Christmas Services 2017
Christmas Eve
5 PM Children’s Service: We hold an early-evening service for families with young children. Children and youth fill most serving roles including greeters, readers, musicians, and ushers. We also have a special Gospel reading just for children. Come share communion and sing traditional Christmas carols with us to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is a family-friendly service, no childcare is provided so that our caregivers may worship with their families. However, our nursery room will be open during the service should you need it.
11 PM Midnight Mass: This service includes special music presented by the Holy Family choir, organ music, communion, and candlelight singing of Silent Night. Please note that incense is used at this service. Joy to the World!
Christmas Day
10 AM Service: We gather for a mid-morning service with communion to celebrate the arrival of our newborn King. In recent years our youth have started to wear pajamas to this service, and it has become known as “Jammie Church.” Kids of all ages are invited to wear their cozy pajamas or flannel pants. This is a family-friendly service, no childcare is provided.
Youth Group Teambuilding: Spider Web
Fourteen members of Holy Family’s Youth Group gathered on Sunday, October 22nd for a chili dinner followed by team building activities and worship. The chosen activity was “Spider Web” and is part of Mobile Team Challenge low ropes course which was purchased with YMGI grant funds, matched by HFEC YG fundraising and the Diocese of Indianapolis. With Halloween just a week away, the theme had the perfect seasonal nod.
In the activity, participants must traverse a “toxic spider web” without knocking it down. Team members must strategize and plan to develop the best approach for completing the task. The exercise requires support for all team members and physical effort and leadership from each person. Communication and trust are essential for successful completion. The youth made connections from this activity to their own faith journeys.
Following the activity, the attendees participated in Compline led by Thomas Canter and music worship led by Ian Johnston. Youth group members closed out the evening by making s’mores on a charcoal grill. The activities were led by Marty Blake and Jolene Johnston. For more information about Holy Family’s Youth Group, please contact Youth Director Marty Blake. mblake@hfec.org
Youth Group Fall Campout
Eight members of Holy Family’s Youth Group and four adult chaperones went on an overnight camping expedition to McCormick’s Creek State Park. Youth enjoyed hiking in McCormick’s Creek canyon and waterfall area and the Wolf Cave nature preserve. The youth also spent some time participating in team building activities. Additionally, the youth cooked two meals over a fire. The participants also shared Compline by campfire and held Morning prayer by the fire as well. More information about Holy Family’s Youth Group can be obtained by contacting Youth Director Marty Blake. mblake@hfec.org
CLICK HERE to view more photos from the Youth Group campout.
Pet Blessing 2017
Furry friends of all sizes gathered at Holy Family today for a pet blessing offered by our transitional rector, The Reverend Tanya Beck. More photos can be viewed by clicking HERE.
Welcome, Reverend Tanya
As part of our rector search process, Holy Family welcomed the Reverend Tanya Vonnegut Beck today as our transitional rector. We are blessed to share in her forty years of pastoral care, preaching, and service to others.
Reverend Tanya also shared a special moment with some of the children at Holy Family. Following the combined worship service at 10 AM, our congregation members shared a pitch-in picnic in the parish hall. For more information about Holy Family’s search process can be found by clicking HERE. admin@hfec.org
Faith Journey Pipe & Helium Stick
Holy Family’s Youth Group recently met for its September dinner and teambuilding session. Youth participated in “faith journey pipe” where a small bead had to be transported through a 1/2 inch pvc pipe in two five-foot sections without making contact with the ground. The bead represents the fast and slow times of life and the need to have others around you to get you to the goal through love and support.
Helium stick is a team building activity in which participants are challenged to suspend a 10 foot section of pipe using only two fingers and lower it to the ground without losing contact with the pipe. The urge to raise the pipe (temptation) is overpowering and the group must work as a team to achieve the goal relying on solid communication, positive affirmation, and mental agility. Following the teambuilding activities, the youth closed the evening by participating in Compline worship together.
Holy Family’s youth meet for Sunday school each week at 9 AM and once each month on Sunday evenings for dinner, fellowship, and teambuilding activities. For more information on Holy Family’s youth programs, please contact Director Marty Blake. mblake@hfec.org
Care Kits for Kids
During our 9 AM Sunday school hour, our Godly Play class (PreK-1st grade) chatted with Holy Family’s Deacon, the Reverend Cathy Scott, about children in need right in our own city. They talked about all the items that help kids stay clean and healthy, and how some families do not have enough money to buy those items.
Children packed 61 bags with toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, shampoo, body wash, and lotion. The bags will be distributed to one elementary school and one intermediate school in Fishers. These bags will be added to the supplies from the Gleaner backpack program that supports children who need food and other items at home.
During our 10 AM service, the children were invited forward to bless with bags with our visiting clergy, The Reverend Jay Lawlor. The bags will be delivered early next week. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Jennifer Kugar at Northeast Pediatric Dentistry and Dr. Malinda Mundy-Burgett at Grin Dentistry for donating supplies. For more information about outreach projects in our Sunday school program, please contact Children’s Ministry Director Jolene Johnson. jjohnston@hfec.org
Stewardship 2018: Ingathering Sunday
On Sunday, August 27th, our entire parish family gathered to worship and thank God for His many blessings.
In response to God’s bountiful gifts, we offered our 2018 financial commitments to Holy Family and floated candles in the font to represent our journey together.
The commitment cards were blessed by the Reverend Bob Dekker who celebrated Eucharist with us that day.
Following the worship service, we gathered for food and fellowship in the parish hall. Holy Family’s rector search committee continues its work to discern the next steps in our transition. You may follow our rector search journey by clicking HERE or contacting the church office. admin@hfec.org
Confirmation Celebration 2017
During our 10 AM Service, four Holy Family members were recognized and blessed as recent Confirmands in the Episcopal Church. They were presented with a certificate signed by Diocese of Indianapolis Bishop The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Holy Family Deacon The Rev. Cathy Scott, and Confirmation instructor Bob Murray. They also received personal copies of the Book of Common Prayer. To close the special liturgy, all members in attendance placed their hands on the people in front of them as a traditional symbol of “laying on of hands,” offering congregational support throughout their spiritual journeys. We also celebrated a special hospitality with cake and ice cream. For more information about being Confirmed in the Episcopal Church, please contact The Reverend Cathy Scott at cscott@hfec.org.
Tools 4 School 2017
During our 10 AM worship service, The Reverend John Conners blessed our ingathering of school supplies that will donated to area children in need. Father John also blessed all students, teachers, bus drivers, school staff, and administrators for a safe and productive school year. For more information about ways to support school children in need, email Jolene Johnston at jjohnston@hfec.org.
