News for August 10: CE Begins, Christian Life & Intentional Discipleship, and more
Christian Education Begins August 10
Join us Sunday, August 10 as we kick off the new program year at Grace! Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults will meet from 9:30 – 10:30 AM.
Children
Children “wonder” about our Christian identity, the stories of our faith, our community and our worship practices. The Godly Play model encourages this wonder in a Montessori style approach where children are invited to imaginatively enter into Parables, Sacred Stories, Silence, and Liturgical Actions in order to discover the depths of God, themselves, one another, and the world around us.
Godly Play I (3-6 years old) meets in room 109 of The Grace Center
Godly Play II (7-9 years old) meets in room 111 of The Grace Center
Please go ahead and send in registration information using this form. Questions? Email Fr. Brandon.
Youth
The primary goal of the Youth formation program is to equip our young people with the skills necessary to engage their peers in thoughtful and respectful discourse regarding the Christian faith and to develop the skills to explore their own journey of faith. During the academic year, classes meet weekly from 9:30-10:30 AM.
Youth age 10-13 will meet in room 126 of The Grace Center
Youth age 14-18 will meet in room 115 of The Grace Center
Please go ahead and send in registration information using this form. Questions? Email Fr. Brandon.
Adults
The Sunday Forum will begin with a conversation on August 10 about the importance of nurturing our practice of prayer. We will focus on the opportunities available to the parish around spiritual direction (with Sister Genevieve Lynn and Cheryl Kelley), and we will also explore the upcoming Charis Circle frameworks that will focus on shared meditation, reflective reading, and interspiritual relationships.
The Forum will meet in the parish hall.
Parenting with Grace, facilitated by Callie and Kevin Flack, brings together parents of all stages of the parenting journey. Our goal is to support and encourage each other as we navigate how to bring the principles of the Kingdom of God into our habits as parents so we are open to receiving God’s grace and able to then share it with our children and others. We look forward to journeying with you!
Parenting with Grace will meet in the conference room.
Children’s Chapel
Children’s Chapel will resume this Sunday, August 10! Younger children, ages 3 (by September 1) through 2nd grade, are invited to participate each Sunday during the first half of 10:45 AM service.
Children’s Chapel is an opportunity for little ones to learn about worship and helps them make the transition to “big” Church. Using music and Montessori-style lessons, children learn about our liturgical cycle, explore the elements of worship, and learn basic Bible stories.
Children begin the service in the Nave with their families, and are blessed and released to Children’s Chapel, and rejoin their families in the main service at the Peace.
Join the Parish Choir
We’d love to have you be a part of the Grace Choir this season. Previous choral experience is helpful. Our first rehearsal is Wednesday, August 20. A Welcome Back Gathering begins at 6:15 PM in the Greeting Area with a few snacks and drinks. Rehearsal will follow at 6:45 PM in the Choir Room.
We are especially looking forward to welcoming new tenors and basses. Rehearsal is every Wednesday, 7-9 PM. The Grace Choir sings for the 10:45 AM Sunday Eucharist. Supported by Friends of Music, we will perform Mozart’s Coronation Mass with orchestra in late October, host our 5th annual Messiah Sing Along on December 14, present a concert on Christmas Eve at 9:30 PM preceding the 10 PM Mass, and offer a choral evensong in March.
Music Director & Organist Lynn Swanson would love to answer any questions you may have. Visit our YouTube channel to hear past performances.
Join the Brass Guild
The Brass Guild keeps the altar accoutrements sparkling. Each week one of us spends about an hour polishing alms basins, candle sticks, vases, and the missal stand. We also keep an eye on the processional cross, baptismal pitcher, chapel pew nameplates, and brass inserts on various podiums, polishing as needed. We take turns: each member is on duty for a month, then off for two months. Supplies – towels, polish, gloves – are provided, and are kept in the sacristy.
Christian Life & Intentional Discipleship
This Sunday’s Collect is a powerful prayer for grace:
“Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will…”
This is what the Christian life and intentional discipleship are about—not just believing certain things but thinking and doing what is right. And we can’t do it alone. We need God’s help. We need each other. We need habits and practices that shape our hearts and minds to align with God’s will.
That’s why the life of the Church matters. As we begin a new Christian Education year this Sunday, I challenge children, youth, and their families to take on three practices that help us live this prayer:
- Participate in corporate worship. The word liturgy means “work of the people.” In worship, we hear the sacred story, lift our prayers, share the Eucharist, and are sent out to love and serve. This is how we train our souls. It’s how we learn to love what God loves.
- Participate in worship leadership.Serving as an acolyte, lector, singer, or usher is more than volunteering—it’s formation. When we help lead, we take ownership of our worship and learn more deeply what it means to be part of the Body of Christ.
- Participate in Christian Education. Whether it’s Godly Play, Episcopal Youth Community (EYC), Parenting with Grace, or Sunday Forum, Christian Education offers space to ask questions, grow in faith, and build relationships grounded in God’s love. CE meets at 9:30am most Sunday mornings; EYC also meets some Sunday evenings (5-7pm) for fun, fellowship, and formation.
These three commitments are especially important for youth preparing for Confirmation or pilgrimage. Like conditioning for a sport or rehearsing for a performance, our spiritual practice requires dedication. I challenge youth to be engaged at least 75% of the time each semester (Fall 2025 runs August 10-December 21) if they wish to be confirmed this year or attend next year’s pilgrimage.
Let’s support one another in thinking and doing what is right, as we grow together into the people God calls us to be.
Fr. Brandon
St. Mary Magdalene and the Egg
Did you know that Grace Church owns an icon that features an ordinary egg? The icon of St. Mary Magdalene, whose Feast Day is July 22, shows her holding an egg. Visit the Chapel and see the icon for yourself.
Click here to learn about the connection between St. Mary Magdalene and the egg.
Dates for Your Calendar
Look ahead to upcoming opportunities for prayer, worship, and community!
- August 10 CE begins
- August 20 Choir Rehearsals Begin
- September 14 Parish Feast Day & Picnic
- September 14 EYC Gathering
- September 28 Blessing of Animals
- October 26 Mozart’s Coronation Mass
The Glimpses of Grace Podcast
We invite you to explore the podcast on Spotify (or your podcast app of choice) or here on this website!
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