What a Haul! Thanks for Donating 400 Pounds of Thanksgiving Side Dishes for Distribution by the Howard County Food Bank Dinner tables this year will be laden with all the fixings, thanks to the generosity of Christ Church parishioners. The annual Thanksgiving Food Drive yielded 11 cardboard flats full of items, amounting to an estimated 400 pounds of groceries to help the Howard County Food Bank feed local families and individuals. Thanks to all for bringing in non-perishable items such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and canned fruits and vegetables. We also provided entrees for many of those tables, thanks to carry-over funds from parishioners’ donations in 2020. Christ Church donated $650 to the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), which operates the food bank, for its purchase of alternatives to whole turkeys. The food bank obtained partial or whole chicken roasters, vegetarian options, and options with the proper protein for those on dialysis. These were delivered to those who are homebound and would not cook a 16-to-19 pound turkey (the usual food bank size), along with the side dishes. Meanwhile some of the fixings were distributed in the usual way, as households picked up menu items and turkeys at the food bank. Christ Church Has Launched Its Annual Angel Tree Drive to Provide Christmas Gifts for a Dozen Howard County Children The Outreach Commission invites you to help bring the joy of Christmas to a group of 11- and 12-year-olds. We are focusing our support on children in this age range to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army. The nonprofit organization, which oversees the Angel Tree initiative here and elsewhere, has announced a new theme for 2021: “Wear, Need, Want, Read!” Please plan to provide one or more gifts for a girl or boy on our list. There are a dozen children in our group. Each one will receive an outfit, consisting of pants and a top. Besides the clothing, there are three other categories this year for each Angel - Wish, Need, and Educational Item. Some people prefer to sign up for a single slot, such as the practical (need) category for one child. Some parishioners desire to complete the entire “package’ for an angel by signing up in all four categories. Another shopper might choose the clothing (outfit) category for multiple Angels. This year’s drive has launched in two steps. The first is fully online. Go to the Christ Church Angel Tree 2021 SignUp Link to make your choices. It has instructions on next steps. The second stage begins Sunday, November 28, after the Angel Tree appears in the Narthex. In keeping with tradition, we’ll have the list of all the children’s names so that you can refer to it when selecting in person. But in a nod to digital progress, we’ll ask that you actually sign up for your angel by using the online form. Someone will be on hand after both worship services on Sunday and again on December 5 to assist if you wish to log on then. The deadline to bring unwrapped gifts is Friday, December 10. If you wish to participate by giving of your time, please volunteer for one of two duties: Sign-up or Fulfillment. The former is to help people log on to a device after services on November 28th and December 5th. The latter is to collate packages or to shop for --but not pay for-- any unmet items. Fulfillment occurs from December 10th through December 12th. To volunteer, specify Sign-up or Fulfillment, or both, in an email to outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. For any parishioners who have pandemic concerns and prefer completely contactless delivery, there is an arrangement between Salvation Army (Central Maryland) and Amazon. To use this method, you’ll need to choose an Angel from a list that differs from the one given to Christ Church. Please request instructions on how to proceed by emailing outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Through either method, we will lift the hearts not only of these Angels but of their families. Parents obtain the unwrapped gifts from The Salvation Army to prepare for a Christmas that will be much brighter than they could otherwise afford. Collection Drive Continues to Provide Diapers, Personal Care Items for CCC At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to support Columbia Community Care (CCC) by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Please put any of these items in the yellow bin that's marked “CCC” and located inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays when the Church Office is open, or bring them on Sunday. FISH Has an Updated Request: Cookies, Crackers, and Snacks As the holidays begin, organizers for FISH of Howard County are making a more festive request than the previous one. Cookies, crackers, and snacks are what’s needed at the pantry to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is on the breezeway near the door to the Parish Hall. Have a Pizza and Help Bridges to Housing Stability to End Homelessness Put away the turkey leftovers next Tuesday, because we have the opportunity to help Howard County residents find and keep affordable housing by eating out. Ledo Pizza will hold a benefit for Bridges to Housing Stability from open to close on Tuesday, November 30th. The restaurant is located at 6955 Oakland Mills Rd., Columbia, MD 21045. Its phone number is 410-381-5550. Please use the code 306-159-855 at checkout online or, if ordering in person, mention Bridges, and 10 percent of your total meal purchase will be donated. Christ Church has a warm relationship in helping Bridges, starting with our participation in a countywide chili cook-off in 2019. At the Chili & Challenge virtual fundraiser held in 2020, Christ Church won a Silver Ladle Award. Then, at the 2021 Chili & Challenge, we won the Gold Ladle. For a glimpse of how the funds we have raised are helping people, read about Carmen and her 22-year-old son among Bridges’ success stories. Springfield Hospital Donations The Women of Christ Church will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits due to the pandemic, we will be gathering gifts for them to bring a little Christmas joy. If you would like to contribute, we have placed a large container in the Tower Room to accept your unwrapped donations. We will need them by December 15th, in order to meet their deadline. If you want to donate gifts but can’t get them to church, please contact Cathy Gold or email info@christchurchcolumbia.org, and we will find a way. Here is the current wish list from Springfield Hospital, in case you would like suggestions. Baltimore Seafarer Ministry Our next delivery date by the WOCC to the Seafarers Center is Tuesday, December 7th. Find the drop-off bin marked “Seafarers” in the Tower Room of New Brick. Each year, the WOCC helps prepare those Seafarers that come to the Baltimore Harbor with ‘Warmth and The Holidays’. These are people who are often away at sea for very long periods of time. Please help by contributing any of these needed items! Calendars Current magazines (especially National Geographic & Smithsonian) Toiletries for their “Christmas shoe boxes” that are handed out to each Seafarer, such as: toothbrushes, small and medium-size tubes of toothpaste, travel-size shaving cream, disposable razors, etc. Warm socks, warm hats, and gloves. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

​'TIS THE SEASON Please join us as we celebrate Advent and Christmas. ​All are Welcome! Christ Church is continuing to welcome back parishioners week after week, and that is a great joy. With the Advent and Christmas season now upon us, we're blessed to have more and more in-person services and gatherings. For those of you with us virtually, we will continue to have our usual Sunday morning worship online, as well as many other special services and gatherings. Our comprehensive Advent and Christmas page is on our website now, complete with event descriptions, service times, and location information. Be sure to bookmark it for easy access; you'll find it here. We've also published an Advent and Christmas trifold that you can grab from the Narthex on Sunday morning. Be sure to also visit our Parish News page often, as announcements of other Advent features and gatherings will be published there throughout the season. The best way to keep up-to-date is to sign up for our mailing list, as we email the latest Christ Church Gatherings newsletter every Thursday and one with Zoom details for the coming week each Monday. You can sign up for this at the bottom of our website's main page.

This Thanksgiving, unlike last year’s, many of us are traveling to be with family, friends, and loved ones. The last time millions of us undertook such a journey was in 2019. Last year was different, and this year will be different because we can be with family both far and near. We can be with the family we couldn’t see last year because of the pandemic. We can be with the family we love, even if we vehemently disagree with them over a myriad of issues. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, encourages us with these words: “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It seems a little condescending and unrealistic to give thanks when, especially, all the odds are stacked against you, when you needlessly lost a loved one because someone drove his car into a joyful parade. How do we give thanks? Today, I want to share with you a story centered around Itzhak Perlman, a renowned American violinist who has won 15 Grammys and four Emmys. He is most celebrated for his live performances. Itzhak has had polio most of his life, and getting on stage to perform is a real challenge. Itzhak’s most memorable performance was at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, on November 18, 1995. When he arrived on stage and started to play, there was a loud crack. The sound was unmistakable - one of Itzhak’s violin strings had snapped. But instead of stopping and picking up another violin, he simply paused, took a deep breath, and nodded to the conductor to continue. Itzhak played with a gusto that no one had ever yet experienced from him. It was intense. It was passionate. It was as if the whole world was watching and counting on him to make the kind of music that soothes, comforts, and heals. The kind of music that lifts our spirits up and provides us with a reason to be thankful, even when we are playing on three strings instead of four. His audience sat in awe; the hall fell silent. When it was over, everyone stood up with applause that could be heard within the walls and beyond. In the midst of the adulation, Itzhak raised his bow for silence. The hall went dead silent, and then he said, “You know, sometimes it’s the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.” It's this profound statement from Itzhak that reminds me of this aphorism: "I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet.” This blessed Thanksgiving, a time when we will get the chance to sit together as family, friends, and loved ones, my question is, what do you have left? And for all that you have left, for all that you do not have, can you find it within you to make music with it? Can you find it within you to be thankful for it? Can you find within you the strength that notices all circumstances but isn’t defined by them? Can you find within you the resilience that overcomes obstacles? The tragedy in our individual stories is that we often want everything to work the way we think it should work in order to find it useful or at least be thankful for it. We want to make sure that if a string snaps on our violin, we immediately have to have it fixed or replaced before we can make some sweet music with it. But life often doesn’t work like that. Life teaches us that we can still make music with what we have left. Life is such that no one is ever given everything. There’s a story in Matthew’s gospel about the Parable of the Talents. I share that story with my second daughter almost every morning when I drop her off at her carpool. I remind her, it is not about how much you have, it is about what you do with what you have. Life is about playing on three strings, even when you know you are supposed to be playing on four. This Thanksgiving, I invite you to do yourself a favor. Think about all that you have been freely given - family, friends, relationships, talent, knowledge, experience, beauty, health, qualifications, anything. Remember this, even if one string is broken, you can make some good music out of it. This Thanksgiving, remember that three strings are more than enough, and so be thankful and remain thankful to the God who makes all things possible in our lives. This Thanksgiving, when you gather with family, friends, loved ones, or even by yourself to break bread, be thankful and remain thankful to the God who invites us to be thankful for all things and in all things. This Thanksgiving, I wish you nothing but the very best of the season. Happy Thanksgiving! Manny

Now that the COVID restrictions are lessening we are seeing more new faces whom we would like to see return and eventually become members. We are putting together a program that we hope will help with this. One thing we would like to do is to have members who are willing to be church Shepherds of newcomers. The responsibility of a Shepherd is to get to know the family, make them feel welcome, and introduce them to other parishioners. Shepherds and Newcomers will be matched based on family makeup, talents, and desire to help in specific ministries. We see this as a two- to three-month process. We will provide a Newcomer event once a month where all newcomers and their Shepherds can interact. We encourage that the Shepherd family to meet with the newcomers on their own. If you would like to be a Shepherd, please contact Beth Johnson, Newcomer Coordinator, at (443)745-2885 by voice or text, or email her at bethjohnson6217@gmail.com. We hope you can be a part of this important ministry.

We Had a Blast at Hersheypark! The Christ Church Youth had a fun time at Hersheypark a couple of weeks ago and loved being able to enjoy all of the attractions. We look forward to many more events in the future, so if you know a middle or high school student, let them know about us. All youth are welcome! Email Todd Domer, our Youth Minister, at youthministry@christchurchcolumbia.org Christmas Pageant Information It is Christmas Pageant time! The pageant will take place on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. This year, we will present a live Nativity. There will be no speaking parts. Children from preschool through 5th grade are invited to have a role. If your child would like to participate, please plan on attending our one rehearsal/costume time on December 19th at 9:15 a.m. (Sunday School time). We are looking forward to a fun event! Please sign up using this link! Youth Choir Reunion Did you ever sing in the Christ Church Youth Choir? If so, you are invited to sing one song at the conclusion of the Christmas Pageant on Christmas Eve. There are two opportunities to rehearse: December 19th from 11:45 a.m. to noon AND December 21st at 5 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Atkins - dandjatkins@verizon.net.

Today is the Christ the King Sunday. Collect of the Day: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 132:1-13 (14-19) Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37 Today's Sermon: You can read Father Manny's Sermon text here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

Angel Tree Drive Will Brighten Christmas for Howard County Children It is that time of year when the Outreach Commission invites parishioners to purchase new clothing and special items before Christmas to complete gift “packages” for young angels. We are focusing our support on children ages 10 to 12 to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army. The nonprofit organization, which oversees the Angel Tree initiative here and elsewhere, has announced a new theme for 2021: “Wear, Need, Want, Read!” To participate, you’ll need to provide one or more gifts for a girl or boy on our list. There are a dozen children in our group of 11- and 12-year-olds. Each one will receive an outfit, consisting of pants and a top. Besides the clothing, there are three other categories this year for each angel: Wish, Need, and Educational Item. Some parishioners prefer to sign up for just one slot, such as the practical (need) category for a single child. Some parishioners desire to complete the entire “package’ for an angel by signing up in all four categories. Another shopper might choose the clothing (outfit) category for multiple angels. We are launching this year’s drive in two steps. The first stage is fully online. Starting this week, you can go to the Christ Church Angel Tree 2021 SignUp Link to view the list and make your choices. It has instructions on the next steps. The second stage begins after Thanksgiving when the Angel Tree goes up in the Narthex. In keeping with tradition, we’ll have a list of all the children’s names so that you can refer to it when selecting in person. But in a nod to digital progress, we’ll ask that you actually sign up for your angel by using the online form. Someone will be on hand after both worship services on Sunday, November 28th to assist if you wish to log on then. The deadline to bring in your unwrapped Angel Tree gifts will be Friday, December 10th. For any parishioners who have pandemic concerns and prefer completely contactless delivery, there is an arrangement between Salvation Army (Central Maryland) and Amazon. To use this method, you’ll need to choose an angel from a list that differs from the one given to Christ Church. Please request instructions on how to proceed by emailing outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Through either method, we will lift the hearts not only of the angels but of their families. Parents obtain unwrapped gifts from The Salvation Army to prepare for a Christmas that will be much brighter than they could otherwise afford. Gratitude to All Who Have Been Making Our Thanksgiving Drive a Success The harvest-themed table in the Narthex and the marked bin on the breezeway have been overflowing with items to help the Howard County Food Bank help local families enjoy Thanksgiving. The deadline to donate non-perishable items such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, and canned fruits and vegetables was November 18th. Earlier this week, parishioners Dione and Jim Mahoney made the first delivery to the Food Bank, dropping off eight cardboard flats full of delicious Thanksgiving sides. Thanks to one and all who contributed! Collection Drive Continues to Provide Diapers, Personal Care Items for CCC At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to support Columbia Community Care(CCC) by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Please put any of these items in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. Donate Personal Care and Cleaning Supplies for FISH in Bin on our Breezeway Organizers for FISH of Howard County request household cleaning supplies such as liquid dish soap, bleach, and cleanser as well as personal items such as deodorant, shampoo, and bath soaps. The bin is on the breezeway near the door to the Parish Hall. Registration Now Open for DreamBuilders trip to Puerto Rico - January 9-15, 2022 Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September of 2017. Now, four years later, thousands of Puerto Ricans are still living in damaged homes or crowded in with family members waiting for the day when their homes can be made livable again. DreamBuilders will be making its second trip to the island this January to work with SBP-Puerto Rico to repair damaged homes. We are opening registration for this trip now and will keep it open until this Sunday, November 21st. The cost of the trip is $1300 per volunteer, which covers the flights, housing, food, and rental vehicles. Daily temperatures in San Juan for January average between 80-83 degrees. SBP has COVID protocols in place to protect its staff, the homeowners, and the volunteers. All volunteers must be vaccinated. Team size will be limited to allow for distancing, and cleaning stations are established at all project sites. More information about SBP's efforts in Puerto Rico and their COVID protocols can be found on their website: sbpusa.org. You can register as a volunteer on our website: https://dreambuildersmd.org/2022-puerto-rico-details-sign-up. You will pay half the fee upon registration ($650) so DreamBuilders can reserve the flights, housing, and rental vehicles. If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Gold at heycathy@verizon.net. Springfield Hospital Donations The Women of Christ Church will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits due to the pandemic, we will be gathering gifts for them to bring a little Christmas joy. If you would like to contribute, we have placed a large container in the Tower Room to accept your unwrapped donations. We will need them by December 15th, in order to meet their deadline. If you want to donate gifts but can’t get them to church, please contact Cathy Gold or email info@christchurchcolumbia.org, and we will find a way. Here is the current wish list from Springfield Hospital, in case you would like suggestions. Baltimore Seafarer Ministry Our next delivery date by the WOCC to the Seafarers Center is Tuesday, December 7th. Find the drop-off bin marked “Seafarers” in the Tower Room of New Brick. Each year, the WOCC helps prepare those Seafarers that come to the Baltimore Harbor with ‘Warmth and The Holidays’. These are people who are often away at sea for very long periods of time. Please help by contributing any of these needed items! Calendars Current magazines (especially National Geographic & Smithsonian) Toiletries for their “Christmas shoe boxes” that are handed out to each Seafarer, such as: toothbrushes, small and medium-size tubes of toothpaste, travel-size shaving cream, disposable razors, etc. Warm socks, warm hats, and gloves. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Last month, we met an Afghan family sponsored by Kittamaqundi Community Church, who resettled in the area approximately seven years ago. Some of us had the opportunity to speak with them in person after worship—to hear first-hand how much it meant to be in relationship with the people of Kittamaqundi, as they oriented to life in a strange country and worked toward becoming self-sufficient. Their visit helped affirm our decision to apply to co-sponsor one of the many families currently resettling from Afghanistan. We’ve heard it called “The Long Welcome,” to reflect its long-term, broad-scope commitment. Given that we officially applied for co-sponsorship on September 25th, The Long Welcome has initially been a long wait. As one of the thousands of organizations that offered to become co-sponsors, we’ve been waiting for a resettlement agency to contact us about the next steps. But we didn’t just wait—we began planning what would need to be in place to support a refugee family—a process that included identifying key leadership positions and basic ministry structure. Just this week, we finally proceeded to our next step: beginning the screening and orientation process under the local Lutheran Social Services (LSS) resettlement agency—bringing us one step closer to connecting with an incoming family. LSS calls us “Good Neighbor Partners,” as we will offer an essential level of commitment, continuity, and care for a refugee family that resettles in this area. As Good Neighbor Partners, we’ve committed to supporting a family for one year, including providing rent assistance for nine months and additional support encompassing arranging suitable housing, acquiring household goods, obtaining public benefits, transportation, job development, healthcare advocacy, school system navigation, mentoring, and much more. Thirty-three parishioners, along with four additional people from partner-organization Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers), have committed to actively serving in this ministry. Additionally, we’ve been networking with organizations experienced in the resettlement process, including Luminous of Howard County, a long-standing support organization for immigrants that has offered to serve as a resource to us. We’re also engaged in discussion with several local faith communities that are considering partnering with us in this endeavor. As your Deacon, I’m awed by Christ Church’s response in stepping up to meet the needs of the world. It’s exciting to see how much people care and want to help—a true testament to what it means to love our neighbors, to seek and serve Christ in all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. As we proceed on this journey, there’s much work to be done, and it will take many people and much dedication to ensure we can successfully support a refugee family. What Do We Have in Place? We recently identified parishioners to fill key roles in the ministry. First, Cherryllynn Williams and Jan DeBoissiere have stepped up to co-lead our ministry group. They will organize focus groups, run ministry meetings and delegate initial tasks, and oversee communications to the ministry. Additionally, Diana Hall will serve as Finance Coordinator. As our primary liaison to Christ Church’s Treasurer, Diana will track all financial donations to the ministry and all expenditures in support of our assigned family. We have quite a head start in this area, thanks to a very generous contribution from one of our parishioners that will enable us to fully cover the first three months' rent for the family. Our Fundraising Focus Group will be planning ways to collect additional funds we know we’ll need to help support this family for The Long Welcome. Finally, Pat DeLorenzo and Paula Rees will work together as our Support/Logistics Coordinators. In this critical role, they’ll be the on-call point people the family will contact when they need something and will coordinate responses from our roster of active volunteers. What Are the Next Steps? 1) Background Checks: We’re providing LSS contact information on our 37 active volunteers for background checks. Anyone who will have contact of any duration with the family—even to drop off a meal—must complete this screening. Volunteers will soon receive a link via email to complete the screening by December 4th. 2) Orientation: All volunteers who will have contact with the family must also complete a virtual LSS orientation/training session. That session is scheduled for Thursday, December 9th, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Two make-up sessions will be available on Monday, December 13th, and Monday, December 20th from 6:00-7:30 p.m., for those who can’t make the initial session. 3) Assignment: Once we complete background checks and orientation for all active volunteers, LSS will match us with an incoming family. Once the assignment occurs, we then wait for LSS to receive the family’s travel date from wherever they’re temporarily housed/being processed. Generally, LSS gets notice of a travel date one-two weeks in advance. Once they’re notified, they let us know and work with us to prepare for the family’s imminent arrival. Given this process, most likely our assigned family won’t actually arrive in Maryland until after Christmas. While we don’t currently have an exact date and don’t know the exact makeup of the family, the leadership team is in full swing planning for the things we can put in place now. Focus groups are forming around Housing Set-up, Transportation, Fundraising/In-Kind Donations, Job Development, English as a Second Language (ESL) Assistance, and Benefits/Resources. How Can You Help? If you’re interested in supporting one of our focus groups, please reach out to Jan and Cherryllynn. There will be many tasks, and some will not require direct contact with the family and thus not require background checks/orientation. But as new people wish to join the active volunteer roster, we’ll get them cleared and trained. Beyond this, at the moment, our #1 priority is arranging housing. We signed up to do this so we could ensure the family will be located in reasonable proximity to our volunteers. And a primary concern is that the housing is financially sustainable for the family long-term, once they no longer receive rent support/assistance. A secondary consideration is a proximity to public transportation. Our leadership team has begun researching suitable options within a 15-mile radius of Christ Church and will be reaching out to make inquiries about leasing offices. Ideally, we’ll find an apartment the family can settle into long-term and are considering nearby areas including North Laurel, Elkridge, Jessup, and Burtonsville. If you have a solid lead on a housing option or a connection to a landlord/leasing office, please reach out to Jan and Cherryllynn. Additionally, if you’d like to make a financial donation specifically for this ministry, those funds will be used to directly support the family with things like rent assistance, household supplies, school supplies, gift cards, etc. When submitting your donation, please mark the memo line (either on your check or online) with the notation “For the Refugee Ministry.” Christ Church has so many talents and gifts to share, and we hope you’ll embark on this journey with us in some way. Our next ministry meeting will be Tuesday, November 23rd, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., with regular weekly meetings to follow on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Please check our weekly Monday emails for Zoom details. If you have any questions about this ministry, please don’t hesitate to email me, Jan, or Cherryllynn. Thank you for all that you do to serve the needs of the world. —Denise

With the holidays around the corner, it's also the time of year when we also experience more than a few online and email scams. Oftentimes, an email will be received that appears to be from someone you know, but upon closer inspection it is not. In recent years, we have seen scams that center around what appears to be a Christ Church staff member or Diocese of Maryland personnel's email account, but turns out to be anything but. It's important to be very thorough with verifying these emails before doing anything. The emails seem harmless; they usually have the rector or staff member's name and an email address that looks legitimate, but upon further inspection you'll see that the email address is actually from a provider different than the "@christchurchcolumbia.org" address that we typically, and securely, use. In some instances, the sender’s name may look correct but is missing a single letter. Or, it may otherwise closely resemble the real email address; for example, bob@churchstaff.org becomes bobchurchstaff@gmail.com, or similar. The sender might ask for you to help them by purchasing gift cards and sending them the details, or to provide your banking info, Social Security number, or other private credentials. If you receive an email like this but you're unsure of its authenticity, please do not respond directly to it or click any links in the email. Instead, email our Communications Administrator, Chris, at communciations@christchurchcolumbia.org and place "Phishing scam?" in the subject line. Do not forward the actual email; instead, you can type the sender's email address in the message body or take a screenshot of the email (how to do this - Windows / Mac / Android / iPhone) and include that image in your email. We will tell you if the address is in our official CEC database, or if it appears to be a scam. The safety of every parishioner is paramount to us, and we will help if we can. If you have the slightest question about a questionable, received email, please email us at the above address and leave a phone number that we can call you back at. We will help go through steps to resolve the concern. General email DOs and DON’Ts: DO double-check your emails carefully. DON’T ever respond to an email asking you for money. DO verify in person, by email to a trusted address, or by phone any request involving money or personal information. DON’T reply. DON’T click on any links within the message. You can learn more about how to protect yourself, as well as how to report suspected phishing emails or text messages, by visiting the Federal Trade Commission's website here. If you got a phishing email, forward it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you got a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726).

Last month, we met an Afghan family sponsored by Kittamaqundi Community Church, who resettled in the area approximately seven years ago. Some of us had the opportunity to speak with them in person after worship—to hear first-hand how much it meant to be in relationship with the people of Kittamaqundi, as they oriented to life in a strange country and worked toward becoming self-sufficient. Their visit helped affirm our decision to apply to co-sponsor one of the many families currently resettling from Afghanistan. We’ve heard it called “The Long Welcome,” to reflect its long-term, broad-scope commitment. Given that we officially applied for co-sponsorship on September 25th, The Long Welcome has initially been a long wait. As one of the thousands of organizations that offered to become co-sponsors, we’ve been waiting for a resettlement agency to contact us about the next steps. But we didn’t just wait—we began planning what would need to be in place to support a refugee family—a process that included identifying key leadership positions and basic ministry structure. Just this week, we finally proceeded to our next step: beginning the screening and orientation process under the local Lutheran Social Services (LSS) resettlement agency—bringing us one step closer to connecting with an incoming family. LSS calls us “Good Neighbor Partners,” as we will offer an essential level of commitment, continuity, and care for a refugee family that resettles in this area. As Good Neighbor Partners, we’ve committed to supporting a family for one year, including providing rent assistance for nine months and additional support encompassing arranging suitable housing, acquiring household goods, obtaining public benefits, transportation, job development, healthcare advocacy, school system navigation, mentoring, and much more. Thirty-three parishioners, along with four additional people from partner-organization Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers), have committed to actively serving in this ministry. Additionally, we’ve been networking with organizations experienced in the resettlement process, including Luminous of Howard County, a long-standing support organization for immigrants that has offered to serve as a resource to us. We’re also engaged in discussion with several local faith communities that are considering partnering with us in this endeavor. As your Deacon, I’m awed by Christ Church’s response in stepping up to meet the needs of the world. It’s exciting to see how much people care and want to help—a true testament to what it means to love our neighbors, to seek and serve Christ in all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. As we proceed on this journey, there’s much work to be done, and it will take many people and much dedication to ensure we can successfully support a refugee family. What Do We Have in Place? We recently identified parishioners to fill key roles in the ministry. First, Cherryllynn Williams and Jan DeBoissiere have stepped up to co-lead our ministry group. They will organize focus groups, run ministry meetings and delegate initial tasks, and oversee communications to the ministry. Additionally, Diana Hall will serve as Finance Coordinator. As our primary liaison to Christ Church’s Treasurer, Diana will track all financial donations to the ministry and all expenditures in support of our assigned family. We have quite a head start in this area, thanks to a very generous contribution from one of our parishioners that will enable us to fully cover the first three months' rent for the family. Our Fundraising Focus Group will be planning ways to collect additional funds we know we’ll need to help support this family for The Long Welcome. Finally, Pat DeLorenzo and Paula Rees will work together as our Support/Logistics Coordinators. In this critical role, they’ll be the on-call point people the family will contact when they need something and will coordinate responses from our roster of active volunteers. What Are the Next Steps? 1) Background Checks: We’re providing LSS contact information on our 37 active volunteers for background checks. Anyone who will have contact of any duration with the family—even to drop off a meal—must complete this screening. Volunteers will soon receive a link via email to complete the screening by December 4th. 2) Orientation: All volunteers who will have contact with the family must also complete a virtual LSS orientation/training session. That session is scheduled for Thursday, December 9th, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Two make-up sessions will be available on Monday, December 13th, and Monday, December 20th from 6:00-7:30 p.m., for those who can’t make the initial session. 3) Assignment: Once we complete background checks and orientation for all active volunteers, LSS will match us with an incoming family. Once the assignment occurs, we then wait for LSS to receive the family’s travel date from wherever they’re temporarily housed/being processed. Generally, LSS gets notice of a travel date one-two weeks in advance. Once they’re notified, they let us know and work with us to prepare for the family’s imminent arrival. Given this process, most likely our assigned family won’t actually arrive in Maryland until after Christmas. While we don’t currently have an exact date and don’t know the exact makeup of the family, the leadership team is in full swing planning for the things we can put in place now. Focus groups are forming around Housing Set-up, Transportation, Fundraising/In-Kind Donations, Job Development, English as a Second Language (ESL) Assistance, and Benefits/Resources. How Can You Help? If you’re interested in supporting one of our focus groups, please reach out to Jan and Cherryllynn. There will be many tasks, and some will not require direct contact with the family and thus not require background checks/orientation. But as new people wish to join the active volunteer roster, we’ll get them cleared and trained. Beyond this, at the moment, our #1 priority is arranging housing. We signed up to do this so we could ensure the family will be located in reasonable proximity to our volunteers. And a primary concern is that the housing is financially sustainable for the family long-term, once they no longer receive rent support/assistance. A secondary consideration is a proximity to public transportation. Our leadership team has begun researching suitable options within a 15-mile radius of Christ Church and will be reaching out to make inquiries about leasing offices. Ideally, we’ll find an apartment the family can settle into long-term and are considering nearby areas including North Laurel, Elkridge, Jessup, and Burtonsville. If you have a solid lead on a housing option or a connection to a landlord/leasing office, please reach out to Jan and Cherryllynn. Additionally, if you’d like to make a financial donation specifically for this ministry, those funds will be used to directly support the family with things like rent assistance, household supplies, school supplies, gift cards, etc. When submitting your donation, please mark the memo line (either on your check or online) with the notation “For the Refugee Ministry.” Christ Church has so many talents and gifts to share, and we hope you’ll embark on this journey with us in some way. Our next ministry meeting will be Tuesday, November 23rd, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., with regular weekly meetings to follow on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Please check our weekly Monday emails for Zoom details. If you have any questions about this ministry, please don’t hesitate to email me, Jan, or Cherryllynn. Thank you for all that you do to serve the needs of the world. —Denise

Join Christ Church’s Racially Aware Group of Episcopalians this Tuesday, November 16th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. as we hear from special guest Dr. C. Shawn McGuffey, Associate Professor of Sociology and African & African Diaspora Studies at Boston College. Dr. McGuffey will lead us in exploring how we can navigate through a post-George Floyd world, the intersectionality of systemic racial inequalities, and ways to support members of the African Diaspora in our own community. This is a rare opportunity to have an open conversation and ask questions of a distinguished expert on these critical issues. The session is open to all, so please join us. Email communications@christchurchcolumbia.org for the Zoom details.