Get Rooted and Grow at GSP!
We offer lots of good things for folks of all ages. We welcome and encourage everyone to participate in the wide range of opportunities to get rooted and grow at GSP!
Amy Cormode
Children, Youth & Family Ministry

Catherine Penn Williams
Convener, Adult Spiritual Formation Team
Programs for Children, Youth & Families
(& Everyone Else)
Unplug and Reconnect: Family Camp at Chapel Rock in Prescott, AZ
July 6-9, 2017

Family Camp is an opportunity to use your family vacation time to unplug from the busyness of daily life and reconnect with your children and with the God wh0 made you a family. It is challenging in this over-programmed, screen-led culture to take the time out to be present to the people in our families. Chapel Rock is a place where screens are put away and there is space and time to listen to God and to each other. We will experience prayer, music, free time exploring the beauty of Prescott, and old-fashioned camp fun, like arts and crafts, a campfire, the ropes course, and games. Invest in your family, and come join us!

Fees (including bunk lodging and delicious meals)
FAMILY OF 4 = $525
FAMILY OF 3 = $400
FAMILY OF 2 = $300
additional adult or youth (ages 12 & up) = $170
additional child (ages 4-11) = $60
children (ages 0-3) = no charge
private room request = $100
Challenge Course Half-Day (per person) = $25

Partial financial assistance available. For more information please contact Jana Sundin, Canon for Children’s Ministries, (602)254-0976 or [email protected]
Sign up today! www.chapelrock.net
Coming Soon!
Youth Service Trip to Utah
July 22-28

We will be traveling to Bluff, Utah, to partner with the St. Christopher’s Episcopal Mission on the reservation. Contact Amy Cormode here for more details.

Sunday Mornings for Children & Youth

  • Nursery care is available from 8:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. for children ages 3 and under and is located in the Theresa of Avila Room.
  • Preschool-5th grade children’s formation in the Godly Play circle happens during the 10 a.m. service in the Mary of Bethany Room. Children join the church family at The Peace for the Liturgy of the Table.
  • Youth Spiritual Formation class is held at 9 a.m. for middle school youth and older, and is located in the St. Francis Room.
  • Youth group for middle school and high school students meets on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. in the Bloom Room to share in a meal and discussion/activity.
  • Nursery care, children and youth spiritual formation classes are all located in the Education Center, below the sanctuary.  
Weekday Contemporary Worship
Sundays for Adults at 9:00 am & 11:45 am
Have an idea for a class or group? Would you like to present a class
for Adult Spiritual Formation  at GSP? Please email us here.
We welcome all suggestions!
Why Wear Those Vestments?
Sunday, June 4 at 9:00 am in the Bloom Room

Join us for this multi-media program on why Episcopalians use liturgical vestments and why the vestments look the way they do, answering such questions as:
  • What is the reason for wearing vestments?
  • What vestments were used as the Christian Church was getting started?
  • Why did early Christian officials avoid wearing pants?
  • Why did the vestments of Late Medieval priests get so fancy?
  • Why did some of the clergy during the English Reformation object to vestments?
  • What was the Oxford Movement’s influence on vestments?
  • How did we end up with albs, cassocks, surplices, stoles, tippits, chausables, copes, and mitres?
Chuck Dickson, a member of the Adult Spiritual Formation team, is a retired history teacher and a popular presenter at GSP.
Exploring Today's Lectionary
Sunday, June 11 at 9:00 am in the Bloom Room

One Sunday a month we provide an opportunity to discuss the Bible readings for that day in more depth in a small group setting. Come join us for a thoughtful but always lively conversation about scripture.

Facilitators Vicki and Joe Stefani are involved in a variety of ministries at GSP; Joe also serves on the vestry. Both are retired from the University of Arizona, where each taught writing and Vicki also taught literature and film.
Sermons on Tap
Sunday, June 11 at 11:45 am in the Bloom Room

Ever leave worship on Sunday and wish you could talk about the sermon with others? Why not join like-minded folks for an open discussion of the day's sermon over beer and sandwiches? This small group is for anyone with a desire to connect more deeply with others and a willingness to explore their own questions about how we live into the "good news" as preached at GSP. The setting will be informal and relaxed. No need to register, come anytime. All are welcome! Beer, iced tea, and snacks will be available. Donations will be accepted to cover the cost of lunch.
A Look at Zoroastrianism
Sunday, June 18 at 9:00 am in the Bloom Room

Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago, and for 1000 years was one of the most powerful religions in the world. It was the official religion of Persia (Iran) from 600 BCE to 650 CE. Today its adherents make up a relatively small population, mostly in Iran and among the Parsis (Gujarati for Persian) of India, although its influence is still profoundly felt in other monotheistic faiths.

Dr Vicki Stefani has taught writing, literature, and cultural studies at the University of Arizona and Humboldt State University. Dr Karen Borek teaches courses in religious studies at the University of Arizona and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.
The Conflict Between Science and Religion
Sunday, June 25 at 9:00 am in the Bloom Room

Is there a real and fundamental conflict between science and religion, or do we just think there is?  While there are real tensions between individuals and social groups founded on strong beliefs, all seek the truth about the same universal questions. Could there be a way to integrate scientific and religious inquiry among these groups? Come find out.  

Don Lundy is a practicing hydrogeologist, working in environmental consulting since the 1970s. He became a card-carrying Episcopalian in 2003. He moved to Tucson with his wife Laura last year.
Special Programs for Summer 2017
Deciphering God's Forgotten Language—A Dream Group
2nd & 4th Mondays, June 12 & 26 and July 10 & 24 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

In this group, we’ll support each other in understanding our dreams with a perspective based on the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and his theories on the development and working of the human psyche. At all times, we will look for the ways in which our dreams form a bridge between our conscious waking self and the Divine which is present in the deepest part of ourselves, keeping us on the path of individuation toward the fulfillment of our capacity to love and fulfill the potential of our own creation. While we are part of and often use the language of the Christian tradition, we do not impose any doctrine or dogma on the members of our group. Group size is limited to 8 participants and will meet at a private home near GSP. Please register by June 5 via email to [email protected].

NOTE: At publication, this group is already full. Please contact Catherine here if you would like to be placed on a waiting list for a second group that would meet on Saturday mornings. We will try to put together  another group if there are enough people interested and able to attend the scheduled dates.

Catherine Penn Williams has worked with dreams from a depth perspective with individuals and groups for over 26 years. She is a Jungian-oriented psychotherapist in private practice.
Summer Quiet Day:
God is Present Here
Saturday, June 24 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Bloom Room

Many of us are now searching for meaning in a world that seems to have sped up, and turned upside down. It has become spiritually, physically, and emotionally exhausting and time for a renewal. Let’s take a moment to reconnect with your inner spirituality, to sense God’s presence. Join Rev. Chris and David Clements for a day of centering prayer and lectio divina seeking God’s Presence, no experience necessary. As in the past, bring your brown bag lunch and we’ll supply water, iced tea, and coffee. Please contact the Church office at 520-327-6857 to reserve your space.

David Clements is a long-time practitioner and teacher of the various forms of Centering Prayer and Meditation, and is facilitator of our Interfaith Meditation Service on Tuesday nights at Grace St. Paul's.

Reverend Chris Ledyard is a deacon serving Grace St. Paul's, co-facilitator of Tuesday Evening Prayer, and a long-term practitioner of lectio divina and contemplative prayer.
GSP Readers Group & Summer Film Series
GSP Readers Group

At The Existentialist Cafe
by Sarah Bakewell
Friday, June 9 at 9:30 am
in the Bloom Room

Featuring not only philosophers, but also playwrights, anthropologists, convicts, and revolutionaries, Sarah Bakewell’s At the Existentialist Café follows the existentialists’ story, from the first rebellious spark through the Second World War, to its role in postwar liberation movements such as anti-colonialism, feminism, and gay rights. Interweaving biography and philosophy, it is the epic account of passionate encounters—fights, love affairs, mentorships, rebellions, and long partnerships—and a vital investigation into what the existentialists have to offer us today.

“This book is full of winning small details. Some may find the description of Camus as ‘a simple, cheerful soul,’ as surprising as Sartre’s apparently charming Donald Duck imitation… ‘When reading Sartre on freedom, Beauvoir on the subtle mechanisms of oppression, Kierkegaard on anxiety, Camus on rebellion, Heidegger on technology or Merleau-Ponty on cognitive science,’ Ms. Bakewell writes, ‘one sometimes feels one is reading the latest news.’”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times.

All are welcome. No registration necessary.
For more information, please contact Vicki Stefani at 520-743-3978.
Summer Film Series:
Facing East

Join us for a free film and discussion on the third Friday of each month. This summer’s films examine the faces of faith in the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia.

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Friday, June 16 at 6:30 pm
in the Bloom Room

Ridley Scott’s epic tale of the Third Crusade and the re-taking of Jerusalem by Saladin’s Saracen army didn’t do well at the box office, probably because it represented equal levels of honor and dishonor within both Christian and Muslim forces, and just four years after 9/11, many American audiences weren’t ready for that. Today, however, some critics acknowledge it as an underrated classic and possibly Scott’s best film. The Muslim scholar Hamid Dabashi, who consulted on the movie, writes: "It was neither pro- nor anti-Islamic, neither pro- nor anti-Christian. It was, in fact, not even about the 'Crusades.' And yet I consider the film to be a profound act of faith."

This film series is hosted by Vicki and Joe Stefani. They are involved in a variety of ministries at GSP; Joe also serves on the vestry. Both are retired from the University of Arizona, where each taught writing and Vicki also taught literature and film.
Understanding Scripture
For Everyone: Coffee, Bagels
and Bible Stuff
Every Thursday from 7:30-8:30 am in the Weeks Room

Join a diverse group in a discussion of the Bible. In our second year many are attending their first bible study and are enjoying the attempt to put the weekly readings into historical prospective while finding current application. 

All materials are provided. Drop-ins are welcome, and we start and end on time.

Facilitated by Bill Moore, GSP Junior Warden.

Bible Women
2 Fridays, June 2 & 16 from 10:30-11:30 am in the Weeks Room

What do the voices of women in scripture have to say to us about our own lives, regardless of our gender? This class studies the Bible through the words of women in the Old and New Testaments. The focus is on actual scripture and its contexts; an optional text, Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter by Lindsay Hardin Freeman is available through Amazon.

The group meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Friday. No registration is necessary and participants are welcome to join the group at any time.

For more information contact Vicki Stefani at 520-743-3978.
Weekly Small Group Discussions
Sharing Our Spiritual Journeys
1st & 3rd Mondays from June-August, June 5 & 19 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Bloom Room

In this small discussion group, we focus on a different intersection between spirituality, religion, and culture. For the summer months we will focus on developing a contemplative practice using the breath and sound, utilizing a variety of approaches. We will use The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice by Cynthia Bourgeault as an initial resource but it is not necessary to purchase the book. Each session will stand alone and all are welcome. No registration is necessary.

Each session stands alone and participants are welcome anytime. 

Co-facilitated by Brian Arthur, Jim Franks and Catherine Penn Williams.
Saturday Java Jive:
Coffee & Conversation
Every Saturday from 8:30-11:00 am
at Epic Cafe (745 N 4th Ave, at University Blvd)

Want to meet and get to know folks in a relaxed and friendly environment? All are welcome to join this long-running motley crew that meets every Saturday morning for coffee and conversation. We never know who will show up, the topic is always up for grabs, and hilarity often ensues.