Christ Church – Gilbertsville

Christ Church, Gilbertsville is devoted to being a place where anyone and everyone can experience the love of God and find a home in a community of faith.  If you are new to the village or have lived here for years and are looking for a new church home, you are welcome here.   If you have never been a part of a church community but are wondering what it’s about, you are welcome here.  If you were once a part of a church but for whatever reason aren’t anymore, you are welcome here.  If you have questions, concerns, doubts, or fears, if you don’t know what you believe or if you believe, you are welcome here.   If you have problems and struggles, if life is just a mess, you are welcome here.  If you have found yourself unwelcome in other places and other churches, you are welcome here.   No matter who you are or what your situation is, you are welcome here because all are welcome here, and we are eager to meet you!

Christ Church has been part of the Gilbertsville community since July 28, 1833, when our first eighteen members met in what is now the library.  In less than a year they had built their own church home on the ridge overlooking the village. We still worship there today, though the building has grown and changed many times since then.  In 1923, he church was significantly remodeled after the pattern of churches in colonial Virginia and the Carolinas.  Among Episcopal Churches in this part of the country, where the Gothic style architecture is more the norm, Christ Church is well-noted for its inviting, open and brightly sunlit worship space.  The undercroft of the church houses our comfortable study and library (ideal for small group gatherings) as well as our intimate chapel.   In 1955, a parish house was added complete with dining hall, kitchen, classrooms, and community outreach facilities which today are home to the Butternut Valley Food Pantry and Pet Food Pantry.  Our campus also includes the rectory, which has been home to our clergy and their families since 1854, and our unique church barn.  The church, rectory, and barn are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Christ Church, however, is so much more than a beautiful and historic building, it is a lively community of faith and service.   Our congregation gathers on Sundays at 10:30am for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.  Our Anglican and Episcopalian heritage is very dear to us and so our worship is shaped by the ancient liturgies of the Book of Common Prayer which trace their roots back to the earliest days of Christianity.  Each week the Good News of God’s love shown to us in Jesus Christ is joyfully proclaimed in Word and Sacrament.  Sunday worship at Christ Church is a truly engaging and multi-sensory experience!   We are reminded by the stately poetry of hymns and prayers, the inspiring words of readings and sermons, the vibrant colors of vestments and vessels, the lovely sounds of music and bells, the simple taste of holy bread and wine, the movement of our bodies as we stand, kneel and approach the altar, and even, (on only the most festive occasions,) the transporting smell of the incense, of the scripture’s command to worship God in the beauty of holiness, and to love God not just with our minds, but with our whole selves.  Communal worship is the heart and foundation of our community.   It is the anchor of our spiritual lives, the bond of our life together, and the engine which drives us to carry God’s Love beyond ourselves out into the village and the wider world.

In addition to our Sunday worship our community is also sustained by the Daily Office, a short simple service prayed each weekday morning at 8:30am in our undercroft chapel.  Our great bell (named “Easter 1872” after the first time it sounded) rings out before all these services as an invitation to join us, if not in person, then at heart, in a time of prayer, meditation, or simple silent mindfulness wherever you happen to be in the village.  The church is generally open on weekday mornings, and all are welcome to spend some time in private prayer or just soaking in the peaceful quiet of the sacred space.

Out of our prayer and worship grow the ministries of our community which exist to both help us mature spiritually and to reach out in love to our neighbors in many ways.  Our Episcopal Church Women guild has been active since the 1870’s in not just supporting the church’s fundraising efforts but in organizing the social events, from weekly coffee hours to seasonal dinners and festivals, which are vital parts of life at Christ Church.  Most impressively each year ECW ensures that any child from the church or the area in grades K-12 can attend our diocesan summer camp free of charge.  ECW’s yearly Apple Fest is held in early October and is a much anticipated community event.   The Daughters of King are a small group devoted to serving through prayer and are often called upon to pray fervently in the most urgent situations.  Our Youth Corps is active in serving both the church as acolytes, vergers, coffee hour hosts and more, and engaging in service projects in the wider community, but is also devoted to fostering spiritual growth among its members.  They sponsor our annual Trunk-or-Treat and Barn Party, the hottest place to be on Hallowe’en in Gilbertsville!  The Community of Hope International is a group of highly trained lay chaplains that serve as visitors, listeners, and pastoral caregivers to those who are isolated or in need.  Not only do we have our own lay chaplains, but Christ Church is also a certified training center, training lay chaplains for other churches throughout the area.   The parish has an active music ministry with both our vocal choir singing weekly and our (mostly) youth brass choir performing seasonally.   In addition to hosting the food pantries, Christ Church always stands ready to answer both the urgent and long-term needs of our community and beyond.  We are a core part of the Gilbertsville Ecumenical Relief Team (GERT) and have been recognized as a Hope Partner Parish of Episcopal Relief & Development, for our dedication to that organization’s mission to offer disaster relief and community development around the world.  These are just a few of the ways that our community seeks to most effectively be the people of Christ in this place.

To learn more about these ministries or any aspect of life at Christ Church stop by or contact us using the information above.  We look forward to hearing from you!