Christmas Services
Christmas Eve
4:00pm Holy Eucharist with Christmas Pageant
8:00pm Holy Eucharist with choral prelude and full choir at 7:30
11:00pm Holy Eucharist with choral prelude at 10:30
Christmas Day
10:00am Holy Eucharist
Sunday, January 1st
9:30am Holy Eucharist with Christmas Lessons and Carols
Tree Trimming in the Connector! Help trim our tree Sunday, December 18th, during coffee hours.
Drivers needed. The Pastoral Care committee is looking for folks to deliver Christmas treats to homebound parishioners. Holiday packages are in the Connector after the services on Dec. 18th, addressed and grouped by geographical location. Please take one (or several!) to bring to our Grace family members.
Catch the Spirit of Advent, Sunday December 18 at 9:15am in the Fireplace Room Explore the possibilities of Advent through the lens of those who are highlighted in our sacred stories. This Sunday, December 18 we’ll discuss Jesus the incarnate Christ-child.
Young adult brunch today after 10:30 service The young adult brunch gathering has moved to the third Sunday of each month. For December, this means meeting for brunch after church today! Young adults are invited to gather in The Connector and then head out to brunch together. Micah Walter will be coordinating.
Pageant rehearsals! All youth & children welcome Rehearsals for Grace’s Christmas Eve pageant are scheduled as follows:
-December 18th, rehearsal from 9:15-10:15 a.m. in the parish hall
-December 24th, call time of 2:00 p.m. for dress rehearsal with animals prior to the 4:00 p.m. service
Can’t make all the rehearsals? Have young relatives coming into town closer to Christmas or friends you’d like to join in the celebration? All are welcome to join us for the pageant! Please don’t let the rehearsal schedule deter you – Christmas Eve we will find a place for all interested kids and youth. Email Megan or Kate Atkinson.
Christmas Offering
As is tradition, Grace Church divides its collections made at Christmas between a local charity and a more global charity. This year, Grace’s Outreach Commission has chosen Craig’s Doors and Episcopal Relief & Development’s efforts to aid Ukrainian refugees. We hope that you will once again give generously to help those in need.
Winter is especially hard on those in our community that are currently unhoused. Established in 2011, Craig’s Doors is a human services organization that provides vulnerable and unhoused members of our community with emergency shelter, food, and safety, as well as access to the resources they need to achieve physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.
Many Ukrainians are fleeing the war in their country to take refuge in other European countries. Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe to help local congregations throughout Europe aid Ukrainian refugees. This assistance will vary depending on the needs of the specific refugee groups but will likely include food, shelter, emergency supplies and trauma counseling.
Adopt-A-Family For Christmas All 40 families (106 children) have been adopted! So many thanks to everyone who has taken part in this program once again. The deadline is Sunday, Dec 18th for delivering the gifts to the undercroft. For more information, please contact Mary Hocken. 413-537-0251.
The December Community Conversation board Please share your thoughts on Christmas and Peacemaking. Isaiah foretells the coming of a “Prince of Peace,” and angels declare peace to the shepherds. For you, how does the good news of Christmas connect with peace and peacemaking in our world which is filled with conflict and violence? What would it look like to embrace peace and peacemaking this Advent & Christmas season? Let us know throughout the month!
Finding Ourselves In The Stories of Advent On Monday Dec. 19th, at 12:15 p.m., there will be a Zoom meditation exploring poetry that helps us see ourselves in the themes and stories of Advent. The Zoom link will be sent out Monday morning.
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2023 To date 130 pledges have come in totaling $423,114 – most encouraging, we have 3 new pledges. We still have a ways to go but are off to a very good start. To those who have pledged God Bless, to those who have yet to pledge please pray and pledge so our Vestry can budget for 2023. If you need a pledge card, they are available as you enter the church or you can contact the office (413) 256-6754 or Bruce Stebbins at (413) 549-5933.
Save the Date
Important Year-End Note: If you would like your end-of-year donations to count as a 2022 tax deduction, checks must be dated 2022 and received no later than Monday, January 2, 2022. Anything received after that date will count towards your 2023 deductions. However, pledges for 2022 may still be paid after this date; they will just be recorded as being received in 2023. Jaana Cutson, Bookkeeper
Calendar Donations Please bring extra 2023 calendars to the food basket for the Survival Center.
The Church Office will be closed on Monday, December 26th.
Save the Date for the annual Dine In, Help Haiti Out soup extravaganza! Mark your calendars now for Saturday, February 18. More information will be coming and we will be recruiting cookie makers, bread bakers, as well other helpers. In the meantime, if you have questions or want to help, please email Sarah Chadwick.