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Blessing of the Animals
We will have our yearly celebration of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi with our traditional Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 4, at 2:00 pm in the garden at the church. In case of rain, the service will be held in the cloister. Bring all your critters, appropriately leashed or under control of a family, to receive an individual blessing.
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Picnic at the Labyrinth
The labyrinth at Grace Commons was clearly the place to be in Hopkinsville last Sunday evening. A large crowd gathered to enjoy a beautiful evening of food and fellowship, the great musical offerings of the Geezers and others, and celebration of the first anniversary of GraceWorks, our social enterprise that many people both inside and outside the church are supporting with enthusiasm. GraceWorks items were available for sale, and Charlee Weeks, our consultant and volunteer from Murrray continuously demonstrated the screen-printing process.
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Students from Murray Take Mission Trip to Grace
Students from the Campus Ministry at Murray State are arriving later today to spend three days working in the GraceWorks program. They will be sleeping and eating in All Saints Hall, and working with shifts of volunteers on screen-printed Christmas cards and on production of our variety of beaded jewelry designs. Church members will be providing food. The students will be engaging in daily worship in the chancel of the church and on the labyrinth, as well as joining us on Sunday morning for worship. Please give them a warm welcome!
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Pictorial Directory
Some of us were looking at our last church pictorial directory recently and realized that it's been a long, long time since we have had a new one. Therefore, we have contacted Lifetouch and scheduled portrait sittings for October 27 and 28, 2 pm to 9 pm. Mark you calendars now! More information soon. Good timing for Christmas giving!
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Increasing Church Security
At our most recent Vestry meeting, we discussed the necessity of being more diligent about the security of the church and the safety of all those who come through our doors on Sundays and throughout the week--especially our children. We need to keep doors and gates locked, except when there is a particular reason not to do so for short periods of time. We're sorry for any inconvenience and we hope that those of you who are in and out frequently will join with us in making sure that doors are securely closed and locked. We can supply keys as needed. Thank you!
UPDATE! We have recently re-keyed the outside doors. If you regularly need to have access to the church, please contact Ruth Rock in the office about acquiring a new key.
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Stewardship
The Vestry has engaged the services of Ms. Keith Stroud to spend a weekend with us in October to educate us in more effectively approaching stewardship in the church--whether that involves an annual pledge drive or a capitol campaign or a legacy society/endowment-building effort. Keith was formerly with Kirby-Smith Associates and, while there, developed a program that is called "Life as a Steward." At this point, we are looking for members of Grace who might be interested in and willing to participate in the weekend with Keith, which will be October 9-11. This group would then provide some leadership in decision-making and following through with steps toward putting Grace Church on a more stable financial footing moving forward. This is important work for God, for our church, and for the community beyond our church. Please prayerfully discern what your involvement will be, and let our Treasurer (Bill Nichol) or our Senior Warden (Charlie Ross) know if you are willing to serve in this effort.
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Pilgrimage to Bolivia
Mark Richard is leading a pilgrimage to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia in early 2016. Please consider making this trip-of-a-lifetime. Amistad, which is supported by a number of churches in the United States, provides a loving home to abandoned, abused, and orphaned children. There will be an informational meeting soon with more details, but, don't hesitate to contact Mark with your questions.
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| Grace School Support Grace Church provides significant support to Grace School, and we can all contribute to that support in three ways: 1. If you shop at Kroger, designate Grace Kindergarten as the recipient of credits accrued from all your purchases. This does not interfere in any way with your own points earned toward savings on gasoline. You can make your designation online at "kroger.com" or at the customer service counter at Kroger. If you need assistance, talk with Tom Schmidt, Treasurer of the Kindergarten Board of Directors. 2. Save any "Boxtops for Education" that may be on many grocery products that you regularly purchase. There is a container on the table across from the sacristy where you may deposit your box top decals. 3. When you have a birthday, consider giving a dollar for each year of your life as a gift to Grace School, as an offering of thanksgiving for all the blessings of your life. Thank you! |
| Book of Common Prayer We have recently purchased a few copies of the BCP which are especially suitable for gift-giving. They are smaller than the ones we use in church, have an attractive binding, and are available for sale through the church office for $30. |
| Directory Update We will soon be doing an update to the parish directory. If any of your information has changed or if you are aware of other information that needs to be updated, please pass it on to our Parish Administrator, Ruth Rock. Her email address is [email protected]. Thank you! |
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Dates to Remember
Wednesday-Sunday, September 30-October 4--Murray State students at GraceWorks
Sunday, October 4--9:00 am--Adult Forum and Catechesis
Sunday, October 4--10:15 am--Holy Eucharist Rite II
Sunday, October 4--2:00 pm--Blessing of the Animals
Monday, October 5--6:00 pm--Education for Ministry (EFM)
Wednesday, October 7--12:10 pm--Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayers
Friday-Sunday, October 9-11--Stewardship Workshop with Keith Stroud
Sunday, October 11--9:00 am--Adult Forum and Catechesis
Sunday, October 11--10:15 am--Holy Eucharist Rite II
Monday, October 12--6:00 pm--EFM
Wednesday, October 14--12:10 pm--Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayers
Sunday, October 18--9:00 am--Adult Forum and Catechesis
Sunday, October 18--6:00 pm--Feed Your Spirit
Monday, November 19--6:00 pm--EFM
Tuesday, October 20--3:00 pm--Kindergarten Board
Wednesday, October 21--12:10 pm--Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayers
Sunday, October 25--9:00 am--Adult Forum and Catechesis
Sunday, October 25--10:15 am--Holy Eucharist Rite I
Monday, October 26--6:00 pm--EFM
Wednesday, October 28--12:10 pm--Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayers
Sunday, November 1--9:00 am--Adult Forum and Catechesis
Sunday, November 1--10:15 am--All Saints Day Holy Eucharist and Holy Baptism
Friday-Saturday, November 13-14--Diocesan Convention at Calvary Louisville
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Have you remembered Grace Church in your will?
We are working on starting a legacy society for Grace which will be called the George P. Giddinge Society--named for the first Rector at this church--as a step toward securing the future of our parish, especially our wonderful buildings and grounds. All who include the church in their wills will automatically become members of this honorary group and names will be placed on a permanent plaque, probably in the narthex. If you have already made this important decision and taken the steps necessary to insure that your wishes are carried out, please make our Treasurer, Bill Nichol, aware. Thank you so much for your loving dedication to Grace Church, for all it has meant to so many people and for all that our ministry can continue to mean to the City of Hopkinsville.
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Quote from Archbishop William Temple
"The church is the only organization whose primary purpose is for the benefit of people who are not members." Think about it.
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Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.
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Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.
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