Pentecost XXII 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist in New Brick Collect for Today: O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Psalm 98 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38 Sermon for Today: Rev. Yehinuel Odidi delivers today's sermon, and you can view it in the video below once the service starts. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

A growing number of our neighbors can’t afford to buy groceries due to the government shutdown and an interruption in food-stamp benefits known as SNAP. The Community Action Council of Howard County  (CAC), which operates the Howard County Food Bank, has extended hours and has urged community support. One way to help is by manning the booth at the Fall Food Drive that Christ Church will hold this Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1 to 5 p.m., at Dorsey’s Search Giant supermarket, 4715 Dorsey Hall Drive, Ellicott City. The supermarket limits the size of our group; however, many of you have already signed up for a one-hour shift, so thank you! Another way is by doing a little shopping at Giant this Saturday, and the groceries collected from shoppers will go to the Food Bank and its gluten-free partner, SAFE .  Every package, every container, every bag, and every box of food makes a difference! If you are still interested in learning the many ways you can assist during this food crisis, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org to see which slots remain available or to get more information.

This past Saturday, we gathered in the Great Hall of New Brick for the Christ Church Annual Auction. This year, we were transported to Italy - that is why our theme is Grazie (Thank you). It was a great evening of good company and fun, with bidding and out-bidding each other, and raising over $ 20,000.00 to support our common life. The auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and I couldn’t be prouder of all the volunteers, donors, and attendees who spent so much to make sure that the evening was beautiful, fun, and engaging. There’s no way we could have had such a wonderful evening without the contributions of every single one of our leadership team and volunteers. To all of you, Grazie. The following day was our Pledge Sunday. We launched our pledge drive in late September, inviting every single parishioner to support our common life with an annual pledge. These pledges are critically important to the overall sustainability of our congregation. In many ways, your pledges are the lifeblood of this congregation, and we depend on them to prepare our ministry resources for each year. I do not have the numbers of how much was pledged and how many parishioners have returned their pledges. But I’d like to say that the joy of knowing that all of you believe in God, believe in the good news of Jesus Christ, believe in the new life that is made possible by the Holy Spirit, which empowers us, and believe that Christ Church endeavors to live out those beliefs that you hold so dear, fills me with unimaginable joy. Many are the nights when I stay awake in prayer for our congregation and for all who worship here. Of the prayers for healing, peace, direction, guidance and comfort, I also pray that God touches each and every soul with the hand that invites is to be vulnerable. As I indicated in my sermon last Sunday, to be vulnerable isn’t about being a weakling or being weak.  Vulnerability is the kind of strength that makes it totally possible for you and me to surrender to God. Vulnerability creates in us that same assurance that Zechariah saw in his vision during the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The work of building the temple had stalled, and there was a growing sense of frustration. But in a vision, God uses Zechariah to pass on this message to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.’  What God seemed to be saying to Zerubbabel was that it wouldn’t be by your cleverness, ability, physical strength, or wisdom that the temple would be rebuilt; the temple would be rebuilt only by the Spirit of God. Vulnerability is the ability to embrace the awareness that it is not by our strength and might, but by the Spirit of God. The Spirit always invites us to surrender to God. And it is only when we surrender to God that we refuse to shy away from the daily thoughts of Grazie. We don’t shy away from living lives of Grazie because we do not doubt our minds that the God who invites us to be vulnerable is the same God who makes all things possible. It is this abiding awareness that leads us to reach out in acts of mercy, compassion, and kindness. We commit ourselves to this spirit of vulnerability, and by so doing, we are empowered to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ and to take the good news of God’s redemptive love to the many places where there’s an obvious lack. I am not exactly sure how many of you get to be asked this question: ‘What does Christ Church stand for?’ I'm asked this question all the time. And whenever I am asked that question, I do not hesitate to offer credit to you, our faithful parishioners, who have been such a huge blessing to this community of faith. It is through your faithful witness that Christ Church can bear aloft the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To each of you, Grazie. How often do you say Grazie , for both the uncommon favors and the common ones? The great philosopher, Cicero, once said that “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” Not only does Grazie remind us that it is not by our strength and power, but it raises within us that unique spirit of compassion-if someone has shown favor to me, I ought to show favor to another. It isn’t surprising that Jesus reminds us in the gospel of Luke, ‘ Do unto others as you would have them do to you.’ If you want to be shown compassion, you must first be compassionate. Grazie constrains the pride within us and imbues us with a humble spirit. The truth is, it is only the humble spirit that can acknowledge the gracious favor of God working through another person. That humble spirit understands that it is not by might, nor by power, but it is by the Spirit. And that the Spirit moves people to act. And when people act, we should always remember the solemn word, Grazie . Grazie builds within us the sweet culture of praise. And we praise, not only because of what God has done for us, but because God continues to put a new song in our mouths. And in response to the new song, we say Grazie, we praise God, we honor God, and we rejoice in God.  Listen to St. Augustine: “Happiness is to rejoice in you and for you and because of you. This is true happiness and there is no other. Those who think that there is another kind of happiness look for joy elsewhere, but theirs is not true joy.” We look for our happiness in the God of our savior Jesus Christ. We rejoice in this one God. And we offer our Grazie to this one God who makes all the difference in our lives. Grazie for your total commitment to this God and to Christ Church. Deo Gracias.  Manny+

Pentecost XXI 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist in New Brick Collect for Today: Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 Psalm 119:137-144 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Luke 19:1-10 Sermon for Today: Father Manny delivers today's sermon, and you can view it in the video below once the service starts. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

Christ Church Sends Aid to Victims of Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean Last week, Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a deadly Category 5 storm, which an official in an NBC News report described as the most intense to hit Jamaica since record-keeping began. Melissa also caused destruction or loss of lives in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. In response, Outreach Commission members voted to contribute $500 to UNICEF, which said in an online post on Oct. 31 that it had resources in place to swiftly help displaced families. UNICEF estimated Melissa had impacted the lives of more than 700,000 children in the Caribbean. These are Vestry-approved funds derived from your pledges and contributions. Thank you! Christ Church Offers Two Ways to Help Howard County Face a Hunger Crisis A growing number of our neighbors can’t afford to buy groceries due to the government shutdown and an interruption in food-stamp benefits known as SNAP. The Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), which operates the Howard County Food Bank, has extended hours and urged community support.   One way to help is by participating in the Fall Food Drive that Christ Church will hold this Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1 to 5 p.m., at Dorsey’s Search Giant supermarket, 4715 Dorsey Hall Drive, Ellicott City, Md. The supermarket limits the size of the group, and many of you have signed up for a one-hour shift. If you are interested, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org to learn if a slot is available. Groceries collected from shoppers will go to the Food Bank and its gluten-free partner, SAFE .    A heart-warming way to help while at church is to contribute items to our annual Thanksgiving collection of non-perishables. Given that providers expect many more people will require help beyond the holiday, please bring in more than the traditional thanksgiving sides such as boxed stuffing, cranberry sauce, and canned vegetables. Feel free to put these along with items like tuna, peanut butter, pasta, soup and cereal in the marked boxes in New Brick. The collection for the food bank runs through Thursday, Nov. 20.  Deadline Extended for Items Going to Baltimore International Seafarers Center The Women of Christ Church (WOCC) will give parishioners more time to shop for the Baltimore International Seafarers Center , and has narrowed its wish list. The deadline is Thursday, Nov. 20, and the items are: warm hats and scarves (no fringe or woolen balls), warm gloves, and hand-warming packets. Place these in the designated bin in the Tower Room to brighten the holidays for mariners who are so far from home. The Center is a ministry to ships that come into Baltimore Harbor and is supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland in its annual Bishop’s Appeal . If you have questions, please speak with Carolann Sawyer or Cindy Read. Invitation: Attend an Outreach Meeting and Help Grassroots on Monday, Nov. 10 On the second Monday of each month, the Outreach Commission holds a remote meeting on Zoom at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. Please join in to learn many ways to help others. Email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org for the Zoom link. Earlier in the day, the experience is hands-on as the meals team feeds the hungry at two sites operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center .   At midday, a group led by Outreach member Shahra Toth makes side dishes and desserts that our volunteers serve in person after car-pooling to Grassroots’ Day Resource Center (DRC) in Jessup. To help on Monday, November 10, please refer to our  DRC online signup form  for details. Meet-up and drop-off time is 12:45 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick. We last participated on Oct. 13 (see photos).    Parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal arrive between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick, where a volunteer picks up the food for delivery to Grassroots’ Emergency Shelter. Its staff handles serving that meal to shelter residents, who include numerous children. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form . It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day, in total, feeding about 150 people. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds cover the cost of the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you! Kindness is Needed, Now More than Ever Dear friends, it is time to shop for those of our LEMS neighbors who need food and household items to get them through this tough time. We are all painfully aware of how many families in our area have lost jobs or are working without pay, and although we have just been informed that some SNAP benefits may be renewed, we don't yet know when this will occur or whether the full payment will be restored. The staff at LEMS has requested specific goods, so please visit CECevents.org/LEMS-Kindness and sign up for one or more items: Boxes of cereal Bags or boxes of white rice Cans of stew, chili, or soup Toothpaste Paper Towels Reusable shopping bags All donations must be brought to the narthex of New Brick by next Sunday, November 16, and placed in the blue bin. If you have any questions, please contact us at LEMS@ChristChurchColumbia.org . Thanks for being God's Light to the World! MOCC's Random Act of Kindness The MOCC's current R.A.K. ( Random Act of Kindness ) is supporting Comfort Cases, and they can use your donations and assistance. A Comfort Case is a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide comfort for youth as they enter the local foster care system. In today's world, the number of kids entering the foster care system is rising, and so anything that can be done to help provide a level of comfort and care for the youngest is welcome. The MOCC is accepting donations from now through January 10th, and you can find details and a donation bin in the Narthex. You can also speak with Duane Smith, Ed Chrzanowski, or any other MOCC member to get more information about Comfort Cases or upcoming MOCC gatherings. FISH and CCC Have Combined Pantries, and FISH Needs Phone Volunteers FISH and  Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered earlier this year and merged their food pantries. CCC continues its distributions at three sites on Saturday mornings and by home delivery to Howard County residents. For information, go online to Get Help or look for updates on CCC’s Facebook page . FISH continues to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Please keep bringing baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes. FISH will continue to provide guidance and financial support by telephone because the personal touch is very important in times of crisis. Consider volunteering from home by dedicating just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from FISH's financial assistance. Training is provided. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com . Thanks for your support. 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.

Join seekers of a deeper relationship with the Divine at the 2nd Saturday Center for Spiritual Nourishment. The CSN on Saturday, November 8 offers free experiences that engage the mind, body, and spirit by offering safe spaces to explore an array of opportunities for spiritual growth.  The CSN is for anyone interested in spiritual nourishment, regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual beliefs. Come for one session or the entire morning. November’s CSN includes free group sessions for Spiritual Direction, Contemplative Meditation, Praying Through Art, Self and Spirit: Finding Forgiveness (discussion), and Spiritual Practices: Becoming Love (discussion).  We will also be showing the movie Same Kind of Different As Me .  The morning concludes with a short Reflection Circle Service. If you want to learn more about future Center for Spiritual Nourishment events, submit your email address below to receive regularly updated information (we will not share or sell your address to anyone). Whether you've joined us before or are a first-timer, we are sure that there's something special waiting for you here. Everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you there! Schedule of Events: 8:30 – 9:00: Breakfast and social time 9:00 – 10:00: Conversations on Spiritual Practices : Becoming Love                       Contemplative Meditation                       Spiritual Direction Group Drawn to God: Praying Through Art 9:00 – 11:15: Film screening: Same Kind of Different As Me 10:15 – 11:15: Contemplative Meditation                       Self and Spirit: Creation and Spirit                      Spiritual Direction Group 11:30 – 11:50: Reflection - Circle Service Join us on Saturday, November 8 as we offer: Spiritual Direction Group led by Carol Abbott November’s session will focus on the Gospel of Mark and the season of winter, with a framing question, “ How can we endure the season of suffering?” In this spiritual discernment and direction group we practice listening deeply to each other using prompts from scripture, poetry, nature, and our bodies. These practices are designed to help us notice and respond to the voice of the Holy moving in our lives. Two sessions, both the same. Drawn to God: Praying Through Art led by Jenn Lavanish and Mike Looney God gave everyone a gift-  a special aptitude, ability, power or talent. And gifts are meant to be an act. A verb  - to bestow, share and connect. “ Drawn to God” is a place for spiritual nourishment through the practice of creating.  Creating ways to engage with God. A short session of fellowship in process oriented art projects. Art as Prayer and Prayer as Art. No matter what gifts or talents you bring, you will be inspired to become a maker- and enjoy a moment of creative flow. Plus it is just fun to make things. The joy is in the journey, your creation your reward. Session led by Mike Looney with content provided from our resident expert, Jenn Lavanish. Film Screening: Same Kind of Different As Me led by George Toth A true story of a most unlikely friendship forged from unconditional love. Ron Hall, a successful art dealer, has a comfortable life with a devoted wife and wonderful children, and yet he feels empty and starts drifting. Debbie, his very sensitive devoted wife, feels the drift and confronts him about a suspected affair, but forgives him and allows Ron to choose and follow his desires; he chooses her, but there’s a cost. Ron must learn to love again, so Debbie coerces him to serve at the homeless shelter serving those with the least means. See how Love can change lives and create something of great value from something society has discarded. Contemplative Meditation led by Leah Chrest Discover the desire God has to commune with us and how to inwardly attune ourselves to the Spirit's voice.  Learn about the history of contemplative Christianity, study the power of breathwork, be led through guided visualizations, become proficient in multiple techniques for stilling the mind, and practice drawing focus into your heart center.  In a mixture of teaching, discussion, and practice, strengthen your ability to engage in the equally important side of the conversation with God--if prayer is talking to the Lord, meditation is listening to God’s voice, and being changed by God’s presence.  Self and Spirit : Finding Forgiveness led by Michael Looney Join us for a timely discussion as we explore forgiveness and how it is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves.  We will focus on how it impacts our spiritual health and discuss how to forgive even when there is deep hurt.  Spiritual Practices and Growth: Becoming Love led by Rev. Manny Mercer How well do you know yourself? Which practices help you in trying to discern who you are, your relationship with God and how to best nurture that relationship? Join us in a conversation about how we can better know ourselves and deepen our relationship with God. If self-knowing leads to greater participation in life, then join us as we journey to better know ourselves. June session will be focused on Becoming Love . Have Questions? Wish to Help Lead Future CSN Sessions?

Christ Church's popular First Wednesday Fellowship series brings the heat! Join us for a wonderful opportunity to share a meal with our fellow parishioners, meet new ones, and enjoy fun-filled games. It's the perfect way to connect and spend a few hours with friends, both old and new. November's FWF is tonight - Wednesday, November 5th - and will be a chili and game night, so bring a pot of tasty (and maybe spicy!) chili to share. You may have a mild recipe, or a spicier one - all are welcome. Maybe you have a recipe you've tuned to perfection, and if so, we would love to try some—but be sure to warn us if it's a hot one! You can also bring a salad, side, or dessert, if you wish. And bring your favorite card or board game so that we can have some group fun after dinner.  Donations are always appreciated (write "FWF" in the memo line), but the most important part is having you there, so we hope to see you!

WOCC's NOVEMBER MEETING on Zoom at 7:30 tonight The WOCC's monthly meeting is tonight at 7:30 p.m. and is entirely virtual, so we hope this allows everyone who may be busy during the day to stay home, log in, and join us. We'll discuss the upcoming WOCC and Christ Church holiday events as well as continue to talk about our 2026 fellowship and outreach plans. Whether it's your first time or you're a regular, we look forward to seeing you on Zoom! We sent the link to our mailing list earlier today, but if you need it, email WOCC@christchurchcolumbia.org for the info.   #womenofchristchurch   #wocc   #episcomd   #christianwomencommunity   #fellowship   #GatheredTogether

Christ Church offers this truly beautiful service of contemplative prayer and music in the tradition of the Taizé community of France, which promotes peace and justice through prayer and meditation. November's Taizé Vespers reflect on Thanksgiving, which is appropriate, given the season. Emphasizing attention to silence, prayer, and singing, Taizé provides an opportunity to offer praise and thanksgiving for God's love and presence in one's life, to pray for oneself and others, and to share in a supportive community. Join us at 6 p.m. this Sunday in New Brick for this powerful and peaceful worship service.   #taize   #PeacefulWorship   #peacefulworship   #Thanksgiving   #Vespers   #EveningPrayer   #eveningprayer   #HoCoMD   #hocomd   #episcomd   You can watch the Taizé livestream below, and find the service leaflet here .

A few days ago, one of our parishioners inquired if I would be interested in being interviewed for an immigration project for high school students in the area. Without any hesitation, I readily accepted the invitation and was interviewed this past Tuesday in Old Brick. The gentleman who interviewed me thought we would be using my office for the interview, but I took him to Old Brick, the little sanctuary on top of the hill, which has seen so much, heard so much, and been a part of so much. If Old Brick had a mouth, what would it tell us about itself, its builders, and every single individual who had walked into that building to seek comfort, solace, hope, renewal, and grace to carry on? But unfortunately, Old Brick has no mouth and so it cannot tell us its story. That is why we must speak for it. It was a surreal moment, being in that sanctuary, and recounting my own life as an immigrant who got a shot at the American Dream. But it wasn’t lost on me, that many of the people who built the sanctuary were immigrants too-either they or their ancestors were forcibly brought to this part of Maryland where being a part of a community of faith meant that they had to support the building of a church or they and their ancestors voluntarily came to this part of Maryland because of whatever issues that they were dealing with in Europe. But be that as it may, we had immigrants or descendants of immigrants who gathered in Old Brick to worship, and for me, the optics spoke volumes.  Old Brick itself, like many historical buildings in the US, was built by descendants of immigrants, whether enslaved or free. There has never been a time when immigrants or their descendants have not made significant contributions to the wealth and prosperity of this country. However, all that history is being pushed aside because we now live in an unsettled world where even the most recent events are being whitewashed. As I sat in Old Brick for the interview, it occurred to me that immigrants, whether they arrived legally or illegally, feel unsettled because they can never tell who or what can cause their arrest and subsequent deportation. As I write this piece, I am acutely aware of the fact that our federal government has been shut down for approximately 27 days. A searing image I saw was one of federal workers lining up at a food bank to pick up food for themselves and their families. How come? What happened? I can only imagine how those who just started working for the federal government might be feeling right now. They haven't had the chance to save up because of other bills, such as car loans, tuition, and utilities, among many others. As I consider those who haven't saved and those who couldn't save, I am also thinking about those who rely on the federal government for SNAP benefits. How will these people make it if these benefits cease over the weekend? Although there have been previous government shutdowns, these are particularly challenging times for millions of Americans. The effects of the rise in inflation are felt by those who have the least among us. Whenever I go to the grocery store, pick a few items, and walk to the counter, my eyes are always fixed on the total. I don't want to pay more than I need to. But I am paying more because of inflation. There is an unsettled feeling about even going out to shop for groceries. But we have to eat, and so we swallow the pill and go. On top of all the dire challenges that people are facing, we turned on our TVs and saw the demolition of the East Wing of the iconic White House. I have never been inside the White House, and I don’t know if I will ever have the opportunity to visit. However, I recall that as an immigrant, one of the first places I visited upon arriving in the United States as a student was the White House. I stood behind the walls with my friends and admired an edifice that I had long dreamed about. It is beautiful, I said to myself. Now, I know where the powerful man on the planet lives. But whichever way you see it, it is a temporary residence, and I have seen five presidents move in and out of the White House. As I watched the demolished East Wing, I asked myself, "Where in Western Europe would you see one man give permission for one of their iconic buildings to be demolished to make way for a new one?" Nowhere! What surprised me the most was an article I read that there is not even a permit for the construction of a new ballroom. But these are the sort of things that can happen when you live in an unsettled world. People make decisions that serve parochial interests. The downside is that nothing gets settled. How often do they throw big parties at the White House? How many people attend these parties that we need a ballroom for 900 people? And if we desperately need a ballroom, do we have to destroy part of the building to build a new one? I don’t think so. But here we are, in an unsettled world where one man’s decisions and inordinate desires seem to supersede those of the collective. In addition to all the headaches we are trying to sort out in our lives and the communities in which we live, we have others who have been busy scamming other folks. A few days ago, a parishioner was scammed by as much as $1200.00. This parishioner believed that an email request was from me, and so, being as faithful as this parishioner was, they responded to the email. When all was said and done, they had lost that much money. Acts like these add to that general disposition of being unsettled. They create anxiety and mistrust within us and among us. These are the times when we begin to ask ourselves, "Who is it that deserves our trust? Who is it that deserves our sympathy? Who is it that deserves our compassion?" The tearful part is that we can never tell if being vulnerable enough to help is enough reason to be taken advantage of. It is not the case that we have lived in a world where there were no issues or in a settled world. The world has always had problems. But it is one thing if the problems are man-made, where we see our neighbors’ actions exerting the most harm on others, and it is another if it is an act of nature-like the earthquake which occurred in Columbia and surrounding areas a few days ago or the devastating hurricane that has ripped apart the Caribbean, destroyed life and property and created a humanitarian disaster for the people of Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and other countries. We may not be able to control nature, but we can certainly control the human desire to create disasters and then benefit from them. Naomi Klein calls it Disaster Capitalism. I’d like to conclude with this quote: ‘Be the reason that someone believes in goodness again. Not because you’re perfect but because you chose to be kind when you had every reason not to. You smiled through your storms. You listened even when your own heart was breaking. You showed up with softness in a world that often isn’t. And maybe, that’s where real strength lies. Being gentle when life gave you every reason to be hard.’ In an unsettled world, we will need people with strength, not machismo, to help settle the world with gentleness. Could you be one of the people we can count on? I pray you are.   Manny+

Counting Down to Help Feed Hungry Neighbors at Our Fall Food Drive Next Saturday Afternoon, November 8 Christ Church holds this hands-on, multi-generational activity twice a year, in spring and fall. Don’t miss the chance to help during the Fall Food Drive next Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Dorsey’s Search Giant supermarket, 4715 Dorsey Hall Drive, Ellicott City, Md., 21043 . Look for a signup sheet in the Narthex or in Old Brick. Please volunteer for a one-hour shift. To learn more, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Groceries collected from shoppers will go to two food pantries that help low-income families and individuals. The Howard County Food Bank is operated by the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC). Its partner, SAFE , provides free gluten-free and allergy-safe foods. At our Spring Food Drive, held at a Giant supermarket in Clarksville, we collected 1,294 pounds; at the 2024 Fall Food Drive held at Dorsey’s Search, the haul was 1,440 pounds . Together, that totals more than a ton of food and staples! During the drives, the experience provides hands-on service not only to our volunteers but also to shoppers we approach with a list of requested items.  The timing matters even more now as the federal government shutdown is expected to cut off food-stamp benefits known as SNAP. Access to food and necessities is a lifeline for people struggling to make ends meet, whose numbers in Howard County have grown due to inflation, workforce reductions, and other factors. Thanks for Helping Replenish the Pantry at Grassroots’ Day Resource Center Christ Church helps feed the hungry, month in and m onth out, through the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center . Recently, the staff at its Day Resource Center (DRC) at the Leola Dorsey Center told our meals team that its pantry was bare. Demand is up among DRC clients, many of whom live outdoors in vehicles or tents near MD Rt. 1 in Jessup.   The Outreach Commission at its Oct. 13 meeting approved a purchase of $480 for 42 cases of canned meats, soups, vegetables, and fruits. Outreach members George and Shahra Toth delivered the groceries on Oct. 17th. All was purchased with Vestry-approved funds donated by parishioners to the church. A heartfelt thanks to all of you! Two Heart-Warming Ways to Help the Baltimore International Seafarers Center The Women of Christ Church (WOCC) will deliver donations to the Baltimore International Seafarers Center in mid-November. The Seafarers Center helps seamen and women whose ships come into the Baltimore Harbor. The Center appreciates receiving any of the following items for the mariners: calendars for 2026, warm hats and scarves (no fringe or woolen balls), warm gloves, hand-warming packets, stationery, magazines (e.g., current affairs, sports, and activity magazines, National Geographic, Smithsonian, etc.). Please, no toiletries will be accepted. Donations should be placed in the designated bin in the Tower Room by Monday, Nov. 10. This will be our last trip to the Center before Christmas. Let’s try to brighten the holidays for those who are so far from home. If you have questions, please speak with Carolann Sawyer or Cindy Read. The Seafarers Center will hold its first-ever fun run on Saturday, Dec. 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas of Myra. The St. Nicholas Fun Run 2025 is named after the patron saint of sailors, who is remembered today for his generous spirit and care for those in need. On that day, plan to drop in any time between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Center, 1430 Wallace St., Baltimore, Md. 21230, and proceed to nearby Ft. McHenry National Monument to do three laps around the fort, 2400 E. Fort Ave., Baltimore. Runners are promised snacks, swag, and other surprises. Alternatively, you can participate virtually and run wherever you would like. Virtual runners can pick up their swag by stopping at the Center between Monday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 6. Please register here by the Nov. 30 deadline to participate virtually or in person. The price is $54 plus a $4 signup fee. Each registered runner will receive a hat bearing the logo of the Center, which is a ministry supported by the  Episcopal Diocese of Maryland in its annual Bishop’s Appeal . FISH and CCC Have Combined Pantries, and FISH Needs Phone Volunteers FISH and  Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered earlier this year and merged their food pantries. CCC continues its distributions at three sites on Saturday mornings and by home delivery to Howard County residents. For information, go online to Get Help or look for updates on CCC’s Facebook page . FISH continues to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Please keep bringing baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes. FISH will continue to provide guidance and financial support by telephone because the personal touch is very important in times of crisis. Consider volunteering from home by dedicating just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from FISH's financial assistance. Training is provided. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com . Thanks for your support. 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.