Choir Anthem Soloist Victoria Fraser sings around the world as a professional soprano. Originally from Alaska, she has lived in Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, and Hawaii, and currently resides in Pittsburgh. She is in town this weekend for the Illumine performance of Path of Miracles. Also a composer, she graduated from Smith College in 2010. Welcome, Victoria!
Palestinian olive oil will be available for sale in the connector following the services today, Sunday, April 6. It is organic, extra virgin, first cold press and fair trade. The proceeds from the sale enable Grace Church to provide a scholarship for Joyce Harish, a student at the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center in Ramallah, to study computer programming, drafting and installation.
The Envelope, please… So far $7417 has come in for the Lenten campaign to fund a classroom for the ninth grade at St. Matthew’s School in Haiti. If you’ve taken an envelope, please be sure to fill it and return it to Grace Church. If you haven’t taken an envelope from the Connector, there are only 11 days left to do so. We need everyone’s participation to make our goal. If all the envelopes remaining are too expensive for your budget, we’d be happy to have a donation in any amount, in your own envelope or online by pressing “GIVE” on the Grace home page. Be sure to note that it’s for the “Haiti—Lent” campaign. Thank you! April 6, is the last of the special coffee hours, with speakers and extra goodies provided by the Haiti Ministry. Join us after the 10:30 service to hear briefly from John Stifler, Tahina Vatel, and Suzannah Fabing about how their visits to the school deepened their understanding.
Lenten Book Series: The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde’s How We Learn to be Brave – Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, Sundays at 9:15am March 9th – April 6th The decisive moments in life are those pivot points when we’re called on to push past our fears and act with strength. With How We Learn to Be Brave, Bishop Mariann Budde teaches us to respond with clarity and grace even in the toughest times. Being brave is not a singular occurrence; it’s a journey that we can choose to undertake every day. Here, Bishop Budde explores the full range of decisive moments, from the most visible and dramatic (the decision to go), to the internal and personal (the decision to stay), to brave choices made with an eye toward the future (the decision to start), those born of suffering (the decision to accept that which we did not choose), and those that come unexpectedly (the decision to step up to the plate). Drawing on examples ranging from Harry Potter to the Gospel According to Luke, she seamlessly weaves together personal experiences with stories from scripture, history, and pop culture to underscore both the universality of these moments and the particular call each one of us must heed when they arrive. Sunday April 6th, we will explore chapter 6 to the Epilogue.
Sundays Mar. 30th & April 6th – children & youth art-making for Stations of the Cross, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
This Sunday and next Sunday, we will continue the project of creating new Stations of the Cross art for our children’s Good Friday service. Children and youth of all ages can join us for this creative way of connecting with a central story of our faith! Nancy Lowry will help coordinate. We will be in the upstairs classroom of the Parke House.
Raising the Questions, Tuesday, April 8 at 9:30am in the Connector Raising the Questions is a Grace Church reading and discussion group that focusses on theology and liturgy. We meet monthly on the second Tuesday at 9:30 am. Got questions? Come join us.
11th Hour Bell Ringing for Climate Change, Friday, April 11th at 11:00am Be part of the 11th Hour Bell Ringing for Climate Change this Tuesday, March 11th at 11:00am. Join friends and neighbors for prayer and meditation before the 11th hour ringing begins. This is an invitation to join religious groups across the country and beyond to express our hope and determination that together we can act boldly to address the climate crisis.
The Companions of the Society of the Holy Cross would like to invite all interested women to join us for a chapter meeting to be held at Grace Church on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Founded in 1884, by Emily Malbone Morgan, SCHC is a world-wide organization of women committed to intercessory prayer, social justice and the simplicity of life. The spirit of the companionship is alive and well in the congregation of Grace Church, so come and experience a chapter meeting. The meeting will begin at 9:30 am. when we will gather in the Parish Hall for coffee and fellowship. After a short business meeting the special program will be in the Chapel. It will be an enactment of meditations using the images of the Stations of the Cross and the book by Katie Sharod, Women of the Passion: A Journey to the Cross. A celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the church officiated by our Chaplain, the Rev. Jane Beebe will follow the program at Noon. Anyone wishing to join us afterward for a brown bag lunch is most welcome. For more information contact Veronica Chapman and to learn more about SCHC visit our website: schccompanions.org
Climate Action at Grace (caag) will next meet on Sunday, April 13, at 12:15 in the Parker Room. Please consider trying out this joyful spiritual path with us. We will next be ringing bells Tuesday, April 11. Our other areas of interest are attending events, contacting policy-makers, and looking ahead to Creation Season, Sept/Oct 2025. Thank you.
Sign Up for the All-night Vigil It is a tradition at Grace that a vigil is kept in the chapel throughout the night, immediately following the Maundy Thursday 7pm service, April 17th, which concludes at 9am the morning of Good Friday. Participants are asked to sign up for a one hour slot (ideally at least two people per time slot). The sign up sheet is in the back of the church next to the prayer request binder. Could you not stay awake with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40b)
Egg Hunt Hunts + Donations
Once again, following our Easter Sunday services on April 20th, we will have egg hunts for children in the Garth (weather permitting). The week before Holy Week and during Holy Week, parishioners are welcome to drop off Easter eggs, plastic or dyed, at the church for this fun activity.
Lectors and Lay Eucharistic Ministers Needed Through our lectors and LEMs – and our combined ministry of priests and laity – we reaffirm the words, ideas, and sacraments that are the foundation of our faith. We would love for you to join us! Every three months, the schedule is built around the availability of those who volunteer. At various points during the year, volunteers are also need for Christmas, Holy Week, and other special services. Some people choose to act as either a lector or a LEM; some people act as both. Training as both a lector and a LEM can be provided. Please email Cara Crandall with any questions, or if you would like to become a lector or LEM.
Imagining the Undercroft As you may know, we are in the process of looking at what activities might be accommodated in the Undercroft if it were upgraded to a finished space. In addition to meeting with the groups that are presently occupying the space, we’re also looking to all of you for suggestions of other uses you feel would be beneficial to Grace and presently don’t have a home… There is a suggestion box in the Connector for you to use to pass on your thoughts or feel free to email John Robinson. We look forward to your suggestions.
Are you interested in being baptized, or know someone who is? Along with Holy Communion, Holy Baptism is one of the two great sacraments given by Christ to the Church. We acknowledge one Baptism, which means Baptism in the name of the Trinity is performed once in a person’s life and is recognized regardless of where or how it took place. If you have not been baptized or you are not sure whether you were baptized, and would like to know more, please contact the church office or one of the clergy. We would be happy to speak with you about this holy sacrament.
Clothing Drive Ascentria Refugee Services for New Americans has asked Grace Church to help with a clothing drive. They are looking for seasonal clothes for refugees moving into Western Massachusetts. Ascentria especially wants clothing for children, from birth to primary school age. A shopping cart will be placed in the back of the church for those who can donate. You can bring items with you to church on Sunday or drop them off during the week during regular business hours. Ascentria Refugee Services For New Americans provides legal, housing, and language support to new Americans across New England. Thank you for your generosity, and if there are items you wish to donate other than what is listed or would like to become more involved, please reach out to rporter@ascentria.org. If you wish to learn more about Ascentria and the work they do, please check their website at https://www.ascentria.org/service/services-for-new-americans/.
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2025 To date 141 pledges have come in totaling $509,690 – most encouraging, we have 7 new pledges. To those who have pledged God Bless, to those who have yet to pledge please pray and pledge so our Vestry can budget for 2025. 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) 530-3805.
Coffee hour help needed! The 8 a.m. coffee hour is looking for a couple of willing baristas to fill in once a month this Fall and keep the coffee hour perking along reliably. If you can help out or want more information, email Betsy Mathews or speak with the clergy.
Publicity for your Event? Please let the Communications Committee know if you need help with your event. Please fill out this form: https://www.gracechurchamherst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Request-for-Event-Publicity-Form-2023.pdf, also located on the “Outreach” page of the church website. The committee requests at least 6 weeks notice. Please forward questions to Patrick Kelly or Sarah Chadwick.
The Pastoral Care Commission The Pastoral Care Commission is looking for volunteers to help our fellow Grace family. This might include sending cards, calling or emailing those needing support, or helping coordinate any of these activities. We meet once a month, but monthly attendance is not a requirement. If you feel called to help out with this ministry, please contact Gail Gnatek.
Calendar Donations Please bring extra 2025 calendars to the food basket for the Survival Center.
Save the Date
Come to a Gospel Choir Concert to benefit Amherst A Better Chance (ABC) on Tuesday, April 29th, 7:00 pm, at Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst. Amherst ABC is a residential program where talented and motivated young men of color attend Amherst High School to improve their preparation for college and future leadership roles. Three choirs will sing: the Amherst Area Gospel Choir, the ARHS Hurricane Singers, and the UMass Gospel Choir. A $20 donation (or more) from each concert-goer is suggested, but all who wish to celebrate the ABC Program through gospel music are most welcome!”
Joy of Living Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m., 2nd and 4th Mondays This group combines meditation, practices integrated in the flow of life, and discussion. Next meeting, in the Connector: April 28, 2025
Garden Ministry The Grace Garden Ministry will be finishing the Garth area planting project on May 3rd. If we need to reschedule, please save May 10th on your calendar. We will begin at 9:00 am and meet in the undercroft. We worked last fall in this area and left 2 sections bare to be planted this spring. We need donated shady garden plants for the corner ( where the blue tarp is) . Please leave them near the pink door on Spring street on May 2nd or before 9:00AM on May 3rd. We also will be planting small perennials along the embankment. Thanks you for helping us to make our gardens spectacular! Sara Liberty-Chair
A Celebration of Hildegard of Bingen Grace Church will host a celebration of the 12th-century abbess, mystic, composer, and visionary Hildegard of Bingen at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2025. This immersive event will explore Hildegard’s enduring wisdom through dramatic readings, musical excerpts from her play Ordo Virtutum, and visual projections of her vividly illuminated visions. The program is centered on four themes that resonate across the centuries: greening (viriditas), usefulness, speaking truth to power, and mysticism. All are welcome to this contemplative and inspiring celebration. For more information please contact Kell Julliard or visit the website http://bit.ly/4iPfvqH