Good-bye to Catechesis until September

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd will not be meeting on Sunday mornings--next Sunday (Pentecost--May 24) and until September.  The Adult Forum will continue meeting during the summer on Sundays at 9:00 am.  

Heads-Up for the Feast of Pentecost!

On Sunday, May 24, our organist will be briefly away but suggested that we do something different on that particular Sunday morning.  Rather than having a substitute organist, the "Grace Notes" will be playing for the service.  The Grace Notes are the group that usually plays for the Feed Your Spirit service and includes musicians playing harp, violin, flute, and guitars. They will be playing music especially chosen for the theme of Pentecost. We will also be using a different liturgy which reflects a greater emphasis on the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst.  The liturgy comes from Enriching Our Worship--the Episcopal Church's supplemental liturgical materials.  Rest assured that there are no plans to veer away from our traditional Sunday morning services! Just a one-time thing--come and see!

"Dearly Beloved. . . A Tool-kit for the Study of Marriage"

The larger Episcopal Church has asked that individual churches create the opportunity for members to engage in conversations on the meaning of marriage.  "What does it mean to be married?  What does the church have to say about marriage?  What makes a marriage Christian?  What is the role of the church in marriage?  In a rapidly changing culture in the United States, what values does the church hold as indispensable to marriage?  How can the church continue to speak to people about relationships, faithfulness and life in Christ?  And how does marriage serve as an icon of the love of Christ not just to the couple but to their larger communities?"  Over the next few Sundays, we will devote the Adult Forum time to considering these questions and the material provided to us by the Task Force on the Study of Marriage which was established by General Convention 2012, culminating in a report to General Convention 2015 (meeting in Salt Lake City in late June and early July).  If this subject is of interest to you, join us this Sunday at 9:00 am.  

Organ Concert

Andrew Risinger, a well-known organist in Nashville--performer, teacher, and church musician--has agreed to perform a concert at Grace on Sunday, May 17, at 6:00 pm.  Our plan is to heavily publicize this event as an outreach to the community and the region, with the idea in mind that we might want to develop an ongoing concert series at Grace.  We have a beautiful instrument and valuable asset in our historic Estey pipe organ, and we hope to take greater advantage of it in the coming years so that it can enrich the lives of those beyond our walls.  Steve Wiggin is working diligently on the publicity for this event, but word-of-mouth is always the most effective tool.  So, please spread the word!  We are also seeking sponsors for the concert, so let Steve know if you would like to help support this effort.  (Update: Wonderful concert!  Enthusiastic audience!  Great reception!)

Mark Your Calendars for June 14

June 14 will be a busy day at Grace.  Bishop White will be here for his annual visitation and will be confirming and receiving new members into the Episcopal Church.  If you would like to be confirmed, please let the Rector or Assistant Rector know as soon as possible so that there will be an opportunity for the required preparation to be done.  The Bishop does not require extensive preparation of those who have been confirmed (or had the equivalent of confirmation) in another denomination. 

Also on June 14, we will be having our going-away festivities for Steve and Connie Wiggin.  They have been a vital part of Grace Church for 33 years, and it's difficult to imagine the church without them.  Please come and give them a good send-off!  Steve's final Feed Your Spirit service is scheduled for Sunday, May 31, at 6:00 pm, and final Choral Evensong for Sunday, June 7, at 6:00 pm.  Mark your calendars for all these events!

Cool Spots for Hot Tots

Last summer we scheduled three days close to the starting of school for preschoolers to come in for two hours and get a taste of what going to school at Grace would be like.  This year, we decided to schedule earlier in the summer and hopefully draw in some newcomers who are undecided about making the commitment to preschool.  The dates will be June 17, June 24, and July 1 (Wednesdays).  Please let Joyce Cornett know of your interest in helping. 

GraceWorks Update

This is an exciting time for GraceWorks! We have a number of projects that we are working on-all of which forward our goal of reaching out to those in our community that need our help the most. Maia Lea Ray has done a number of drawings of local historic churches that we will be soon printing as a series of new cards. Under the guidance of Charlie Ross, we are now producing candles, made from re-purposed wine bottles and scented with lavender. We are also working on a detailed business plan that we will present at the Chamber of Commerce competition for entrepreneurs the end of this month. As always, we welcome new volunteers!

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!

School of Ministry

The Diocesan School of Ministry is now accepting applications for a new cohort of participants who would like to begin this two-year program in September. This program is designed for the education and formation of those called to the diaconate or to intentional lay ministry in the Church. Much more information is available from the Rector.