All are welcome to join our weekly yoga class on Monday mornings, 8:30-9:45 a.m. in the Fireside Room (note change in location for next week). 

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 us for our Epiphany Adult Forum series Dreaming With: Discerning Our Gifts in Community on Sunday, January 11, 9:00-10:00 a.m. between the services in person in the Fireside Room. During the season of Epiphanytide, we honor the gifts of the magi to the newborn Jesus and reflect on what we are also called to offer to God and God’s people. In this Being With-inspired series, we will explore the unique gifts that the Holy Spirit has placed within each of us. Visioning our life stories through the eyes of faith, we will delve into how we are called by God into the shared work of ministry within and beyond our church. Each week, we will enjoy time for check-ins and wonderings, a brief reading on the theme of discernment of gifts, and time for both individual journaling and group reflection. Please consider joining us for heart-led reflection and conversation as we delve into what it means to be in ministry alongside one another. All are welcome! Childcare is available in the Parish Hall Library. 

All are welcome to a family-friendly weekly community dinner on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. As we start the New Year, we often have hopes and wishes for things that may come over the year. Teacher Jenny will offer an art activity which will start at 6:15 with a brief overview of what we’ll be doing to send out our wishes for the New Year. All are invited to participate! We’ll have pizza, so grab a slice and enjoy a little creative time over dinner. Hope you can join us! Note that we order the food Wednesdays before noon, and while we do plan for a little overage your RVSPs using this Google Form are important in helping us plan for enough food.

Christ Church has a long-established tradition of celebrating 12th Night on the last day of the Christmas season in the church year. Come join the fun on Monday, January 5, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (in person only) as we continue this tradition in partnership with St. Timothy's Episcopal Church. Bring a hearty appetizer, a dessert, or something more substantial to share. There will be activities for children, we’ll sing carols, drink wassail (non-alcoholic options will be available), crown the King and Queen, and enjoy the Herod Play together in the Parish Hall. Then we’ll follow the Three Kings into the church for a short but beautiful candlelight service. All are welcome!

In place of the weekly Adult Forum, join us this Sunday, January 4, between services from 9:00-10:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room for a Sanctuary Master Planning Listening Session. As we begin discernment around our Master Plan for Sanctuary modifications, we want to hear from you -- things like, what is important to you about the space currently, what modifications would you like to have considered, is there anything in particular you feel isn't working for our current worship style? We hope you'll join us for this conversation! 

Christ Church offers a simple Eucharistic service each month usually on the 4th Monday of the month at 11:00 a.m. in the Gardenia Room in The Forum’s Health Center. This month it will be on the fifth Monday, December 29. Although this is held in the Health Center, it is open to all residents of The Forum. It’s a simple service with music and a bread-only Eucharist, and those who attend enjoy it greatly. Come join us if you can!

On Sunday, December 21, 9:00-10:00 a.m. , the Outreach Committee will meet to evaluate and finalize Christ Church outreach ministry grants for 2025. The committee will meet in the Fireside Room (the meeting will take the place of the Adult Forum this Sunday) and anyone interested in learning more about this ministry is welcome to attend the meeting!

NOTE: There will be no Sunday Adult Forum on Sundays, December 28 or January 4.

Join Christ Church parish choir members Jo Darius, Charles Thompson and Marie Alberry-Hawkins, and Ventana Teacher, Julie Kelsey, for their Schola Cantorum holiday concert on Sunday, December 14, 5:00 p.m. at Los Altos United Methodist Church (655 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos). From timeless movie melodies to heartwarming tunes that spark seasonal nostalgia (even if they’re not technically holiday songs), this program promises cozy memories, feel-good favorites, and plenty of opportunities to sing along. Bring the whole family, and keep your eyes peeled — there might just be a special visitor in the audience. For tickets and more information, click here.

On Sunday, December 14, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the Chapel, all are invited to join our Adult Formation Minister, Alice Kochunov, and Rev. Cal for a workshop exploring the sacredness of mystery this Advent. Through a range of contemplative invitations, we will dwell in reflection on how God is inviting each of us to explore the divine mysteries that are present in each of our lives. Via guided meditation, we will gently and deeply hold Scripture passages that speak to the call of the Advent season for us to abide in sacred unknowing. Through breath-focused practices, we will notice how these explorations of divine mystery and holiness in the everyday are moving into the body. We will conclude with time for journaling, reflection, and optional sharing as a group. All are welcome to join us for this afternoon of sacred mystery shared in beloved community with one another.

In last week's newsletter, Rev. Claire shared that we are in the early stages of planning renovations to the church's organ. Parishioner Rick Ellinger is leading conversations with many parishioners concerned about the state of the instrument and has gathered a great deal of valuable, detailed information about our current organ in order to have a basis for this renovation work. Rick will lead a second one-hour forum in the church for parishioners interested in the current state of the organ and what attention it requires on Sunday, December 14 at 11:45 a.m. following the 10:15 a.m. service. As we embark on this work, we will also be forming two Organ working groups. We'll share more about the focus of each group at the forums. We hope to see you there - all are welcome!

Ring in the season on Sunday, December 14, at 10:15 a.m. with this festive musical celebration of Advent and Christmas, based on the famous service at King's College, Cambridge. The Christ Church Parish Choir will serenade you with beloved carols ranging from the medieval era to the present and invite you to join us in singing your favorite seasonal hymns. The service features reflective and joyful carols by Craig Hella Johnson, David Willcocks, Gary Garcia, Mark Hayes, James MacMillan, and others.

To attend remotely via Zoom, your usual Sunday service Zoom registration will work. If you have not registered for a Sunday service, you must register in advance. Send an email to sundays@ccla.us and, once verified, a registration link will be sent to you. We strongly encourage you to send your request email before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 12 for this service. If you have already registered for Sunday morning services, the Zoom link you have will work for this service.

Note: This service does not include Eucharist so anyone wishing to receive communion will need to come to the 8:00 a.m. service.

In last week's newsletter, Rev. Claire shared that we are in the early stages of planning renovations to the church's organ. Parishioner Rick Ellinger is leading conversations with many parishioners concerned about the state of the instrument and has gathered a great deal of valuable, detailed information about our current organ in order to have a basis for this renovation work. Rick will lead a one-hour forum in the church on two separate dates this week for parishioners interested in the current state of the organ and what attention it requires: first on Wednesday, December 10 at 5:00 p.m. prior to the Community Dinner, and again on Sunday, December 14 at 11:45 a.m. following the 10:15 a.m. service. As we embark on this work, we will also be forming two Organ working groups. We'll share more about the focus of each group at the forums. We hope to see you there - all are welcome!

The meditation group meets via Zoom on Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. If you’re interested in learning more about contemplative practices drawn from the Christian and Buddhist traditions, as well as contemporary psychology, you’re welcome to attend. All are welcome!

Join via Zoom

• Click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/197694657?pwd=ekg3Y24zL2RjV2pKNEs5eVpFVzdidz09

• Meeting ID: 197 694 657; Passcode: 450305

On Tuesday, December 9, at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel, the Christ Church community will be joined by members of Foothills Congregational Church and Los Altos United Methodist Church in an ecumenical service of healing for Advent. Together, we will share in contemplative chants from the Taizé community, acknowledging both the enfolding darkness and hope-bearing light of the Advent season. Gathering together in the round, we will delve into prayers, poetry, and Scripture passages that resonate with both the joys and griefs that this sacred season may hold for each of us. We will conclude our time by anointing one another with holy oil for healing, drawing upon the deep wells of prayerful resilience that we find in community together, and with our God who is making all things new. All are most welcome to join us for this prayerful service, to be followed by a light reception with seasonal treats and conversation. 

Join us as we continue our several-week Adult Forum offering of the Being With series on Sunday, December 7, 9:00-10:00 a.m. between the services in person in the Fireside Room. Being With is a transformative invitation to discover faith in the context of discovering friendship. This series is based on the belief that Being With us is what God is all about, and that being with God, one another, ourselves, and creation, is the calling of our lives in turn. Each week we'll explore topics like essence, story, community, suffering and hope, while holding space for sharing and listening to one another’s stories. There is no expectation to come for all weeks in this series, join us as you are able! Childcare is available in the Parish Hall Library. 

Join Christ Church Parish Choir tenor section leader, Paul Ingraham, for Christmas with the New Choir: Canticle of Winter. Featured works on the program include Gloria by Francis Poulenc and the world première of Magnificat by Korean composer Paul Shin, with Christmas works by Peter Philips, John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, and George Frederick Handel. Performances are Saturday, December 6, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 7, 5:00 p.m., at All Saints Episcopal Church (555 Waverley Street, Palo Alto). For more information and to reserve tickets, please visit the New Choir website: newchoir.org.

Celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth. Share the joy of Christmas. The Christmas Crèche Exhibit is the longest-running community-led, annual crèche experience in the country. This beloved tradition features nativity art from around the world, hands-on activities for all ages, concerts, stories, marionette shows and more. It’s a free community event offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in collaboration with exhibitors, artists, and musicians from many faiths.

This year Christ Church was invited to decorate a crèche. Our Children’s Church children decorated our crèche figures last Sunday (see photo). It will be in the Community Creations area of the exhibit. Be sure to check it out!

The exhibit runs from December 6 - 10, 2025, Saturday - Wednesday, 12:30-8:30 p.m. at 3865 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

For more information visit christmascreche.org. 

All are welcome to a family-friendly weekly community dinner on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Next week Teacher Jenny will be back to help us make Advent Wreaths. If you have garden gloves or gardening shears, please bring them. We’ll have pizza and hope you can join us! Also please note we order the food on Wednesday around noon, so please RSVP by then using this Google Form so we know how much to get.

Members of the Columbarium Association (i.e., everyone who owns a niche) are warmly invited to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting on Sunday, November 30 at 11:45 a.m. Members may join from either inside the Church or remotely using the log-in information for the 10:15 a.m. Sunday service (you will need to register for the service before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 28 by sending an email to sundays@ccla.us in order to receive the Zoom log in information). This is an opportunity for the Trustees of the Association to update members on any new business and to re-elect the trustees, which must be done every year.

Join us during coffee hour on Sunday, November 30, to decorate the Parish Hall Christmas Tree. This annual Christ Church tradition is a time for fellowship and festivity as Advent begins. All are welcome!

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 Sunday, November 23, at 5:00 p.m. here at Christ Church, and will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. The service will feature pieces from composers including Moses Hogan, Sarah MacDonald, William H. Harris and Richard Webster. There will be a reception after the service. All are welcome!

A Feast of Friendship and Gratitude: Building Community Together

The Pacifica Institute, Bay Area Cultural Connections, Silicon Valley Interreligious Council and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are hosting an Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 15, 6:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1300 Grant Road, Los Altos). Christ Church has participated in this evening for several years and we hope you will join us for this celebration of friendship and gratitude. All are welcome!

Volunteers are needed to help with set up, serving or clean up, and/or to bring a side dish, salad or dessert - you can sign up here.

Please RSVP here.

The annual fundraiser for the Association for India's Development (AID) will be held again this year in the Christ Church Parish Hall on Saturday, November 15, starting at 5:00 p.m. The AID volunteer team would be delighted if Christ Church parishioners, or anyone interested in learning about social and environmental justice in the global south, can attend. The event will feature a traditional Indian dance performance and a few Indian dishes you won't see on any restaurant menu! You can see more details and RSVP here.

Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside (815 Portola Road, Portola Valley) is offering a screening of the 1926 Harold Lloyd film For Heaven’s Sake on Friday, November 14, at 6:30 p.m. The evening will feature renowned theater organist Christian Elliott accompanying the film. There is a suggested donation of $10.00 for individuals and $20.00 for families. All are welcome!