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News from Grace Episcopal Church ~ Martinez, California
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Scripture of the Week
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"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 |
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Sr. Warden Stan Applegate; Rev. Deb White; Jr. Warden Les Marks |
Wardens on the Mend!
We are happy to report that both our Senior Warden, Stan Applegate, and our Junior Warden, Les Marks, are both doing much better. Stan is at home recuperating after falling from a ladder while trimming a tree here at Grace. His recovery has been truly miraculous, but he continues to be in considerable pain. For that reason, he requests that you show your concern through prayer and cards rather than visits at this time. Les has already reported back to duty and fixed a door this week (under the watchful eye of the Rector). He was thoroughly checked out at the hospital and his heart is (as we already knew) in great shape. Many thanks to all for your prayers and offers to help out during this difficult period. You demonstrated exactly what a community of Christ is and does - so let the people say, "AMEN!"
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The Rev. Laurie Moyer |
Rev. Deb will be gone this Sunday
Please welcome long-time Friend of Grace, the Rev. Laurie Moyer, who will be presiding at both services this
Sunday, June 25th. Rev. Deb and her family are taking advantage of driving south to drop off her son Nick at camp to "recreate" this weekend. She will be back on
Tuesday, June 27th.
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Are you called to be a Lay Eucharist Minister?
Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) assist the priest during the Holy Eucharist (communion) by leading prayers and serving the chalice (wine). As a sacramental church, Episcopalians identify the Holy Eucharist as the spiritual center of our community, so this is a very important ministry. You will receive training prior to being scheduled to serve. Please prayerfully consider whether you might find fulfillment in participating in this ministry. We are currently short on LEMs and hope to add a few folks to the roster. If you are interested, please let John Lee (jlee@johnrlee.com) or Rev. Deb (revdeb@gracechurchmtz.org) know.
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It's a painting and pizza party!
If you enjoy spending time at our lovely campus
on Sunday mornings, here is your chance to help maintain it. The beautiful landscaping and repair work at
Grace is largely done by committed parishioners whose ranks are dwindling and, to be honest, aging. The need for extra workers became tragically clear recently when Stan fell while working at the church. Please consider lending a hand and inviting friends and family to join us on
Saturday, July 8th, from
8 a.m. until 12 p.m. for a buildings and grounds work day/party. We have a list of pressing items, mostly painting, that we are hoping to get done that day and many hands make light work! If you are willing to follow orders and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with good hard work done in community, please join us! Rev. Deb is springing for pizza for lunch!
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"Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come." Mark 13:33
The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of California highly recommend that all parishes have a Disaster Plan. Grace is located on a hill and near a busy transit area, so we also have the opportunity to be good stewards to our community by assisting the city in case of an emergency. For these reasons, we will be putting together a Disaster Preparedness Team at Grace. In order to get a sense of what we need to do and how to do it we will welcome Brian Lindblom, Martinez Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Director, to Grace on Sunday, July 16th at 12 p.m. for a presentation on Disaster Preparedness in Martinez. He will provide information that will be helpful for individuals, families and organizations like the church that could be crucial to saving lives. Please join us!
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Connie Towey |
Food is Love Redux: When the Giver needs the Gift
The
Grace Church "Casserole Patrol" is one of the ministries that Senior Warden Stan Applegate has been developing at
Grace. Stan is making great progress organizing a team of folks to help provide meals to members of the parish in need of assistance during busy or stressful times (such as illness or a new baby). Many thanks to those of you who have already contributed meals and offered to deliver them, and a special thanks to Connie Towey, who will be managing this ministry until Stan is up and cooking again!
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Backpack/School Supplies Drive
Our annual school supplies drive is open for business! Backpacks will be ordered soon and we are asking for donations to fill them. Between now and the end of August, donations may be left in the Narthex. Suggested items: spiral bound notebooks (no 3-ring binders or loose leaf paper needed); scotch tape; yellow highlighters; pens (black, blue, red); scissors; colored pencil sets; packages of white ruled index cards; calculators; 12" rulers with inches and centimeters; boxes of #2 pencils or mechanical pencils; handheld pencil sharpeners. No donation is too small. Any amount is greatly appreciated and brings us closer to the goal of filling backpacks for our local middle school students. Thank you for your continued generosity and enthusiasm for this longstanding local outreach ministry. Beth Ilog eilog@comcast.net
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Summer BBQs
July 9, August 13, and September 10
On Summer BBQ Sundays, following the 10am service, head on over to the Parish Hall for a great meal and fellowship. Burgers (meat and veggie), hot dogs, buns and condiments are provided. Side dishes and desserts are potluck (as you are able). No charge for the meal, and all are welcome.
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Summer Sunday School
We need volunteers to help the children with an activity during the first part of the 10:00 service on Sundays during the summer. The goal is to keep the kids safe and give parents a break. There is a wide variety of activity supplies in the Sunday School area to use. Look for the sign-up sheet in the parish hall.
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Make a joyful noise!
We would like to invite folks who, for whatever reason, cannot make a regular commitment to our music program to share their gifts with us during the summer months. If you sing or play an instrument, particularly the piano or organ, or have a friend or colleague who would like to play on a
Sunday
morning, please let our Music Director Gary Evans
evans_alfred@yahoo.com
know.
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Educate yourself!
We have started a Grace Church Theological Library. It is located in the corner next to the conference table in the Sunday School wing and is a treasure trove of material for you to browse or check-out. There is room for more on the shelves, so if you have books you would like to donate to this collection, please feel free to drop them off (please attach a note with your name and phone number) or contact Les Marks at lestermarks@hotmail.com.
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Altar Guild Needs You!
As with many tasks in our church community, the larger the team, the lighter the workload. The Altar Guild team is in need of new volunteers. No experience necessary and training is provided. If you are interested in learning more, Altar Guild Director Elaine Quigley would love to hear from you! Call or email Elaine at 925-787-0080 or elaineq@sbcglobal.net
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Wonder Women of Grace
All women of Grace Church are members of St. Christopher's Guild and are invited to join us for our monthly meetings, which are held on the last Sunday of the month, at
9:00
(between services). Our next meeting is THIS SUNDAY, June 25th, in the Parish Hall. On the agenda will be planning for the August Tea Luncheon fundraiser, scheduled for Saturday, August 26, which will feature our very own tea enthusiast, John Vander Kamp.
Susan Bremmer, 2017 President
Fran Trant, 2017 Vice President
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Some of the Wonder Women of Grace at Viano Vineyards, May 13, 2017
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Service Personnel Schedule
Click here to download the July-August 2017 service personnel schedule.
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Bills don't take vacations!
Summer is here and we know that many of you will be taking some well-deserved time off. We will miss you but promise to be here when you get back. Please remember though that while you are gone the parish still needs to pay our bills. If you are able to catch up on your pledge before you go, we would very much appreciate it!
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