Grace/La Gracia November 1, 2020 E-Newsletter Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost😁 🙏

Grace La Gracia Church

33 Church Street White Plains, NY 10601

www.gracewhiteplains.org

If you are visiting with us for the first time, we welcome you to Grace Church!

Our liturgy is found in the Book of Common Prayer.

Our communion is open to all baptized Christians.

Please take the time to fill out one of our visitor which the ushers have available.

Your presence is a blessing to us may our worship together be a blessing to you.

November 1, 2020

Announcements

The Rev. Dr. Chip Graves, Rector

therevchipgraves@gmail.com

The Rev. Adolfo Moronta

amoronta@gracechurchwhiteplains.org

The Gospel according to Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Grace Church Family,

Our Tuesday Compline Worship can be viewed 9:00 PM on Face Book and 9:30 PM on You Tube (link sent)

Our Sunday Worship can be viewed at 10 AM on Face Book (link sent)

Thoughts from the Senior Warden

(October 19, 2020)

October 19^th may or may not be a date of significance for many, but it is a day that always stands out on the calendar for me (especially when the date falls on a Monday). My first day on Wall Street was “Black Monday” – October 19, 1987. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 33 since the stock market experienced the largest one day percentage drop in the history of the financial markets (23%) – the magnitude of which has never been seen since. I was just happy that my boss asked me to come back. An observation that I made in the months, years and decades since the Crash was that the event had a lasting effect on the mindset of anyone directly involved (traders, brokers, fund managers) and anyone who lost money on that day. A “conditioning” took place that created a risk aversion for many that remains with them today (I am told that a similar conditioning took place during the Crash of 1929). People refused to believe that the financial markets had the capacity to recover and that the safest place to put their money was cash (or a mattress). In hindsight (and with the Market trading near record highs) – we know that a better response is to stay the course and let matters resolve themselves. Now while the COVID-19 pandemic is a remote comparative situation, I will offer that the risk of “conditioning” is a potential residual issue that will have repercussions well past the time that we find a vaccine. The absence of optimism is something that mental health experts are starting to talk about. The sinister nature of this virus is robbing many of their capacity to hope. I don’t have a crystal ball – and I’m not in the business of forecasting the future, but I am an optimist. I have seen a few things in my 57 years and I have faith (and personal experience) as my guide. Please believe that things will get better – and if you can – do something to make things easier for those around you. I am convinced that years ahead, we will look back on this current crisis and have stories to share about how we made it through.

New York State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins has long been a friend to Grace Episcopal Church. She has made countless visits to our church over the years and recently has helped us by providing protective equipment for Grace/La Gracia during the pandemic. Through Ms. Cousins’ leadership, the State passed laws giving New Yorkers 3 ways to vote safely and easily:

Voting by mail (www.absenteeballotelections.ny.gov.) – Remember that absentee requests must be received by October 27 – all ballots must be postmarked by November 3.

Early Voting – between October 24 and November 3 (at the locations and times listed below).

2020 Early Voting Information

Saturday October 24 12pm -5pm

Sunday October 25 12pm – 5pm

Monday October 26 8am – 4pm

Tuesday October 27 12pm- 8pm

Wednesday October 28 8am – 4pm

Thursday October 29 12pm – 8pm

Friday October 30 8am – 4pm

Saturday October 31 12 – 5pm

Sunday November 1 12 – 5p

Westchester County Early Voting Locations

• Eastchester Public Library, 11 Oakridge Place, Eastchester, NY 10709

• Dobbs Ferry Village Hall, 112 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

• Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, NY 10607

• Veterans Memorial Building, 210 Halstead Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528

• Pound Ridge Town House, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576

• Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, NY 10543

• Mt. Kisco Memorial Complex at Leonard Park, 1 Wallace Drive, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549

• Mt. Pleasant Community Center, 125 Lozza Drive, Valhalla, NY 10595

• Mt. Vernon City Hall, 1 Roosevelt Square, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550

• New Rochelle City Hall Annex – 90 Beaufort Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801

• Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562

• Peekskill Nutrition Center – Neighborhood Center, 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, NY 10566

• Somers Town House, 335 Route 202, Somers, NY 10589

• Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601

• Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710

• Riverfront Library, One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701

• Yorktown Cultural Center, 1974 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

Election Day Voting (Tuesday November 3 6am – 9pm). To check your voter registration visit Voterlookup.elections.ny.gov - For questions or additional information call The Board of Elections

I am grateful to Senator Cousins for the information provided and truly believe that a well-managed and properly supervised national election has the capacity to provide much needed healing to a fractured society. Please do your part.

Blessings –

Michael Heffner

Grace Episcopal Church/La Gracia

Senior Warden

How to Pledge to Grace/La Gracia 2020

The church will remain flexible in ways to receive your generosity during this difficult period. Blessings.

Option 1: The standard way of staying current with your pledge still works.

Feel free to put your pledge envelope in the mail (check only) and send it to the Grace Church office (to the attention of the Office Administrator). Bundling for a few weeks is fine.

Grace Episcopal Church/La Gracia

33 Church Street - 2nd Floor

White Plains, New York

10601

Option 2: Please note that we will be constructing a secure drop box on the red front door of the church. The box will be checked regularly for pledge envelopes (which will be recorded) and gifts of cash.

Option 3: The electronic way to pledge or donate to the church is honestly not very complicated and completely secure.

www.gracewhiteplains.org is the link to the Grace/La Gracia website. You’ll see a tab across the top for pledging. Click to bring you to the Pledging/Giving page. The “donate” button will take you to the location for electronic giving. The church uses PayPal, the 2019 Fortune 500 payment company (#204 in last year’s survey). This service can be used for one time or scheduled payments. One is able to use credit cards or send funds from a PayPal account (www.paypal.com ). Michael Heffner is available to help explain or set up your account – michaelheffner08@gmail.com. Please note that a fee is charged to the church for these transactions (which is why a check in the drop box or sent by mail is always preferred).

DONATE LINK TO GRACE CHURCH

Click the line above to the donation page on the Grace La Gracia website. Please note that the donate button can be used for weekly pledging.

“SHOPPING SISTERS”

In this very challenging times, we are asked to practice our faith by taking care of our brothers and sisters in Christ. To that end, Grace Church parishioners who are able as well as those in need, have the opportunity by helping those of us who are in need of assistance. For those of you who are willing and able to be a “Shopping Sister” please contact LINDA GALLO who will coordinate this joint effort. We will need volunteers who will shop for those who cannot. Please call her at:or email her at: ldg052@aol.com.

Need Groceries? Supplies? If you are in need of these, know you will have someone to help. A coordinated network will be set up as follows:

1) Send Linda an email or phone her to let her know your needs. In turn, she will contact a volunteer to assist you who will then contact you (be sure to give Linda your contact information). The volunteer will then speak with you directly.
2) The Shopping Sister will then shop your list and deliver to you to an agreed upon location (your home, apartment, etc.) and time.
3) Upon completion of your shopping, the Shopping Sister will let you know the bill. You will then leave a check/cash for her in a mailbox or agreed upon location.
4) Please note: Since the supply chain of goods has been less than normal, the Shopping Sister may not be able to get all items on your list.

We all need to be mindful that this is a challenging time for all. Since we will all be unable to be community in person, this provides the opportunity to continue putting our faith into action. For those of you able and willing to participate, please contact Linda with your email and/or phone information at your earliest convenience.

The Spring United Thank Offering (UTO) collection at the church was originally scheduled for Sunday, May 31. However, since we will not be able to convene at that date we ask that those who are able to contribute do so by check. You may count the coins in your box and write check for that amount. Please mail the check to the church, made out to Grace Church and be sure to put UTO in the memo section of your check. If you are unable to contribute now, or prefer to turn in your UTO box of coins, please make you contribution at the Fall UTO collection on November 1st. Please do not send UTO boxes of coins to the church.

Whether you give now or in the fall, please continue your ministry of daily thankfulness for Gods's blessings and continue to place coins your box. We still have so much to be thankful for every day, even in this challenging time. What better time than now to thank God for the blessing we receive everyday! Perhaps you were blessed with the ability to take a walk today, give thanks and put a coin in your box.

Consider listening to the webinar, The Theology of Gratitude : Human Expressions While Living in a Complex world. The live conference is April 24th, it is online and free. Sections of it will also be rebroadcast in case you miss it. Here is a link to information and registration for the conference. You have to register to get a login code for the conference. View this email in your browser

The UTO is a ministry which promotes individual, daily recognition of our blessings from God - small and large. In recognition of these blessings, we put coins into our UTO boxes. These coins are then used to fund grants for projects that enrich the lives of people in the United States and abroad. Many of these people are our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, whose needs do not take a pause because of the Corona virus pandemic. In fact needs among this population will most certainly increase when this is over. Let us keep them in our prayers and do what we can. Thank you, Melanie Jackson

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La Bocca Ristorante

8 Church Street

White Plains

http://www.laboccaristorante.com/

Grace/La Gracia Parishioners-Order a meal to enjoy at home!

Please give a thought to our local businesses. Tony Spiritoso has been an angel to Grace since he opened his restaurant in 1997. La Bocca is open for take-out. Enjoy a great meal at home. Thank you, Michael Heffner

Faith and Facts in a Climate of Fear - Letter from The Episcopal Dioceses of New York

Westchester County Dept of Health: Coronavirus Fact Sheet

2020 Spring Angelus

2019 Grace La Gracia Annual Report

Engraved WALK OF GRACE STONES Forms click here

2020 Annual Stewardship Pledge Forms (English/Spanish)click here

Hermanas de Compra

FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

Join a Committee or become Greeter or Office Volunteer

Grace La Gracia is always looking for more volunteers to serve on our various committees. We rely on our parishioners to help keep our parish going. For more information or to join, contact the parish office or just stop by one of our meetings!

If any of these roles interest you, please contact the parish office.

Acolytes

The Grace La Gracia Acolyte Ministry is always in search of new members to aid and assist the Clergy and Congregation in prayer, praise and worship. We welcome adults and youth aged 7 and up. Please contact Lauren Reid at Lrrmink@gmail.com if you would like to join this vital ministry.

Pastoral Care

We are inviting members who have a passion for serving others to join our Pastoral Care team. This ministry means so much to our members and it just might change your life. Please contact Sandy Gadsden at sunaganatag@aol.com for more information.

Interested in volunteering with our Sunday School?

We have a vacant Assistant Teacher position in the upcomingschool year. If you are interested in committing a few Sundays a month to our youth, pray about it & feel free to talk to one of our Grades K-6 Sunday School volunteers (Linda Gallo, Michael Heffner, Cynthia S. Brown & Lyndsey Wall). Thank you.

Altar Flowers Signup sheet is on the bulletin board near the library. Remember those you love by signing up for flowers to adore the altar. Contribution: $100.00

Lectors Are Needed

Volunteers are needed for all services including the Family service, every third Sunday of the month. If you are available for one or both of these services, please provide your contact information to Michael Heffner

Volunteer to be an Usher

Ushers are needed for all services. Please contact Andrea Spencer E: dreaspencer@aol.com if you would like to join.

Names on Prayer List

If you have a family member or loved one on our prayer list, please provide our office with emergency contact information.

Mother Teresa once said to “Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.”

Any person or group of parishioners interested in underwriting a worship service at Grace Church, please contact Fr. Chip for more information.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Downtown Music is canceling all concerts until September. While we believe the decision to cancel is the correct one to safeguard our community and everyone involved in the performance from any potential exposure, we understand that it is also disappointing. We thank all our supporters for their patience and understanding as we look forward to performing for you soon.

Please click here to consult our website for future announcements and updates.