Our Spring Parish Ministry Fair is THIS Sunday, May 1! We will dedicate the Christian Education hour, 9:30 – 10:30 AM, as a time to explore some of the various participation and compassion ministry opportunities at Grace. Whether you are new to the parish, or have been here a while, this is a great chance to learn more about where you can connect and share your gifts in our parish community.
This Sunday, May 1 will be the last day of Christian Education classes for the 2021-2022 church school year.
Vanesa Zarazua, Director of the Hispanic Alliance, will be a guest speaker for the “Meaning: From a Christian Perspective” adult CE class. She will discuss the mission and scope of the Alliance at 9:30 AM in the parish hall. All are welcome.
The Parenting class, youth group, and children’s classes will meet as usual.
Please take the opportunity before or after class to visit the Ministry Fair!
We’ll take some time on May 22 to recognize and thank all of our teachers/facilitators! Also, keep an eye on the newsletter for special summer CE offerings, such as the Sunday Forum with Mallory McDuff on June 5.
A reminder that a Caregiver Support Group, sponsored by Alzheimer’s Association Georgia, meets at 5:30 PM in the Grace Church parlor on the first Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is May 3. Alzheimer’s Association® support groups, conducted by trained facilitators, are a safe place for people living with dementia and their care partners to: develop a support system, exchange practical information on challenges and possible solutions, talk through issues and ways of coping, share feelings, needs and concerns, and learn about community resources.
The group is open to all. Contact Darlene Hauserman with questions.
Grace Church will next host Family Promise at the Homestead May 22 – 29. We are responsible for providing dinner to the families on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights of that week. We will also provide breakfast, lunch and snack items as needed. At the present time there are three families staying at The Homestead—four adults and eight children. Family Promise has asked that we stay to play with the children after dinner and bring our children or grandchildren to interact.
Please email Tricia McDuff if you are interested in being on a team to cook dinner or provide needed food items.
As we look back on our fantastic Holy Week and Easter Sunday worship, I wanted to take a few moments to thank key folks for the way they shared their gifts. This week, I want to spotlight the Altar Guild and Flower Guilds, two extraordinary ministry groups whose work nurtures the way we worship with all our senses.
In the Episcopal Church, worship is a full-body prayer, drawing on our whole selves as we center our gratitude on God’s presence in our lives. The Altar Guild and Flower Guild concentrate on preparing the nave for the times when we share in communal prayer. Perhaps you have wondered how this happens, and perhaps you feel an inkling to share your gifts in this way as well!
So, let us say thank you to the Flower Guild; Margaret Whalen (chair), Carolyn Smith, Kimmey Boyd, Karen Embry, Martha Jacobs, Nan Carvell, Cathy Miller, Susan Lahey, Jill Mansfield, Cathy Anguilla-Hans, Sandra Lykins, Ann Goble, Catherine Rosa, Shannon Dorsey, Anne Holifield, Ginny Early, Ruth Money, Jennifer Romberg, and Meg Barclay. And let us say thank you to the Altar Guild; Beth Neidenbach (chair), Pat Salter, Sandy Brim, Jill Mansfield, Susan Childs, Sue Cronmiller, Cheryl Hayn, Dale Jaegar, JoAnn Manring, Tricia McDuff, Caryl Rinker, Reed Shoemaker, Anita Smith, and Kim Stephens.
I am very thankful for their dedication each week.
Blessings,
Stuart
We are taking the opportunity over the next few weeks/months to highlight some of Grace Church’s ministry groups and thank all the parishioners who share their gifts with our community.
A big thank you to Tim Broxton of Easy B’s Kitchen for the delicious Easter breakfast along with our wonderful group of volunteers who helped cook, set-up, serve and clean-up. Thank you to Bob and Janet Goldmann, Connie and Richard Higgins, Vance Holifield, and Randy Page for giving up your Easter Sunday morning to provide this tradition to the parish.
Kids in rising PreK-5th grade are invited to join us for our 2022 Vacation Bible School, June 21, 22, and 23 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Our theme this summer is Food Truck Party! Using Matthew 6:11; “Give us this day our daily bread”, children are invited to pray as Jesus teaches. These words serve as a reminder that everything we have comes from God – and our daily needs are met by God. Through Bible stories, worship, games, crafts, and other activities we will explore the countless ways God provides, loves, and cares for us and talk about how we can join God in providing, loving, and caring for others.
A $25 donation per child ($20 for siblings) to help offset expenses would be appreciated. Online registration is now open! Participation is limited to 65 children. Follow the VBS page on Facebook to keep up with the latest news!
Grace Church typically honors high school and college graduates each spring. Our annual recognition bulletin will be provided as links to a digital slideshow and a printable .pdf document in the May 22 issue of our email newsletter. Graduates will also be recognized during the 10:45 AM service May 22.
If you will graduate (or have a child graduating) this spring/summer, please submit the online information form on or before Sunday, May 15. Information submitted after the deadline will not appear in the slideshow or printable bulletin but high school graduates would still be recognized at church.
Graduate Information FormWe often think of grief as only the suffering that results from a death. But actually, grief is the normal and natural reaction to loss of any kind. It’s the conflicting feelings we experience when our familiar patterns change—for better or for worse. Thus, we grieve all sorts of things: the loss of a loved one, through death or divorce, the loss of a job, the loss of our health, for sure. But also, sometimes surprisingly, we grieve over “good things” like our children going off to college, or settling into retirement, or moving to a new home.
The Grief Recovery Method is an eight week course which offers information and specific actions we can take to help work through those feelings and recover our sense of energy and spontaneity. We’ll start a new 8 week class beginning the week of May 16, at a time to be agreed upon by the participants. There is a $20 fee to cover the cost of course materials. Please contact Cheryl Kelley for more information and to register.
Look ahead to upcoming opportunities for prayer, worship, and community!
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