Church Groups & Opportunities
Christ Church offers its members a variety of ways to get involved including service and worship opportunities.
Service Opportunities
Service is an important part of our community life. By giving your time and talents, you build relationships, strengthen your spiritual life, and support the development of peace and justice in our city and beyond.
Stewardship
Thanksgiving Tree
The Thanksgiving Tree is an opportunity to be a secret angel and participate in meeting the wish or need of a child, family, or older adult during the holiday season. The gifts go directly to our neighbors at identified programs throughout the city of Philadelphia.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Community Partnerships
Christ Church supports an ongoing partnership with Episcopal Community Services to meet the needs of families in transition from homelessness to permanent housing through specific identified projects throughout the year, including Fill the Bus (school supplies in summer), Christmas presents for those in need, and a spring-cleaning drive for cleaning supplies. We also partner with Philabundance in late January to help fill cupboards empty during the lull after Christmas.
Contact: the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander
Meals for the Homeless
We gather monthly during the colder months to shop for, prepare, and share a meal with men in the Bethesda Project program, in the nearby facility at Old First Reformed Church. Join in for a delicious meal and company; it’s fine if you can only stay an hour or take on one task.
Contact: the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander
Gardeners
The garden committee is primarily responsible for the North Garden and the horticultural elements surrounding the main church building. Volunteer gardeners meet the second Saturday of each month March through November.
Contact: George Niedermayer
Journeys: Class for Newcomers and Seekers
Want to join Christ Church? Or have you been here awhile and would enjoy a tune-up and a check-in? Our semi-annual Journeys series — a series of three classes, once in fall, then again in spring — combines newcomers and longer-time members in talk about faith and life pathways, vocation and call, Anglicanism and the Episcopal history, and our next steps now. Meeting over the course of three Sundays, members, newcomers, and clergy journey more deeply together. Childcare and lunch provided; RSVP is needed.
Contact: the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander
Small-Group Fellowship @ Christ Church
Join in or lead one of these small groups that meet for 4 to 6 weeks around a specific topic of conversation, book study, or activity, based on the interests of its members. Led by members of the Christ Church community, toward combining learning with going more deeply in Christian fellowship.
Contact: the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander
Worship Opportunities
There is no way we can do all that we do without you — and there are many ways, large and small, that you can get involved. Whether in-person, virtually, or financially, we welcome you to be a part of our community.
Lectors
Members of the parish are invited to read scripture lessons and to lead prayers of the people at Sunday and Wednesday services.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Episcopal Relief Development Coffee Project
Bishop’s Blend coffee and teas, organically grown under fair-trade conditions, are sold once a month between Sunday services. Proceeds support the work of ERD programs around the world.
Contact: Grace Layne
Acolytes
Acolytes play an important role in our worship, assisting clergy and helping bring focus and movement to worship. Let us know if you are interested in becoming an acolyte, or in helping as a coordinator or parent helper.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Bell Ringers
The Bell Guild at Christ Church is a group of parishioner volunteers with keyboard training who peal the bells in the tower before and after worship services.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Parish Work Days
During Parish Work Days, parishioners work together to tackle basic maintenance projects for the church.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Altar Guild
The 1926 National Cathedral Handbook for Altar Guilds quotes, “Duty makes us do things well. Love makes us do things beautifully.” This is still true today for our Christ Church family who reverently prepare the altar for Christ Church services.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Godly Play Volunteer
Godly Play volunteers are called to assist in the church school, a spiritual formation program for children ages 4-10 offered Sunday mornings from 9 to 11 in our Neighborhood House “Atriums,” serving ages 4-6 (Godly Play 1) and ages 7-10 (Godly Play 2).
Contact: Robin Parke
Chalice Bearer
Parishioners are invited by the clergy to train to bear the Communion Cup at worship services. If you want to inquire about an invitation to be a chalice bearer, please contact us.
Contact: the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander
Choir
The Christ Church Choir is comprised of an 8-singer professional core with volunteer choristers from the parish. The full choir rehearses Sundays between the 9 and 11 AM services and after the 11 AM service.
Contact: Parker Kitterman
Flower Guild
The members of the Altar Flower Guild find great joy in arranging loose cut flowers into two beautiful bouquets and placing them at the Christ Church altar each week. These bouquets become thanksgivings for blessings in our lives or memorials for loved ones now passed.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Hospitality
This group of volunteers provides hospitality and refreshments for parishioners and visitors after services.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Ushers
Ushers welcome and assist parishioners and guests at worship services on Sundays and are also called upon to serve on special occasions, including Christmas and Easter.
Contact: Cecilia Wagner
Get Involved
Members of our congregation participate in intergenerational fellowship and service to those in need.
Justice Work
Our community is committed to effective, targeted ways we partner with others to create a more justice society.
Children & Youth
Spiritual development is supported through our Sunday school, nursery care and youth ministries.
The Bridge
Our group for younger adults age 45 and under focused on progressive spiritual conversation & learning.
Sages 55+
Gather for lively discussions on social and spiritual issues with fellow mature parishioners.
LGBTQ+
Our inclusive congregation includes people of all backgrounds, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community.