A Joyful Noise October 2025
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Senior Warden Message
Tom Young, Senior Warden
One of my favorite months
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)
Tom Young
Ah, October. The month of colorful fall leaves, blustery wind, decreasing daylight, baseball playoffs, pumpkin-spice drinks, corn mazes, Halloween…and Stewardship! But are we supposed to think about stewardship just in October? Of course not. Other months are equally worthy to consider this important part of our faith. Which ones? You guessed it - all 12.
As important as Stewardship is, it’s not often talked about throughout the year. It should be. The word captures, in a nutshell, our relationship to God, the Earth, how we care for it, how we serve others, and how we care for our very selves. All of creation. And yes, in October we focus on how we support God through his church - our beloved Christ Episcopal Church.
You will soon receive a letter and pledge card. As you consider your pledge for the coming year, we invite you to consider how you might serve God and your church, in service and/or monetarily. Whatever form it takes, your generosity empowers our church to embody the love of Christ in real and tangible ways.
I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful and appointed me to his service. (1 Timothy 1:12)
Blessing of the Animals
All are welcome.
Sunday, October 5
Following the service
Christ Church Lawn
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Please bring your beloved pet to Christ Church for a Blessing! You may also bring a photo of your pet to be blessed. There will be Blessing Certificates and, of course, Treats!
Please invite your friends and neighbors, human, furry, and feathered.
All are welcome.
Questions? Please contact Shirley Barrett, shirleybarrett062@gmail.com, 360-305-1305.
Red Door Thrift Shop
Memorial Tree Dedication
Sunday, October 5
1pm
Red Door Thrift Shop
1019 Seventh Street, Anacortes
We will be dedicating trees in memory of several Red Door volunteers/supporters.
All are welcome.
An Invitation: Ecumenical Hymn Sing
Our friends at Westminster Presbyterian Church have invited us to join them for a Hymn Sing!
Sunday, October 12
2pm
Hosted by Westminster Presbyterian Church & Anacortes Lutheran Church
Held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 Ninth Street, Anacortes
When you arrive you’ll be invited to write the names of your favorite hymns on slips of paper and place them in a basket. If your hymn is drawn, we’ll all sing it! Laurie Julius-Carver of Anacortes Lutheran and Bev Bowen of Westminster will provide the music.
All are welcome.
Adult Faith Formation
Book Study: The Four Vision Quests of Jesus
Sundays, October 19, November 2, 16, & 30
Following Coffee Hour
Parish Hall Conference Room
Facilitators: Maggie Collinge & Melissa Simonsen
All are welcome.
Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston, Episcopal bishop and member of the Choctaw Nation. This powerful book invites us to see Jesus’ ministry through the lens of Indigenous wisdom and spirituality, offering new insights into discipleship and faith.
All are welcome—whether you’ve read every page or just want to listen in on the conversation! You can buy the book from your preferred bookseller, or contact Melissa for a copy!
Adult Faith Formation: Zimzum Discipleship
Zimzum Discipleship meetings continue on 2nd & 4th Sundays
12:15 pm
Parish Hall Conference Room
Zimzum discipleship focuses on intentionally making space to live as a faithful apprentice of Jesus.
All are welcome.
Diocesan Convention
Dan & Stephanie
Christ Church’s Delegates to the 2025 Diocesan Convention are Dan Moore and Stephanie Galbraith. They will be attending the October 25th convention along with our clergy, Rev. Courtney Jones, Rev. Eric Johnson, and Rev. Vicki Johnson.
If you have input for Dan and Stephanie prior to the Convention, please contact them at dam1966@mac.com (Dan) or sdgalbraith1963@gmail.com (Stephanie).
Christ Church Youth Group
All youth in Middle School & High School are welcome at Christ Church’s Youth Group.
Please check the Weekly Updates for the Youth Group schedule.
Youth Group Leaders are Melissa Simonsen, Mark Perschbacher, and The Rev. Courtney Jones. Christ Church uses the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) youth ministry program, endorsed by the Episcopal Church. The lessons are organized around self, society, and spirituality and allow youth to explore these themes through discussion, games, and Bible study.
Children’s Faith Formation: Godly Play
All children are welcome at Christ Church’s faith formation program for children, Godly Play.
Please check the Weekly Updates for the Godly Play schedule.
Please meet in the Church for the 10:30 am service.
We will leave after the Announcements at the beginning of the service and will be back in time to celebrate the Eucharist with our church family.
All ages are welcome.
Learn about Christ Church’s faith formation program for children at
Godly Play.
Pastoral Care Ministry Meeting
Thursday, October 16
4:30-6pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Questions? Please contact Maggie Collinge or The Rev. Vicki Johnson.
October Designated Plate Offering
Our loose plate offering on October 19 is designated for the Diocese of Olympia Refugee Resettlement Office.
The Refugee Resettlement Office has been ensuring smooth transitions for refugees and asylees in the greater Seattle area since 1978. Their clients come from anywhere in the world seeking guidance and assistance in building a new life in America and achieving economic self-sufficiency. Their mission is accomplished through resettlement, immigration, English classes, employment assistance, micro-enterprise programs, citizenship classes, business training, financial literacy training and childcare STARS training.
Donations by check should be made to Christ Church with Refugee Resettlement Office in the memo line. Thank you!
Bishop’s Committee Meeting
The Bishop’s Committee will meet on Monday, October 20.
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room & Zoom.
All are welcome to attend.
Christ Church Bishop’s Committee
Are you interested in serving on the Christ Church Bishop’s Committee?
If so, please chat with Senior Warden Tom Young, People’s Warden Margaret Whatley or any of our current BC members: Martie Arnold, Ed Barton, Diane Guinn, Geoff Holmes, Siriana Simonsen, Margaret Whatley, and Kris Whitely, to learn what is involved. The new term begins January 2026.
Amnesty International October Petition
The Rev. Eric Johnson
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya
On 27 December 2024, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital—the last functioning hospital in North Gaza at the time—and arrested the hospital’s director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya along with other medical staff and patients. Dr. Abu Safiya had been tirelessly running the hospital, even after the tragic death of his own son during an Israeli airstrike. Like many health workers before him, he was detained while caring for his patients and carrying out his medical duties. Not until 11 February 2025 did Israeli authorities allow Dr. Abu Safiya to meet with a legal counsel. In the latest visit by a lawyer to Ofer military prison in early July 2025, she reported that Dr. Hussam and other detainees were subjected to assault and beatings. Our petition will be written to Brig. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the second woman to hold this rank as Military Advocate General of the IDF.
Amnesty International Letter Writing Campaigns
-An Update
The Rev. Eric Johnson
Here’s an update on those prisoners of conscience for whom we have written petitions:
RELEASED: Taner Kılıç
A Turkish civil rights activist; one of the founding members of the Turkey section of Amnesty International and its president since 2014. Arrested in a general sweep of human rights defenders. On 31 January 2018, an Istanbul court ordered that Kılıç be conditionally released. The prosecutor in the case appealed, and on 1 February, the court accepted the appeal, ordering that Kılıç remain in detention for the full length of his trial. On 27 Feb 2025 he was finally acquitted and released.
(Our petitions sent: December 2017 & April 2018)
RELEASED: Bahareh Hedayat
Founder of a group known as the One Million Signatures campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality), a grass-roots initiative to end legal discrimination against women in Iran. Sentenced to Prison for 10 years. On 24 April 2024, her lawyer announced that Bahareh been transferred to the medical commission affiliated with the Iranian Organization of Prisons, leading to a suspension of her prison sentence until the commission’s decision. I saw—in a 29 March 2025 post on Instagram by the National Union for Democracy in Iran—that she was listed as being a former political prisoner, so I assume that she was released.
(Our petition sent: October 2023)
RELEASED: Aleksandra Skochilenko
On 31 March 2022 she was arrested for replacing price tags in a local supermarket in Saint Petersburg with little paper labels containing information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She was released in Ankara on 1 August 2024 as part of a complex international exchange of prisoners. (Our petition sent: September 2023)
WHEREABOUTS STILL UNKNOWN: Ciham Ali
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Eritrea, where her father was Minister of Information. When she was just 15 years old, her father went into exile, and she was arrested on 8 December 2012 at the border of Sudan as she tried to flee Eritrea. She has not been seen since.
(Our petition sent: January 2024)
RELEASED: Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức
A Vietnamese engineer, entrepreneur, and human rights activist. While in prison, he refused resettlement in the United States, declined to plead guilty in exchange for a pardon, and went on multiple hunger strikes in protest. On 20 September 2024, he was granted early release by the Vietnamese government.
(Our petition sent: February 2024)
DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED: Rocky Myers
A jury convicted and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his white neighbor. The trial judge overrode their decision and imposed a death sentence — a practice now outlawed in Alabama. Key testimonies against him were tainted by inconsistencies and allegations of police pressure, with one later recanted as untrue. Rocky Myers faced execution in 2004 and 2012 and 2025. On 28 Feb 2025 Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence to life in prison Friday, saying there were enough questions about his guilt that she could not move forward with his execution.
(Our petition sent: December 2024)
IMPRISONED: Jang Moon Seok
Chinese Christian Jang Moon Seok is an ethnic Korean who ministered to North Koreans in China until November 2014, when he was abducted, brought across the border into North Korea and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He is aged around 60 and is expected to be released in 2029. Deacon Jang remains in North Korean Prison.
(Our petition sent: March 2024)
RELEASED TO HOUSE ARREST : Leonard Peltier
A member of the American Indian Movement, Leonard Peltier was convicted of the murders of two FBI agents, but he has always denied killing the agents. The former US Attorney who supervised the prosecution team post- trial has since called for clemency. On January 19, 2025, Peltier’s sentence was commuted to indefinite house arrest by President Biden shortly before he left office. On February 18, the date specified by the grant of clemency, Peltier was released and transferred to the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota (Our petition sent: November 2023)
RELEASED: Andry Hernández Romero
Romero entered the U.S. legally in 2024, fleeing anti-LGBTQ+ violence and political persecution in Venezuela. He passed a credible fear interview, but he was deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador after showing up for an appointment the U.S. government gave him. On 18 July 2025, as part of a prisoner swap, he was released and flown to Venezuela, not the USA. (Our petition sent: June 2025)
STILL IMPRISONED: Maria Ponomarenko
In February 2023, Russian Maria Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years in prison for publishing information about the Mariupol Theatre airstrike. On 27 March 2025, her prison sentence was extended in the escalating repression occurring in Russia as a result of the Ukrainian War. (Our petition sent: March 2025)
Community Support Committee Meeting
The Rev. Eric Johnson
The Reverend
Eric Johnson
It’s Grant Season again!
The Community Support Committee of Christ Episcopal Church & the Red Door Thrift Shop will meet on Friday, 7 November at 11am (live and on Zoom), to evaluate grant requests from the community. Please email me (AnacorteEric@gmail.com ) if you would like to join this effort.
In 2024, we approved $49,335 in grants to 21 non-profit agencies. The timeline for our grant request cycle this year looks like this:
29 September (St. Michael and All Angels):
Notification sent of grant availability
31 October (All Hallows Eve):
Grant request deadline
7 December (St. Willibrod):
Community Support Committee recommendations
17 November (St Hugh of Lincoln):
Vote by Bishop’s Committee
Wednesday Prayer Services
Maggie
Collinge
Centering Prayer
Weekly on Wednesdays
1:15 - 1:45 pm
All are welcome at this short, simple service: a scripture reading, 20 minutes of silence, an intercessory prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer. Questions? Please contact Maggie Collinge, 360 202-5588.
The Reverend
Vicki Johnson
Evening Prayer
Weekly on Wednesdays
6:00 - 6:30 pm
All are welcome.
Questions?
Please contact The Rev. Vicki Johnson, 509-302-7364.
Men’s Group
The Men’s Group meets weekly on Fridays.
9:00 – 10:00 am
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Questions? Please contact The Rev. Eric Johnson.
All are welcome.
Red Door Thrift Shop
Christ Church’s Red Door Thrift Shop is located at 1019 Seventh Street in Anacortes.
360-202-9966, Red Door Thrift Shop
Red Door Shopping Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm
Red Door Donation Hours:
Monday & Wednesday: 10am – 1pm
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am - 3pm
Profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop fund Christ Church’s Community Support program.
Shoppers, Volunteers, & Donations are always welcome!
Red Door Thrift Shop Expansion Project Donations
If you would like to make a donation to the Red Door Thrift Shop expansion project, please make your check to Red Door Capital Improvement. You will receive an acknowledgement for your gift from the Red Door Committee. Thank you.
Celebrations!!!
Happy Birthday to…
…Betty Anne McCoy on October 7
……Helen Simonsen on October 26
Please send the month & date of your birthday, baptismal date, anniversary, and/or other special occasions so we can help you celebrate your blessings in the Joyful Noise.
Sunday Services
Please check your Weekly Update for each week’s Servers & Hymns.
YEAR C
5 October 2025
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 22
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Homilist: Emily Sander
Readings:
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
Psalm 37:1-10
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:11-19
12 October 2025
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 23
9:15 am Chandler’s Square Holy Eucharist
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
Homilist: The Rev. Vicki Johnson
Readings:
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm 111
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Luke 17:11-19
19 October 2025
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 24
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Homilist: Melissa Simonsen
Readings:
Genesis 32:22-31
Psalm 121
2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5
Luke 18:1-8
26 October 2025
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 25
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Morning Prayer
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Preacher: Tom Young
Readings:
Sirach 35:12-17
Psalm 84:1-6
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14