Grace: It's Our Way of Life
As Episcopal Christians we
  Worship at home daily and together weekly; Study the scriptures, our tradition, and what it means to be a disciple today; Serve our families, our parish, and our world in the name of  Christ. Everything we do is done with an ethic of Welcome because we are only here by Grace.
  Where have you welcomed,  worshiped, studied or served?

TURN OFF THE FAN!!
Voice of the Vestry
By Maria DiStefano-Post
Noise is ever constant, ever present, and ever persistent. Nothing makes me aware of noise more than when white noise, such as a fan, gets turned off. I take a deep breath and become aware of how agitated I have become.  If you are anything like me, most days, that is how I go through my life, except for those moments, that I call a gift, when I notice when the "fan" is turned off. 
As a child I grew up in Detroit proper where listening to police and fire truck sirens, motorcycles, and hot rods in the middle of the night was common. As a teenager, I enjoyed listening to the construction of new homes being built on my street. They were comforting sounds after moving to the quiet suburbs.  These abrupt sounds still comfort me today.
The noise I speak of, though, is relentless! 

2016 Grace Church Cookie Sale Changes Lives in Haiti 
Dear Friends at Grace Episcopal Church,
On behalf of Little by Little(LBL) I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for donating proceeds ($515.29) from the 2016 Cookie Sale to LBL!! Please know that your donation helped us have light in the clinic as we helped purchase a generator for the clinic. Lights! It's huge! I just returned from my first week in the clinic with lights. Looking at black skin in the dark is so hard!! So thank you! Because of your help we can extend our days of care. So again, blessed thanks!!
Vanda Marsh, Little by Little Haiti Recording Secretary

(Little By Little is a nonprofit organization that faithfully partners with those in need of improved health and well-being in Haiti)  Click here for website



HYGIENE PANTRY VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR NEEDED
We are looking for a volunteer coordinator for the Love INC/Grace Episcopal Church Hygiene Pantry located at Jubilee House.  Duties include checking inventory, ordering products, maintaining records, and being a liaison between Grace Church and Love INC.  Only a few hours a month on your own time!  If interested....call Tony at Love INC....941-5683 or email tonyn@loveinctraverse.org


Bread for the World letter-writing 
April 29-30
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship Chapter at Grace will conduct an Offering of Letters on behalf of Bread for the World next weekend, April 29-30, after each service.  This spring's offering urges Congress to pass budget and appropriations bills that put us on track to end hunger by 2030, in keeping with international agreements that the United States has already adopted.  Please  stay a few minutes after services this weekend to write to our members of Congress in support of legislation that helps people struggling with hunger and poverty.  Writing materials, envelopes, and mailing labels will be provided.  Thank you for your participation.  Click here for website


Grace Explorer's Meet May 2
Building Community
Steve Wade will use John Danforth's book, Relevance of Religion: How Faithful People Can Change Politics, to explore the role of people of faith have in building community when he speaks at Grace Explorers on Tuesday, May 2, 11:30 am in the Parish Hall.  Bring a bag lunch and (optional) a snack or dessert to share. We will enjoy lunch first followed by the program. For more information or to let us know if you'll be there, contact Sandy, s ansep19@earthlink.net or 231-421-3343 (or just come). All are welcome! Please join us!

Confirmation/Reception Class begins May 3
Father Carlton will be teaching Adult and Young Adult confirmation/reception classes on Wednesday evenings, from May 3 through May 31 at 6:30 pm in his office. Reception into the Episcopal Church is offered to baptized and/or confirmed persons of other denominations who wish to become members in the Church.  The Confirmation & Reception Service will be held June 3, 2017, the Eve of Pentecost, at St. Philip's, Beulah.  Contact the office for details. 


Church Women United meet May 4 at 11am
Celebrating May Friendship Day- Kindling New Fires of Love
The entire community is invited the meeting to be held at Williamsburg United Methodist Church. May 4, 2017, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  The program will be a presentation by Jackie Kashel, executive director of Peace Ranch of Traverse City who will share the mission, vision and values of Peace Ranch. It is a faith based community center, founded to provide experiential, equine assisted counseling and educational activities using horses for the greater Grand Traverse region.  Bring a dish to share and your own table service for a potluck lunch following the program.  For more information, check the flyer in the Parish Hall.


Adopt-a-Highway workers needed May 6
Please come out and help us clean up Grace's section of our Adopt-a-Highway commitment.  We will be cleaning up the roadside on Saturday, May 6.   Please plan to meet at the Applebee's Restaurant parking lot at 10:00 am to sign-in and receive a safety briefing.  Bags will be provided but please bring gloves if you have them.  You can work as long or as briefly as you want.  We are usually done by 1:30 pm.  Please call Chris Johnson at 276-5041 to let him know you can help.   Thank you.
 
  
Bishop Whittemore Sunday May 7
A special collection will be taking place next weekend to help the Bishop Whittemore Foundation continue to support the diocese in ways that traditional sources of funding cannot. The Bishop Whittemore Foundation is an ecclesiastical corporation to foster, develop or contribute to the support of the religious, educational and charitable work of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan.  The Foundation has made grants available to parishes across our diocese, including here at Grace, since the 1950's.  Last year $85,400 was granted to support new and creative ministries, to make church buildings safe and accessible, to support youth camps, and to help place newly ordained clergy.  The Bishop Whittemore Foundation is independent of the diocese, with its own board of directors.  The Foundation is named for the Rt. Rev. Lewis B. Whittemore, III Bishop of Western Michigan, who died in 1953.  He said "The great issues facing the world today are fundamentally spiritual issues.  They can only be solved when the heart is touched by the love of God and life interpreted in terms of Jesus Christ.  The Episcopal Church must do her part in bringing the Gospel in power to thousands of the un-churched people in Western Michigan."  PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO:  The Whittemore Foundation.  CHECKS MAY BE PLACED INTO THE OFFERING PLATE OR MAILED TO:  P.O. Box 6724, Grand Rapids, MI  49516.


Women's Book Club meets May 8
The Women's Book Club will be reading  Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel for their  May 8, 2017 meeting.  Twenty years after a devastating flu pandemic the Traveling Symphony, a troupe of actors and musicians, travel between Michigan settlements.  The group is dedicated to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive, but they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten their existence.  Station Eleven was a 2014 National Book Award Finalist.  Any woman is welcome to join us at  Jubilee House at 6 pm for an interesting discussion.


Church School Parent Meeting May 10
The school year is drawing to a close and it's time to think ahead to summer Church School and Vacation Bible School.  Parents of children entering grades K - 5 in the fall are invited to a meeting at 5:30 on Wednesday, May 10, in the Parish Hall to talk about  summer offerings.  Middle schoolers and teens are also invited to be class helpers.  Contact Donna Olendorf for additional information.


Religion & Politics Discussion May 23
"A little ball moves the big ball" is what Mao Zedong said in 1972 after a chance encounter between Ping-Pong players paved the way to renewed relations between the US and China. Similarly today, it will likely be small, seemingly insignificant conversations that will lead to improved relations in our country.
Each of you is invited to join a discussion on how people of faith can encourage a more civil public dialogue. This conversation is not a forum to discuss specific political issues, but instead will explore how Christian principles can improve how we discuss contentious issues. Although not a required book, study participants might find it helpful to read The Relevance of Religion: How Faithful People Can Change Politics, by John Danforth, an Episcopal priest and three-term US Senator. The conversation will be held in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, May 23, from 6-8:30 pm. The evening will begin at 6 pm with a potluck supper, Evening Prayer, followed by a 90 minute guided conversation, and conclude with Compline. Please RSVP to Steve Wade - stevewadetc@gmail.com .  
 

  
  
Regular Weekly Worship & Study Schedule
Monday
Women's Prayer Circle 8 am
Tuesday
Morning Prayer, 8:15 am
Wednesday
Simple Eucharist, 10 am
Centering Prayer, 11 am
Thursday
Evening Prayer, 6 pm
Saturday
Holy Eucharist, 5 pm
Sunday
Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am

 
Lectionary Readings
& Daily Prayer

       This Weekend's Readings
Third Sunday of Easter 

Acts 2:14a,-36-41
1 Peter 1:17-23
Luke 24:13-35
Psalm 116: 1-3, 10-17


open bible 

       Next Weekend's Readings
Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
Psalm 23

  The Lectionary Readings

The Daily Office


Birthdays
Tim Hamilton
Zachary Harding
Bob Bosch
Eric Heizer
Peter Lyon
Foy Minnema
Renee Wegman
Edie Brown
Kristen Kish
Elsa Merrill
Laura Mittelstaedt
Karla Herbold
Donna Nelson
Jack Stevenson
Thomas Wells
Finn Durbin
Cary Staples
John Strickler
Charles Stuart

 
Prayer Lists
Did you know Grace has 2 prayer lists?  
* To be added to the prayer list found in the bulletin contact

** If you would like to be added to the Daughters of the King (DOK) prayer list and be prayed for daily,contact Penny Campo-Pierce at 231-946-1224 or pcampopierce@charter.net

                   Contact Us 
341 Washington St.,
Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone 947-2330;  Fax 947-3011
Website www.gracetc.org

For Pastoral Emergencies
Call the church office 231-947-2330

   Staff Contact Information

Clergy:
Interim Rector: 

Office:
Parish Administrator: 

Administrative Assistant & Outreach Coordinator:

Music:
Music & Worship Director: 

Children's Ministry:
Director of Children and Youth Formation: 

What's happening in the Diocese?


What's Happening at Grace?



Turn in your Oleson's receipts to benefit the Grace Food Pantry!



Oleson's Community Share Program

Here's how it works:
  1. You shop at Oleson's for groceries (liquor sales do not qualify for points)
  2. Turn in your receipts to the church.  Look for the envelope on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall, and place your receipts inside it.
  3. We submit receipts back to Oleson's
  4. We are granted cash rewards for the food pantry ($1 spent on groceries = 1 cent in Community Share points)

For every $5000 in receipts we submit, we receive $50 in cash for our food pantry.  Every little bit helps!

 

Thank you for participating!

 

Click here to learn more... 

 



Buy from Amazon?  
Help Grace Church!

Did you know Grace Church is part of the Amazon Smile program? We ask you to consider supporting Grace Church through the AmazonSmile program. It doesn't take more than a minute to register, then eligible purchases will benefit Grace Church. Follow this link for details  


































































































Copyright © 2015, Grace Episcopal Church, Traverse City, MI. All Rights Reserved.