2024 mid year updates: The highlights

The Ministry Fair held in 2024 benefitted several of our Congregational ministries by adding new volunteers.

The Care Team meets weekly to assess the congregation’s needs.  They work effectively as a team to offer support, prayers, calls, and visits to our church congregation.

Stephen Ministry, Friends Gathering, Caregiver Support, the Funeral Team, Meal Team, Prayer Shawl and Prayer Quilts, Art from the Heart, Homebound Communion Team, The Hospital Visitation Team, as well as Prayer Shepherds, and Sunday Afternoon Prayer Ministries are all doing well.

Our College Ministry has been experiencing remarkable growth, both in numbers and in the depth of community building among participants. This upward trend was evident during our recent Study Hours, which saw an even larger turnout of students eager to learn more about Christ Church and what Christ College has to offer.

This summer was vibrant with activity; we took 11 students and staff to the Awakening Project in Kentucky and engaged in fun events like Big Shots, movie nights, and restaurant meet-ups. These events, alongside ongoing Bible studies and community building, kept the connection strong for students who were either back home or stayed in College Station over the summer.

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of college students eager to get involved with the church and service opportunities. In the spring, we had a robust group participate in Church Has Left the Building, and several students who don’t usually take on leadership roles joined Mission 6:8 as Leaders. Additionally, our Costa Rica Mission trip saw a significant number of college students participate, further deepening their engagement and commitment.

Looking ahead to this fall, we are excited to introduce a Leadership Team for College Ministry. We will kick off the semester with Howdy Week Activities and make our presence felt at the Impact Ministry Fair. A large Worship night will launch our Overflow series, and we will also host a Fall Retreat along with other enjoyable events such as tailgates and pickleball.

Connecting Ministries has been dedicated to fostering a warm and inclusive atmosphere at Christ Church, successfully welcoming over 80 new members this year. Our mission is to support the discipleship of both members and visitors by helping them forge meaningful connections with people and programs that will nurture their spiritual growth and their journey as disciples who make disciples.

This year, we have seen a steady influx of new members, with notable gatherings including 11 new members in January, eight in May, and six in July, all of whom attended meetings with the Pastor. To enhance our community’s sense of belonging, we developed a new member picture board in the Commons area.

Spring UNITE was a highlight, with an average weekly attendance of 120-125 participants. We actively sought feedback through a survey at the final dinner, and several suggestions will be implemented to improve the event in the fall.

The Freedom Festival was a tremendous success, drawing over 800 attendees. Additionally, our volunteers have been recognized and appreciated through birthday cards sent by the Connecting Ministries staff since January.

As we look to the fall, we have an exciting lineup of events planned:

• A Church-wide Fish Fry on August 28, 2024
• A Volunteer Appreciation Social on August 18, 2024
• Fall UNITE dinners scheduled for September 4, 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23, November 6, 13, 20, and December 4
• A Church-wide Thanksgiving dinner on November 24, 2024
• Christmas Cookie Sunday on December 22, 2024

Our counseling team is currently made up of five counselors and one student intern, with a second student intern scheduled to start her internship in August. Throughout the year, we have offered multiple workshops focused on navigating abusive relationships, providing critical support and guidance to those in need.

Looking ahead to 2024, we have an exciting lineup of events and initiatives planned. We will host several Marriage Workshops and Workshops for Teens, designed to help participants manage their emotions and discover their identity in Christ. Additionally, we are planning a trauma-informed discipleship workshop for the fall. To further extend our reach, we are enhancing our social media presence and actively working to share our message of hope, with the goal of drawing more individuals to our center for therapy.

In terms of fundraising, Hope Ministries is gearing up for our inaugural major event, the Hoedown for Hope, which will take place on August 8th. This event will feature live music, a steak dinner, a raffle, and square-dancing lessons, and will support all of Hope Ministries’ efforts.

We are also excited to announce our first-ever Hope Conference, scheduled for October 11th and 12th. We anticipate attracting over 800 attendees, including our congregation, community members, and visitors from beyond the B/CS area. The conference will be highlighted by a keynote address from Granger Smith, promising to be an inspiring and memorable event for all.

Kids Ministry has enjoyed a vibrant Spring and Summer, marked by a surge of new families joining Christ Church. Many of these families were introduced to our church through personal invitations from existing members, which is a testament to the strong community spirit we cherish. Our families are eager to share their faith journeys, experiences with our kids’ ministry, and their love for Christ Church with others.

In the Spring, our 6th graders participated in a meaningful Confirmation class. Out of 35 students who went through the classes, 22 chose to be baptized or reaffirm their baptism on our inaugural Christ Church Baptism Day, held on May 5th. The remaining students either opted to reaffirm their baptism at a different time or were content with their infant baptisms. Each student took a personal step in their faith journey according to their own path.

We also hosted a Jesus-centered Family Easter Event, a Spring Retreat for 3rd-6th graders, and numerous other engaging activities throughout the semester. To further enhance our Sunday offerings, we introduced an 11:00 Sunday School option alongside the Family Worship Hour. Children start the service with their families for worship, then move to Sunday School for the remainder of the service. We are working to expand our volunteer base to allow both our staff and families to fully participate in worship.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) was a standout success this year, with over 400 kids participating and more than 150 volunteers making it possible. The week was filled with joy as children sang, laughed, played, and experienced Bible stories in new and exciting ways. The transformation of our campus and the dedication of our volunteers—from donations and decorating to prepping and clean-up—played a crucial role in making VBS such a memorable event.

We also partnered with Armored Sports Camp, a Christian sports camp from Houston, to offer an afternoon camp experience. Around 80 of our VBS kids stayed for this additional program, enjoying games, daily devotionals, and engaging activities. This combination of VBS and Armored Sports Camp provided a fulfilling all-day camp experience for families.

Kanakuk Kampout! kicked off the summer on our campus, offering a fun and faith-filled start to the season. Nearly 200 kids participated in this traveling Christian camp, with counselors hosted by our church families and provided lunch by small groups from our church. It was a fantastic week filled with spiritual growth and fun.

Our Wednesday night Bible Study for kids wrapped up the school year on a high note, and we’re already planning for its return in the Fall. The new Bible Study will focus on developing Bible skills for younger children (Pre-K through 4th grade) and reinforcing fundamental truths in well-known Bible stories for older children (5th-6th grade). During the summer, we’re offering childcare for kids whose parents continue their Wednesday night Bible studies.

We recently hosted a summer Family pool party at Adamson Lagoon, which was a delightful opportunity to connect with many new families. Looking ahead, we’re excited about our Back to School Bash, designed to kick off the school year with a blend of fellowship, faith, and fun. Additionally, we will hold the Blessing of Backpacks on August 11th to start the school year with a special blessing for our students.

This year, we celebrated several milestones and launched new initiatives aimed at supporting and enriching family life. Our second annual Marriage Retreat was a success, bringing together 12 couples for a meaningful experience. In May, we held a Parenting Workshop attended by 40 participants, where we explored the challenges of managing marriage difficulties while parenting prodigal children.

We also hosted our first-ever “Marriage Date Night,” which was well-received, drawing around 200 people. This event was part of our broader effort to offer couples opportunities for connection and enjoyment, including our “Date Nights @ The Movies” series, where parents could enjoy Christian films and a well-deserved night out.

The Christ@Home Center continues to be a valuable resource for families, with new resources and campaigns being added regularly to support their needs.

Looking ahead to 2024, we are excited to begin our third semester of Re|engage this August, supported by six dedicated leader couples who will guide our groups through the Fall. We are also planning another “Marriage Enrichment Event” later in the Fall to further support and strengthen marriages. Additionally, we have recently launched a New Parent Ministry designed to assist new parents as they navigate this significant life transition. To complement this, we are hosting a support group specifically for new moms, providing them with the support and community they need.

Earlier in 2024, Camp Mending Hearts was a remarkable success, with 30 children from Kindergarten through 8th grade participating. This year’s camp saw the highest number of attendees we’ve ever had, making it a standout event.

Our other support groups have also been flourishing. We merged our Young Adult Grief Group with our Children’s Bereavement Program, allowing them to meet on the same night. This integration has led to a significant increase in participation, reflecting the positive impact of this change.

Looking forward, our Children’s Bereavement Program is set to begin in September. We’re excited about the new format we’re introducing this Fall, which will align with best practices and be more effective in supporting children as they navigate their grief journey.

Additionally, our Cancer Support Group continues to thrive under the leadership of Dr. Denise Turner. She has successfully brought in several outstanding speakers, and we eagerly anticipate more inspiring talks in the coming months.

Men’s Missions

In May, our friend Tommy Myrick contacted Christ Church and said he had a project for the Men’s Ministry. Members of the Smiley United Methodist Church, near Gonzales, Texas, wanted to demolish their original parsonage and replace it with a new church fellowship hall. With the help of 8 men from Christ Church, a few from Smiley UMC, and Tommy, they started with the demolition on Monday and by Thursday morning, they were returning to College Station. The members of Smiley UMC were amazed and most appreciative that a few men could level their old parsonage and clear the land for their fellowship hall.

 

Disaster Relief

In June, a small group of men drove down to the Waller and Hempstead areas and stayed for the weekend to serve families who had been affected by storms. Partnering with Godfrey Hubert, the director of Hope Disaster Recovery, these men helped families who had fallen trees in their yard — they cut and stacked the trees.

 

Mission 6:8

 Our student ministry traveled to Azle, Texas with 112 students and volunteers. For the week, the students were assigned work sites where their “job” was to paint, build wheelchair ramps, build a deck, or demo, but most importantly, they were to share the love of Christ with the homeowner and the people of Azle. The students not only had the opportunity to serve the people of Azle by providing for their physical needs, but they also were allowed to love their homeowner by telling them about their relationship with Jesus and praying over them.

 

Costa Rica Mission Trip

 Student and College ministry, along with a handful of adults traveled to Costa Rica to partner with Conexión Ministries. We were able to see how that ministry already serves the people of Costa Rica and walk alongside them to love our neighbor across the world. We painted a church, worked with students in the local schools, helped facilitate a prayer journey, served food to the homeless, and experienced the Holy Spirit moving in beautiful ways. I am continually blown away by how the Lord moves through Conexion and it is extremely impactful for our youth and college students to see that.

 

The Big Giveaway

Partnering with other churches in the Bryan, College Station area, the goal of the Big Giveaway is “to welcome international students & provide opportunities for local believers to go beyond meeting physical needs by extending generous personal hospitality and offering authentic personal relationships”. This event will be August 16th and 17th, with the first night being a time of fellowship and a time of building relationships with the international students at Texas A&M, and the second day being a day of distributing items. The goal is to invite those international students to church, to family dinners, etc. — the goal is to welcome them into your life and walk alongside them.

 

Project Hope

 On the first and third Thursday of each month, a team of 15 members of Christ Church distributes food from the Brazos Valley Food Bank to our clients in our church’s parking lot. Each week, 40+ families are represented and are given food. Relationships are built with these families, as they come regularly to Project Hope, and it is then these families that we get to work with for Kidz Christmas.

 

Transportation Team

 Each week, members of Christ Church have the opportunity to love our neighbors by bringing Langford residents to and from Sunday morning worship using our golf carts. This has been a neat way of seeing how members of the congregation can simply and tangibly serve the people right across the street.

 

James 1:27 and Hands Team

These missions operate on a need-based schedule. When a need arises and someone from our congregation reaches out saying that they would love for someone to mow their yard, pull weeds, change a lightbulb, etc. an email goes out to the James 1:27 team, and those who are able, to step up to serve the members of our congregation. The Hands team is a group of people who are ready and have the desire to serve missionally, so when a project arises, they receive an email with the details, and then those who can serve, step up. These two mission opportunities are continually occurring throughout the year.

 

Family Promise

Every six weeks, our church partners with an organization that helps families who are currently experiencing homelessness and seeks to assist them by providing the tools needed for sustainable independence. During the week that we work with them, our members stay overnight with the families, provide meals, and spend time with the families and build relationships with them. Our next rotation is September 15th — September 21st.

 

Kidz Christmas

On Saturday, December 7th, we will take around 250 kids shopping at Walmart, each with a budget of $125. The families will be paired with a member of Christ Church who will assist them in their shopping. After they are finished with the shopping, they head back to Christ Church for a pancake breakfast that is prepared and served by our church members. The goal is to build a relationship with that family and then follow up with them throughout the year.

Since our last Ministries Council meeting, many exciting and impactful things have taken place within the Music and Worship Ministries.

 

• We were drawn closer to the Lord and deeply felt His love for us through the moving services of Holy Week.
• On Maundy Thursday we experienced a dramatic retelling of the night in the Upper Room at our Living Last Supper service.
• On Good Friday we experienced the emotions that took place as our Savior was nailed to the cross and died for every one of us. We had more people worship those two nights than we ever have before.
• In May, over 50 members of the Youth Choir traveled to the mountains of East Tennessee on our annual choir tour. During that week the choir sang 6 concerts in churches and retirement homes, and they beautifully showed the love of God to all they encountered.
• The Sanctuary Choir also traveled to Gause Methodist this Spring to help lead in their worship service and to support their youth going to camp by participating in a lunch for them.

 

When most traditional music programs are dying away or vanished altogether, Christ Church is blessed to have a vibrant Music Ministry that actively serves our congregation and community.

 

• This year the Sanctuary Choir was challenged to add 20 new members from Sept-Aug, and we are proud to say we exceeded that by adding 24 new members to the adult part of that ministry.
• The choir members continue to pray that the music they offer each week will touch those who hear it and draw them closer to the presence of the Lord. This happens for us in rehearsal, and we specifically pray the same will happen for our congregation both here and listening around the world.

 

Fall 2024-Spring 2025 Music Ministry Dates

 

August 7, 2024            5:30 pm Music Awards and Appreciation Dinner      

August 25, 2024          4:00 pm Youth Choir & Children’s Choir Kickoff Rehearsal

Canticles Bells 5:15 and Kyriokos Bell 6:15

September 4, 2024     6:00 pm Ensemble Rehearsal Resume (Jubilate & Gloryland)

September 8, 2024     9:30 am Orchestra Rehearsals Resumes

TBD     Composer Clinic or Workshop with Clinician

December 1, 2024      5:00 pm Hanging of the Greens in Sanctuary

December 8, 2024      5:00 pm Music Ministry Christmas Program & Keyboards at Christmas

December 15, 2024    5:00 pm BVSO Christmas Concert featuring Sanctuary Choir, Canticle Bells and James Faith, Organist

December 18, 2023    6:00 pm Service of Remembrance

December 24, 2024    7:00 pm Sing for Christmas Eve worship service,   7:00 only

March 5, 2025            6:00 pm Ash Wednesday Service

TBD Church Has Left the Building (no morning worship service) Choir service project to be announced

April 13, 2025             8 &11am         Palm Sunday

April 17, 2025             7:00 pm           Maundy Thursday Service

April 18, 2025             7:00 pm           Good Friday Service

April 20, 2025             8&11 am         Easter Sunday

May 25-31, 2025         – – – – – –            Youth Choir Tour

Mission 6:8

This year’s Mission 6:8 was a profound experience for our community. We sent over 112 students, adults, and college volunteers to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where they embodied the hands and feet of Jesus. Partnering with Lakewood Methodist, First Bryan Methodist, and First Methodist Azle, our team engaged in meaningful service. The students had the chance to live missionally, build connections with another church community, and pursue their faith in impactful ways throughout the DFW area.

Costa Rica

Our mission to Costa Rica was equally transformative. In collaboration with the College Ministry, 34 students, college attendees, and adults traveled to serve in various capacities. This mission trip continues to be a deeply formative experience for everyone involved. We served in local churches, supported students, and distributed food to the homeless. The presence of Jesus was palpable throughout our time there.

Summer Programming

During the summer, our Sunday night programming attracted a regular attendance of 60-70 students. Each week, they eagerly participated in worship and learned about being ready to share Jesus “in and out of season.” The Lord was moving powerfully in these gatherings. Our Wednesday night summer series, “Sand and Scripture,” saw 30-40 students coming together to worship and build a community of love.

Our programming provided students with opportunities to practice praying for and with one another, share testimonies, and foster a culture of unity and prayer within the Student Ministry. Our goal is to cultivate ministers who actively serve others, whether at school, home, or on their sports teams. By nurturing their ability to pray and love one another as Jesus taught, we are laying the foundation for them to minister to those around them.

Throughout the summer, more than 100 students engaged with Student Ministry each week. Their enthusiasm for community, worship, and pursuing Jesus together was inspiring. We are grateful for the progress and growth witnessed, as many students deepened their faith through mission work, small groups, and casual conversations.

Looking Forward

As we prepare for the fall, Student Ministries is brimming with anticipation for the upcoming season. The mission remains steadfast: to glorify Jesus and spread His gospel among students in the Bryan/College Station area. One of our largest events of the year, CRASH, is approaching. This annual Fall kickoff event will welcome students from around the area to Christ Church for a day of games, food, worship, and more. It’s a chance for students to meet their counselors, connect with small group members, and learn about the opportunities within Student Ministry. With over 250 students participating last year, we are excited to see even more this year.

Our LEAD program will continue to develop students’ leadership skills and spiritual gifts. This year, participants will explore their callings and practice leading within our ministry, and we are eager to see how the program evolves.

Beach Retreat is also back, offering High School students a chance to unwind and reconnect at Surfside, Texas. This retreat will focus on worship, relaxation, and community-building, preparing students to return home ready to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.

For our Middle School students, the Mystery Trip is another highlight. This fall retreat is designed as a faith experiment, helping students trust in God’s plan as they experience the joy of faith in action. Additionally, students will have opportunities to serve in the Bryan/College Station area with organizations like Family Promise, James 1:27, and Hands team, emphasizing the importance of living missionally.

Thank you for your continued support of Student Ministries. We ask that you join us in prayer for the students and the ministry as we enter the Fall semester. We eagerly anticipate witnessing all that the Lord will accomplish during this season.

Registration and Planning for the 2024-2025 School Year

As we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, we’re excited to share that enrollment for both CFA and SFLP has reached 214 students. This increased demand has led to the decision to add a second 1st grade classroom for the upcoming year. Additionally, we have identified the need for a dedicated dyslexia/interventionist teacher to support our students’ diverse learning needs.

May 2024 Milestones

This year marks a special milestone for SFLP as we celebrate our 25th graduation ceremony. CFA will also be commemorating its 12th End of Year Celebration, marking another successful year for both programs.

Staff Training and Facility Updates

In preparation for the new school year, significant work has taken place during June and July. We began the process of relocating supplies from Mending Hearts to their new space and moved the CFA Kindergarten classroom to a new location. Kent Moore Cabinets installed new cabinetry in Classroom 21, while our facilities team handled various tasks such as assembling classroom furniture, painting, and playground maintenance, including tree trimming. The floors in the SFLP were stripped and waxed to ensure a fresh start for the new school year.

Changes in Classroom Assignments

Several updates have been made to our room assignments:
– Classroom C17 will now serve as the Dyslexia/Interventionist classroom.
– Classroom C19, previously used for other purposes, will become the second Kindergarten classroom, relocating from C8.
– Classroom C20 will be designated for 3rd grade.
– Classroom C21 will be used as the second 1st grade classroom.
– Classroom C8 will be repurposed for science and music classes.

Upcoming Events

We have a busy schedule of events planned:
– Teacher Inservice: August 14 & 15
– Meet the Teacher: August 16 & 19
– First Day of School: August 20

Additionally, we have several exciting events lined up:
– Fall Open House and Art Show: October 8
– School Costume Parade: October 31, held in the sanctuary perimeter hallway
– Thanksgiving Feasts: November 18-21
– Christmas Programs: December 16 & 17

We look forward to another vibrant and successful school year!