The Rev. Todd Blackham, Associate for Whole-Life Development
As part of the Vestry Strategic Plan for ongoing growth, creating new opportunities for worship was a major activity in 2025. New weekly services, additional holiday services, and expanded Sunday mornings have all contributed to higher attendance this year.
The Fountain is a Sunday evening service designed to meet the needs of folks for whom Sunday morning is a difficult time to attend. It also highlights worship with an Ancient/Modern blend of classic hymns and canticles set to modern tunes and instrumentation. Held in the evening by candlelight, this service offers a calm, reflective vibe.
Something Sacred, this Wednesday evening service gives people the chance to learn about and from the great saints of the church by following the calendar of Lesser Feasts and Fasts, presenting historical exemplars of the faith with an eye for how they point us to Jesus in our own lives. This is an intimate group that allows for conversation together along with Holy Eucharist and Anointing for Healing.
The Carols and Bells 2pm Christmas Eve service was added to offer a time to worship on Christmas Eve prior to family events and before dark. It was a brief but festive and fulsome Christmas Eve experience with reflection, communion, and joyful singing.
The Great Vigil of Easter, which is one of the most ancient services of the Christian Church, comprises the first Holy Eucharist of Easter with the lighting of the Paschal Candle, readings from God’s salvation history, and the jubilant proclamation that “Christ is Risen!” while the church moves from darkness into light, and silence into song.
Worship expansion involves the entire Christ Church community, with special thanks to the Altar Guild, Choir and Modern Music Team, the AV team and all those who make these services possible.
As worship laboratories, all of these services offer ways to experiment and try new things, or old things in a new way. Sometimes we're able to borrow elements of one service to enhance another. All of these are ways of drawing people more fully into the transformative worship of God.