News for August 24: Praying the Psalms, Outreach Spotlight: Hispanic Alliance, and more
Sunday Forum
Come share in a tour of the nave with Jason Voyles, our head verger, and Fr. Stuart during the 9:30 AM Christian Education hour on August 24.
If you have ever wondered what a purificator has to do with the aumbry, now is your time to explore. This session will be very helpful in highlighting the key points of Anglican/Episcopal worship and history.
A Special Time of Prayer
On Sunday, August 31 at 9:30 AM, join Sr. Genevieve Lynn in praying the Psalms.
Praying the Psalms is a spiritual and monastic tradition that dates back to ancient times and was practiced by Jesus himself. These beautiful songs provide a framework for praising and petitioning God and gives voice to the deepest joys and sorrows of the one who is praying. The selected Psalms are read similarly to the Psalm read responsively each week at Eucharist.
If you are seeking ways to be in the presence of the Lord, come to the Chapel on Sunday morning, August 31 and share in this sacred experience.
All are welcome.
Charis Circles at Grace
The School for Prayer and Spiritual Practice invites you to participate in Charis Circles. The group will meet the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM starting Wednesday, September 10.
If you want to explore more, or join the group, please email Meg McPeek, Assistant for Formation & Community Life.
Outreach Ministry Spotlight: Hispanic Alliance
Grace Outreach is committed to supporting the Hispanic community in the Gainesville area. More than a third of Gainesville’s population is comprised of Latinos, many of whom are the poorest of the poor. The Hispanic Alliance Georgia exists to meet the particular needs of this marginalized group in ways that encourage independence and assimilation.
The Alliance serves the Hispanic population in so many ways, including distributing culturally appropriate food, supporting new mothers and babies with formula, diapers, clothing, and related supplies and parenting classes, helping with application for benefits and immigration forms, ESL classes, children’s art camp, and special children’s activities throughout the year, after school homework support, summer camp for children, parenting classes, health screenings and immunization opportunities, even women’s entrepreneurship support.
In addition the Alliance annually celebrates Latino culture each year with Latino Fest, which showcases Latino culture and the Arts. The Alliance also provides Christmas for those families most in need. The Alliance is the only one of its kind in Georgia and our community is blessed to have this resource. The Alliance, La Alianza, is located at 2490 Hilton Drive, Suite AB, Gainesville and has opened an additional outreach center at 353 Chattahoochee Street, Cornelia.
Vanesa Sarazua is the Director of the Alliance, which she founded in 2017. After working for Hall County as a CASA volunteer and migrant education teacher, she saw the need for more services for the Latino population. Since its inception, the Alliance has become a vibrant support for our Latino population and has grown to be an integral part of the Gainesville community and surrounding areas.
On learning about the mission of the Alliance, Grace’s Outreach Ministry immediately became involved by financially contributing to this worthy cause. We are planning on building more involvement and will soon announce an opportunity to tour the Alliance facility. The Alliance provides food boxes to needy families and we can help by volunteering to pack them to help with distribution. There are times when help is also needed to assemble hygiene packs, as well. We are excited about sharing more about the Hispanic Alliance and invite your participation.
More About the Hispanic Alliance
This past year, the Alliance has supported our Hispanic community in so many ways as described above. Data for this past year includes:
2400 families served
4038 babies
2505 benefits application assistance
250 immigration services
9 scholarships
360 ESL students
6 women business owners
All this is accomplished under Vanesa Sarazua’s leadership, the Alliance Board of Directors, staff, and 450 volunteers.
Parish Feast Day
We will celebrate our annual parish feast day: the Feast of the Holy Cross on Sunday, September 14. There will be one combined service that day, at 10:00 AM followed by a pasta lunch and fellowship in the parish hall. Parish feast days give a community a focus point in the year to pay closer attention to a key facet and teaching from Jesus’s own life.
As usual, we will offer the opportunity for folks to walk onto the chancel and view the stone embedded in our altar. The stone, carved in the shape of the cross, is from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, a site that for over 1,500 years has been the focus of veneration for Christ’s crucifixion and burial. This relic embedded in our altar helps us have a physical grounding for our prayers. It is a sacramental experience for us to come forward and offer a prayer and remember.
For lunch following the service, Grace will provide a pasta station which includes 2 pastas (a gluten free choice will also be available), 3 sauces: alfredo, meat sauce (beef and sausage), or marinara, and 3 toppings: chicken, meatballs, or italian sausage. Salad and breadsticks will also be provided.
Please bring a dessert, vegetable side dish, or beverage to share according to the assignment below based on the first letter of your last name so we have a nice variety of items to enjoy!
A-J dessert
K-R vegetable side
S-Z beverage
To commemorate this feast day, we’ll also have a station for you to take home your own basil seed starter kit. Legend says Saint Helena, while searching for the True Cross, discovered it under a patch of basil!
We hope you plan to be here Sunday, September 14 to celebrate our parish feast day and spend time together as we step more fully into the fall season at Grace.
Christian Education
Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults will meet from 9:30 – 10:30 AM.
Children
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.
Youth
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.
Adults
The Sunday Forum will meet in the nave.
Parenting with Grace will meet in the conference room.
Dates for Your Calendar
Look ahead to upcoming opportunities for prayer, worship, and community!
- September 10 Charis Circles Begin
- September 14 Parish Feast Day & Luncheon
- 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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