that n the next 24 hours as I work out the details of software, harware, licensing, and copyright. Please be patient.
… there’s more …
Women’s Retreat : Discovering Prayer Styles
How does personality style influence prayer style? This is a one day women’s retreat on Saturday, Feb. 29th, 9:30am – 2:30 pm. Please RSVP by Friday Feb. 28th.
The Gospel in Community: StC’s Annual Report for the 2019 Year
Our Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, January 26th. You can find a pdf of our annual report for 2019 by clicking the link below: The Gospel in Community: Worship, Formation, Ministry MissionThe 2019 Annual Report & Mission Proposal
Scam Alert!
We’ve seen notices like the one I’ll quote below from both our bishops now and it’s just a matter of time before someone tries it from some other clergy you might know…