St. Michael and All Angels, Sunday, September 26th, there will be one service at 9:30am. Join us next Sunday to celebrate our annual feast. Unfortunately because of COVID, there will be no picnic this year.
Parish Life in the time of COVID – Suggestions Wanted Grace Church’s community and fellowship is an important and vital part of our parish, but unfortunately the current pandemic limits our options for being together. We want to maintain health and safety for all, but we also want to share joy, so we want to hear from you. Send us your ideas for community building and fellowship in this unique time – ways to engage, stay in touch, and enjoy one another’s company. All suggestions are welcome and should be sent to Terrie Korpita in the Parish Office, tkorpita@gracechurchamherst.org
Reconnecting at Grace: Small Discussion Groups Throughout the Fall
Join a small group discussion to share with one another and strengthen relationships after the isolation of this past year. You must sign up in order to participate. Each group is kept small to foster deeper discussion. Please email Terrie at tkorpita@gracechurchamherst.org to register. September Discussions: Topic: Your Life During Covid, Sunday, Sept. 19th, 12 p.m., in the Garth weather permitting/Parish Hall if not. Topic: Prayer & Poem Sharing Session, Wed., Sept. 29th, 4 p.m., in the Garth weather permitting/Parish Hall if not
Poems of Praise: Expanding our Vocabulary and Imagination for Praise through Literature – Tuesdays Sept. 21st & 28th, 6 p.m. Megan will be leading a two-week class on poetry & praise as a beginning to her Creative Formation work – opportunities centered around art and creativity as a means for spiritual exploration and growth. During the class, we will both read and write poems that will help expand our ideas of how to be people of praise and that will help us connect with the desire to praise that transcends any singular religious identity and exists even in the midst of suffering. You’re encouraged to come to both sessions if you’re able, but we’d still love to have you if you can only make it for one class! We will be meeting in the Connector but also offering the opportunity for participants to join us by Zoom. If you’d like to join us through Zoom, please email Megan at mmcdermott@gracechurchamherst.org to be on the list to receive the Zoom link.
September 26, 2021 – Fourth Sunday Outreach The Director of St. Vincent’s Center for Disabled Children founded by the Episcopal Sisters of St. Margaret in 1945 in Haiti has organized direct earthquake relief. Their Medical Director, an orthopedic surgeon, went immediately to the South and performed 60 operations the first week. A Trustee, the only trauma surgeon in Haiti, is operating non-stop. A reliable network on the ground is fully accountable for funds received. Make checks payable to Grace Church marked clearly – Sept. Outreach. Thank you for your generosity.
Sunday Coffee Hour – Volunteers needed We are looking for volunteers to help set up coffee hour, following both Sunday services. Responsibilities include preparing coffee and cold beverages. Food is not being offered at this time. For more information please contact Betsy Mathews at magistramathews@gmail.com for the 8am service or Mark Leonas at mleonas123@gmail.com for the 10:30am service.
St. Nicholas Bazaar returns December 4th! We are accepting donations. We are currently in need of fine jewelry, which may be dropped off at the church office. Please note: Small donations (one or two boxes) may be dropped off in the undercroft, just inside the door from the walkway. If you have a larger donation, please contact Joan at jobrien82@gmail.com, as space is currently limited. Please remember – items should be clean and in good condition. And please, NO bedding, clothing (except scarves), textbooks, VCR tapes or players. Remember that donations to the church are eligible for tax deductions. Thank you!!
Climate Action @Grace God has charged us to be faithful stewards of the Earth. Knowing that this, our island home, faces a climate emergency, one increasingly obvious with each year, we ask how we, as people of faith, can have the greatest impact on energy use, care for the planet, and environmental awareness. Our name until now–“Greening Grace”–may give the impression that we are primarily concerned about our own campus. That stewardship is important because we have significant control over our facilities, and what we do here is a form of witness to others. But we are equally concerned with the choices that we as humans make at the state, national, and international levels. We invite suggestions for a name that better conveys our mission and its extreme urgency. Should it be “Climate Action @Grace”? “Earth Matters”? “Creation Care”? Or something else? Our next meeting is Sunday, October 10, after morning worship. All are welcome—from the enthusiastic to the just curious.