Christmas Services
Advent IV (December 24th)
9:30am Holy Eucharist
Christmas Eve
4:00pm Holy Eucharist with Christmas Pageant
8:00pm Holy Eucharist with choral prelude at 7:30
11:00pm Holy Eucharist with musical prelude at 10:30
Christmas Day
10:00am Holy Eucharist
Sunday, December 31st
9:30am Holy Eucharist with Christmas Lessons and Carols
Grace Church Tree Trimming Party! Join Tom & Megan in trimming our tree and spreading the Christmas spirit today Sunday, December 17th, during coffee hour in the Connector. Bring an ornament and cookies to share!
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 today, addressed and grouped by geographical location. Please take one (or several!) to bring to our Grace family members.
Christmas card for Joyce Harish ETVTC student Please come sign a Christmas card for Joyce Harish, our ETVTC (Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center) student in Ramallah in the Connector after each service.
Palestinian olive oil will be available after both services Because we ran out of olive oil on December 3rd and because it makes a great last minute gift, Palestinian olive oil will be available today, December 17, after both services. The proceeds support a scholarship for a student in Ramallah to attend the ETVTC (Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center). Most students find jobs or continue their educations upon graduation in a region where the youth unemployment rate is about 40%.
Pageant rehearsal today at 9:15a.m. & Christmas Eve at 2 p.m. All children & youth are welcome to participate in Grace Church’s Christmas pageant at our 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service. We are rehearsing today, 9:15-10:15 a.m., in the parish hall and will have a dress rehearsal beginning at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Even if a child can’t join us until Christmas Eve, they are welcome to participate! Please contact Megan for more details.
Advent Art Meditations Over Zoom – Journeying with Mary This Advent season, join with us to meditate on Mary, mother of Jesus, through a variety of visual art pieces, for 3 Mondays – Dec. 4th, 11th, and 18th. We gather at 12:15 p.m. over Zoom. Links will go out by email Monday mornings.
“The Holidays Are Not Always Joyful”, Wednesday, December 20th at 3:00 in the Connector This get-together is planned to talk about the Advent and Christmas Season. These are times of anticipation and celebration; traditions and memories. They are also times of sadness, anxiety and pressure. Join us to share your thoughts and feelings this time brings to you. Anne Homme is the host.
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 Save the Children. 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. 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. Children have no part in starting wars but are victims of their violence. There are more children living in conflict and war zones now than at any time in the past 20 years, as well as more child refugees. For over 100 years, Save the Children has worked to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.
Adopt-A-Family For Christmas Once again Grace Church never ceases to amaze! THANK YOU each and every one who adopted a family by buying and wrapping, by giving so generously or by shopping and wrapping. Forty families, 118 children will enjoy this Christmas more because of your amazing generosity.
Vestry Nomination Forms are available in the back of the church.
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2024 To date 120 pledges have come in totaling $431,487 – most encouraging, we have 2 new pledges. We are off to a 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 2024. 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.
Save the Date
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. Led by certified mindfulness instructor Kell Julliard and practice leader and licensed acupuncturist Claudia Citkovitz, it meets in the Connector. Next meeting: Jan. 8, 2024
Important Year-End-Note: If you would like your end-of-year donations to count as a 2023 tax deduction, checks must be dated 2023 and received no later than Monday, January 1, 2024. Anything received after that date will count towards your 2024 deductions. However, pledges for 2023 may still be paid after this date; they will just be recorded as being received in 2024. Jaana Cutson, Bookkeeper
Calendar Donations Please bring extra 2024 calendars to the food basket for the Survival Center.
The Church Office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, December 25 & 26.