Community & Outreach
Located in the heart of downtown Fitchburg, Christ Church has a history of reaching out to those in need in our community in serving the homeless and hungry. In recent years outreach has decreased in conjunction with an overall decrease in parishioners. Our current active outreach programs include:
providing a private diaper changing station for mothers with infants during Fitchburg’s Civic Days block party
serving watermelon and cold drinks during Fitchburg’s 4th of July parade
participating in Trick-or-Treat on Main St
Our CAT survey strongly suggested that our members desire to return to a more active role to serve our community and also help us be a closer community as we serve. We are searching for a rector who can give us a vision and leadership in this area.
In the profile:
The City of Fitchburg has an active and growing arts community, and Christ Church has been a vital part of its cultural scene for much of its history. The Arts (music in particular) have been the backbone of our ministries and our historical legacy in the region over the last 160+ years: we've put on numerous theatrical productions in Guild Hall, offered a wide variety of concerts, organized free summer music camps, and hosted many local arts organizations.
We're especially excited to have the Stratton Players and the Fitchburg Cultural Alliance (FCA) - both with past connections to Christ Church - now in residence in several parts of our building. Under the leadership of the Vestry, with communications and operations guided by our Minister of Music & the Arts (a position specifically tailored for outreach of this kind), we've continued to explore partnerships with these and other arts-oriented organizations and individuals in order to:
better serve our community
promote the work of the parish
provide an opportunity for networking
support the long-term growth of the parish through additional income
Just before the pandemic hit and the building was closed to the public for 14 months, a relationship was established between our choral program and that of Fitchburg State University in order to strengthen our ties and increase our presence in that community. Since debuting with a virtual choir performance in November 2020, we have participated in three collaborative concerts: "Music from the Movies" in May 2022, "Music of Gabriel Faure" in November 2022, and "Music of Franz Joseph Haydn" in April 2024. All three events were well-attended and we are committed to pursuing our next joint venture in Spring 2026.
