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News from Grace Episcopal Church ~ Martinez, California
December 27, 2018
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Scripture of the Week
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God."
Galatians 4:4-7
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"Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs."
Jesus
At Grace, we have Godly Play (Sunday School) during the school year, but children and youth share in the ministry of the church year-round, serving as acolytes, readers, and oblation bearers.
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This Sunday in Godly Play:
The children are invited to join their families in the sanctuary for the entire 10 a.m. Lessons and Carols Service. This is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to hear the prophecy and fulfillment of Jesus's birth in both word and song. Please come and bring friends!
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There are still 10 more days of Christmas left!
Christmas is not over! In the Christian tradition, Christmas lasts 12 days - until the Epiphany, which celebrates the arrival of the three wise people to worship Jesus. Please join us THIS SUNDAY, December 30, for a festive service of
Christmas Lessons and Carols,
at our 10 a.m. service. There will be NO Eucharist at the service, but there will be Holy Communion Rite II, at our 8 a.m. service. Please come a
nd BRING FRIENDS!
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It's bean soup weather!
There are still bags of St. Christopher's Guild's bean soup mix available. Check out the basket in the Narthex on Sunday. Suggested donation $5.
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Upcoming Yoga Holidays:
We welcome certified Yoga Instructor Noah Yuzna every
Tuesday evening at 6:15 p.m. to conduct a 60-minute yoga class. All levels are welcome and modifications are available for folks with limited mobility.
Classes are open to the community and there is no set cost. Participants are invited to contribute what they can for each class.
There will be no yoga class New Year's Day (1/1/19).
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A request from the Casserole Patrol
One of Grace's most important pastoral ministries is the
Casserole Patrol, which provides meals to those who, for
one reason or another, can benefit from having a meal
delivered to them. Currently, our supply is running low. Casseroles should be frozen, or freezable, and preferably the size of 4-6 servings (or less.) If you can contribute, please let Connie Towey know.
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Stewardship Wrap-Up
The Grace Vestry is tasked with completing a 2019 Budget prior to our Annual Meeting on January 27. To do this, we must have all of the pledge income figures. Unfortunately, we are still behind the amount of pledged income we received last year, even though the church has grown in numbers. If you have not pledged, please consider doing so before the end of the calendar year. Many thanks!
P.S. from Treasurer Paula Menconi - Personalized boxes of Pledge envelopes will be available in the Narthex for pick-up starting this Sunday.
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Here's an idea for a New Year's resolution: Join the choir!
Be part of the joyful liturgy at Grace by lending your voice to the choir. Choir rehearsals at Grace are Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. You don't need experience or even the ability to read music. Please join this amazing ministry!
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Coffee Hour News!
In January, we will try out a new system for Coffee Hour using an all-parish rotation. All parishioners who agree will be sorted into Coffee Hour Teams. Coordinator Christina Reich will then assign a team to each Sunday. If most folks agree to participate, it will mean being responsible for Coffee Hour as part of a team once or twice per year. Please let
Christina Reich if you are willing to "opt in" to the new system. Many thanks.
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Bible Study for Everyone!
On Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. at Grace we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, followed by Bible Study. We have been studying
Advent Women,
by Lyn Fraser. "Not always virtuous, the women of Advent are endlessly creative, wondrously adventuresome, necessarily defiant, occasionally manipulative, and absolutely faithful to God. Read their stories and celebrate these women including Elizabeth and Mary without whom there would be no Advent or Christmas.
Then, for Epiphany we will join
partners from across the Episcopal Church, to participate in the Good Book Club, a church-wide Bible reading initiative. The Good Book Club will focus on Paul's Letter to the Romans, with participants reading a section of scripture each day during the Epiphany season, starting on January 9, 2019.
The Good Book Club kicked off during Lent and Easter of 2018, with tens of thousands of Episcopalians, including members of Grace, reading the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. Survey results from participants showed a hunger and desire to continue the initiative and provide more opportunities for people to read and discuss scripture together. Romans was the first choice of participants for the next Good Book Club.
Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry supports and encourages individuals and congregations to join the Good Book Club as a way to engage in "Learn," one of the seven Way of Love practices for a Jesus-centered life.
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Grace Cathedral Bishop's 50+ Anniversary Evensong
We are approaching the Bishop's 50+ Anniversary Evensong celebrating
couples who have been married or partnered for 50 or more years together.
Rev. Deb is compiling a list of couples from Grace who have been together 50+ years. Please email Rev Deb or call the Parish Office at (925) 228-6574, by January 5 to get on the list!
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Upcoming Faithful Forums at Grace
Once a month during the program year we open our doors to a variety of fascinating speakers and invite anyone who is interested to come and see. Through them, we have had the opportunity to learn about everything from the Dead Sea Scrolls to teenage cell phone use! Please come and invite friends to any and all of these presentations. Click here for the flyer
On January 13, 2019, we will welcome representatives from Republic Services, who will address "Stewardship of Creation" in terms of Grace's recycling policies.
February 17, 2019 will bring
The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, to Grace to discuss
Theology and Nature, specifically the influence of 19th century author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau on religious thought about the natural world.
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Amen!
On
Sunday, January 13, set aside time in the afternoon to head downtown to visit the Martinez Museum at Escobar and Court Streets. We have been invited to the opening of the Martinez Historical Society's exhibit "Amen!"
which will focus on the history of churches in Martinez - and, of course, Grace is one of them! There will be displays of artifacts and photos, with accompanying historical information. The Open House is from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. The exhibit will until March, 2019.
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Save the Date - January 19
Trivia Night!
Question: What's an awesome way to spend an evening?
Answer: Trivia Night at Grace!!
On Saturday, January 19th, we will host the first-ever Trivia Night here at Grace Episcopal! The theme for the evening is Movie Trivia, so start brushing up on your big screen knowledge! There is a $20 entry fee per team, and teams can have up to 5 people on them. Teams can sign up in the Parish Hall. Come up with a creative team name (your team will be assigned a table), and we'll see you there!!
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Youth MLK Day of Service event
I know you're probably up to your ears in Advent and Christmas planning, but the annual MLK overnight at Grace Cathedral is only about 6 weeks away!
This year diocesan youth will gather at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco at 5 pm Sunday, January 20. We will attend the 6 pm eucharist, have dinner, games, discussion, and more before we sleep in the Cathedral. On
Monday, January 21 we will have breakfast, a project to help the kids connect the past with the future and prepare them for the MLK March.
We will head down the hill to participate in the march. Return to Grace for lunch. Then head home tired and happy!
This is an excellent event that teaches our youth that we all must do our part to promote peace and justice for all people. The event is open to grades 7 - 12 and costs $10 a person (scholarships available). All youth must be accompanied by a designated adult leader.
Youth Registration
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Flower Chart for 2019
The Altar Guild has posted a new flower chart for 2019, in the Narthex by the stairwell. When signing up for a date on the chart, please be sure to also write your name in the flower dedication notebook, on the corresponding date. The notebook is on the little table below the flower chart. Include your dedication message in the notebook (for example, in loving memory of ...; in celebration of ...; in thanksgiving for...). Suggested donation $35. There is also a sign-up notebook for candle dedications in the Narthex on the table under the bulletin board. Suggested donation $5.
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Do you have an announcement?
If you have a parish-related announcement for the bulletin or Grace Notes - meeting reminders, upcoming events, special requests, etc. - please email the text of your announcement to the Parish Office by end of day on Tuesday. Thank you!
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C.O.R.E. Homeless Outreach donations
C.O.R.E stands for Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement. It is a program of the Housing and Homeless Services Division of Contra Costa County Health Services. Grace will be providing the C.O.R.E. team with needed items to distribute to individuals suffering from homelessness. This is an ongoing project, so we are requesting:
- Sleeping bags
- Blankets (moving blankets are inexpensive and durable)
- Backpacks - ideally large capacity, durability is less important as they are frequently lost or stolen after a few weeks/months
- Healthy food - preferable non-perishable items that don't require cooking, a can opener, or good teeth. Pull-top cans are good.
- Bottles of water
- Hygiene items including (but not limited to) soap, shampoo, oral care, shower wipes, shaving supplies, feminine hygiene items
- Socks
- Sunscreen
- Pet food (in particular, wet food in pull-top cans). Other pet goodies would be appreciated too!
We also encourage parishioners to consider developing the habit of thinking of our homeless neighbors when shopping (i.e. picking up an extra item or two) and traveling (bringing home the hotel soaps/shampoo).
During Advent, C.O.R.E. donations may be left under the Christmas tree in the Narthex.
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