News & Events

Join us for an Organ Recital and Evensong - May 3 2026

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:13:58 GMT

Organ Recital by Nicholas White, Choral Evensong

On Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Nicholas White performs an organ recital featuring his own composition, Theme, Variations, Cortege & Lullaby on "Grafton" and Johann Sebastian Bach's great Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. A service of Choral Evensong follows at 5:00 p.m., sung by the Parish Choir of Christ Church. A free will offering will be taken at the door and a reception follows the service.

The Choral Evensong features the second setting of Charles Wood’s Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in Eb . Additional music are four anthems of Sir John Rutter: For the Beauty of the Earth, Thy Perfect Love, Look to the Day and A Gaelic Blessing sung in celebration of Rutter’s 80th birthday and performed by the Parish Choir of Christ Church with soprano soloist Anney Barrett, organist and pianist Barbara Bruns, and guest conductor Nicholas White.

Recitalist Nicholas White, a Grammy nominated composer and conductor, as well as a versatile organist, pianist and singer, is the Director of Chapel Music & Organist at St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH. He has held several organ, conducting and teaching positions to include St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, New York City, St. John's Episcopal Church, Beverly Farms, Washington National Cathedral, and the Boston Cecilia. The Boston Cecilia performances of Bach, Handel, Duruflé, and his own work, From Earth to Heaven , were all critically acclaimed. His commissioned works include Full Freedom, a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, a setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven , William Wordsworth’s Immortality , T.S. Eliot’s The Fire and the Rose and William Blake’s Songs of Innocence .

Please click here for the press release and click here for the 2025-2026 schedule of Music Events at Christ Church.

The Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth Visitation this Palm Sunday

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:50:40 GMT

Join us this Palm Sunday

Bishop's Visitation this Sunday!

Join us this Sunday as we receive a visit from our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth. Bishop Whitworth will serve as our celebrant and preacher and will join us following the service for our coffee hour. She will be joined by our Canon to the Ordinary and Chief of Staff, the Rev. Canon Christopher Wendell.

Please give our Bishop a warm "Christ Church" welcome as we enter Holy Week.

Join us for Holy Week and Easter Services

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:59:57 GMT

March 29 - April 5

Holy Week at Christ Church

Sunday, March 29 – Palm Sunday

Bishop Julia Whitworth Visitation

Holy Eucharist - 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, April 1 – Candlelight Taize Service

7:30 p.m. in the Apse

Thursday, April 2 – Maundy Thursday

Holy Eucharist - 7:30 p.m.

Watch Through the Night Vigil begins at 9:00 pm.

Friday, April 3 – Good Friday

Holy Eucharist - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 4 – The Great Vigil of Easter

Holy Eucharist – 8:00 p.m.

Easter Vigil Reception - 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 5 – Easter Sunday

Festal Holy Eucharist with Brass - 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Easter Brunch ~ 10:15 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt ~ 10:30 a.m.

Organ Recital and Choral Evensong March 15 2026

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:08:54 GMT

Join us on Sunday, March 15

A service of Choral Evensong takes place Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. at the Parish of Christ Church, 33 Central Street in Andover, Massachusetts. Preceding the service at 4:30 p.m. is an organ recital given by Dr. Erica Johnson featuring works of Jan Pieterzoon Sweelink, Johann Sebastian Bach, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Thomas Philander Ryder and Samuel Barber . The Choral Evensong service features Orlando Gibbons’ Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (short service) and the anthem Lord, let me know mine end of Maurice Greene sung by the Parish Choir of Christ Church under the direction of Barbara Bruns, Minister of Music, with guest organist Priscilla Walter. A free-will offering will be taken in support of Music at Christ Church.

Recitalist Erica Johnson, DMA, is a Boston based organist, keyboardist and church musician. She is the College Organist and Instructor of Organ and Harpsichord at Wellesley College and Adjunct Organ Instructor for the School of Theology of Boston University. Her leadership and advocacy for the historic Fisk instrument in Houghton Chapel continues to generate a blossoming of interest in the organ by many students. As an organ instructor Erica has taught at the UNC School of the Arts, Salem College and the Oberlin Conservatory. Additionally, she was Organ Scholar at The Memorial Church of Harvard University from 1999-2001. As a grant recipient of the Beebe Fund for Musicians she studied for two years at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen, Germany, with Harald Vogel. Her years in Germany yielded two honors: the 2004 International Arp Schnitger Prize awarded by the Arp Schnitger Gesellschaft, and the 2002 NDR Musikpreis. More recently Erica has presented programs for the Boston Early Music Festival, the Westfield Center, the Göteborg International Organ Academy, and recitals around New England. She holds degrees from Oberlin College, Oberlin Conservatory, New England Conservatory, and the Eastman School of Music.

Please click here for the 2026 schedule of Music Events at Christ Church.

New England Classical Singers Concert

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:17:29 GMT

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Save the date for the New England Classical Singers concert "A Millenium of Musical Women" on Sunday, March 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Ash Wednesday Services

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:16:16 GMT

Join us on Ash Wednesday!

Join us on Wednesday, February 18 for two Ash Wednesday services (7:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

February 14 Red Cross Blood Drive

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:13:59 GMT

Make an appointment for February 14!

Make an appointment for the Red Cross Blood Drive on Saturday, February 14 in Parish Hall (9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.).

Join us for an Organ and Violin Concert - February 1, 2026

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:48:04 GMT

Music at Christ Church presents an organ and violin concert featuring Charles Tompkins, organ, and Gregory Tompkins, violin. The program takes place Sunday afternoon February 1, 2026 at 3 p.m. Admission at the door is $20; $10 for students and seniors. A reception follows the concert in the Parish Hall.

The program features Felix Mendelssohn’s Sonata in A Major, Opus 65, No. 3 ; movements from Jean Langlais’ Cinq Pièces , Opus 180 for violin and organ; Georg Philip Telemann’s Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat for Solo Violin ; J. S. Bach’s Toccata in F Major, BWV 540 ; Carl Rütti’s Pavane for violin and organ ; and Florence Price’s Adoration and the “Finale” from Organ Sonata No. 1 .

CHARLES TOMPKINS is Distinguished University Organist and Professor of Music Emeritus at Furman University, Greenville, SC where he taught organ, harpsichord, church music, and music theory from 1986-2022 and oversaw the design and installation of the Hartness Organ (C.B. Fisk, Opus 121, 2004) in the Charles E. Daniel

Memorial Chapel. Tompkins continues his work at Furman as organ accompanist for the school’s outstanding choral ensembles, director of the Hartness Organ Recital Series, and organist for University academic events. Tompkins is also Organist of First Baptist Church and Artist in Residence for Christ Church (Episcopal), both in

Greenville, South Carolina.

Violinist GREGORY TOMPKINS regularly performs in solo, chamber and orchestral settings throughout the United States. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Tompkins is a member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Cape Symphony Orchestra, and serves as principal second violin for Orchestra New England. He frequently appears in recital with his father, organist Charles Tompkins. As a duo they have performed in venues including Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Harvard Memorial Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.

Join us for Christmas services!

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:16:24 GMT

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24

Christmas Eve Services

4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist with Pageant

8:30 - 9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Carol Sing

9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25

Christmas Day service

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Advent Lessons & Carols - November 30 2025

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:14:21 GMT

Join us on Sunday, November 30 at 5:00 p.m.!

Join us on Sunday, November 30 at 5:00 p.m. for a Candlelight Service of Advent Lessons and Carols sung by the Christ Church Parish Choir and Choristers under the direction of guest conductor Douglas Major with organist Barbara Bruns.

Anthems include the Matin Responsory by Palestrina; Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth , a German melody adapted by Michael Praetorius and arranged by Sir David Willcocks; The Lamb by John Tavener; Adam lay ybounden by Boris Ord; Rejoice in the Lord alway by Thaddeus Cavuoti; Hark, A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding by Douglas Major; Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by Elizabeth Poston; Magnificat in G by Charles Villiers Stanford with soprano soloist, Anney Barrett, and Never weather-beaten sail and O Thou, the central orb by Charles Wood.

A free-will offering will be taken, and the service will be live streamed. Come and enjoy this beautiful, traditional Anglican service to open the season of Advent!

Neighbors in Need - Thanksgiving Meals!

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:14:41 GMT

Support a Neighbor in Need this Thanksgiving!

The number of families being served in our Neighbors in Need food pantries increased by 150 the last week in October — and the increase is just beginning. In Lawrence, 41% of residents rely on SNAP benefits. Without that support, families are being forced to make impossible choices between food, rent, utilities, and childcare. Your help is needed so families can keep food on the table and children can go to bed nourished, not hungry. Your

support ensures that no one in our community is left without the essentials they need to get through this crisis.

If you’d like to help, please see this week's e-Prophet for the shopping list in order to purchase a Thanksgiving meal for a local family.

If you are not able to shop, we welcome donations — and we are able to shop on your behalf!

Mail donations to:

Christ Church, 25 Central Street, Andover 01810

(indicate your donation is for Neighbors in Need)

Thank you for your support!

Youth Group Winter Clothing Drive

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:58:16 GMT

November 2-16

Please bring donations to Parish Hall by November 16. Thank you for your support!

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:36:11 GMT

Make an appointment for November 22!

Make an appointment for the Red Cross Blood Drive on Saturday, November 22 in Parish Hall (9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.).