Daylight Savings Reminder! The clocks need to be moved forward one hour this weekend!

Come nourish your Lenten observance with Sunday morning Bible study. Join the Rector and others to study, and react to, the Gospel and Old Testament lesson for the following Sunday. We meet, usually in the Parish Hall, Sunday mornings at 9:20.

Sunday March 8 following the 10:30 service in the Parish Hall – John Lent, Executive Director of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ), will give a presentation about their work in the Holy Land. Refreshments will be served. The AFEDJ supports 25 schools, hospitals, centers for children with disabilities and our mission in Ramallah: the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center (ETVTC). The ETVTC trains Palestinian high school students to work in two areas where they can usually find jobs; i.e., hospitality (working in hotels and restaurants) and IT (installing, repairing and programming computers). We provide a scholarship each semester for a student through the sale of Palestinian olive oil on the first Sunday of each month. Our current student is Bisan Freij in the hospitality stream, which she is enjoying as she loves to cook.

Contemplative Prayer Group is meeting on Mondays at 5:00 to 6:00 pm in the Parker Room. Please contact Michael Erard at 413- 563-3676 (cell)

Youth group brainstorming session – Wednesday, Mar. 11th, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at LimeRed! Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to gather with Megan at LimeRed to brainstorm future youth group activities. We’ll explore possible service projects, hands-on and creative projects, and learning opportunities. Please let Megan know if she can expect your child’s attendance.

Lent Series: Signs of Life – 5-Week Series continues on Wednesdays in the Connector

This Lent, we will explore some of the signs and symbols at the heart of Christian worship as well as life itself. Topics are: light, water, food, shelter, and community. This five-week series uses a curriculum created by the Society of St. John the Evangelist. This Wednesday, March 11^th we will discuss water.

The Garden Ministry will meet Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. in the Connector. We will plan for a spring plant sale, a spring clean-up day and how to maintain the gardens over the summer. Newcomers are welcome. Call Sherry Wilson at 256-6955 with any questions.

College & university small group – brunch at The Works Café on Sat., Mar. 14th at 11 a.m.!

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to our biweekly small group gatherings for students, which is a time to connect with one another and have supportive and honest discussions about faith. Our next gathering will be Mar. 14th at The Works. We’ll be discussing how imagery, symbols, and visual art shape the ways in which we see Christianity. Please email Megan for more information and to make sure you’re on our campus ministry email list.

20s & 30s March Event – Volunteering at Great Falls Books Through Bars!

For March, our 20s & 30s group will head to Turners Falls to volunteer with the non-profit Great Falls Books Through Bars, which provides free books and reading materials to people in prisons. Grace Church already has a relationship with this organization – our Connector has a collection box for donations! We’re excited to further that relationship by volunteering from 1-4 p.m. on Mar. 14th. Tasks will include helping go through prisoners’ requests, matching them with books, and packaging book for mailing. Please email Megan for more information.

Throughout Lent, photographs taken by youth group members will be posted on the Instagram account @graceyouthcreate along with accompanying Bible verses on which to reflect. We invite you to check out or follow the account and use it throughout the season to engage with Scripture in a creative way.

To date 169 pledges have come in totaling $466,652.00. To those who have pledged God Bless, to those who have yet to pledge please pray and pledge so our Vestry can budget for 2020. If you need a pledge card, they are available as you enter the church or you can contact the office (413) 256-6754 or Tom Dougherty at (413) 563-7321.

Sustain Earth by Installing a An Electic Heat Pump or Tankless Water Heater – If it’s time to replace your water heater, consider switching to an electric heat pump water heater. However, if that isn’t an option, please consider a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters are small units that provide hot water only when it’s needed, as opposed to keeping a whole tank heated all the time. They do this by using a high heat source to heat water as it comes through the water heater. They can save up to 30% energy over conventional tank heaters. Learn more at sustainislandhome.org. Courtesy of Greening Grace.

Bazaar Recap and Planning meeting: There will be a meeting for anyone involved with the bazaar, or anyone who’s interested in learning more about it, on Sunday, March 15 at 12:00 in the Parker Room. We will discuss what went well and what could be improved for next year’s bazaar. We hope to see you there!

Potluck with Lucio Perez: Monday, March 16 at 5:30 pm. at First Church Amherst. Please bring food to share that does not require heating up at church and plan to participate in clean up! Many hands make for light work!

Finding the Creator in Creation with Rev. Anna Woofenden

Using a series of contemplative and spiritual practices, our Lenten Quiet Day, held here at Grace, will provide an opportunity to explore the interconnection of God’s revelation in both scripture and creation. The day’s leader, Rev. Anna Woofenden, is the founder of the Garden Church in San Pedro, CA and now the Protestant Chaplain at Amherst College. She is the host of the Food and Faith Podcast and the author of the forthcoming book, “This is God’s Table: Finding Church Beyond the Walls” (April 2020).

Save the Date – Youth Group Volunteering at Not Bread Alone, Saturday, April. 25th, noon – 3 p.m.

In April, our youth group activity will be volunteering at the free meals program Not Bread Alone, based out of our neighboring congregation, First Church. If you think your child will be able to make it, please let Megan know! As the date approaches, she will give Not Bread Alone an estimate of how many volunteers to expect.

Anyone currently in grades 9-12 is invited to join the Western Mass. group attending this summer’s Episcopal Youth Event. We’ll travel to University of Maryland, College Park and stay there for three days of worship, speakers, and workshops alongside Episcopal teenagers from around the country. Departure date July 7th and return July 11th. For more information on EYE: https://events.episcopalchurch.org/eye/ or contact Megan who will be one of the chaperones.