The Anchor May/June 2018
A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF CHRIST CHURCH, EXETER NH
From our Rector
Last year I joined a team that visits the Strafford Country Department of Corrections in Dover, NH to meet with those immigrants who have been recently detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). I go as often as my schedule allows, usually once every three to four weeks. In addition, I visit the jail each month to celebrate Communion in Spanish and respond to pastoral requests that are referred to me.
How do these immigrants come to be incarcerated? Frequently, cars are pulled over on the interstate highway as groups of men and women drive to and from their homes to work; some of these men and women may be detained. Some individuals are arrested by ICE outside of courthouses and workplaces. Those undocumented immigrants who are detained/arrested in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are held at the Dover facility, which is contracted by the Federal government.
The profiles of the men and women the team sees at the Dover facility vary. Some of them have been living and working in this country for decades. Some are in their mid-30s and were brought to the country as minors. I have met some men who were political refugees from civil-war-torn West Africa who arrived in this country traumatized and, never fully assimilated into our society, became criminalized in poor and marginalized neighborhoods. Now they are day laborers who work in dairy farms in rural Vermont, doing the back-breaking work in rural areas that American workers do not want to do. They are mothers and fathers of children born in the U.S. They are people who have escaped gang-infested homelands, where there is little prospect for a peaceful future, and who arrived in this country after a perilous journey. Many have no criminal records. Their only crime is being undocumented. They are from Mexico, Honduras, Romania, Serbia, Jordan, Jamaica, Cape Verde, Sudan, Liberia, Nigeria, El Salvador, Belgium, Cuba, Haiti, Iraq, and many others nations.
When I enter the facility, I bring my acquired personal political beliefs. I do believe that every developed economy today needs a reliable and safe flow and exchange of immigrants traveling to and from their home countries to add to a thriving or developing economy. And I do believe that our prosperity has come at a cost, often born by those unseen and unknown. Our importation of illegal drugs from this hemisphere has left the social structure of many countries south of our border in shambles. Money and guns flow south and drugs come north.
I also bring my faith. The Gospels invite us to encounter Christ in every person -- and in and with those who are imprisoned. There is humanity, vulnerability, regret, anguish, loneliness, fear, and longing. Every emotion possible is on display.
The team does not judge those whom we meet. We listen to them and inform them of the legal rights they have. We connect some of them to legal counsel and share with them the long and arduous process of being granted asylum.
When I enter the jail as pastor/priest, I always remind those I meet that they will not be defined by this experience—but it will affect them. I encourage them to be hopeful. I remind them that there are people on the outside of those walls who desire a better system to regulate the flow of migrants across borders.
I carry their faces with me throughout my day.
I am thankful to the vestry of Christ Church, Exeter, for encouraging and supporting this work.
Blessings,
Mark
A TIME TO RE-CREATE! LET'S PLAY BALL!
The summer tradition lives on! In most parishes, including ours, summer offers the opportunity to slow down the church pace. Formation programs like church school and Bible study take a break. Committees often have fewer meetings—if any. Sunday service schedules change to allow all of us to get to the golf course or the beach a little earlier. When I was a parish rector, I always welcomed this change of pace because I too was a beneficiary. Simply put, summer offers us more Sabbath Time. If we take advantage of this opportunity, we are co-creating with God and re-creating ourselves with refreshment and renewal.
Several summers ago, I initiated a July event, which I fondly refer to as the annual outing to a Fisher Cat game. It is no secret to anyone at Christ Church that David Holroyd is an avid sports fan. This outing, however, is not just about a sporting event. It is about a chance to get together as a group and just have a good time and enjoy being with others. You can bring friends and neighbors. Grandparents can bring grandchildren. It can be fun, even for those who are not FANatics like me. In all honesty, I don't often pay that much attention to the game nor does it really matter to me who won or lost. My greatest satisfaction comes when someone thanks me for organizing this and recognizes that it has been a great time to be together.
So how about spending July 22 with us this year? After the 9:30 service we have a tailgate party in the church courtyard with good ballgame food. We then either get in our cars or board a bus (I promise to do all I can to make sure that bus shows up on time this year!) at around11:45 and head to Manchester for fun and fellowship. After the final out, the kids have a chance to run the bases, and then we return to Exeter. All of this for only $20.00 per person!
The specifics are in the event section at the end of this newsletter. The ticket window is now open. Just email me at dholroyd@christchurchexeter.org and tell me how many tickets you want. Your friends, kids, and grandkids are depending on you and so is your choir and your Associate Priest. The choir is singing the National Anthem yet again and Yours Truly will try to reach home with another ceremonial first pitch before the game. PLAY BALL!
Rev. David Holroyd
News from our Music Director-Suzanne Jalbert Jones
TO THE CHOIR:
As the Choir season comes to an end, I’m left, admittedly, a bit tired but still brimming with joy over all that the Parish Choir and Junior Choir have accomplished this past liturgical year. We prepared beautiful Christmas music, a Good Friday Requiem for the books, participated in the Great Bay Choral Festival and all while faithfully providing music for worship on Sunday mornings. I want to remind all of you that you are a volunteer ensemble. Let that sink in. At one time or another, I’m sure your pillow seemed more inviting than traveling the wintery February roads on a Sunday morning to sing, and yet we always had a choir! You are singing challenging music at a very high level – but more importantly you are blessing all those who hear you. Your being in these choirs is an offering to one another, to our church and to our community. Thank you for your countless hours of rehearsal, your unwavering enthusiasm and your gifts of music, personality, and love.
Sincerely,
Suzanne
PSP NEWS-Everyone’s Buzzing About “Spelling Bee”
We are counting down the days until our Spring 2018 Musical: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” opens at Exeter Town Hall on May 11th!
This has been a richly rewarding and incredibly fun rehearsal process, spanning from February to May. We couldn’t have imagined a more talented or dedicated bunch of young performers to work with, and they are ready to share their hard work with you all onstage:
Friday, May 11th - 7:00 pm
Saturday, May 12th - 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Sunday, May 13th - 2:00 pm
Tickets can be purchased on the PSP Website: www.PineStreetPlayersCC.com.
Be sure to pay a visit to the PSP Facebook page to check out our
“Spelling Bee” Promo Video!
*Bring Mom to the Bee for the perfect Mother’s Day gift!*
One of the most enjoyable parts of our Spring show rehearsal process has been having the new “Parish Hall” as our rehearsal space! On almost every day of the week, you can find the kids of PSP dancing and singing away in this beautiful, “boomy” space that we call home. We are thrilled to be back onsite for all of our programs and offerings, especially:
SUMMER SESSION 2018!
Summer Session 2018 has reached RECORD-HIGH enrollment! With almost 100 kids registered, we are gearing up for our most action-packed Summer yet. This will be the third year of PSP’s summer workshops, and we are very proud of the significant growth we have seen each year. The final productions, after just two weeks of rehearsal, have continued to wow audiences of all three age groups. In addition to rehearsing and putting up the final musical, throughout the days of Summer Session, students participate in training, classes, games, and masterclasses appropriate to their age and ability. Performers will leave Summer Session with improved skills in acting, singing, and dancing, a better understanding of the audition and rehearsal process, and the kind of confidence that comes from socializing with like-minded friends while working together to create something to be proud of!
This Summer’s lineup includes: “The Aristocats” (Session 1), “The Lion King” (Session 2), and “Little Shop of Horrors” (Session 3). Sessions 2 & 3 are currently full, but slots are still available in Session 1: July 9-20th; rising 1st-3rd graders.
Summer Session also provides an opportunity for our older PSP performers to serve as interns, assisting the PSP staff throughout Sessions 1 & 2. Do you have a rising 9th grader-[.1] graduate who is interested in applying for an internship?
Visit: www.PineStreetPlayersCC.com/Summer. Applications are due by May 31st.
SUMMER SESSION PERFORMANCE DATES:
Session 1:
Friday July 20th at 3:00pm
Session 2:
Friday August 3rd at 3:00pm
Session 3:
Friday August 18th at 3:00pm
Saturday August 19th at 7:00pm
All performances will be held at Christ Church.
PSP’s SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT GALA: JUNE 2nd
On Friday June 2nd, PSP will continue its tradition of the “Season Announcement Gala” when our choices for Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 shows will be revealed! This year, we will enjoy the Gala in the new Parish Hall from 6:00-8:00pm. There will be a dessert buffet and a toast to a successful 2017-18 season. This event is Free for PSP Members and $5.00 at the door for non-members. All2017-18 Memberships expire on this date, but you can purchase yours for next season right at the event!
STAY TUNED: “HAMILTON” RAFFLE FALL 2018
This Fall, PSP will be hosting a fundraising event that offersyou the opportunity tobe the lucky winner of two tickets to Broadway’s most popular musical, “Hamilton”!
Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for information in the coming months!
Noah Jacobs’ Organ Recital:Friday, May 18, 7:30
Join us Friday, May 18, 7:30 at Christ Church for Noah Jacobs’ senior organ recital. Noah will play works by Bach, Dupré, Franck, Guilmant, Langlais, Mendelssohn, and Widor.
Noah began studying piano at the age of seven with AygünÇamşun in Istanbul, Turkey. He studied with her for over four years before moving back to the U.S, where he studied with Paul Dykstra. Serious piano study continued, with the intent to continue piano into a conservatory—until he discovered the organ. In 2015 he began studying organ with Bruce Adami on a scholarship from the Young Organist Collaborative and quickly chose to pursue organ as his career instrument. He was recently admitted to Oberlin Conservatory and College, where he will pursue dual degrees in organ performance and German.
Since completing high school at the Academy for Science and Design in Nashua in 2017, Noah has been engaged in intensive organ study. He played concerts at Trinity Church, York Harbor, Maine and at the Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Methuen, Massachusetts. In addition, he has played as a substitute organist in numerous churches in southern New Hampshire. For the past three years, Noah has sung tenor in the Christ Church Parish Choir. When he’s not pursuing his interest in the pipe organ, Noah enjoys Irish music, fly fishing, and hiking.
Young Organist Collaborative Student Recital, Saturday, May 12
The Young Organist Collaborative students will play in a recital at Christ Church on Saturday afternoon, May 12 at 3:00 pm. The public is invited to attend this free concert. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. The Young Organist Collaborative is an organization dedicated to introducing young musicians to the pipe organ. Formed in 2001, the Collaborative has provided organ lessons to over 100 junior high and high school students throughout New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts, and southern Maine.Christ Church participates in this program by providing lessons and practice space for a number of these students. Please join us May 12!
The New Hampshire Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
PRESENTS....TWO ORGANIST RISING STARS
Richard Gress & Philip Pampreen
IN CONCERT
on the acclaimed Lively-Fulcher pipe organ,
playing music of Bach, Widor, Messiaen, and others
Christ Church
43 Pine Street
Exeter, New Hampshire
Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 3 PM
Public cordially invited - Free Admission.
Richard Gress from Newmarket is a Junior at Mercer University studying organ performance
with Jack Mitchener.
Philip Pampreen from Dover is a Freshman at Indiana University studying with Christopher Young.
Both are "Rising Stars" in the world of organ music!
For more information please call (603) 463-7407 or www.nhago.org
Save the Date: Youth Mission Trip to Cuba April 2019
Christ Church is planning a youth focused trip during public school break in April 2019 to our companion parish in Cardenas, Cuba. Youth confirmed in 2017 and/or young people ages 16 and up would be eligible to participate. Parents are invited to travel with us as well as younger siblings, but only if accompanied a parent. Other adults in the parish are also invited to join us—the only requirement being the ability to carry one’s own luggage and have the ability to walk distances and endure warm temperatures.
We expect to fly from Boston to Miami the evening of Easter Day, April 21 and then to fly to Cuba the following morning. We hope to join our companion parish for Sunday services on April 28 and then fly home Monday April 29. Students would need to secure permission to miss one day of school and, of course, make choices well in advance regarding spring sports. Estimated cost of the trip is roughly $1500 per person: we will be staying in the very simple church dorms and a nearby conference center. (Think of staying in the dorms as indoor camping.) Our goal would be to continue to make personal and lasting connections with the young people in Cuba and engage them in conversation about life and faith.
As always, each traveler will transport donations such as medical supplies and water filter parts. We hope to engage in a meaningful and manageable work project during the week, while being sensitive to the awareness that foreign groups traveling to a country such as Cuba to build or paint what can be and is done by the Cubans themselves is not the ideal way to engage in mission today. The ministry of presence and openness is far more impactful in the long run.
Do express your interest with the Rector over the coming months. Fundraising in earnest would begin in the fall. Visas would have to be applied for early January 2019.
Pentecost Sunday Parish Picnic
Sunday, May 20, 2018, 11:30 AM
Christ Church, Pine Street, Exeter, NH, USA
Annual Fisher Cats Baseball Outing!
Please plan to join us for another summer day of fun for the Christ Church community. It is the eightth annual trip to Manchester to watch the New Hampshire Fishercats take on the Harrisburg Senators. Tailgate party starts right after the 10:00 service with burgers and hot dogs!
Email David Holroyd at david@christchurchexeter.org for more informationSunday, Jul 22, 2018, 10:30 AM
Christ Church, Pine Street, Exeter, NH, USA
Christ Church Exeter- Living, Connecting, Serving
Email: office@christchurchexeter.org
Website: www.christchurchexeter.org
Location: 43 Pine Street, Exeter, NH, United States
Phone: 603-772-3332
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Christ.Church.Exeter/