Our weekly Community Dinner continues this Wednesday, November 4th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. This week, members of the Ventana Community will invite us into a celebration of Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights. We’ll have (nut-free) Indian food - and pizza for those who prefer - as well as dance performances and crafts. This annual celebration is always particularly festive and beautiful and a lovely way to learn about the traditions of our friends and neighbors. Please RSVP using this Google Form so we can know how much food to purchase. We hope to see you there!

Our 5th Annual Celebration of Dia de Los Muertos will be held in the sacred space of the Christ Church Columbarium on Monday, November 2, at 4:00 pm. There will be a Service of Remembrance with prayers, a time for each of us to honor those we love who have died, and a brief homily, followed by a time for fellowship — with wine and cheese! 

Bring photos of your loved ones, a token that is representative of them, or a food they enjoyed, to add to the altar we will create together. 

If your loved ones are not inurned in the Columbarium, you are still encouraged  to participate in the service. You will be warmly welcomed!

All are welcome to join our weekly yoga class on Monday mornings, 8:30-9:45 a.m. in the Church Narthex. No previous yoga experience is required to attend, and contrary to popular belief, flexibility is not a prerequisite for yoga! Options or modifications will be offered for every pose to accommodate individual bodies. Please bring a yoga mat (though we have extras if you don’t have one) and dress for ease of movement. 

Join members of the parish choirs from Christ Church Los Altos, St. Bede’s Menlo Park, St. Mark’s Palo Alto, and Christ Church Portola Valley Woodside for a series of Evensong services.

The second Evensong will be on All Saints Day on Sunday, November 1st, at 5:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto) and will feature a string quartet to accompany our combined choirs as we share Gabriel Faure’s Requiem.

On Sunday, November 1st at 12:00 p.m. the Outreach Committee will meet to discuss outreach ministry donations and service projects for the coming months. We’ll gather in the Sapphire Room (located just behind the bank of restrooms outside of the parish hall). Anyone interested in learning more about this ministry is welcome to attend the meeting!

Remember to set your clocks back an hour as we get an extra hour of sleep this Fall Back weekend! Our regular Sunday services will continue at 8:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.

Everyone from Christ Episcopal Church is invited to Un Producto de Immigración, a choral conducting recital next month on October 24th, 2026, at 12:00pm at Campbell United Methodist Church, (1675 Winchester Blvd,) held by former parish choral scholar, Ivan Vielma.

“This recital is a project that I have been working on for the past year, taking inspiration from my own family and upbringing. I would not be in the position that I am in if it weren’t for the sacrifices they have made. I am a product of immigration. This recital will also serve as a fundraiser to support local San Jose organizations that provide resources to immigrant families needing financial or legal assistance. If you would like to make a donation, please use the link below to donate. Donations will also be accepted in person at the concert.”

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/adgcfjae

Please join the St. Mark’s Episcopal community for the next installment of our speaker series featuring Prof. john a. powell in conversation with Prof. Margalynne Armstrong on October 18th at 2pm. john a. powell is Professor of Law, African American Studies and Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and the Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute. The Institute’s focus is on addressing the exclusion, marginalization and structural inequality of groups – what they call othering – by creating an environment of fairness, justice and care for the earth – what they call belonging. john will speak about their approach and how best to bridge this divide, after which he will be interviewed by Margalynne Armstrong, Associate Professor of Law at Santa Clara University. Prof. Powell has authored several books, including The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where we all Belong , which will be available for sale at the event. This event will take place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: 600 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto.

The Read-What-You-Want Book Club will be meeting on Thursday, October 15 at 2:00 PM in the Fireside Room. Come join our group of book lovers who enjoy talking about their latest reads. There are interesting discussions, plenty of laughter, and lots of great book recommendations. Give it a try!

Compassion Week is a beloved October tradition bringing people together in service and solidarity across Los Altos and Mountain View. Many CCLA parishioners take part in these events. To mark the conclusion of the week, all are very welcome to attend an Interfaith Service at Pacifica Institute’s new Community and Cultural Facility on Sunday, October 11th at 5:00 p.m. (539 E Weddell Dr. Sunnyvale, CA 94089). Pacifica Institute is one of our primary interfaith partners and the event will include a tour of their new dedicated facility. We hope to see you there!

This year we’ll once again be partnership with Los Altos United Methodist Church to offer a blessing of the animals in Cuesta Park on the Feast of St. Francis (Sunday, October 4th at 3:30 p.m.). Bring your pets, invite your friends, and come celebrate the joy our animal companions bring to our lives! This year, LAUMC is also using this occasions to highlight a local non-profit dedicated to animal welfare: Mini Cat Town in Palo Alto. If you'd like to help us extend the blessing to animals in need, please consider donating through their wishlists or Venmo, or bring some of the listed supplies to the Blessing. NOTE: we will meet meet the main parking lot and the large playground, just off Cuesta drive!

• Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3QW47WDR06VG1/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

• Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/minicattown

• Chewy Wishlist: https://www.chewy.com/g/mini-cat-town_b90319803

Christ Church parishioners are warmly invited to the memorial of longtime member Stu Farwell to be held on Sunday, September 27th at 1:00 p.m. There will be a reception afterward in the Parish Hall. Please join Stu’s family and friends for this beautiful remembrance.

CIC Ministries is a community of people from diverse life experiences and spiritual backgrounds united in our call to be with those who are incarcerated. We train volunteers to meet the spiritual needs of individuals inside Santa Clara and Santa Cruz County Jails and Juvenile Detention Facilities.

Our volunteer chaplains provide one-to-one spiritual counseling, worship and prayer services, bible and other study groups, spiritual writing groups, meditation groups, and more!

Next training: Saturday, Sept 26 | 9:00–11:30 AM at Foothill Covenant Church 1555 Oak Ave., Los Altos, CA 94024

Learn more and sign up: www.cicministries.org/jail-ministry-training

Questions: info@cicministries.org

Christ Church and Ventana School are pleased to welcome our friends and neighbors from across Los Altos and Silicon Valley to a festive evening on the Lower Lawn as we say goodbye to summer and welcome the fall! Please join us on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. on the Lower Lawn (1040 Border Road, Los Altos). Enjoy a relaxed evening outdoors with old friends and new - RSVP HERE. 

 WE’LL HAVE TWO FOOD TRUCKS!
Including The Waffle Roost and SAJJ Mediterranean, with kosher/halal food options

 FACE PAINTING
 BOUNCY HOUSE
 FOOD • FUN • FELLOWSHIP

Bring the whole family, invite a neighbor, and come enjoy a final summer evening together!

Our annual Rally Sunday will be on Sunday, September 6th. This Sunday marks the return of the parish choir during the 10:15 a.m. service as well as the beginning of many of our other regular programs. It’s an exciting time as we begin a new church year! We hope to see you there.

On August 29 and 30, members of the Christ Church community, along with our ecumenical and interfaith partners, will offer a progressive faith presence at Silicon Valley Pride’s Festival and Parade. Because we had a parish booth at Mountain View PRIDE earlier this year, we will not have a CCLA-specific site at this year’s Silicon Valley celebration, but parishioners are encouraged to sign up HERE to volunteer with the Interfaith Booth. Everyone is also invited to march in the parade on Sunday, August 30 at 10:30 a.m. If you want to march with the local Episcopal group, please contact Rev. Claire (claire@ccla.us). If you’d prefer to explore the festival on your own, you can purchase tickets for Saturday and Sunday here.

Our families with young and young-ish children meet monthly for a dinner - usually on the third Friday - in one another’s homes. Our next gathering is Friday, August 21st. If you’re a family with kids at home who would enjoy hanging with other families in a similar stage of life, you’d be so welcome to attend! Contact Rev. Claire (claire@ccla.us) for more details and to get added to the WhatsApp group.

As recently announced, our Associate Rector, the Rev. Cal Payne-Taylor, has accepted a call to complete a residency in hospital chaplaincy at UCSF beginning this fall. His last Sunday with us will be August 9th. We’ll have a special celebration for him at both services as we send him with our warmest blessing, and a festive coffee hour as well.

We hope you can make it!

Are you divorced or widowed, single by chance or choice? Join members of Foothill Congregational Church and Christ Church for coffee and conversation on the first Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at Red Berry Coffee Bar, 145 Main Street, Los Altos. No agenda, no dues, no membership required — just a chance to connect with other men and women over 60 who are navigating life without a partner. Only cost is what you choose to purchase for yourself at the coffeeshop. Let’s have coffee together.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 4, at 1:30 p.m. at Red Berry Coffee Bar, 145 Main Street, Los Altos.

For more information, email Heather at clarktrail2020@gmail.com

As noted in last week's newsletter, our Director of Parish Administration, Deanne Phillips, has moved on from her position here at Christ Church and Ventana School. We will have an opportunity to celebrate her nine years as an employee here at both our 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. services on Sunday, July 26th. We'll have a special coffee hour following the 10:15 a.m. service that day as well as part service of this special morning. We hope you can make it!

Calling all World Cup fans!! The local Muslim organization with which our parish has had a longstanding relationship, The Pacifica Institute, recently suggested hosting a joint watch party for the USA v. Türkiye match coming up Thursday, June 25th. Kickoff is at 7pm but you're warmly invited to come to a BBQ dinner on the lower lawn at 5:30 and then move up to the parish hall for the game at 7pm. The Pacifica Institute will provide food and commemorative T-shirts. We hope you can make it!

On Saturday, June 20th, members of the Christ Church community will offer a progressive Christian presence at the Mountain View Pride festival. This is the second year that this event has ever been offered, and we are proud to join St. Timothy's Episcopal, Mountain View as the second faith-based organization to be represented at this event. We are seeking volunteers to staff our Christ Church booth from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. If you can volunteer for even an hour during that time, we gladly welcome your participation! Together, we will offer a friendly and affirming Christian presence to Pride attendees, and will hand out small goodies and gifts. Please contact Rev. Cal (cal@ccla.us) for more information or to RSVP to volunteer at the booth for an hour or more. The event takes place at City Hall Plaza & Pioneer Park (500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94040). All are invited to join in for a fun Saturday of celebrating and supporting our LGBTQ+ neighbors!

All are welcome to attend Peace Journey, a concert of hopeful music from the classical choral tradition to today, sung by the New Choir. Our own tenor chorister, Paul Ingraham, will be among those singing in this concert. The New Choir will offer music by Palestrina, Gibbons, Beethoven, Brahms, and double chorus works by J. S. Bach and Rheinberger, together with more contemporary works by Arvo Pärt, Kim Arnesen and compositions written for the New Choir by Korean composers Paul Shin, Nack-Kum Paik and Hyun Chul Lee. Concerts will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 555 Waverley St, Palo Alto on Saturday, June 6, 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 7, 5 pm. Tickets may be purchased online at newchoir.org or at the door on concert dates.