Grace: It's Our Way of Life
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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?
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Voice of the Vestry - A Reflection
by Mike Mittelstaedt
 The planets aligned for a brief moment this Saturday afternoon, shifting the usual overlap of events into a sweet coincidence, where by God's grace - BOTH. THE. BOYS. ARE. NAPPING!
What do I do with the quiet? The time? I start with panic, the collision of the things I could do with my uninterrupted time, all coming to mind at once; it's paralyzing.
The day began with our weekend traditions: breakfast, coffee (brewed with the help of little hands), pick up toys, run the vacuum, feed the dog. Then the boys and I stuff ourselves between the arms of the "big chair," under a layer thick blankets to watch Sarah & Duck, an animation about a little girl and her duck friend... Duck. In each episode, the pair find their day interrupted by a variety of life's complications, scaled down sweet dramas, experienced from the point of view of a kindergarten girl: a favorite park bench isn't available, their friend the tortoise sleeps past hibernation season, their elder friend Scarf Lady is out of wool for her knitting, or Donkey looks sad, needs cheering up. Things that could easily go unnoticed with the momentum maintained as adults. The beauty is that the solutions they find are typically discovered with library books, a game with good friends, lending a hand to others, or a "sit and think" in a favorite chair. After two cozy seasons, it's easy to see that the themes are purposeful, kind, and joyful. I want to watch. They want to watch.
Faced, now, with the dilemma of uninterrupted time, the tragedy of endless choices, my aspirations of getting it all done...I go for a "sit and think" in the same big chair that started the day, sifting to the surface the gifts of family and fatherhood, a celebration of a good life that takes place amidst the bumps of the week, that I then share with you in the pews and the parish hall each Sunday, my family at Grace.
A Safe Harbor reflection sent to Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
I think that John (Dennis) the Baptist sat at my table last evening at Safe Harbor. The two young Mormon Elders who help us clean on Tuesday at Jubilee House were also at my table plus several homeless men. One of the Elders  said that they were missionaries. At that, Dennis started to share when he had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart. He talked some about his faith in Jesus and added a little scripture as well. Dennis just shaved his bushy beard off and cut his long hair last week. We didn't know him at Jubilee House at first. He also had thongs on and a rubber band held his glasses on. Dennis has a lovely smile and doesn't always tract 100 percent but with grace he told us about Jesus in his life. That started me to think about when I had accepted Jesus into my heart and do I share my faith as easily and with grace as Dennis does. "I wondered" what the other homeless men were thinking. How interesting that two young Mormon missionaries, an old retired priest, plus several homeless men were his community. This holy moment went on during dinner with many intoxicated folks and some loud shouting all around us. God does show up in the most interesting places. Well, thanks for listening and I will keep looking for John in 'other' places this week. Keep asking us to ponder a question following the Wednesday Simple Eucharist. This is what I love about the Episcopal Church. It's okay to leave the Eucharist with "more" questions than everything being tidied up. This truly was a God moment and I give God the glory and may I be more aware......
In Christ, Marilyn
Healing offered at Sat. 5pm & Sunday 10 am services
Come to the Columbarium during communion, and members of the healing ministry will offer prayers with the anointing of oil and the laying on of hands for God's healing touch and presence.
Our 150th was a 150th - What?
As it happens, our 150th Celebration Eucharist with Bishop Hougland on Dec. 10 was the 150th time we had celebrated Eucharist at Grace in the calendar year 2017. How amazing is that? We were celebrating our 150th anniversary on the day of our 150th 2017 Eucharist! Praise be to God!
Snow Policy 2017-2018
With the coming forecasts predicting snow storms of significant means, Grace Church parishioners should be aware of the following:
- Worship services - will not be cancelled. The proximity of The Rev. Kathryn Costas ' home (next door to the church) makes it possible for her to open the building for worship
- Office hours - The staff will follow the closing/delay schedule of the local college (NMC); when the college delays or closes during business hours, so will the Grace Church office. As soon as possible, a recorded phone message will indicate the situation
- Food Pantry - If the office closes on a Monday or Friday morning and therefore pantry appointments can't be taken, then the Food Pantry is closed as well.
- Jubilee House - Will be open. Contact Glenda Andrews to confirm or indicate your absence as a volunteer scheduled for the day.
- Friday Lunch - contact the leader of your lunch team to confirm or indicate your absence as a volunteer scheduled for the day.
- Events/ministry meetings/other gatherings - contact the leader of the group to find out if the event or meeting is occurring; be sure to make a note of the leader's contact information.
Group leaders - Now is a good time to forward contact information to the participants of your group.
Know that your sense of personal safety is paramount when making a decision to travel to church (or not).
Donations for Christmas Flowers & Wreaths
There is still time to make your donation for flowers and
 wreaths for the Christmas season. Please use the envelopes on the table in the Commons, and drop your donation into the offering plate or at the office. Please put 'Christmas flowers' on the memo line of your check, and THANK YOU!
Holiday Baskets
Help our neighbors enjoy a holiday meal with all the  trimmings! The Men's Group collected and distributed dinner baskets at Thanksgiving time. Special Christmas meals will be distributed through the Grace Church Food Pantry in December. Each meal costs about $30 to put together. Please make your check payable to Grace Church with 'Holiday Basket' on the memo line. Thank you for sharing your blessings with others and making a contribution!
Conserving paper resources
You'll notice that the Grace Life insert is not included in your service bulletin. Please pick up your copy from the table in the Commons. We are also printing fewer service bulletins, and ask that if you attend services with others that you share a bulletin, instead of each individual receiving one. Thank you!
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Annual Reports Due - Please submit now
As we close in on the end of 2017, it's time to reflect and write annual reports. If you are the leader/participant of a ministry that wishes to be included in this compilation, reports should be submitted to the office, [email protected]. Electronic submissions are preferred. The annual report will be ready for distribution on or before the 151st Annual Meeting scheduled for January 21, 2018. Pertinent materials for the elections or discussions to be held at the annual meeting will be distributed prior to the meeting. The value of these reports became significantly important as the members of the 150th Anniversary Celebration Committee worked these past few months. Members sifted through all the reports we had from past decades to search for details, events and dates that informed us of our story as a congregation. With this in mind we recommend the following guidelines as you write your annual report:
- Include full names of participants, names of officers/leaders
- Tell stories/give descriptions of events, especially if an effort was new or special
- State dates of occasions or events or ministry work that should be known
- Add statistics, if important
- Describe any particular gift (monetary or tangible) to the church
Writing this kind of summary will help tell the story of your ministry.
Use your IRA assets for charitable gifts before the year ends
The IRA charitable rollover law was made permanent in 2015. Under this legislation, if you are 70 ½ or older, you are allowed to make certain charitable contributions directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to an eligible charity, and the transferred assets will not be recognized as income for tax purposes. Talk with your tax adviser! The charitable IRA rollover, or qualified charitable distribution, makes it easier for you to use your IRA assets to make charitable gifts. It is a special provision that allows individuals age 70 ½ or older to exclude from taxable income - and count toward their required minimum distribution - transfers of IRA assets, up to a total of $100,000, that are made directly to public charities, such as your parish or favorite Episcopal charity. To take advantage for 2017, donors need to arrange for a direct transfer from their IRA to an eligible charity to take place by December 31, 2017.
Year-end contributions
There are several ways to make contributions to Grace Church to complete your pledge and, take advantage of tax deductions (if appropriate) by December 31:
- Submit contributions to any service in December
- Mail your contribution with a December 31 postmark
- Drop off contributions in the office before December 29 when staff is present
- Use our DONATE button on the website www.gracetc.org until 11:59pm 12/31/17
Altar Flower donation schedule for 2018
A new schedule for Altar Flower donations is on the sign-up board at the East End of the Parish Hall. All flower arrangements for the Altar will be done by our florist. Sign-up is on a first-come first-served basis. Include your name and phone number in the appropriate boxes. If more than one family desires the same date, we can provide flowers in front of the Altar as well. Or if two families wish to share a date, that can be accommodated, as well. There will be no Altar flowers in observance of Lent and during Advent. Christmas and Easter flowers are by special donations with an insert in the bulletin listing donors and their message. During Advent, greens are added the four weeks before Christmas. You can donate to sponsor the greens during this time. We ask for a donation of $45.00 or more to cover the florist and delivery costs. Please have your message for the bulletin in to the office the Monday before your selected date. If you need assistance please call Pat Freeman at 932-9851. Thank you!
Donations to PoWeR! Book Bags Appreciated
PoWeR! Book Bags
has been in Grace Pantry since May 2017. We have given out 103 bags and 350 books as of Thanksgiving.  Many of you have helped with donations of money, hand-made bags, and your time at a work bee. This program can't run without the generosity you have shown. If you would like make a monetary donation, please send it to PoWeR! Book Bags, PO Box 533, Suttons Bay, MI 49682. You will receive a donation letter for taxes. If you would like to donate books, already made book bags or fabric for making them, or reams of white copy paper, please put them in the donation box in the Parish Hall. If you would prefer to give them to me directly, that would appreciated also :-) Giving Thanks, Penny Campo-Pierce, Site Supervisor.
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8am - 12pm or until sold out
Cookie Intake: Fri., Dec. 15, 9a to noon in the Commons
Please bring your holiday goodies, clearly labeled, to church. If you cannot drop on this day, please bring your cookies (when it is convenient for you), to the chest freezer in the kitchen alcove, clearly labeled. Thank you!
We could use more helpers on Dec. 15
both morning and afternoon shifts
contact Ellen 933-4006 or call the office
Help us raise money towards replacing our commercial dishwasher. Thank you!!
Service of Shadow and Light Dec. 20 at 7pm
Please join us in the Sanctuary for a service of Shadow and Light. This is a service of readings, silence, and soft
 music. A time for those who need to be, who are sad, grieving, or just need to prepare for Christmas in a quiet way. Come join us for this reflective service. Give yourself the gift of sitting in Shadow and Light.
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Regular Weekly Worship Schedule
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Monday
Women's Prayer Circle 8:30 am
Tuesday
Morning Prayer 8:15 am
Wednesday
Men's Prayer Group 7:30 am
Simple Eucharist 10 am
Centering Prayer 11 am
Service of Shadow and Light 7 pm
Thursday
Evening Prayer 6 pm
Saturday
Holy Eucharist 5 pm
Sunday
Holy Eucharist 8 am
Holy Eucharist 10 am
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Lectionary Readings
& Daily Prayer
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This Weekend's Readings
The Third Sunday of Advent
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Psalm 126
Next Weekend's Readings
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
Canticle 15
The Daily Office
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Birthdays
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Carmen Miller
Mark Stackable
Sally Benner
Paul Lannen
Dottie Williams
Mike Cotter
Brandy Case
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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 [email protected]
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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
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Staff Contact Information
Clergy:
Office:
Parish Administrator:
Administrative Assistant & Outreach Coordinator:
Music:
Music & Worship Director:
Children's Ministry:
Director of Children and Youth Formation:
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What's Happening at Grace?
What's Happening in our Diocese?
Turn in your Oleson's receipts to benefit the Grace Food Pantry!
Oleson's Community Share Program
Here's how it works:
- You shop at Oleson's for groceries (liquor sales do not qualify for points)
- 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.
- We submit receipts back to Oleson's
- 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 this program. It doesn't take more than a minute to register, then eligible purchases will benefit Grace Church.
Follow this link to learn more...
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