4th Sunday Collection, January 22, 2023 The Outreach Commission has picked Amherst a Better Chance as the recipient of January’s 4th Sunday collection. ABC is a national residential high school program that prepares academically talented and highly motivated African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American students from educationally underserved school districts for college and future leadership roles in the broader community. Since the Amherst program began, over 120 ABC scholars have graduated from ARHS, and they have attended more than 50 colleges and universities. Scholars live family-style in a warm supportive environment enriched by daily sessions with Amherst College tutors. ABC scholars forge lasting bonds with local host families through monthly weekend visits and additional enrichment activities. Please give generously. If you write a check, please make it payable to Grace Church and add “outreach” on the memo line. Thank you for any gift you can give.
The Community Conversation board Please stop by the Connector to add your thoughts to this month’s Community Conversation board, which will explore the topic Space and Stars, in honor of the feast of Epiphany. On Epiphany we pray, “O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son the peoples of the earth…” How might stars and space speak to us today of God’s presence?
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2023
To date 145 pledges have come in totaling $446,334 – 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.
Finding the Holy in the Unfamiliar and the Unexpected, Sunday January 22 at 9:15am in the Fireplace Room
When the Magi followed the star, did they know what they would find? When they returned home, they went a different way but did they maintain their religious practices? There are various stories in the Bible where faith traditions intersect. What do these stories tell us about the presence of the holy, particularly in unfamiliar and unexpected situations? We’ll discuss how the holy transcends human boundaries and creates opportunities for epiphanies. For more information, please contact Tom.
“Fleeting Epiphanies”: A Zoom Poetry Meditation Series
Beginning Jan. 23rd
Over four Mondays – January 23rd, January 30th, Feb. 6th, and Feb. 13th – Megan will be hosting another art & poetry-based meditation series at 12:15 p.m. over Zoom, inspired by the season of Epiphany. The theme for the 4 weeks will be “Fleeting Epiphanies.”
In the season of Epiphany, we celebrate occasions where Christ’s identity is realized or revealed. In our lives, though, we may sometimes experience epiphanies as complicated or fleeting. The moment where we seemed to grabbed onto something truthful or holy passes, and our feelings and perspectives on what once felt like an epiphany might change. How, then, do we deal with the seeming instability of our own epiphanies? Over four weeks, we will share in poetry that explores some of these complications and invites us to reflect prayerfully on them.
Look for the Zoom link in your emails on Monday mornings. Recordings are available from Megan for those who cannot join us live. Feel free to bring your lunch!
Tuesday morning prayer returns
Our morning prayer group, which took a hiatus in December, began meeting again Tuesday, Jan. 10th at 8:30 a.m. in the Chapel. Please join us for this creative and contemplative time of prayer and connection! Parishioners rotate leadership of this time and draw on a diverse set of liturgies.
Iconography Workshop, January 25- 27, 9:00 am to 4 pm, Parish Hall
Participants will create icons using ancient techniques and natural materials rich with symbolic meaning: carved wood boards prepared with gesso made from chalk and glue, finely ground clay, pure gold leaf, and ground mineral pigments in an emulsion made from egg yolk. The underlying theology of the icon will be equally emphasized, as each technical step has a corresponding symbolic meaning. No previous experience is needed and beginners are welcome. For more details, contact Sandy Lillydahl.
Calendar Donations Please bring extra 2023 calendars to the food basket for the Survival Center.
2023 Pledge Envelopes: If you requested envelopes, you may pick them up from the box on the table in the back of the church beginning this Sunday. They will (hopefully) be in alphabetical order. Note: if this is the first year that you have requested pledge envelopes, your pledge number may have changed.
Save the Date
Grace Church Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 5th following a single service at 9:30am. All commission and committee reports should be sent to the Parish Administrator no later than Monday, January 23rd.
Dine In, Help Haiti Out – Yes, planning for the annual Haiti soup supper extravaganza is underway! Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 18 to enjoy favorite soups made by parishioners and local restaurants. In the meantime, we are looking for volunteers to donate soup, bake cookies or bread, or to help out in general. For general information, please contact Sarah Chadwick at snchadwick@verizion.net. To bake cookies, please contact Gail Gnatek. This event supports our work at the St. Matthew’s School in Haiti.