Within Our Community
This year, Christ Church has made donations to the following organizations in our community and beyond through generous donations to the Rector's Discretionary Fund.
Waypoint: Empowering people of all ages through an array of human services and advocacy
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Exeter: Food pantry and Community Assistance Center
Cross Roads House Portsmouth: Shelter for the unhoused
Episcopal Relief and Development: The main relief organization for natural disasters domestically and internationally
For the past several years, Christ Church parishioners have prepared Thanksgiving & Christmas baskets for families in need.
Once again, we are collecting Christmas Dinner Baskets, Gifts and Clothing for families in Exeter. This year, there are 30 families hoping for assistance during the holidays. These are our neighbors in the Exeter area who would not have a plentiful Christmas without our support. Sign up can be done online here: Sign Up Genius. There are still many baskets, clothing, and gifts awaiting sign-ups.
You will find information you need to know to provide all the necessary ingredients for a wonderful Christmas meal and gift guidelines below:
Guidelines for Christmas Dinners
Gift Card Option: If you are donating a GIFT CARD for a dinner basket, please write so in the notes when you sign up. Gift cards must be in the church office on or before December 9, to allow time for shopping. Suggested Amounts for cards are: $80 - $100+ depending on the size of family you sign up for.
Clothing and gifts need to be dropped off by Sunday, December 11. Meals should be dropped off Saturday, December 17 between the hours of 8:15-8:45 A.M.Please refer to Guidelines for any additional information.
Click here to sign up!
Please email Carla Ranks if you are interested in helping with drop-off & distribution.
This ministry helps so many children and families, and our community is made brighter by the continued generosity is shown by members of Christ Church.
Local Outreach Projects
Outreach and projects in support of the local community are very important to our mission at Christ Church. Below you will find information about our local mission work as well as local opportunities. 
Exeter NST: Working to resettle Afghan refugees
The Exeter Community has welcomed a new family. An Afghan Refugee Family of 5 arrived in Exeter, and shortly after, welcomed twins. We have formed a WelcomeNST (Neighborhood Support Team) and the social work agency Ascentria, to welcome this Afghan family and help them navigate all that comes with their resettlement. The Exeter Refugee NST believes that campaigns like this one strengthen our community by serving the needs of others. Opening our doors to people who are under the threat of violence brings hope and peace. Any monies raised go directly to the family and to help meet their immediate needs as they settle here in the United States.
VOLUNTEER: There are teams for volunteers to join such as fundraising, education/healthcare, and housing, and food among many others. Some Christ Church Exeter members are already on teams! To find out how to sign up as a volunteer and which roles are available, please email exeternst@gmail.com.
Youth workers at our local outreach End 68 Hours of Hunger
Recently, 6 of our youth were able to help out at "End 68 Hours of Hunger". They worked for an hour sorting, unpacking the food, and organizing all that is put in backpacks each Friday. It is a wonderful local outreach that we have been lucky to continue to be a part of during the pandemic.
This is an ongoing ministry that Christ Church continues to be involved with. To learn more use this link. End 68 Hours is always looking for volunteers so if you'd like to become involved in any way, email Maggie O'Neill choircccexeter@gmail.com or Christina DeMaio events@christchurchexeter.org .
Christ Church Distributes Rental Assistance to Those in Need
In 2020 Christ Church was awarded $25,000 by the Hillsborough County Emergency Food and Shelter National Program (EFSP) Board as part of the Phase CARES, a program to help meet the needs of hungry and homeless people throughout the U.S. by allocating federal funds for the provision of food and shelter. Moratoriums on evictions have come and gone during the Pandemic, but there has been little relief for the total rent that tenants owe. It has been a burden to both tenant and landlord, nationally.
We distributed $25,000 to eligible recipients in Hillsborough County, the state’s most populous county including Manchester and Nashua. Rockingham Country was not allotted funding through this particular grant. Vestry member Deb Fournier was the lead on this program.
St Vincent de Paul Exeter
As part of our mission to serve the local and global community, Christ Church has long supported our local food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul on Lincoln Street. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Exeter relies on the generosity of churches, organizations, and individuals to serve families in need year-round. There are people in need in and around Exeter. SVdP provides healthy and nutritious food and other services. If you can donate any of the following items, please put them in the basket in the entry hall Narthex. To learn more about this organization and what its current needs are, use this link to get to their website. https://www.svdpexeter.com/
We do hope you help us shape the future of local and global mission at Christ Church.
Prison Ministry:
Please use this link to read about our Rector Mark Pendleton’s ministry work at the Strafford County Department of Corrections.
Local Opportunities and Organizations:
Seacoast Family Promise is Christ Church’s primary outreach ministry. We invite you to join us in answering God’s call to reach out in love to our neighbors in their need so that we can be assured of continuing this vital ministry.
Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I, therefore, command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
Meal deliveries are always welcome.
Our love and support for them during this difficult time allows them to focus on taking care of their families, finding jobs, practicing good health care, and many other important needs.
Contact: Christine Nelson to learn more or get involved.
Over the last few years, the Rector Mark Pendleton has been working with the New Hampshire Immigrant Visitation Program — a group of local volunteers — at the Strafford County jail in Dover helping to provide “know your legal rights” advice to the immigrant detainees awaiting refugee asylum hearings or deportation. The jail receives considerable funding from the Federal government to house inmates. The jail receives persons arrested by Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (I.C.E.) in Vermont, NH and Maine, as well some from Massachusetts. Mark has been asked to make pastoral visitations to Spanish speaking inmates and celebrates the Eucharist – La Misa — each 2nd Wednesday afternoon.
If you would like to get involved in advocacy or accompaniment, please contact Mark.
Use this link to learn more about how the Episcopal Church is addressing Global Migration.
To read about how the Episcopal Church is helping detainees, click here.