Christ Church Parish Profile

Christ Church 25390 Maddox Rd. Chaptico, MD 20621 www.cckqp.net

Introduction to Christ Church Christ Church in Chaptico, Maryland, has served the ministry of Christ’s work in the world for more than 275 years. Founded by colonists both fearless and reverent, who established roots that grew deep into the tradition of this land, our church community be- lieves that we are called to be people of prayer, dedicated to proclaiming a lively faith in God and service in the name of Christ. Today, the church’s quiet beauty bears witness to devotion of many generations who have cherished and support- ed Christ Church, Chaptico. Sunday services reflect our commit- ment to finding ways to involve young families in our church life. We are working to develop our Christian formation programthat is among our highest priorities. Members of the parish maintain ourbuildings and grounds, and can be counted on to raise funds to assistwith operations and maintenance.Visitors at Christ Church oftenremark how welcome theyfeel and comment on thefriendliness and hospitalityof our members. The churchinterior exudes intimacy andpeace intertwined with asense of history.A beautiful stained glass win-dow depicting the birth ofChrist adorns the altar. 2

Episcopal Diocese of Washington The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is comprised of 89 Episcopal congregations in the District of Columbia and the Maryland counties of Montgomery, Prince George’s, Charles and Saint Mary’s. This diocese also includes Washington National Cathedral. The current bishop of the Diocese of Washington is the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, 9th Bishop of Washington. Worship and MusicWorship on Sundaymornings is central tothe life of ChristChurch. We offertwo Holy Eucharistservices each Sunday.Our 8:00 a.m. worshipservice, Rite I, appealsto people that prefera more quiet experi-ence without music.The 10:30 a.m.worship service,Rite II, includes organ, adult choir and acolytes and is more suited for arange of ages. When asked, most parishioners say they prefer atraditional service but also would like to see variations in the liturgy. 3

Parish Life Youth Ministry Children’s ministry is a growth area for the parish. Christ Church currently maintains a “Friday Night Sunday School” youth program (FNSS) led by parents. Each session includes group potluck meal, prayer, fun lessons, and crafts. We are reaching out to the greater community to offer those who don’t attend Christ Church services an opportunity to move more deeply into their faith and make adifference in our world. FNSS is an innovative program that has been highlighted as a model for other parishes within the diocese. 4

Acolyte Program Christ Church has a group ofdedicated young acolytes who assist with liturgical functions at the 10:30 am service. It is a joy to watch them grow in Christ through their service on the altar.Altar GuildThe Altar Guild consists of asmall group of people whocare for altar linens,vestments and vesselsand prepare the altar andthe church for regular and special services. Their “quiet ministry” enhances the worship experience in our beautiful 18th century church. Lectors Christ Church lectors read the First Lesson and a Lay Eucharistic Minister reads the Second lesson. Greeters The greeters welcome parishioners at the church door, offer bulletins, bring the wine and bread to the altar, and collect the offerings. 5

OutreachChrist Church supports or has participated in the following programs: Strawberry Festival The Strawberry Festival is a fundraising event held by Christ Church each May. It is the most visible expression of the sense of outreach that permeates all phases of parish life at Christ Church. The proceeds help support local charities in St. Mary’s County.St. Patrick’s Day DinnerChrist Churchparishioners’family andfriends gatherto celebratethe PatronSaint ofIreland.A deliciousmeal of cornedbeef, cabbage,potatoes andmany Irish/green desserts are on the menu for the evening. A folk band providesthe entertainment for the evening. We dance an Irish jig and enjoy thecompany of friends. 6

Fall FestivalThis is an annual dinner and festival to kick offthe fall season. A southern Maryland dinner ofoysters and country ham is served as eitherdine-in or carryout.Crafters sell their goods throughout the ParishHall. A large bake sale tempts the shopperswith various confections. Dinner, fellowship and shopping bring us all together for a lively community centered day.Community Yard SaleTreasures are donated to the parish, tables are rented and the bargainshopping begins. This event, as does spring, brings new life to those oldtreasures. We clean out the closets, garages and back rooms and waitfor the bargain hunters. The youth groupjoins in fun with a hot dog and cookiestand to raise funds for a summer funday.Food PantryChrist Church supports the neighboringOur Lady of the Wayside Church foodpantry. This pantry assists nearby fami-lies with food supplies. Our contributioncomes from parishioner donations andthe hard work of children from ourcongregation. 7

Christmas BasketsEvery year the congregation donates money during Christmas time toprovide food and gifts baskets to families in need.WARMWrapping Arms Round Many (WARM) is an ecumenical venture bychurches of St. Mary’s County in partnership with the county Depart- ment of Social Services. Through WARM, churches provide safe shelter and meals to the homeless during the coldest months of the year.Coffee Plantation in HondurasProvided funds for the construction of a storage facility for coffee beancrops so growers can protect their harvest while they negotiate fair pric-ing. FacilitiesChrist Church was built in 1736 and is on the National Register ofHistoric Places. The 2400 square-foot building with its solid walls, andstained glass win-dows gives a feelingof openness toworshipers. Thewood pews provideseating for morethan 175 people.The parish hall isapproximately 8

7000 square feet and includes a350-square-foot completelyequipped kitchen. The churchoffices are located in the firstfloor. On the lower level of theparish hall are classrooms andmeeting rooms. The parish hallhas a gravel parking area. A play-ground with swing set is in therear of the building. The estimated value of all real estate holdings of Christ Church is $2,500,000. Most church social activities/events are held in/around the Parish Hall building. The Parish Hall is also available for com- munity events.Some of the groups that currentlyutilize the Parish Hall include:Narcotics Anonymous,Yoga Classes, Girl Scouts,Southern MarylandTraditional Music and Dance,Chaptico Classic race, weddings,birthdays, etc. The historic cemetery at Christ Church contains burial sites dating back to colonial times. Numerous members of the Francis Scott Key family are buried in the Key Family vault. Some of the graves are marked with elaborate headstones, vaults and monuments, while 9

others are marked simply with large stones. The cemetery is filled withfolklore and tales ManagementThe financial affairs of Christ Church are managed by the Vestry, thetreasurer, the Finance Committee, and the Endowment Funds Board inconcert with the rector.The mission of the Finance Committee is to provide the Vestry withfinancial advice in pursuit of the church’s mission. The committee,working with the treasurer, formulates the church’s annual budget andadvises the vestry of anticipated or necessary modifications.The endowment funds are managed by a five-member EndowmentFunds Board appointed by the Vestry. The board operates in accordancewith all diocesan financial guidelines and reports to the Vestry.Current FinancesThe 2014 operating budget was $239,412. Sixty-two percent of the 2014revenues came from parishioner pledges and plate offerings. Theremainder comes from a variety of sources, including banquet hall rent-als, fundraising, grants and gifts. Christ Church has unique challengesassociated with maintaining a historic building. Overall, the repairs andmaintenance costs for 2014 represented about 35% of the operatingbudget. 10

St. Mary’s CommunitySt. Mary’s County is situated on a peninsula in Southern Maryland withmore than 500 miles of shoreline on the Patuxent River, Potomac Riverand Chesapeake Bay. The Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, employing22,400 military, civilians and defense contractors, is home to the U.S.Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), including the Naval Air WarfareCenter Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). With over 200 high-tech aerospaceand defense contractors, the county has emerged as a world-class cen-ter for maritime aviation research, development, testing, evaluation,and acquisition.St. Mary’s County’s 1,990 businesses employ 28,000 workers; anestimated 50 of these businesses have 100 or more employees. Corpo-rations with a footprint here include DynCorp International, Wyle, BAESystems, SAIC, L-3, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and manyothers. Non-defense employers include St. Mary’s Hospital, Burch Oil,and the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. St. Mary’sCounty has numerous small businesses providing goods and servicesthat add to our quality of life here.Educational opportunities are strong in St. Mary’s County, and gettingstronger. St. Mary’s College is the state of Maryland’s only public 11

honors college. It consistently ranks high in the U.S. News & WorldReport college rankings. The College of Southern Maryland is so indemand as an educational institution that it soon will add a fourth cam-pus to the three it is operating now, one each in Charles, Calvert and St.Mary’s Counties. The Southern Maryland Higher Education Centeroffers numerous opportunities for the pursuit of advanced degreesoffered by 10 different universities Chaptico Community The village of Chaptico is significant as one of the few 18th century village centers to survive in St. Mary’s County. The village is especially remarkable since the county landscape has always been character- ized by widely dispersed settlement. This cross- roads community retains the landmark Christ Church as its centerpiece, as well as a clus- ter of 19th and early 20th-century structures. Chaptico was established as a port by an act of the General Assembly of Maryland in 1683. Originally accessible by water, Chaptico Run gradually silted in to the point that it was already unavailable by the late 18th century. By that time, the wharf and the tobacco warehouse were located a mile and half south of Chaptico at a site known as Darby’s landing. Regardless of its distance from water access, Chaptico remained an important com- mercial center. A public house here, supposedly visited by George Washington in 1767, remained active into the 19th century. In 1792, one of the first post offices in the county was established in the village. Christ Church HistoryChrist Church, Chaptico, is one of the oldest churches in continual use inAmerica. The congregation dates from 1640, only six years after thelandings of the Ark and the Dove at St. Clement’s Island, establishing the 12

Maryland colony. Thomas Gerard, Lord of St. Clement’s Manor, gave thechurch 100 acres of land. Another colonist, William Marshall, donatedthree heifers,stipulating thatfrom them “astock of cattleshall be raised forthe maintenanceof a minister.”In 1692, thecongregationwas officiallyestablishedthrough the Actof Establishment,which directedthe creation of Maryland’s parishes and set their boundaries. The parishchurch was completed in 1736 and became known as Chaptico Church.In 1840, it was consecrated as Christ Church. The Future Our Strengths We are a healthy congregation that is ready for the future and is seeking a rector who can help us to grow and overcome challenges that may come our way. We have a strong lay leadership team eager for a collaborative relationship with the next rector. We are com- mitted to outreach and mission in the larger community. We are generous stewards at Christ Church; the next rector would do well to challenge and encourage us to 13

continue towards giving “out of a grateful and generous heart.”We acknowledge the critical importance of children and their full partici-pation in the life of Christ Church. We expect our next rector to shareour enthusiasm for Christian formation for children and youth and tojoin with lay leaders and parents to find ways to enlarge and improveour youth program.Our Ideal RectorWe are looking for a confident and experienced leader who is strong butcompassionate, too. The rector should be personable and willing to re-late to a wide variety of people. We desire a skilled teacher with an opti-mistic attitude, one who is a good communicator but, more importantly,a good listener and a common-sense thinker. He/she must have a strongsense of Christian community and be able to embrace and be present inthe rural Chaptico area.We seek a rector committed to doing God’s work, one who demon-strates this via meaningful church worship and preaching, providing pas-toral care and being alert to the needs of the community. He/She shouldbe willing to roll up his/her sleeves to help with church activities. Wewould like to call a congenial person who is adept at cultivating a varietyof relationships: developing lay leaders; maintaining a healthy associa-tion with the Diocese; making local professional connections within theregion; and reaching out to local civic organizations. We seek a confi-dent leader, possessing managerial and financial acumen and proficien-cy in everyday communication technologies. We understand that thebest leader will be someone with demonstrated ability to managechange successfully and with the ability to compromise when needed.Detailed Qualities  A priest who has personal spiritual depth and who can inspire others.  A pastor who is compassionate, knows how to listen and is supportive of families with children.  A preacher who is engaging and down to earth.  A leader who is creative and energetic. 14

 A joyful person with a sense of humor.  A manager who is organized, flexible, knows how to delegate, and empowers lay ministry and leadership.  A community leader who encourages, and participates in, outreach.Responsibilities of the Rector  Providing for conduct of worship services.  Providing pastoral care and counseling.  Partnering with the Vestry in the management of the parish.  Ensuring that all children and youth and adults receive instruction on the scriptures and the doctrines of the Episcopal Church.  Overseeing parish administrative and financial operations and building and grounds activities.  Guiding and assisting with long-range planning and development efforts of the parish. 15

Published by Christ Church, 25390 Maddox Rd., Chaptico, MD 20621, April 2015 16