Grace Notes Weekly is a newsletter of Grace Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, TN,
and is used to communicate the upcoming activities of this community.
The Season After Pentecost
NOVEMBER 17, 2017
Annual Parish Meeting Sunday
The Annual Parish Meeting takes place this Sunday, November 19, and its coming ruffles up our usual schedule, so please make a note: There will be only ONE liturgy this Sunday. It will begin at 10:00 a.m. After the liturgy, we are all invited to a free lunch in the Undercroft, and once the meal has been dispatched, the meeting will commence.

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IN THIS ISSUE
Annual Parish Meeting/Vestry Election
Godly Play on Sunday
EYC -- Shopping for Angel Tree
Thanksgiving Liturgy/Supper
Food City Gift Cards for MetMIn
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service (11-19)
Voci Virili Concert (11-19)
Angel Tree
Office Closures for Thanksgiving
Diocesan Leadership Positions for
Laity and Clergy
Convention Photo Exhibit/Contest
Ordination/Consecration of Bishop
Meetings This Week
Serving on Sunday
Lectionary


Parish Meeting (continued)
Those with children will be happy to hear that elementary school aged children and younger are invited to the Sunday School rooms or the nursery, where they will be fed and offered a variety of amusements while you enjoy adult company and food and get to vote for new Vestry members in peace without drying tears, chasing wee ones through the kitchen or trying to explain why leaves fall or where God hides the unicorns.
 
Because there is a meal involved, some assistance will be needed, especially in cleaning up after the meeting. If you can help, please let Coylee Bryan or Tessa Spaulding know.

Vestry Election
 
As Jerry Evans, Andy Lane, Edith Snider and Rebecca Williams complete their terms and leave the Vestry after so generously adding a year to their terms to smooth over our transitional times, we are blessed to have a rich slate of candidates who all have many talents to offer the church as it stands on the cusp of a new era.

To keep their names and information from getting lost in the morass of the newletter, a separate e-mail was sent earlier with the complete slate. Please read through their nominators' statements and their biographies to prepare for Sunday's election, during which four will be elected to serve.
Godly Play on Sunday
All children are invited to take part in Godly Play at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Parents may bring their young ‘uns to the Sunday School rooms and then head to the liturgy in the Nave. 
EYC Meeting This Sunday at 5pm
EYC (Youth in Grades 6-12) will meet this Sunday at 5pm for our annual Angel Tree trip -- heading to Target to shop for families in need. We will start off on the 4th floor and head out from there! We will return to Grace by 7pm. 
Thanksgiving Liturgy and Supper
Before you fall into the annual chaos of jellied or whole berry, marshmallows or pecans, pecan or pumpkin, deep fried or baked, and where in heaven’s name are the candles and those special napkins, take a time-out to give thanks with your church family for the harvest, for friendship, for a brief oasis amid the preparation for all the coming holidays at Grace’s annual Thanksgiving liturgy. We’ll worship at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21; after the service, all are invited to a soup-and-bread supper in the Undercroft.
 
If you’re willing to make a pot of soup or stew or a loaf of bread, please do so (and please e-mail Edith Snider at eas124@epbfi.com ). Dessert and drinks will be provided.
Food City Cards for MetMin
And speaking of Thanksgiving -- The Outreach Committee has asked that Grace folks purchase Food City gift cards for MetMin to give its clients for Thanksgiving. Since this holiday is less than a week away, it’s time to get crackin’ if you’re planning to take part in this particular ministry.
 
Please place gift cards in the almsbags on Sunday – this Sunday! -- so that we can get them to MetMin before the holiday.
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Nearly twenty worshiping communities from across Chattanooga will be gathering at Pilgrim Congregational Church Sunday, November 19th at 3:00 PM for an interfaith Thanksgiving Service. There will be an interfaith choir rehearsing beforehand at 2:00 and all are welcome to join in. Immediately following the service there will be a light potluck reception. Due to religious and health dietary restrictions you are asked, if possible, to list the ingredients of the food items you bring A offering for The Chattanooga Area Food Bank will also be collected. Please make checks out to Chattanooga Area Food Bank. For more information contact Pilgrim Church at (423) 698-5682 or mail@pilgrim-church.com
Voci Virili Concert
If your November 19 isn’t yet sufficiently full, you are invited to partake of the wonders of some magnificent male voices at a concert by Voci Virili, which will perform Ethan McGrath’s Evening Service in F for men’s voices along with music by J.S. Bach, Gerald Cohen, Craig Fourtney, Gabriel Faure, Dan Forrest, Maurice Greene, Handel, Palestrina, and Victoria. The concert is free, but a free offering will be taken.
 
The concert will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Christ Church (corner of McCallie and Douglas). The group is directed by Harv Wileman.
Angel Tree
Though we’re not quite even to turkeys – never mind shepherds and angels and the babe in the manger – it’s already time to think about Christmas for the Salvation Army’s battalion of Angels. The Angel Tree is already adorning the Narthex; take a few minutes to choose one or more Angels to shop for if you’d like to help some children who are in need in our community.
 
Some tags are single. Some are paper-clipped together; these represent children in the same family, and you may take all, one or any number in between. Sign the sheet and indicate which Angels you’ve claimed, grab a bag and an instruction sheet, and you're ready to go!
Office Closures
Grace’s offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We’ll be back in the saddle again on Monday, November 27.
Diocesan Leadership Positions for Clergy and Lay Persons
The Diocesan Leadership Positions below are now open for election at our Feb. 9-10, 2018 Convention session in Knoxville. Are you called to serve in one of them?  
 
Positions open for Lay leaders                                   
 
·       Bishop & Council – 1 lay leader from the Middle East Area
·       Disciplinary Board – 1 lay leader
·       Standing Committee – 1 lay leader
·       Trustee, University of the South – 1 lay leader 
 
Positions open for Clergy Leaders
 
·       Bishop & Council – 1 clergy leader (each) from the South East Area
and Upper East Area
·       Disciplinary Board – 1 clergy leader
·       Standing Committee – 1 clergy leader
 
Nominations are requested by Dec 15. All nominations will be accepted via an online form available here . The final deadline for the online form is Jan. 15, 2018. These nominations will be posted on the convention web page prior to the convention and will be included in the convention packet.

After the Jan. 5 final deadline, you can be nominated from the floor of the convention. Nominees will bring 300 copies of their biography with photo to be handed out at the convention. These copies should be given to Canon Patricia (Pat) Grace before the start of business on Friday, Feb 9.
 
Elections for these diocesan leadership positions will be held at the Feb. 9-10 first session of our 2018 Diocesan Convention in Knoxville. To see details about the positions and the skills/qualities needed to serve, please go to http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3243326/CalledToServe2018.pdf .

Application forms and details about the process are available at http://www.dioet.org/2018-dioet-convention-nominations.html
 
Photo Exhibit/Competition at Diocesan Convention
Calling all photographers! Along with the annual Diocesan Convention in February comes an opportunity to display photographs and compete for prizes as well. Photographers may submit three photos each (details of guidelines are available at
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3243872/PhotoProspectus2018Convention.pdf ). There are two categories: “Being Disciples Now” and “Humor (what makes you grin on your daily walk with God?). Final deadline for submissions is February 5, 2018.
Ordination and Consecration of the New Bishop
God willing and the People consenting, The Reverend Brian Lee Cole will be ordained and consecrated a Bishop in the One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church and Fifth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee on Saturday, December 2, 2017,at Eleven O’Clock in the Morning at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 800 South Northshore Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee.
 
You’re invited! The Chief Consecrator will be Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. A reception will follow. There will be open seating; no reservations are necessary.
 
Free parking is available at Church of the Ascension and at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral. Shuttles will be provided, as will an ASL interpreter for people who are deaf. You will need to make reservations for childcare by email via nursery16@knoxvilleascension.org . Lodging is available at Crowne Plaza, Knoxville, 865-522-2600.
 
If you cannot attend the ordination but would like to be as present as possible, take advantage of the live-streaming of the event at: http://bishopsearch.dioet.org/
 
Related Events:
 
The seating of our 5th bishop will take place at St. John’s Cathedral, 413 W. Cumberland Ave., Knoxville, on Sunday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m. In the Episcopal tradition, the new bishop must knock on the red front doors of the cathedral and ask to enter. The cathedral’s senior warden will open the door welcoming the bishop with these words, “Bishop in the Church of God, and our Bishop, we welcome you to your cathedral Church, the symbol and center of your pastoral, liturgical, and teaching ministry in the diocese.” Once entry is granted and the bishop responds to the welcome, the bishop is formally seated in the cathedra, the chair which is the symbol of the bishop’s role as chief shepherd of the diocese. You are invited to join this beautiful and symbolic service at the beginning of our ministry together. Our new bishop will be preaching.
 
To complicate the choices on Sunday, December 3, the Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, will be preaching and celebrating at Good Samaritan, Knoxville at 10 a.m. The church is located at 425 North Cedar Bluff Road, Knoxville. An outstanding, captivating, and exciting preacher, Curry will join Good Samaritan to kick off the new Church Year with the Advent of the Christ Child. You are welcome to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent with the presiding bishop and Good Samaritan. A reception will follow the service.
MEETINGS THIS WEEK
Centering Prayer (Barth Room) -- Friday, 1:00 p.m., Merritt Room
Serving This Sunday
At the sole, only and unique service at 10:00 a.m.: Lectors,
Jean Whisenant, Susan LaGraff; Intercessor, Celeste Humphrey; Chalice, Anne Curtis, Nora Kile; Oblations,
Kevin Boles, Will Pinson; Acolytes, Kira Vassilev,
Katherine Vassilev, Nikolas Vassilev, Jerry Draper,
Michael Waterson; Lead Usher, Randy Durham; Greeter,
Ann Watkins; Web Broadcast (camera, sound),
Tom Makepeace, Bill Boren


Lectionary Readings
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90:-1-8, (9-11) 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
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