CHRIST CHURCH ON QUAKER HILL PAWLING, NY
WHO WE ARE
Christ Church is an ecumenical, interdenominational Christian congregation in the Protestant tradition. We are open to all persons on a journey of faith.
Our Mission Statement reads:
Christ Church on Quaker Hill seeks to be an open-hearted, welcoming place where everyone can hear the life changing message of Jesus Christ, grow in their personal faith, discover their God-given gifts and live God's grace and share it with the world.
Our Vision is: To share the life changing message of Jesus Christ and be His heart, hands and feet.
OUR MINISTER
Who we want our minister to be:
● A good communicator – both in the pulpit and in interaction with individuals
● People-oriented and approachable
● Able to relate equally well with younger and older members
● Attuned to the Bible and to the world
● Intelligent, thoughtful, reflective
What we want our minister to do:
● Preach inspiring sermons that are challenging, thought-provoking and relate Biblical teachings to everyday life
● Plan and conduct worship that is spiritually uplifting, provides a meaningful experience of God and is sensitive to the needs of people
● Worship and sermons should focus on the teachings of Christ and not current political or social topics
● Help grow the congregation including younger families
● Coordinate, supervise, encourage and support staff
● Be committed to shared leadership. Be open to new ideas and work with lay leadership in making those ideas a reality. Participate in meetings of the Council, yet allow the Council to lead the administration of the church
● Support church’s music, outreach, educational and stewardship programs
● Visit the sick, shut-ins and bereaved. Conduct weddings, funerals and be available for some personal counseling
● Become involved and build relationships in the greater community
FACTS ABOUT CHRIST CHURCH
Our Congregation
The church has approximately 125 members. Various denominational backgrounds are represented in the congregation, including Catholic, Episcopalian and Presbyterian. Christ Church membership is diverse, multi-generational and consists of both permanent and part-time residents of the surrounding areas.
The attendance at Sunday services ranges from 45 – 85, depending on the season. Members of our church come from Pawling and various nearby communities in New York and Connecticut.
Our Worship
Worship is the center of our life together. We provide a traditional worship service each Sunday at 10:00 a.m., which includes a children’s sermon after which the children are dismissed to Sunday School. Special services include Easter Sunrise Service, Ash Wednesday Service, Christmas Eve (5:00 p.m. lessons and carols, 10:00 p.m. candlelight), a Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service, a Blessing of the Animals service, and a Blessing of the Backpacks service. An annual Christmas pageant is presented by the Sunday School on one Sunday in December. Communion is held twelve times a year. Christ Church’s worship services are live-streamed on Facebook.
Our Music Program
Our music program consists of volunteer singers and bell ringers, currently directed by Toni LaPietra. The Singers provide music for the Musical Offering for most Sunday services from September to June. Rehearsals are typically Thursdays at 7:30pm. There is a Christmas Concert held traditionally on the second Sunday of December. Preparation and participation in this concert is open to the entire community. During the summer months, various soloists and ensembles will provide the music for the Musical Offering. We are blessed to have a 'singing congregation' at Christ Church, and therefore have great support for our music programs. Music is chosen to complement the Pastor's sermons and the liturgical calendar.
Our Education
Sunday School: Sunday School is held during worship. Attendance averages 5 to 10 children each week. There are about 1-2 teachers and one paid nursery room attendant.
Confirmation: The confirmation process pairs a 14-15 year old confirmand with an adult mentor. Utilizing the "Confirm Not Conform" curriculum as a framework for a confirmand-centric experience, the confirm and and mentor work together for several months to explore their faith through conversations, activities, study, and field trips.
Adult Education: Adult Bible study and reading/discussion groups are held periodically and are well-attended. The last discussion series was led by our pastor and focused on the TV series The Chosen.
Our Congregational Life
Our Congregational Life committee's focus is on fellowship and fundraising. It sponsors and organizes ongoing events such as coffee hour following Sunday worship service, and repeating annual events, which have included Welcome Back Sunday picnic, Stewardship Sunday luncheon and seasonal decoration of Lankler Hall. It may coordinate home visits, meals and rides to medical appointments for congregants in crisis. It sponsors and organizes annual fundraising events which have included the Xmas Bazaar, chicken BBQ, and apple pie making. Its members are considered to be the entire congregation who volunteer ad hoc for various projects. There is a chairperson responsible for coordinating events who has direct or indirect representation on the Council.
Our Outreach
Christ Church has a vigorous Outreach (mission) program funded by the proceeds of our annual tag sale and Christmas Bazaar silent auction ($24,628 in 2023). In 2024, we are supporting several faith-based projects and organizations that reflect local, regional and international needs. Christ Church also offers hands-on opportunities for service in a number of local areas: The Midnight Run which distributes food and clothing to the homeless in New York City; Dutchess Outreach (soup kitchen); and The Pawling Resource Center. Christ Church has also sent teams to various sites around New York to work in disaster recovery and has worked with other local churches on mission trips to Appalachia.
Our Nursery School
Christ Church Nursery School has provided quality preschool education since the 2001-2002 school year. The school provides nursery school classes for children ages 3-5 as well as a Toddler Time Program for 2 year olds. Enrichment classes in Art, STEM, Cooking and Music and Movement are offered weekly. CCNS has an active Parent Association, organizing family activities monthly.
Our Facilities
Christ Church on Quaker Hill is located on Quaker Hill in Pawling, New York. The church is situated on a ten-acre campus. We sit on a hilltop with incredible views overlooking the Harlem Valley. The church can comfortably seat up to 175 on a Sunday and up to 225 for special occasions. The interior is very simple with a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.
The Peale Memorial Garden was added in 2012 and is located adjacent to the Church. It includes beautiful stone pillars and fences surrounding a lovely fountain and flower garden contributing a peaceful and serene setting.
The Thomas Center / Lankler Hall was added in 1992. The Sunday School is housed here with a large fellowship hall, an updated working kitchen, extra meeting rooms and a maple-paneled library. The minister and administrative offices are located here too. The Christ Church Nursery school has been located on the lower level since 2001, with its many classrooms and wonderful play area outside for the children to enjoy.
The Manse (Parsonage) is across a large lawn from the Church, is an attractive and historic colonial home of approximately 3,200 square feet with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a study, and three additional rooms in the finished attic.
The Property team regularly audits the condition of the buildings on the campus and devises a short-term and long-term plan for maintenance, upkeep and capital improvements.
Our Governance
Christ Church is governed by a Council composed of 12 to 15 people elected by the congregation to each serve a 3-year term. A Treasurer is also elected by the congregation for a 2-year term. The Church Administrator takes and distributes the Minutes of the Council and holds all church records. A chair and vice-chair of the Council are elected from among its members and, together with the Treasurer and Minister, form the Executive Committee.
Currently, the Council oversees 7 ministry teams, each chaired by a Council member who recruits interested members of the congregation to serve on the team. The Ministry Teams are: Administration, Congregational Life, Education, Outreach, Property, Stewardship and Finance and Worship.
Our Finances
The Church budget for 2024 is approximately $330,000. Approximately 85% is funded by giving, and 15% from endowment and the Perpetual Mission Fund.
Unlike most other churches, we do not collect an offering during the service. The Stewardship and Finance Committee, together with the minister, is responsible for developing a stewardship plan and for seeking pledges and raising funds to cover the budget for each church year.
Our Staff
Currently, the staff is comprised of the Church Administrator, Financial Secretary, Music Director, Organist, Sexton and maintenance persons. The minister is responsible for supervising and coordinating the staff. The Director of the Nursery School is responsible to the Nursery School Board which reports to the Council through the Education team. The Superintendent of the Sunday School is a volunteer position.
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR COMMUNITY
History
American Indians once frequented the hills around the Church. The Quakers settled on Quaker Hill in the 1740s and built a Meeting House, which still attracts visitors today. During the American Revolution, George Washington and much of his Continental Army bivouacked between the Meeting House and Pawling Village.
With the Quaker influence diminishing and others moving to the area, Christ Church was founded in 1895 as an interdenominational church. Over the years, it has served primarily a summer population, but since 1964 it has been a year-round church. There have been six ministers during this period: three Presbyterian, two from the Reformed Church in America, and one from the United Church of Christ.
Since Pawling is only 90 minutes from New York City, it has been the choice of many prominent New Yorkers for a summer or weekend home. Fifty years ago many well-known people such as Lowell Thomas, Thomas E. Dewey, Edward R. Murrow and Norman Vincent Peale made their homes on Quaker Hill. The Peale family is still active in Christ Church and the community.
Location
Pawling is in eastern Dutchess County, 65 miles north of midtown Manhattan, between Poughkeepsie (the seat of Dutchess County) and Danbury, CT. The Church is on Quaker Hill, 3 miles east of the village of Pawling and close to Connecticut’s bordering town of Sherman. We are situated in the historic Hudson Valley in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.
Characteristics
Pawling has a population of approximately 8,000 full-time and part-time residents. For a small town, Pawling has excellent sport and recreational facilities. A full-time recreation department oversees two parks which offer swimming, boating, hiking and cross country ski trails, and programs for children, families and the elderly. There is a public and a private golf course. The Appalachian Trail winds through our area and connects with other trails which are well maintained.
Pawling has an Elementary School, Middle School, High School, several private school (including an all-boys private day/boarding school), a Concert Series, a Historical Society, a Farmer’s Market, a Rotary Club, and various other cultural and civic organizations. Pawling has a volunteer fire department, a public library, an assisted living facility, and is within 30 minutes to 4 different hospitals.
Residents benefit from a myriad of other cultural and recreational opportunities in the greater Hudson Valley, Westchester County, Connecticut, New York City, and on up into the Berkshires, all of which are within an easy drive. The Metro-North train service runs into the Village and provides easy access to New York City. The trip takes just under two hours from Pawling.
Minister Search Team Contact Information:
Brian Berlandi & Tom Cole - Co-Chairs
Christ Church on Quaker Hill
17 Church Road Pawling, New York 12564
e-mail: ccoqhsearch@gmail.com
website: www.ccoqh.org
