News for July 12: Wells Residency & Pilgrimage, Movie Night Deadline, Guest Preacher, and more
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.
To learn more about this unique opportunity to experience England’s rich heritage while enjoying inspiring sacred music in one of the world’s great cathedrals, 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 PilgrimageGuest Preacher This Sunday
Grace has appreciated the opportunity to welcome several guest preachers to services while Fr. Stuart is on sabbatical. The Rev. Andrea Corso will join us this Sunday, July 12.
Rev. Andrea Corso Johnson, M.Div., (she/her) serves in ministry as the University Chaplain (Non-Denominational) at Brenau University. Building on her ministerial background as a leader, educator, and an ordained Baptist minister, Andrea serves the Brenau Community by cultivating relationships and providing spiritual care, compassion, and leadership. Through her work at Brenau and beyond, Andrea hopes God’s inclusive love will shine brightly and illuminate pathways towards transformation throughout creation.
Andrea holds a Master of Divinity degree with a Certificate in Faith-Based Social Transformation from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of West Georgia. She is a current student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, pursuing her Doctor of Ministry degree. Prior to serving in University Chaplaincy ministry, Andrea served in church ministry for almost 10 years. Andrea is a member of ACSLHE (Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education) and serves on the Leadership Development Team of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia’s Coordinating Council. Andrea is a recipient of the John R. Claypool Excellence in Preaching Award, and her writing has been published by Baptist News Global and peer-reviewed and published by Feminist Studies in Religion.
Andrea has been married to her husband, Norm, for 18 years, and together they have two wonderful children: Aaron, 15 y/o, and Leah, 10 y/o. Together they all live in Gainesville, GA, with their two friendly tortoiseshell cats, Sheba and Cookie, and their energetic English Springer Spaniel pup, Reese. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys traveling to beautiful places, laughing with loved ones, spending as much time as possible outdoors, and making time to enjoy life at her own pace.
Compline
Compline is taking a break for the rest of July! The service will resume on August 4.
Sunday Supper Movie Night
Join us for an evening of fun and fellowship on Sunday, July 19 at 6 PM in the parish hall as we gather to enjoy a family-friendly movie together!
To help make the evening even more enjoyable, we invite everyone to bring an item to share:
• Last names A–M please bring movie snacks or candy
• Last names N–Z please bring juice boxes or soda
Hot dogs will be provided for all attendees. Sign up by Sunday, July 12 so we can plan accordingly.
Feel free to make yourself comfortable—bring along blankets, pillows, bean bags, or anything that will help you settle in and relax during the movie.
We look forward to seeing you there for a wonderful night of community and entertainment!
Sign UpWomen’s Book Study
The Women’s Book Study will meet in the youth room on Thursday, July 16! Cheryl Kelley will lead discussion on parts 4 and 5 of Braving the Truth by Rachel Held Evans. We gather for fellowship at 5:30 and begin promptly at 6 PM.
2026 Park Lecture
Grace Church instituted the Park Lecture as a space to honor the work and presence of Cynthia Park and Jack Park during their decade at our parish. To give thanks for them, this annual lecture will invite a speaker to lead a retreat and conversation space that intentionally explores the power of story, the Biblical narrative, and our practice of faith. It is a wonderful way to honor Cynthia and Jack’s presence and their deep concern for well-being and spiritual growth.
Ancestral Lineage Healing
This year’s offering, Ancestral Lineage Healing: A Path to Multigenerational and Cultural Repair, will be led by Banta Whitner, MSW, from 9 AM – 3 PM on Saturday, August 8. Whitner is an integrative psychotherapist, ritualist, circle keeper and grandmother, and brings her own elder wisdom to the practice of Ancestral Lineage Healing.
Over the next few weeks, we will share contemplative questions from Banta’s work in preparation for our time together on August 8. This week we consider: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ANCESTRAL HEALING?
Through ancestral healing, you can better align with your own life path or destiny. You can heal toxic intergenerational patterns and change unhealthy dynamics in your living family. You can reclaim relationship with Earth and the natural world. You can contribute to cultural healing from long-standing wounds such as colonialism, patriarchy, racism, homophobia and transphobia, religious fundamentalism and the like.
A lack of family genealogy information, or being adopted, need not impede your ancestral lineage healing in any way. Because this is heart-centered intuitive work that begins with the well ones who lived long before remembered names, you can still make connections with your wise and loving ancestors even without information about your biological family ties.
Registration Open
- 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
Community of Hope International
Community of Hope International is a unique ministry open to Grace parishioners. Following the Benedictine Rule of Life, the COHI community commits to spiritual formation and ministering to others through pastoral care initiatives. Our uniqueness stems from our to serving each other as the foundation for our ministries in the community. We meet monthly to provide pastoral care to each other, trusting that this will sustain our outreach.
Grace COHI is currently planning the next training course for those who want to know more. We invite you to join us. Contact Susan Longley or Gail Sargent for more information.
School Supply Drive
It’s that time of year again! From now until July 26 we will be collecting backpacks stuffed with school supplies for students attending Lula, Myers, and Tadmore Elementary Schools in Hall County. Our goal is to provide at least 75 backpacks for these children!
Please consider helping in any of the following ways:
A backpack volunteer available on Sunday to supply you with a backpack and a list of required elementary school supplies. We’re asking for these packs to be filled with the supplies and returned to the church the following Sunday or dropped off at the church office. There will be a volunteer at Grace each Sunday until July 26.
Pick up school supplies and drop them off at church. Items such as paper, spiral notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, pocket folders, large glue sticks, erasers, crayons, facial tissue, wet wipes, and sanitizer may be brought to the parish office or dropped off at church on Sunday.
Contribute a monetary donation by sending a check made payable to Grace Episcopal Church, with “school supplies” noted in the memo line, to the office at 422 Brenau Avenue, Gainesville, GA 30501. You may also place a check in the offering plate on Sundays. Online contributions can be made here.
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!
- July 15 Charis Circles
- July 19 Sunday Supper
- July 26 Backpack Blessing
- August 8 Park Lecture
- August 9 CE Classes begin
- 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!
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