Earlier this week, the staff worked to mail out stewardship packets to the entire parish, with the hopes that we all can prayerfully consider how we can support our shared ministry in 2021.
There is no doubt that this year has been a year unlike any other–and continues to be so. The layers of stress and strain have affected us all; yet, through all this, I am repeatedly called back to the core elements of what it means to be a Christian community.
I ask that you spend time in prayer as you consider how you are able to share in the ministry of your parish, especially as we look toward 2021 and our hope to come out on the other side of this healthy and centered in the Gospel’s call.
The vestry will begin making their follow up calls, and I am sure that those calls will be meaningful, both in terms of the budget as well as pastorally as we all continue to check in with one another.
Blessings to each of you,
Stuart
On All Saints’ Day, we pause and remember all the saints who have gone before us, and celebrate our belief in the communion of saints. This year, All Saints’ Day seems particularly poignant. Many of us have lost loved ones to whom we did not get to say goodbye in the ways we desired, and pandemic restrictions have prevented our usual burial and memorial services.
Grace Church is preparing a special All Saints’ offering and we would like to include photographs of members of the parish who have died in the past year, as well as photos of loved ones whom members have lost in the past year. If you’ve lost someone whom you’d like to have remembered this way, please submit their name and photo to Jennifer no later than Friday, October 23.
We will also include the recalling of names of those who have died in previous years. If you wish to remember loved ones, email Jennifer and share those names no later than October 23.
Voices of Hope and Faith is an ongoing series of links to voices who can speak to us and bring meaningful insights as we continue to wonder how to practice our faith in these days. If you have a resource you think would be helpful, feel free to email it to Fr. Stuart.
This week’s link, an article by David Brooks in The Atlantic about collapsing levels of trust in our institutions, our politics, and in one another, was sent by parishioner Patrick O’Rouke. Patrick notes, “Regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree that we have a severe problem with distrust across our society. As we emerge from this highly divisive election season in a few weeks, how can we, as a parish and as leaders in our community, work to rebuild that trust with our neighbors, both inside and outside of Grace?”
We look forward to seeing you at one of our in-person worship or prayer opportunities. Evening Prayer, now with an added candlelight vigil, is offered on Sunday evenings from 6:00 – 6:30 PM. Prayer Pilgrimages are held in the nave on Thursdays at 2:00 or 2:30 PM. Registration is required, details can be found at the registration links below.
Gateway Domestic Violence Center provides shelter and support for victims of domestic violence in our community. Grace has supported this important work for many years, and our congregation recently had the opportunity to support Gateway’s application to the Episcopal Community Foundation. Gateway requested funding to assist with the agency’s capital campaign to build a new shelter and was just awarded $25,000 from the foundation. To learn more about Gateway, visit GatewayDVCenter.org.
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