A Newsletter by and for the people of Christ Church Bronxville

TheSpire

Nov. 2008 VOL. LXIII, No. 3

Contact us:914.337.3544

Monday-Thursday

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Fridays9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

www.ccbny.org

Children’s Formation 2 Adult Formation 3

Youth & Confirmation 4

Music at CCB 5

Parish Life 6

Arts & Spirituality 7

November Highlights 8

At a Glance

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 – Following an abbreviated10:00 AM Service the Many Hands of Christ Church will unite and serve the Lord by doing good works in the communities around us and everyone is welcome to participate. Donations and Collections:

• Items for Midnight Run and Breakfast Run – needs tube socks, jockey briefs size 32 to 42, gloves, warm hats, new or gently used back packs and duffel bags to give out to NYC’s homeless.

• Church School Kids Collection of Shoes – Throughout October and November, Church School children will collect new and gently used winter shoes and socks to send to children in Kabul, Afghanistan.

• $ Donations for Thanksgiving Dinners – Iglesia San Andres provides Thanksgiving dinner to families in Yonkers that would not otherwise be able to have a Thanksgiving dinner. We will collect cash donations to purchase the food until Nov. 16, and will deliver the food during Outreach Sunday (continued on page 4)

Outreach Sunday2008

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Children’s Christian Formation

Godly Play (Pre-K-1st Grade)Nov. 2nd The Story of SamuelNov. 9th Jonah, the Backward Prophet-Nov. 16th The Story of JobNov. 23rd Outreach Sunday and Advent CalendarsNov. 30th Combined Classes

Second GradeNov. 2nd Sharing as a theme in the Eucharist Nov. 9th The Ark and the TentNov. 16th Church Vestments and SeasonsNov. 23rd Outreach Sunday and Advent CalendarsNov. 30th Combined Classes

Third GradeNov. 2nd Moses’ early lifeNov. 9th Moses and the PlaguesNov. 16th The Israelites in the DesertNov. 23rd Outreach Sunday and Advent CalendarsNov. 30th Combined Classes

Fourth GradeNov. 2nd The Sermon on the MountNov. 9th Miracles of FaithNov. 16th The TransfigurationNov. 23rd Outreach Sunday and Advent CalendarsNov. 30th Combined Classes

Fifth GradeNov. 2nd The Ancient ChurchNov. 9th St. AugustineNov. 16th St. PatrickNov. 23rd Outreach Sunday and Advent CalendarsNov. 30th Combined Classes

Sixth GradeNov. 2nd What is JudaismNov. 9th The Study of JudaismNov. 16th Comparison of Judaism with ChristianityNov. 23rd The Story of RuthNov. 30th Combined ClassesFor more information please contact:Barbara PotgieterChildren’s Christian Formationbpotgieter@ccbny.org

School CalendarChildren’s Advent Project

On Outreach Sunday, the Sunday before the First Advent, church school families will participate in an Advent Project. Each church school family is invited to make an Advent Calendar which will replace our usual Advent Wreath making activity. Instead of Advent Calendars containing candy or pictures, have your child come and make a calendar that will inspire them to participate in the true spirit of preparing for Christmas-giving to others instead of anticipating what they themselves will receive. Our advent calendars will contain a daily idea of something simple that your child can do on their own for others.

The Spire

Kids in Kabul, Afghanistan need your help!Did you know that winter is really cold in Kabul, Afghanistan? The temperature there averages around 32° during the winter months – and most of the kids that live there don’t have shoes! So, as part of this year’s Outreach Sunday, we are collecting shoes to send to the kids in Kabul.

Between now and Sunday, November 23, we would like you to bring new or gently used winter shoes to Sunday School. We will be collecting these for girls and boys in Kabul. We need all sizes, up to shoes for 12 year olds. On Outreach Sunday, we will decorate cards to go along with the shoes, and will send them to Kabul to be given out to the children there.

ONE Tuesday on November 18th: Taylor Hall transformed into a Big Top!

Children of all ages are invited to The Amazing Grace CIRCUS! The Amazing Grace Circus was founded in 2002 to help young people process and respond to the events of September 11, 2001 in a creative and life-giving way. Since that time, AGC! has developed into a community based organization for youth and adults, using circus arts to build collaborative relationships

and promote the use of imagination and play as tools toward spiritual growth and social consciousness. Join us for dinner and the show, starting at 6:00 pm, with peanuts, cracker jack and lots of fun for the whole parish family.

Congratulations to parishioner Maura Del Bene, the recipient of the 2008 HealthCare Chaplaincy’s Wholeness of Life award for her work in the Palliative Care Program at the Lawrence Hospital Center. This award honors and celebrates healthcare professionals whose lives embody the spirit of the mission of HealthCare Chaplaincy by caring for the whole person-spirit, mind and body. Maura was recogized at a ceremony at Lawrence Hospital on Thursday, October 23rd and will join other 2008 recipients at the Wholeness of Life Awards Dinner in the next month.

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Adult Christian Formation

ONE Tuesday

Sunday Short Series Continues November 2nd, 9th and 16th at 11:15 AM

Mary, the Mother of GodWhat can we know about this first-century Jewish Woman in relationship to her Son, and how did she become so central to (and sometimes so marginalized within) Christian devotion? Get ready for Advent with an in-depth look at The Mother of God, in Scripture, Tradition, Anglican Devotion and the Arts — even our Lady Chapel kneelers!

This series will be held on November 2, November 9, and November 16 at 11:15 am, following the 10:00 AM Eucharist, in the Crispell Lounge. Feel free to drop in for any or all classes. For more information, contact the Rev. Cody Unterseher at cody.ccbny.org

Sunday LuncheonsSunday October 19th marked the first of this year’s Sunday Luncheons, (or, as Father Bird likes to call

them, the “I don’t have kids playing soccer” luncheons), offering good food and time for fellowship with friends. This kick off event featured a brief “state of the parish” discussion with Father Bird. Future luncheons may provide musical entertainment, or a speaker. Others will focus simply on our getting together for a meal and time together. The next Sunday Luncheon will be held on December 7 in Taylor Hall. Please R.S.V.P. to Vicky Carter if you plan to attend at vickycar54@aol.com. The complete schedule of Sunday Luncheons is as follows:Sunday December 7, Sunday February 8 andSunday May 3

(Pictured: Dan, Maura and Mia Del Bene, and the Rev. Kate Malin)

Del Bene Receives Award

The Ven. Justice Msini, Archdeacon in Southern Malawi, joined travelers Mo. Kate Malin, John Springer and Cindy Malin at October’s ONE Tuesday,

reporting on last summer’s trip and a look at CCB’s future mission partnerships in Malawi. Mo. Malin will screen the video again on an upcoming Sunday for those who missed ONE Tuesday. Stay tuned for more information!

Working Mothers’ FellowshipWorking Mothers’ Fellowship continues on November 5 at 7:00 pm in the Crispell Lounge

Recover from Election Season with a little wine, cheese and reflection on finding grace in the midst of your demanding, stressful and overscheduled life. All are welcome, Christ Church members and non-members alike. For more information, contact Mo. Kate Malin at kmalin@ccbny.org. Please note the date change for December – WMF will meet on December 10th instead of December 3rd.

In Taylor Hall • Decorate Stockings for Men at Fessenden House – Fessenden House is a live-in recovery program for addicts. The parish will be gathering items on Fessenden House’s residents’ Christmas Lists (watch for more details on what presents we are collect-ing), and we will decorate stockings to be used to deliver the gifts.

• Midnight Run and Breakfast Run – We will be sorting and organizing the donations collected for Midnight Run and Breakfast Run.

• Quilting for Fessenden House Quilts – We will be making quilts for the residents of Fessenden House.

• Decorate blankets for the residents affiliated with Gramatan Village – We will be making and decorating fleece blankets for some of the residents of Gramatan Village.

• Decorate cards to send along with shoes for the chil-dren of Kabul—Church School children will have a chance to decorate a card to go along with the shoes that have been donated for the children of Kabul.

4 The Spire

EYCChrist Church Youth Ministry at Work in the Episcopal Diocese of New YorkDiocesan Youth Convention Led by Krista MillerNovember 14th-15th

Christ Church Bronxville is not only dedicated to teenagers in Westchester, but to teens throughout the Episcopal Diocese of New York. On November 14th and 15th Director of Youth Ministry Krista Miller will lead the second annual youth event at the Diocesan Convention in Mahwah, New Jersey. Last year Christ Church introduced this program to the diocese by hosting a youth convention for all high school students during the Diocesan Convention. This year the program was adopted by the dio-cese and will take place in Mahwah New Jersey during the main Diocesan Convention. Krista Miller will continue to lead the event along with the Rev. Canon Patricia Mitchell. All high school students in the diocese are invited to spend the night at the hotel, learn what is happening in the Episcopal Church, make new friends, play games, watch movies and have fun. They’ll also get to sit in on part

of the general session of Convention, meet some of our bishops and see how the Episcopal Church is run. Please check the website for this year’s calendar and contact Director of Youth Ministry Krista Miller (kmiller@ccbny.org) for more information

Off-Site Work Projects (These projects will meet in the church and leave to-gether as a group)

• Fix and Deliver Lunch for Men at Fessenden House – We will also be fixing and delivering lunch for the men at Fessenden House.

• Iglesia San Andres Turkey Delivery – San Andres Church provides Thanksgiving dinner to families in Yonkers that would not otherwise be able to have a Thanksgiving dinner. They have asked us to collect the money for dinners. We need both donations, and people to help deliver the donations to the Food Pantry. Monetary donations will be collected up until Nov. 16, and delivery of the meals will take place during Outreach Sunday. Those delivering the meals will also worship and eat lunch with the San Andres congregation on Outreach Sunday.

• Habitat for Humanity – We will be doing a construc-tion project with the local Habitat organization. You must be 16 to participate.

On-Site Work Projects • Clean Up and Renovate CCB Apartments – We will be doing a special construction project to clean out and preprepare for renovations to the CCB apartments that were formerly occupied by WARC.

Outreach Sunday 2008(Continued from front page)

EYC Calendar: November14th-15th –Diocesan Youth Convention, Mahwah, NJ23rd –Outreach Sunday

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Advent Lessons and Carols: A word from the Director of Music.Advent Lessons and CarolsSunday, December 7, 5:00pm Brass Prelude begins at 4:45pmIt’s only taken me 7 years to figure this out: Advent Lessons & Carols occurs so early in December, that it needs to be talked-up in November!

For Christ Church, this is a tradition started long before I arrived. It is a moment that happens once each year, an opportunity to mark the beginning of Advent (OK, this year it falls on the second Sunday of Advent – call it liturgically scandalous, I call it living in the reality that our choristers are still in a turkey coma on the first Sunday of Advent). If you have never attended this service, give it a try this year – most people go home and mark their calendars so they can attend the following year. If you have been before, invite another person to come with you this year. - Christopher Wells

On Sunday November 9th, we will take pause to dedicate our stunning new Steinway piano in the church. Did you know that Christ Church has 3 Steinway pianos among its arsenal of musical instruments? So what, then, do we do when a parishioner asks to donate another beautiful piano? With Warren Ilchman’s blessing, we decided to sell his donation and use the sale funds to completely refurbish one of our severely ailing pianos. This is “going green” at its best. Check out this piano at church on November 9th – you will not believe your eyes!God works in mysterious ways – this piano project is visually, aurally, and heartfelt proof. Thank you Warren.

HANDBELLS

Upcoming Opportunities to ringAttention anyone who knows what a half-note looks like!!! Handbells Session II is just for you. Handbell Session II titled: Hymns with Handbells, will use

some of our favorite, well-known hymns to add shimmer and joy to the 10:00 AM service on November 16th. See Christopher Wells if you are interested. Sun. Nov. 9th 11:30 AM-12:30 PM (Taylor Hall Stage)Wed. Nov. 12th 6:30 PM-7:30 PM Sun. Nov. 16th 9:00 AM Rehearsal 10:00 AM Ring in Church

THE PARISH CHOIR

Sunday, November 23rd-Come One, Come All! 9:00 AM Rehearsal10:00 AM Sing!

2009 Parish Choir dates: March 8th, April 19th, June 7th

It’s never too late to register for choir! Contact Christopher Wells if you have not registered, but would like to enroll.

The Alice Stone Ilchman Piano Dedication

Music

Insert 1 The Spire

I’m Carol Bartold, new to Bronxville from Glendale, California. I am a student in the MFA program at Sarah Lawrence College’s creative writing pro-

gram. I was a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale where I sang with Canterbury Choir for over 20 years. I also sang with Los Robles Master Chorale and Los Robles Chamber Singers. In real life I’ve been an accountant for 26 years.

My name is Holly Castle and I am a staff singer in the choir. I work professionally as a singer and voice teacher/therapist. Choral singing often

requires “healthy” vocal exercise. Come and exercise your voice with the Christ Church Choir !

My name is Allison Devlin and I have been part of the Christ Church choir this go round for 4 years. I also sang in the choir as a child from the

ages of 6 to 18. Christopher Wells is a wonderful leader and brings great pas-sion and energy to the music program at Christ Church and the fellowship of the fellow singers is unbeatable.

Hello there! My name is Shana-Elizabeth and I have only been singing with Christ Church Choir for about two months, but I’ve been a singer my

whole life. I love Christ Church Choir because I’ve meet some amazing people in a wonderful environment. Come and be apart of the magic!

I’m Chas Elliott and proud to be a member of the Christ Church Choir. I have been the baritone section leader for two years and was recently received into

the Episcopal Church and the CCB congregation. In addition to an active performing career, I am the assistant to the director of choral activities and the staff accompanist at Concordia College.

Hans Ericson here. I started singing with my church choir in Lansing, MI (where I’m from) at the age of 10. I have been studying music ever since. Currently,

I am continuing my studies at Hunter College, earning my Master’s Degree in Vocal performance.

My name is David Fairchild. I was hired by Robert Owen as a baritone soloist here at Christ Church and served in that capacity for 35 years. I taught

music in the Eastchester schools for 24 years and have been a voice teacher for 50 years. I returned four years ago as a happy volunteer with the Christ Church Choir.

Hi, my name is Gabriel Felippe. I started with Schola Cantorum and have recently been promoted to Choral Scholar. I am currently a voice

student at SUNY Purchase College. Hopefully, I have made a positive con-tribution to our wonderful choir.

My name is Amy Graves and this is my first year at Christ Church and I love singing with the choir. I am from La Plata, Maryland and in my

second year at Concordia College in Bronxville. I look forward to com-ing to choir because of the friendships I make and the gorgeous music we create.

Meet the Christ Church Choir!

Insert 2

Hi, my name is Phil Hamlin. I’ve been with the CCC since January 2002. I’ve sung in many choirs over the years but this is by far the best en-

semble I’ve ever sung with. (I did not get paid to say that.) That said, there is always room for improvement. Give it a try and join us.

Hi, my name is Jennifer Ware-Hamlin and I have been with CCC for a season. It’s so much fun. I hope you come and sing with us. It’s

great that my husband Phil also sings with the choir. We hope to see you at a rehearsal.

My name is Bob Hamshaw. I have been singing for many years and it’s one of the most pleasurable activities I participate in. When I am not sing-

ing I hunt, fish, hike and canoe in New Hampshire.

Hi! My name is Jane Hoffman and I am a staff singer in the Christ Church Choir. I have been singing with the choir for almost a full year. When I am

not singing at Christ Church, I am singing at the Manhattan School of

Music, where I am a student. I’m look-ing forward to continuing to partici-pate in the choir here at Christ Church!

Hello, my name is Adrienne May and I’ve been in the Christ Church Choir for 13 ½ months. I look forward to coming to choir because there are lots

of opportunities to sing good music for an appreciative audience. When I am not singing I enjoy the visual arts – painting, drawing.

Greetings! My name is Timothy McCann, and I’ve been com-ing to Christ Church since June 2007. I’m an attorney who loves to sing, and have

performed in various and sundry venues, including Carnegie Hall with several choral groups and St. Luke in the Fields and Cadenabbia, Italy as a soloist.

My name is Ken Richardson and this is my fourth year in the CCC. When I’m not singing, you can find me intruding on everyone and everything as I take

photos for the Spire and the website, or generally annoying the congrega-tion during the week as Director of Parish Growth. My son Dylan is a chorister in Sing N Ring, and my daughter Caroline is in her second year with the Primary Choir.

My name is Brian Seirup and I have been singing with the choir since my fam-ily’s return from Italy in 2005. My children, Camilla and Lorenzo

were part of the choirs at Christ Church from early childhood through high school graduation, less two years when we were in Italy. My other inter-ests include camping with my family, enjoying fine Italian cuisine, and an occasional barbeque.

My name is Colleen Sica. I began singing soprano with the group in the spring of 1989 -- 20 years ago this coming Easter -- and I can attest to the follow-

ing: (1) the choir is better than it has ever been; (2) the choir is more fun than it has ever been; and (3) the choir is more “user-friendly” than it has ever been! Christopher chooses GREAT music and then makes it FUN to learn.

I’m Treva Thoms and this is my second year in the choir. I am a staff singer here and sing a bit around town. I enjoy teaching voice

at Concordia where my husband and fellow parishioner is the choir direc-tor. You’ve probably seen my three “angelic” kids singing in the children’s choirs, or more likely, running around the undercroft!

Meet the Christ Church Choir!

6 The Spire

NovemberBirthdays

2: Mary Cherna; 4: Donald Sharp; 5: William Elder, Elizabeth Kleine; 6: John Barrett, Kristofer DePalermo, John Leferovich; 8:Sinclair Welch; 10: Catherine Sullivan; 11: Dorothy Oberhaus; 12: Amy Bruck, Erin Kaye; 14: Mary Behrens, Emily Bogle, Owen Smith; 15: Ella Crystal, Jessica Zambelli 16: Jackson Freed; 18: Arthur Frost, Julia O’Connor, Paul Philips; 20: Katherine Andersen, Andrew Bevan, John Warman; 21: Olivia Bruton, James Horne, James O’Brien; 22: Cornelia Bower; 23: Taylor Reynolds, Dorothy Yohannan; 25: Georgeann Delli Venneri; 26: Lee Johnson, Carol Taylor; 27: George Taylor, Leighton Welch; 28: Madeleine Foley; 30: Rosemary Palmer

Parish LifeEco-Green NotesCheck your Tires!

Save the Date!

Save the Date!Breakfast Run: Sunday, Nov. 16 at 6:45 AM

Did you know that you can save both energy and money simply by making sure your car tires are properly inflated? According to AAA, about 80% of cars on the road have at least one tire under-inflated, cutting fuel economy by up to 2% per pound of pressure below the recommended level. Under-inflated tires can also cause imprecise handling and premature wear, so it’s both safer and economical to keep

them pumped up. Depending on your car, you can find your recommended tire pressure on a sticker on the driver’s doorjamb, inside the fuel door, inside the glove compartment door or even on the inside of the trunk. You should check your tires with a pressure gauge roughly once a month, and, to get an accurate reading, make sure you do it when the tires haven’t been driven much recently.

Young at Arts Receives a GrantCCB’s Young At Arts has been awarded a prestigious pilot grant from Trinity Church Wall Street’s “All Our Children” program. The program is a partnership between Trinity Wall Street and the Episcopal Diocese of New York, designed to help churches find ways to strengthen their local public schools. Young At Arts is one of only seven parishes awarded a grant, and was especially

cited for providing arts education to children in the City of Mount Vernon, whose school system currently operates under an austerity budget. As YAA Executive Director Sharyn Pirtle notes, “The recognition from both Trinity Wall Street and the Diocese is truly an honor and further proves the Episcopal Church’s steadfast commitment to equal educational opportunities for children, as well as to the belief that exposing children to the arts is a vital part of a young person’s experi-ence.” Since 2006, Young at Arts has also been a recipient of a Youth Arts and Entertainment grant from Episcopal Charities.

CrèChe ServiCeDecember 24th 4:00 PM

Children in 4th, 5th and 6th grades who are interested in speaking parts should contact Deborah Ross - *All* kids from pre-k through 6th grade are invited to be shepherds and angels.

GETTY

Nursery Care is available for babies and children too young

for Church School.

Arts and Spirituality, introduced to the parish last year, plans a full schedule of events for the 2008-2009 program year including trips to museums, cathedrals and the performing arts. More information will be available on the website at www.ccbny.org in the coming weeks, but here is a taste of what we’ve planned:

Marc Chagall On Tuesday Oct. 14, 2008, Arts & Spirituality went on a morning trip to the Museum of Biblical Art to see the visionary art of Marc Chagall, who melded the iconography of Jewish Hassidism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Christianity into his deeply nuanced expressions of Biblical themes and stories.

Art and Love in Renaissance Italy, Metropolitan Museum of ArtOn November 21st, Letizia Seirup will lead a group to see this fascinating exploration of various objects—paintings, jewelry, decorated linen chests for brides, boxes, birth trays, and works of art on paper—created to celebrate love and marriage in the Italian Renaissance.

Choirs of Angels: Painting in Italian Choir Books, 1300-1500, Metropolitan Museum of ArtOn February 7th, Letizia Seirup will lead a group from Christ Church to see these inspir-ing choir book illustrations from the Italian Renaissance in the Medieval Sculpure Hall. With jewel-like color and gold, these precious images spring from the unique, artful marriage of painting, text, and music. We will leave

Christ Church at 9:45 am and travel by van to the museum. After visiting the exhibit, we’ll reflect on what we saw over lunch in the city.

Noonday PrayerEach day @ 12:00 PM Duration: 15 minutes Place: Lady ChapelUbuntu translates as “I am because you are”. This concept is at the heart of who we are as Christians – people connected to God through our relationships with one another. Each week-day at noon prayers will be said for the world and for this community, invisibly yet tangibly sewing us together through the power of intention and presence. This brief liturgy will last only 15 minutes. Stop in, take a break from the restless world, and get connected.

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Arts & Spirituality

8 The SpireThe SpireChrist Church Bronxville17 Sagamore RoadBronxville, NY 10708-1599

Sunday Nov. 2nd Sunday after All Saints’ Day (Baptism)

Tuesday Nov. 4th Election Day-CCB Polling Venue

Sunday Nov. 9th 10:00 AM Piano Dedication

Tuesday Nov. 11th Veterans’ Day-Church Office Closed

Friday Nov. 14th Diocesan Youth Convention- Mahwah, NJ-EYC

Tuesday Nov. 18th 6:00 PM ONE Tuesday:Amazing Grace Circus-Taylor Hall

Wednesday Nov. 19th 9:30 AM Altar Guild Meeting-Crispell

Sunday Nov. 23rd Outreach Sunday

Tuesday Nov. 25th 7:30 PM Vestry Meeting-Crispell

Thursday Nov. 27th Thanksgiving Day-Church Office Closed

Friday Nov. 28th Church Office Closed

Sunday Nov. 30th Advent I

Highlights Save the Dates!December 7

Lessons and Carols with the Kensington Brass

December HighlightsSaturday Dec. 20th 9:30 AM Crèche Rehearsal

Sunday Dec. 21st 11:15 AM Christmas Party

Wednesday Dec. 24th 4:00 PM Crèche Service

Wednesday Dec. 24th 7:00 AM Holy Eucharist 10:30 PM Christmas Prelude and Midnight MassThursday Dec. 25th 9:30 AM Holy Eucharist Christmas Day- Church Office Closed

Friday Dec. 26th Church Office Closed