We are now on our summer service schedule, with one service at 9:30am. The regular service schedule will resume on Sunday, September 11th.
Climate Action@Grace will meet today, Sunday, July 10th at 11:00am in the Fireplace Room in the Parke House.
Enriching Our Worship
For at least throughout the summer, we will be using the Episcopal Church’s Enriching our Worship liturgical resource. You will notice slight changes to some prayers, as well as a new Eucharistic prayer. Enriching Our Worship is an authorized supplement to our usual liturgical texts from the Book of Common Prayer. Some of you may be familiar with this resource from past uses at Grace Church. Following the class offered this Lent on Language & Liturgy, we are excited to have an opportunity to explore alternative liturgical language as a whole worshipping community
No Zoom poetry group this upcoming Monday – check your inbox for reflection & poem Because Megan will be away, there will be no Zoom gathering for our summer Poem and Prayer sessions this upcoming Monday, July 11th. However, you will receive an email from Grace on Monday morning with a recommended poem and a video meditation with a reflection. The following week, we will move our Zoom gathering to Tuesday July 19th at 12:15 p.m., since Megan will be traveling back to Amherst that Monday.
July Community Conversation Board: Rest & Restoration All of our summer schedules look different, but for many of us, it’s a time we try to carve out opportunities for rest and restoration! This month’s community conversation board, located in The Connector, invites you to share your thoughts on rest and restoration. How does your faith provide rest or restoration? What kinds of things help you feel rested and restored – especially over the summer months? And what are the challenges to accessing rest? Stop by the conversation board to provide your own answers or see the insights of fellow parishioners!
Volunteer Opportunity with Appalachian Trail Hikers this July We still have some open spaces on our diocesan young adult day serving in Sheffield. If you are a young adult, please consider joining the Western Mass Young Adult Ministry Network (YAMN)’s volunteer day on the trail, Saturday, July 23rd. The Young Adult Ministry Network brings together young adults ages 18-40 from across the diocese for growth in faith and friendship. At a large tent in Sheffield, we will help provide hikers with burgers, hot dogs, snacks, a charging station for electronics, friendly conversation, and a shady place to sit and relax! Email Will Harron (william.harron@gmail.com) to volunteer with the YAMN group.
Haiti Ministry: Outfit a Child for School The annual campaign to prepare the students of St. Matthew’s in Haiti for the academic year is underway, providing uniforms, textbooks, and supplies. We have received $2,345. Thank you to those who have donated! You are truly a blessing. Here is where we are:
- Toward uniforms and supplies for 250 students
- $ 2,345 raised
- Enough to provide 46 uniforms, or uniforms plus books and supplies for 32 students
- ⇒ 218 students still to be outfitted!
Won’t you please be a blessing to a child in Haiti too? A donation of $50 would cover the cost of a school uniform, $25 will cover the cost of a child’s school supplies, and a $100 donation will provide a uniform and supplies for one child as well as a bit more toward other needs. But whatever you can contribute – any amount at all – will be very helpful to the children and the school. If you can help again this year, please make checks payable to “Grace Church” and write “Haiti School Uniforms” on the memo line. You may also give via the church website by clicking the “Give” button and then selecting “Haiti Ministry” in the “To” drop down box.
Good News from Haiti: Four of our graduates have completed ninth grade – two of them at the top of their class! St. Matthieu only extends through sixth grade, but some generous sponsors have enabled a few students to continue in school. Congratulations to the students, and warmest thanks to the sponsors.
Over60s Gathering will be meeting only once a month through the summer. For information and dates, please contact Rev. Adrian Stair (revadrian@comcast.net).
Evensong Services will be held in the Chapel downstairs through the summer. It is much cooler there.