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The Bishop is Coming! The Bishop is Coming! --This Sunday!
The Rt. Rev. Thomas Breidenthal, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese, and our bishop, will be meeting and celebrating the Eucharist with us this Sunday, Dec. 6 at 10 AM. Please arrive early for the service and respond enthusiastically in the singing and prayers. There will be members confirmed and one received into membership.
The loose offering in the plate for the day goes into the Bishop's Visitation Fund which is designated this year to support the Summer Camping Program at Procter Center. If people wish to write a check for this purpose, it should be made payable to the Diocese of Southern Ohio and designated in the memo section. It will be mailed with the congregation's check for the loose offering.
The diocese has been generous to Grace so let's all remember to thank him for its support.
A catered soup and sandwich reception will follow the service in the Great Hall. Please let J. White know if you are bringing a dessert. A donation for the catering will be welcome. The Bishop asks that we go ahead and say grace without him as he will be greeting the congregation and signing certificates and record books before joining us in the Great Hall.
Mission Council Members: Please get your food as soon as possible and meet with the Bishop in the parlor afterward. Be prepared to speak up about what is going well at Grace as well as constructive ideas for partnerships.
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Congratulations to Confirmands and New Members
Congratulations and welcome to Amber Mukasa, Chris Scanlon and Kristin-Blackburn Scanlon who will be confirmed by Bishop Breidenthal on Dec. 6 as well as to Raya Schweitzer who will be received into membership.
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Get on Board With "Grace On the Go"
The Annual Giving Committee announces that letters, materials and 2016 pledge/donation sheets have been sent out to nearly 100 members and friends of Grace. Now they are anxiously awaiting the results of their weeks of prayerful and inspired collaboration and work to keep Grace moving ahead. Please read all of the material when you receive them and prayerfully consider increasing your pledge or donation. Sadly, we have lost some dear supporters this year due to death and moving elsewhere. As with Grace saints down through the years, we need YOU to help fill those shoes.
Send or bring your response within the next two weeks to let us know you are on board with "Grace On the Go".
P.S. If you have not received a letter due to some glitch, please contact Grace Staples (
[email protected]
) or leave a message with the office.
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Liturgies Now Authorized for Blessing All-Gender Marriages for All
From Bishop Thomas Breidenthal,
....
Dear friends in Christ,
I am writing ... to remind you of a major change in our church's approach to marriage.
Last summer at General Convention, the Episcopal Church ratified marriage rites that corresponded to the timely Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriages across the board. As of the First Sunday of Advent, the new marriage rites approved for trial use became effective throughout the Episcopal Church, under the direction and with the permission of the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority. ... I am granting that permission.
The services are "The Witnessing and Blessing of a Marriage," "The Blessing and Celebration of a Marriage 2," "The Blessing of a Civil Marriage," and "An Order for Marriage." All four are available from Church Publishing under the heading "I Will Bless You," or you can click here to download a free copy directly.
All four of these trial liturgies are intended for use by any couple, whether same-sex or opposite-sex. I urge you to read them and become familiar with them. They are the product of much prayer and work on the part of many people across the church, and I commend them for everyone's use. I especially urge opposite-sex couples who are marrying to consider these rites for their ceremonies.
For the complete text of the Bishop's letter, click here.
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Welcome the Christ Child this Christmas with beautiful flowers on the altar and poinsettias around the baptismal font.
If you would like to donate for altar flowers on any Sunday, please sign the Flower Sheet by the Belmont door or call the church office or email [email protected] or donate online at gracecollegehill.org.
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Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent, the start of the (duh) Advent season. Advent lasts until the first day of the Christmas season, which starts with Christmas Eve and lasts 12 days (until January 6).
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| Advent Candles with one candle lit. |
In the Episcopal Church and some others, celebrating Christmas won't start until Christmas. In our Church, we'll celebrate Advent by lighting a series of Advent candles at the start of each service, and we'll have special Advent music, and there'll probably be a couple of Advent wreaths on the front doors, with purple ribbons (purple being the color of Advent). Readings will focus on the expectation of a coming savior. We'll sing hymns like "O come o come Emanuel" and "Come now long-expected Jesus." The beautiful Christmas carols and hymns will be saved for Christmas.
Members of the congregation find ways of extending the celebration of Advent into their homes.
The Lyons don't put up Christmas decorations or a tree until Christmas Eve (well, maybe they cheat by a couple of days). They don't have Christmas parties until Christmas (December 25 thru January 6). These practices relieve a great deal of stress, and there's little competition with other parties during Christmas.
Candy Moxley says she'll commemorate Advent by dying her hair purple and by shunning the vast commercialism.
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Selected Short Subjects
(Short doesn't mean uninportant)
Advent Booklets.
You can find these inspiring booklets on the information table near the Belmont door. A donation of $5 is requested.
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From Carol Lyon, Senior Warden,
Attendance at our worship services is up this year. John Thayer reported at Mission Council meeting that our average attendance for Sunday services has gone from 26 people last year to an average of 33.
Our weekday services, which include the Wednesday healing service and special services, averaged 38 people last year and this year the average is 50 people.
People are responding to the Spirit of Grace.
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Needed: Someone to find and put up the Advent wreathes on the front doors. Let Wanda Miller (513-739-8080, [email protected] ) know if you want to do this.
Needed: Someone to partner with Ken Lyon (513-382-6401, [email protected] ) to put up signs for the various partner organizations. They are currently very out of date.
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Sunday Child Care Now Being Provided. From Candace Moxley: We have 2 people working with the children on Sunday: Joyce Tye, who completed Safe Church this month who is on Childcare; and Amber, who is the daughter-in-law of our junior warden David Mukasa. Amber gave birth to one of our newer members within the last month. She has agreed to teach Sunday School, for all our children. She is taking Safe Church this month. These two women are working together, and we are blessed by their presence! Please support them in their endeavors for the children. As Parish Life Chair I feel blessed by their ministries!
PS: isn't it great that Grace is a place for any niche? How people can support each other and appreciate each other? If I haven't told the people of Grace that I appreciate them I want to say that now! You all are superheroes for giving of yourselves, your talent, your heart! Together we can change the world. I love you for trying
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Church Foundation Gives Grace $65,000 Grant for Windows
From David Robinson, Diocesan Treasurer: The Church Foundation granted Grace Church $65,000 for windows. There is some paperwork that needs to be completed ... before I can cut a check. You can however begin working with contractors knowing the funds will be on their way.
This grant, plus the $3,000+ received from EfM class members should be enough to replace all or virtually all the windows in the newer wing. This should greatly enhance comfort and reduce fuel use.
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Got an event or series of events coming up at Grace?
- Send dates and times to [email protected] for the Grace calendar.
- Send an article about the event or event series to [email protected].
- If you're a member of the graceleaders email group, tell the group about your event by also sending info about your event to [email protected].
- Put a stack of info about your event on the table inside the lower Belmont door.
***
The first planned event for our
150th anniversary celebration for Grace Church will be held on March 6, 2016 at 4pm.
It was March 6, 1866 that Grace Church members and friends met to elect the first Vestry and Wardens. That's days's worship service will be moved to the afternoon to make it easier for Grace alums and friends to attend.
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Thanks to ...
... Chris and Kristin Scanlon
for donating and setting up the crib in the nursery for our newest members.
... And to The Rev. Anne Warrington Wilson for donating the mattress.
... Ken Lyon
for his wonderful award-winning newsletters that keep us informed and inspired.
... Wanda Miller and Candace Moxley
for long days representing us at convention in addition to all the other things they do.
... New Service Volunteers Hope and Faith Makumbi (readers), Apollo Kiganda (offering counter), Rashawn Lee (acolyte).
... Jonathan Tan
for a very thoughtful and comprehensive report and recommendations on the music program and to the Worship Committee for its analysis and response.
... Mary McLain
for her wonderful rendition of the "Grace On the Go" progress display board for the Annual Giving Campaign. (Get on board with your pledge and move the car forward toward our goal!)
... Wanda Miller, Mary McLain, Kristin Blackburn-Scanlon
and Grace Staples for providing a full Thanksgiving type dinner to 25 parolees, officers and volunteers.
... Candace Moxley, Jacquelyn McCray
who procured and installed a new modem (with telephone help from Ken Lyon) to get our office and building systems working again.
... J. White
for the many hours she spends arranging and overseeing rentals to augment our income.
... "Maree" White
for volunteering to do calling for Wednesday dinners and IHN outreach projects.
... Kristin Blackburn-Scanlon
for updating our directory. (Ready for publication soon.)
... Grace Staples for contributing many of the stories in this Grace Notes.
If you want to thank anyone in the congregation for something they did for you or for the church, please send that thank you to Ken Lyon ([email protected]) or the office ([email protected]), so they can be recognized.
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Prayers and Thanksgivings
Prayers for healing are asked
for Patty Rogers, The Rogers Family, Carl, Jackie, Robb Martin, Kim Martin, Melissa, Jordan and Brandie, Rhonda and D.L. Sharp, The Partin Family, Maree White, Albertha Howard and DeConte Howard, Peter Hawkins, Judy Handy, Madeena Nolan, Gwynne and Naomi Gabbard, Mae Armstead, James McNabb Nickname: Cousin, Jim and Nancy Vath, Darryl, Anne, Caleb, and Joshua Handy, Father Hufford, Father Ray Betts and Mary McLain, Ken Lyon, Gene, Wilson, Jo Carroll, Earl Sharp, Virginia Chapel and Family, MaryAnn Chappelear, Jane Davis, Nikki Yaptangco and Desmond, Anna Black, Lauren Flemister, Beth, Belinda Perna, And Roger Perna, Jeanne, Joshua Grout, Shelly Williams & Family.
Prayers are asked for members often not able to come to church: Elizabeth Kelly, Janet Henthorn, Naomi Koester, Elva Gscheidle, Jo Carroll, Anne Henneberg, Raymond Betts, Ken Lyon.
To add or subtract from this list, please contact the Church Office (513-541-2415,
[email protected]) with the names of the persons to be included on this list. If you email, please place "Prayer Request" in the subject line. Please also indicate whether the name of the prayer recipient is to be listed in the bulletin.
Names remain on the list for about a month. Please let us know if people should be put back on the list.
Pastoral Care. If you need pastoral care or know of someone who does, please call or email the office (513-541-2415, [email protected]) Keep us informed about about illness, hospital stays, requests for visits, communion, and prayers for special concerns. |
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Mark Your Calendar
Every Wednesday from 5 to 7pm: Free Community Dinner. Come and enjoy the food and the fellowship. The online Grace Church Calendar lists most everything we know about that's happening at Grace Church. If something's not listed, or if you see errors, please tell the office ([email protected], 513-541-2415).
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From the Editor...
You are receiving
eGraceNotes because you subscribed online, or because you gave us your email. You can unsubscribe instantly at any time using the link at the bottom of each issue.
eGraceNotes is published weekly whenever possible. Our purpose is to help keep members and friends of Grace Church up-to-date on what's happening at Grace and of other things that may be of particular interest to our readers.
While we try our best to represent the Grace Church congregation, final responsibility for what you see here belongs solely to the editor.
The content of
eGraceNotes depends on what what is provided us. Send items to the editor at
[email protected].
Photos in
eGraceNotes may be edited to remove extraneous material.
Ken Lyon, Editor
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