Two Languages, One Parish Family

St. Christopher's sits at the edge of a 55+ community in the Phoenix West Valley, in Sun City, and gathers every week as one bilingual parish. Worship is held in English and Spanish, often side by side on Sunday mornings, and the congregation describes itself as intergenerational, bicultural, and bilingual. The parish takes community seriously and finds its identity in being one Body of Christ across language and generation. Several times a year - the Annual Meeting in late January, Maundy Thursday, and Consecration Sunday in early November - the two Sunday services merge into one bilingual liturgy.

The parish belongs to the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Arizona. A solar array on the flat roof, an extensive recycling program, and an active care for the planet flow from the same Creation Care ministry that the diocese has encouraged. Visitors who arrive curious about Episcopal liturgy find a congregation that walks them through it. The order of service is printed in the bulletin, the red Book of Common Prayer and the blue Hymnal sit in the pew racks in front of you, and the English service normally uses Rite II.

Sunday Worship in English and Spanish

Two Sunday services anchor the week. At 9:30 a.m. the English service gathers a lively congregation for prayers, sermon, communion, and music that includes hymns and the choir. At 8:00 a.m. the Spanish Mass (Misa en Español) follows a parallel shape, with prayers, sermon, communion, and music led with hymns and guitar. Both services can be watched online through the parish's YouTube channel, and recordings are also posted on Facebook.

On the first Sunday of each month, the 9:30 service takes on a healing focus. Communion is open to any baptized Christian. Visitors who prefer not to receive are welcome to come forward for a blessing, crossing their arms over their chest so the priest knows to pray for them rather than offer the bread. The general practice is to stand to sing, sit to listen, and kneel or stand to pray, but those who need to remain seated are gently accommodated.

Wednesday Healing Eucharist in the Chapel

Midweek worship happens on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel of the Resurrection. The gathering is small and conversational, with prayers, a sermon, and communion in a quieter setting. The service is held in person only, with no online stream, and there is no Wednesday Healing Eucharist in July and August.

For those who want a devotional rhythm without leaving home, Morning Prayer is offered over Zoom on Wednesdays at 10:05 a.m. It is Morning Prayer only, without communion or the laying on of hands for healing, and the bulletin is emailed to participants in advance.

Stepping Inside St. Christopher's

The church sits at 10233 W. Peoria Avenue, with a large parking lot behind the building that can be entered from Peoria Avenue or from 103rd Avenue. A row of handicapped parking spaces sits close to the red double doors. A ramp leads up to those doors, and the campus is built for wheelchair access throughout. Hearing assisted devices are available at every service.

When you walk in, an usher will greet you, hand you a bulletin, and invite you to choose a seat. There are no assigned pews. The bulletin shows the order of service, and the red Book of Common Prayer and the blue Hymnal sit in the pew racks in front of you. Ushers help with the collection and guide the flow of communion. If you would like to receive but cannot come to the rail, let an usher know and a priest will bring communion to you. After each Sunday service there is a Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall, a relaxed time to get to know the people around you.

Music at the Heart of Worship

Music is woven into the identity of the parish. The choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. and sings at the English service from September through May. The Minister of Music selects hymns and anthems, performs at services, and coordinates guest ensembles. Members of the congregation also serve as instrumentalists.

The Christopher Singers, formed in 1988, take music outside the walls of the church. Twelve founders started a sing-along ministry at Sun City care centers and assisted living facilities, and the group is still going. These outings run roughly twice a month from October through April, with old songs and hymn favorites, and newcomers - singers or simply friendly helpers passing out song sheets - are always welcome.

St. Christopher's also hosts concerts from time to time. Piano and cello recitals feature in Harte Hall, and two guest ensembles perform twice a year: the Sonoran Sounds Women's Chorale and the West Valley Wind Ensemble. Those who attend a Wind Ensemble concert are asked to bring a tin for Valley View Food Bank.

Children, Youth, and the Bunnies of Palm Sunday

Children are full members of the worshiping community. Tote bags with activities themed around the week's lectionary hang on the wall by the narthex for use during services. If a child becomes distressed, parents are welcome to step into the narthex, where they can still see and hear the service through the glass wall and let little ones play on the rug. Children often do better closer to the front so they can see what is going on.

Sunday School meets between the two services from September through May and uses active, experience-based learning. Vacation Bible School runs every Sunday in July between the services, with children from both the English and Spanish services joining together. The Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) gathers on the second Saturday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Children and youth also serve at the altar as acolytes, crucifers, torch bearers, chalice bearers, and subdeacons, and they take part in outreach projects: assembling sandwiches for the homeless, choosing an Advent outreach each year, and collecting the small stuffed animals that appear on Palm Sunday for the children served by Eve's Place and Valley View Food Bank.

Living Out Matthew 25

The Outreach Committee organizes its work around Matthew 25: I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was a stranger, I was naked, I was sick. Drives and partnerships run throughout the year.

• Valley View Community Food Bank, the parish's neighborhood food bank on Peoria Avenue, receives monthly donations. A sample of the gifts is brought to the altar on the first Sunday of each month to be blessed.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes provide full holiday meals for families at Cheyenne and Country Meadows Elementary Schools, for clients at Eve's Place, and for parish families who need support.
• The Men's Club Sandwich Ministry prepares 24 sandwiches a week for the Salvation Army in Surprise; over the years the program has provided more than 2,000 lunches.
• The Summer Water Drive (Code Red) partners with the Phoenix Rescue Mission to collect bottled water for homeless and elderly neighbors through the hottest months.
• Operation Christmas Child, the Women's Club Easter Baskets, the Bookshelf Bookstore (open Sundays between services), the Bargains Galore Thrift Store, the Boot Fund for children's shoes, the Baby Blankets and Quilts ministry, and Prayer Shawls each meet a specific need.
• Backpacks, school supplies, and Wi-Fi support go to students at Cheyenne and Country Meadows Elementary Schools.

Ecumenical partnerships run through much of this work. The Men's Club Sandwich Ministry partners with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Glendale to feed the homeless through the United Methodist Outreach Ministries (UMOM) family shelter in downtown Phoenix. The parish also supports Habitat for Humanity by providing food for build crews, and members participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and summer ecumenical hymn sings.

Caring Ministries for the Older Adults and the Homebound

Sun City is a 55+ community, and pastoral care for older adults and the homebound is built into the parish's structure. Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs) bring Holy Communion to those who are ill, hospitalized, or unable to attend church, along with news of the parish and the Sunday bulletin. The Prayer Chain prays confidentially for any concern shared with it. The Cards & Calls Encouragement Ministry sends monthly cards and phone calls to parishioners who need to know they are remembered. Phone Tree Callers stay in touch with those who can no longer easily get out.

The Columbarium Ministry oversees 180 niches in the narthex of the Chapel of the Resurrection across from the church, providing a sacred on-campus option for the perpetual care of ashes. The name comes from the Latin for dove (columba), a symbol of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, and peace.

Adults Learning Together

Three adult formation offerings run through the year. The Men's Bible Workbench gathers on Monday mornings at 11:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall for a small-group discussion of scripture. The Women's Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., usually working through a Beth Moore study. Advent and Lenten Studies meet weekly in Middleton Hall with a shared meal of soup and bread followed by a discussion tied to the lectionary.

Men's Club, Women's Club, and the Whole Parish

The Men's Club meets on the third Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast, fellowship, and the planning of ministries that include the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, the Famous Follies variety show each March, the Men's Club Sandwich Ministry, and building projects like the stage in the Parish Hall. The Women's Club meets monthly and runs the Easter Basket project, the summer water drive, the backpack drive, and an annual Bake Sale the first Saturday of December. Both clubs are open to all members of the parish.

Care for Creation

St. Christopher's has formalized what had been scattered stewardship efforts into one Creation Care ministry in line with the Diocese of Arizona's focus on climate and creation. A solar array on the flat roof, LED lighting throughout the complex, smart irrigation timers and valves, paper and aluminum recycling, and a transition away from Styrofoam and plastic all sit under one umbrella. The Landscape Ministry, dedicated in 2013, maintains the grounds, including three trees - a live oak, a sissoo, and a palm that was a free offering from above.

For the parish, this is one more expression of stewardship: using the gifts God has given to do the work God is calling us to do.