Announcements 8/18/24

We are now on our summer service schedule, with one service at 9:30am.  The regular service schedule will resume on Sunday, September 8th

No childcare provided during worship the rest of August  Because of the difficulty of scheduling staff in this portion of the summer, we will not be providing childcare in the nursery during the remaining Sundays in August. We look forward to being able to offer this option again beginning in September. In the meantime, the nursery space is still available for children to visit accompanied by an adult. Apologies for the inconvenience! Be in touch with Megan for more information.

Summer Poetry and Prayer Zoom Gathering   Weekly poetry meditations, led by Megan over Zoom, are beginning again for the rest of the summer. Join on Mondays at 12:15 p.m. through August 26th. Each week, we will explore one poem together and the ways it might lead us into spiritual reflection or prayer. No previous poetry experience is necessary! We meet for roughly 30 minutes. You are welcome to bring a lunch! The Zoom link is sent out Monday mornings from the Grace email account. If you cannot make these gatherings live but are interested in recordings, please email Megan.

Haiti Ministry: We did it!  Thank you, thank you, thank you! Together we have exceeded our fundraising goal for uniforms and school supplies. Your generosity enables children to get an education, supports the community by employing local seamstresses, and builds a better future for Haiti. If you’ve been meaning to contribute but haven’t yet, donations to the general fund are always gratefully received. Mèsi anpil!

Save the Date

Fourth Sunday Collection, August 25  The Outreach Commission has designated the Diocese of Navajoland as our fourth Sunday recipient, to support their work addressing the economic needs of Navajo and other Native Peoples. Navajoland is coextensive with the Navajo Reservation, some 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. One third of the people in this beautiful but impoverished area lack water in their homes; and one of the most important of Navajoland ministries is the delivery of food and water. Your offering will help them in their efforts. 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 are able to give.

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: August 26, 2024

Education for Ministry Presentation, Sunday, September 1  This Sunday after church there will be a brief presentation in the Parish Hall about Education for Ministry (EfM) at Grace Church. This would be a good time for you to ask questions and possibly to discover if EfM is right for you.  If there are six to eight people interested, we would like to begin the seminars in September.

The good news from HaitiAmid all the sobering news from Haiti, there is much good news from L’École St. Matthieu. This is a great time to hear it! Please plan to join the Haiti Ministry for updates, food, and celebration, Sunday, September 8 at noon in the Parish Hall.

Solemn Evensong for the Feast of the Holy Cross with reception following  Saturday September 14th at 4pm  All are welcome to celebrate Solemn Evensong for the Feast of the Holy Cross on Saturday September 14 at 4pm in the sanctuary.  Our festal Evensong will also commemorate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s stigmatization.  As mentioned in our Lesser Feasts and Fasts: “Not long before his death, during a retreat on Mt. La Verna, Francis received on September 14, Holy Cross Day, the marks of the Lord’s wounds, the stigmata, in his own hands and feet and side.” We wish as well to honor Francis’s love of nature by calling attention to the fact that, now more than ever, our physical world is experiencing all manner of injury and suffering.  The Rev. Rachel Field will be guest preacher at the service. She is the Program Manager for An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice as well as the Priest Associate at St Mary’s in Northfield Vermont. She lives on a regenerative farm and forest in Randolph VT with her beloved cat Eowyn.  Evensong will be followed by a reception in the Grace Church Parish Hall, featuring light refreshments, along with three brief talks on various aspects of St. Francis’s legacy. Please join us.

Nicholas Bazaar

Are you interested in antiques and/or collectibles? We’d love to have your help sorting and pricing these bazaar donations. Join us – we get lots of interesting items! Some knowledge of antiques and collectibles would be helpful. Contact Joan with any questions or to volunteer.  Donations are being accepted for the bazaar, December 7, 2024. Please remember that items should be in good condition and clean. We accept many kinds of items, but please no textbooks, binders, VCR tapes, cassettes, clothing, or mildewed items. Place donations on the table near the large shelves in the undercroft. Contact Joan with any questions. Thank you!