Radical welcome. Faithful worship. Compassionate service. 

21 October 2018
Twenty-second Sunday After Pentecost

10:00 am Holy Eucharist 
4:00 pm Institution of The Rev. Dr. Allen F. Robinson as 15th Rector

Please join us after the 10 am service for fellowship, coffee and refreshment in the Guild Hall.

For detailed information about  the parish calendar, ministries, and outreach, please click the link below.
Institution of
The Rev. Dr. Allen F. Robinson as 15th Rector
this Sunday, October 21
Child care will be provided during the church service.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide child care during or at The Heights Casino reception.

Both the service and reception at the Heights Casino are name tags events. Everyone in attendance should put their name tags on upon arrival to service and keep the tag on until departing from the reception. If you are not going to the reception, please place your name tag in the drop box as you would for a regular Sunday service. Arrangements will be made for bringing tags back to Grace from the reception by designated volunteers.
Halloween is almost upon us!
Do you have outgrown costumes that have another life in them? Forestdale, a child welfare agency created in Brooklyn Heights 165 years ago is collecting gently used Halloween costumes for the children it serves.  Forestdale helps children and their families by providing support, training, and a safe environment in which to grow. A wicker bin will be available in the back of the church until Saturday, October 27 to receive donations.
No Tuesday Rector's Bible Study October 23
Rector's Bible Study will not meet next Tuesday, October 23, but will resume on Tuesday, October 30.
Be Bold!
Heights Interfaith Homeless Shelter comes to Grace
Be Bold! Sign up to volunteer when Grace hosts the Heights Interfaith Shelter, beginning Monday, October 22 . There’s no better way to make a difference than to sign up to prepare a meal or sleep overnight at Grace Church when the Heights Interfaith Shelter comes to Grace on October 22. 

We are proud to offer hospitality in the form of a welcome, dinner, and a place to sleep to up to 12 homeless men on Monday to Friday nights. How can you help? You can prepare a hot meal for our guests and volunteer sleepers and bring it to Grace early in the evening. Or you can come for dinner and sleep overnight – in Classroom #1, just off the Gym
 – on beds with fresh linens and your own bathroom.  

We host the shelter for six weeks, from October 22 to November 30 . And we need your help! Please sign up to prepare and deliver a hot meal for our guests and volunteer sleepers, or to share the meal and spend the night. Sign-up boards are at the back of the church. Any questions? Please contact Elizabeth Stong, Emily Horcher, or Charlotte Thorp, via the Parish Office .
Parish Potluck:
Saturday, October 27, 6 pm
It doesn’t stop with Allen’s Institution! Celebrating the family of Grace continues when we gather for our Second Annual Potluck Supper. Last year’s event was so successful that we just couldn’t let this season go by without an encore event. So join us for this very low-key, family-friendly evening that begins with our favorite dishes and ends with a good old-fashioned hymn-sing. It would be fun to see children in their Halloween costumes. There will be a sign up sheet at the back of the Church for you to list your culinary delights. We look forward to seeing you there!
Special guest preacher
Sunday, October 28
Our guest preacher for the 8 am and 11 am services on Sunday, October 28 will be The Rev. Ana Levy-Lyons , Senior Minister at First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn. Please feel free to peruse her web site , and seek her out at coffee hour.
The Study of Christian Themes and Symbols
in Southern Literature
Led by the Rev. Dr. Allen Robinson, Rector
continues
In an era of religious and cultural pluralism in America, the study of southern writers continues to grow with a renewed sense of intrigue and discovery. In this class, we will study the works of three southern Christian writers in an effort to discover the power and use of Christian symbols in literature. We will seek to understand the presence or seemingly absence of God, the role and purpose Christ and the unifying work of the Holy Spirit as experienced through these important pieces of literature. What role, if any, does the faith of the writer play in each work? For instance, Flannery O’Connor was a devout Roman Catholic and used her numinous religious experiences as the cornerstone for many of her books and letters. So, then why does many of O’Connor’s writings reflect an existential understanding of the Holy? Lastly, it is my hope that each participant will be able to experience the presence of the Holy in new ways as a result of having read these profoundly spiritually-insightful writings.

This course will take place the remaining Wednesday evenings of the month of October, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the Hope Library.

 I would encourage participants to read each book ahead of class as we will launch into discussions at the beginning of each class.   

October 24: Percy, The Moviegoer (Chapters 4-Epilogue) 
October 31: Ernest J. Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying

If you have any questions or wish to register for the course, please contact the Church Office at (718) 624-1850, ext. 10.
Episcopal 101:
New spiritual formation class with Deacon Bernie continues
Deacon Bernie is delighted to welcome you on an adventure into learning more about the Episcopal Church on the second and fourth Sundays of a month. Whether you are a long-standing member of Grace Church looking for a refresher on Episcopal Church history, theology and worship, or a relative newcomer, Episcopal Church 101 is for you.

Classes continue at 10 am in the North Room on Sunday, October 28.
Day of Centering Prayer: Saturday, November 10
Give yourself the gift of a mini retreat from 10 am to 3 pm in the North Room! This day of centering prayer, led by Lindsay Boyer, will begin with a brief review of centering prayer, followed by a questions and comments period. We will engage in five or six half hour sessions of centering prayer with a break for lunch in silence and further questions and comments in the afternoon. 

Recommended for those who have some experience of centering prayer who would like to spend a day in practice. A $20 donation is requested to cover the cost of a box lunch and to help us sponsor future events.

For more information or to RSVP, email Lindsay / 718-858-4119.
Grace Schedule of Upcoming Baptismal Dates
As is a parish church tradition, no more than seven Candidates are Baptized as a group during an 11 am service of Holy Eucharist with Baptisms. 

Here are the upcoming dates:
  • Saturday, November 3, 2018, 11:00 am – 2 spots remaining
  • Sunday, November 11, 2018, 11:00 am – FULL
  • Sunday, November 25, 2018, 11:00 am – 5 spots remaining
  • Sunday, January 13, 2019, 11:00 am – 5 spots remaining
Please contact Christian DeRuiter, Parish Administrator for more information and to obtain an application .
Tutors needed
Grace volunteers have resumed tutoring academically needy high school students at Frederick Douglass Academy in Brownsville the first week of October. Tutors work one on one with students in history, English and reading one afternoon a week at the school, 226 Bristol Street, with the goal of helping students pass their Regents exam and graduate. Anyone interested should contact Mark McIntyre / 646-644-3261.
Pastoral News and Prayer Concerns
Parish Prayer Concerns: Wendy, Sybil, Jacob, Eric & Frances, Lesley, Sandra, Bill & Renee, Karl, Diane .
Grace Church | 254 Hicks Street | Brooklyn NY 11201