2026 Weekly News

Date Posted: July 31, 2026

2026 Park Lecture Deadline

Sunday, August 2 is the deadline to sign up for the 2026 Park Lecture!

Banta Whitner, MSW will be with us on Saturday, August 8 for Ancestral Lineage Healing: A Path to Multigenerational and Cultural Repair. This offering invites participants into a heart-centered exploration of connecting with wise and loving ancestors. Together, we will reflect on how ancestral lineage healing can help repair generational wounds, transform inherited patterns, and support personal and collective healing. Whether you know your family history or not, this guided, inclusive practice offers a meaningful path toward deeper belonging, purpose, and cultural restoration.

Details

• What Ancestral Lineage Healing: A Path to Multigenerational and Cultural Repair
• When Saturday, August 8, 2026; 9 AM—3 PM
• Where Grace Church
• Cost $10/$20/$30, includes lunch
• Register online by Sunday, August 2

Learn More and Register

Compline

Compline has been taking a short summer break and will resume on August 4. Join us on Zoom, Tuesdays at 8 PM. The link can be found in the Calendar section at the bottom of every parish newsletter and on our website.

CE Classes Begin August 9

Join us Sunday, August 9 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. Learn more about Godly Play here.

• 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 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 send in registration information using this form. Questions? Email Fr. Brandon.

Adults

Fr. Stuart will lead the Sunday Forum in August, sharing particular insights from his sabbatical and pilgrimage to Ireland.

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.

Sunday Forum

Dear People of Grace,

Looking at my sabbatical presentation, I heard from some that they were going to be out of town the weekend of the 9th, so I will go ahead and be ready to present this coming Sunday the 2nd as well. This way people can see what works best.

Overall, I will plan on holding the forum space for the month of August. We will have time to see a broad layout of themes and images this Sunday, August 2, and next Sunday, August 9, then we will continue with a deeper dive on August 16 and 23. I hope you’ll consider sharing in these conversations, since they are not so much as “look what happened on my sabbatical” but also “these are areas I think the Spirit is calling me and us all to explore as we step forward.”

I look forward to seeing everyone.

Blessings,
Stuart

Food Pantry

Gainesville Hall County Food Pantry is in need of 3 items:

• canned beans (black beans, red beans, pinto beans etc)
• canned diced tomatoes
• box macaroni and cheese

If you can help with any amount of any of these items, will you pick up a Grace donation bag at church on Sunday? You may return it to the front office or to a collection box in the parish hall. We will be collecting August 2-23.

Art Exhibit & Children’s Nature Hour

Presented by the Redbud Project

Grace Episcopal Church will host the Nature Art Exhibit of the Redbud Project on Sunday, August 16, in the Parish Hall. This exhibit is in appreciation for the parish’s support of community conservation efforts of Redbud and the mission to spread awareness and protect the unique natural habitats within Hall County and especially in Gainesville.

Opening Reception – 4:00 to 6:00 PM

The reception will feature selected paintings and photographs of native plants, pollinators, birds, and trees—elements that sustain the Cycle of Life and the ecological balance of our region. Works by local artists and photographers will be exhibited in the parish hall off the St. Francis Garden. We will also be previewing the planned relocation of the Redbud Project Native Plant Conservatory and highlight new nature trails designed to expand “Green Space for Health of Humans and Habitats.”

Children’s Nature Hour – 9:30 – 10:30 AM

Children are invited to explore the interconnected life cycles of plants, insects, birds, and humans. Through colorful illustrations, a bird-themed story, and a hands-on plant activity, young learners will discover how closely these groups’ life cycles are intertwined revealing how caring for nature helps nature care for us.

All are welcome to attend these special programs celebrating the beauty and importance of our local natural world. Refreshments will be served.

Fall Foyers

Foyers groups are forming now. Sign up on our website by Sunday, September 13 if you are interested in participating!

Not sure what “foyers” is? Quite simply, foyers is an opportunity for those who participate to become better acquainted and enjoy each other’s company. Small groups of adults meet in one another’s homes for a simple meal and fellowship. We’ll aim to create groups of 6-8 people and the groups will rotate homes. Singles are always welcome to sign up for foyers! If you are interested, however, in possibly sharing hosting duties and expense with someone else, please let us know and we will attempt to assign you a “foyer partner.”

Join Foyers

Walk in Their Shoes: A Powerful Dementia Awareness Experience

As part of our Outreach Ministry, Grace Episcopal Church is partnering with the Beyond Dementia Coalition to offer the Virtual Dementia Tour® (VDT) on Monday, September 14 between 9 AM and 1 PM.

The tour is an interactive experience designed to increase understanding and empathy for those living with dementia. Whether you are caring for a loved one, know someone affected by dementia, or simply want to learn more, the VDT offers valuable insight into the daily challenges many individuals face.

The experience lasts approximately 20–30 minutes and is available by appointment only. There are 30 appointment slots available. To reserve your time, please contact Stacy Morley.

We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful opportunity to learn, grow, and support our community with greater compassion.

Wells Residency & Parish Pilgrimage

As part of Grace’s Bicentennial Celebration, the parish choir has been invited to a weeklong residency at the Wells Cathedral in England, July 18 – 26, 2027. There are a limited number of openings for non-singing parishioners to be part of this nine-day tour filled with Evensongs and a Sung Eucharist at the 850-year-old Cathedral in the heart of Somerset. 

The base tour includes ground transportation from/to Heathrow International Airport to Wells, eight nights at the historic Swan Hotel, breakfast every morning, six daytime tours, and three group dinners. It does not include airfare, lunches and some dinners. 

A brief information meeting is planned on Sunday, August 16. Join Lynn and Stuart in the parish hall following the 10:45 AM service to ask questions and learn more about this unique opportunity.

You can also click here for additional information and to register your interest. Registering your interest is not a commitment to participate; it simply helps us gauge the level of interest within the parish. If demand exceeds the number of available spaces, reservations may be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wells Choir Residency & Parish Pilgrimage

Prayer Yoga This Fall

Answering the call of St. Brigid’s School for Imagination, Creativity, and Practice, Grace will offer in-person chair yoga and flow yoga classes in the parish hall on Wednesday afternoons beginning September 9.

Come join us for an “embodied”/spiritual practice as we pray and move with our bodies. The gatherings will honor the four annual seasons and our Episcopal Liturgical seasons. We will work on balance, strength, flexibility, grounding, and breathwork as we pray with our bodies and deepen our inner peace and calm.

Learn More & Register

Parish Choir

This fall, the Grace Parish Choir will welcome new members for our 2026-27 season. The season will begin with a workshop on Saturday, August 15 in preparation for our choir residency at Wells Cathedral, England July 18-26, 2027. Our weekly schedule will not begin until Wednesday, September 2 with rehearsals from 7 – 9 PM. We sing each Sunday beginning September 13- May 23 for the 10:45 AM service. We will also offer several Evensongs next season. The parish choir has openings in all voice parts.

If you are interested to learn more please email Music Director Lynn Swanson. 

Dates for Your Calendar

Look ahead to upcoming opportunities for prayer, worship, and community!

• August 8 Park Lecture
• August 9 CE Classes begin
• August 15 Choir Workshop
• September 9 Prayer Yoga begins
• September 9 Charis Circles
• September 20 Parish Feast Day
• September 25 & 26 Fall Retreat

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!