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News from Grace Episcopal Church ~ Martinez, California
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Scripture of the Week
"A
n obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!
"
1 Corinthians 9:16b
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At Grace, Christian education for children (
Sunday
School) is called "Godly Play" and is held during the first part of the
10 a.m.
service after which children join their families for Holy Communion.
On the 3rd Sunday of the month we have Family Sunday and the children participate in the entire 10 a.m. service.
There is no Godly Play on Family Sundays (Feb. 18, March 15)
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This Sunday: The Story of the Child's Own Life This is the first time we will tell the story, "The Story of the Child's Own Life" at Grace Episcopal Church. We will explain to the children that each person has the capacity through the grace of God to live a holy life and that there are saints who are known only to God. The children are then invited to put together their very own "Saint's Box" in the form of a book about themselves and items from their life. This may be a very interesting story session. Be prepared to share with your children afterward!
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Thank you for a wonderful Annual Meeting!
Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make our Annual Meeting such a success. Congratulations to new Vestry members Paula Menconi, Josh Senn and Connie Towey, and Deanery/Diocesan Convention delegates Barbara Brooks, Pat Hambly, Les Marks, and alternate Mary Canale. A special thanks to outgoing Vestry members Barbara Brooks, John Heyse and Marj Leeds for their hard work with
three different rectors! A very special thanks to Jennifer Sabroe for assembling the Annual Meeting packets. For more specific information about the annual meeting, go to
The Grace Website.
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Being part of the Beloved Community of the Diocese of CA
There will be a Diocesan
'Equipping the Beloved Community/Vestry Training Day" at Grace Cathedral on
Saturday, February 10 from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. At the event, Bishop Marc will share a theological reflection on being the Beloved Community. Amy Cook will introduce some listening and sharing practices for vestries and other church committees or groups to create spaces for dialogue and sharing. Caren Miles will introduce our new Safe Church training with lots of customizable pieces to fit the needs of every church. Among the workshops being offered are an
Eucharistic Minister training from 12:45-2:15 p.m. and an
Eucharistic Visitor training from 2:30-4 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister and/or Visitor, this is an excellent opportunity to receive the necessary training (and to spend some time with your vestry members.) If you are interested in attending, please let
Rev. Deb know. Program and workshop details can be found at
Diocesan Training/Vestry Day event information and registration,
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Faith-full Forums
Once a month since June we have opened our doors to a variety of fascinating speakers and invited 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.
On February 18 we will look at The Polity of the Episcopal Church. The word "polity" (not to be confused with the word "politics") means "the process of government." We will consider the idea of the church as a hierarchical democracy and look specifically at the roles of various church ministers, including bishops, priests, deacons, and lay persons.
Looking forward, on March 18 we will welcome Kathleen Piraino, Executive Director of The Episcopal Impact Fund, which supports organizations that address the root causes of poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area, both financially and through mentorship and guidance. Rev. Deb is an EIF Board member and in 2017 Grace sponsored a table at the EIF Night of Light event. Please come and hear more about their wonderful work!
Dr. Donn Morgan will be here on April 15 to discuss his book, Fighting with the Bible: why scripture divides us and how it can bring us together. Donn Morgan is Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. Always a student and teacher of the Bible, he also held administrative positions at CDSP (academic dean, president). He has been deeply involved in theological education in The Episcopal Church and the Graduate Theological Union, as well as teaching in Asia and England. We are lucky to host him!
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Church beyond Sunday
You may not know it, but Grace has a mid-week Eucharist service at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays in the Chapel, which is followed by Bible study. We are currently reading "Welcome to the Bible," which "describes the Bible and its literature, offers a perspective on its theological and religious meanings over time, and makes some suggestions about how to read and study it. Our hope is to make the Bible more accessible and intelligible to people who are exploring a deeper relationship with God in Jesus Christ." You don't need the book to participate, but if you would like a copy you can get it
here. This coming Wednesday, we will be continuing Chapter 3, "How do we know what the Bible Says?" (beginning on page 37).
During Lent we will be joining Episcopalians around the world in reading the Gospel according to Luke during Lent and the Book of Acts during Eastertide in 2018. As part of The Good Book Club, our Wednesday Bible study will be dedicated to delving deeply into Luke's Gospel.
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If you have palm crosses from last year, you are invited to bring them to church and place them in the offering plate. The Altar Guild will use them to make ashes for Ash Wednesday services.
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Preparing for Lent
On Tuesday, February 13 (the evening before Ash Wednesday) all are invited to our Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. We will have pancakes, eggs, and sausage. There is no cost.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which is February 14 (that's right, Valentine's Day!) this year.
Here is the Grace Lent schedule of activities:
Ash Wednesday
10 a.m. and
7 p.m., Litany of Penitence and distribution of ashes
Ashes to Go in downtown Martinez at noon.
Sundays during Lent:
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist II
9 a.m. Pancake breakfast
10 a.m. Choral Eucharist
Wednesdays during Lent:
10 a.m. Holy Eucharist followed by Lenten Bible Study: The Good Book Club
March 25, Palm Sunday
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist II
9 a.m. Corned Beef Hash Breakfast
10 a.m. Choral Eucharist
March 29, Maundy Thursday, 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall, Soup supper, Foot Washing, followed by Stripping of the Altar;
Overnight Vigil in the Sanctuary following the service
(hourly shifts by sign-up)
March 30, Good Friday:
12 p.m. - Stations of the Cross
7 p.m. - Good Friday Liturgy
March 31, Holy Saturday
10 a.m. Holy Saturday Liturgy
8 p.m. Easter Vigil with the Exsultet and The Lighting of the Paschal Candle
April 1, Happy Easter!
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist II
10 a.m. Choral Eucharist and Egg Hunt
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A Different Way to Observe Lent
If you are struggling to figure out what to "give up" for Lent, take on something different instead! "Lent Madness," the brainchild of two Episcopal priests, is a fun and informative way to make sure that you remember that we are living in the church's primary season of penitence and preparation. Lent Madness combines the excitement of a sporting event with the opportunity to connect with some of the Christian saints who came before us. Here's some information taken from the Lent Madness website at http://www.lentmadness.org/about/
"The format is straightforward: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and
people vote for their favorite saint.  16 saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the coveted Golden Halo. The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints. Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks, explore legends, and even move in the area of saintly kitsch...
[Lent Madness has] inspired thousands of people along the way by forming an online community of people who are passionate about taking their faith but not themselves too seriously. Articles and spots about Lent Madness have appeared in the Washington Post, NPR, Huffington Post, FOXNews, NBC, USAToday, and even Sports Illustrated.
As Lent Madness continues to grow and evolve, what won't change is the essence of Lent Madness: allowing people to get to know some amazing people who have come before us in the faith and reminding one another that there's no reason for a dreary Lenten discipline. If this helps people connect with the risen Christ during this season of penitence and renewal, and have a bit of fun in the process, then it continues to be worthwhile."
Keep an eye out for the bracket poster that will be posted in the Parish Hall and updated once Lent Madness begins! If this sounds like something you'd like to do as a Lenten observance, there will be a limited number of Saintly Scorecard booklets in the church office. The Saintly Scorecard is the annual publication containing all 32 first round bios and information about how to participate in Lent Madness as a congregation, including how to enjoy Lent Madness with children!
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The church is us!
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We use the word "church" in many different ways: to describe any Christian place of worship; to talk about the larger Episcopal denomination; and, most frequently, to refer to our parish, Grace Episcopal Church, Martinez. But scripture tells us that "the church" is not a piece of property; it's the People of God! We also know that people are very different and that individuals find the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways, including through quiet, meditation and boisterous interactions with one another. At Grace, we attempt to provide room for all people to find God in their own way. Our "church building" helps us do that. We have an area for getting information and chatting (the Narthex, or entrance area) and a sacred space reserved for worship (the Sanctuary). In order to help remind us of the sacred nature of our worship space, we are asking all worshippers to use the Narthex for social visiting and, on Sunday mornings, to stop conversing in the Sanctuary after the bell calls us to worship immediately prior to the service. Thank you in advance for demonstrating respect for the Church!
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A note from the 2018 St. Christopher's Guild President
St. Christopher's Guild welcomes all women to join us the last Sunday of the month between services at
9 a.m. for fellowship and event planning meetings in the Parish Hall. Our events foster community building and the funds we raise are distributed throughout the community to groups serving those less fortunate than ourselves. Please note this
coming Sunday, we will not be having a meeting as the Parish Hall will be in 'pre-Annual Meeting' mode. We will have our first meeting of the year on
February 25, 2018. Currently, we are planning on having three (3) events: a Spring Luncheon, a Hawaiian themed Luau and of course our annual Christmas luncheon the first Tuesday of December.
I am looking forward to seeing you in Church and at our meetings. Please contact me by calling my cell phone 925-586-6062 or by emailing me at
ftrant7@gmail.com. Kind regards, Fran Trant
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Join the conversation about helping our homeless sisters and brothers
A couple of weeks ago we introduced a proposed program to offer some concrete assistance to our homeless neighbors. In many churches, ideas about helping people outside of the parish community are generated by an
Outreach Committee. In this case, however, Rev. Deb has been receiving visits at Grace from people in need, often when she is alone in the evening. Since she had no Outreach Committee to consult with, she initiated the idea of stocking
Kindness Kits for homeless people who visit our campus. These small backpacks would contain a bottle of water, space blanket, granola bar, socks, and a grocery store gift card (to start with) and be available for distribution to those in need. Rev. Deb feels that by giving this kit we would be helping others desperately in need as well as increasing safety at our campus by spreading the word that we do not store or provide money. Since its introduction, however, several parishioners have expressed concern that initiating this project will make them unsafe on the campus. For these reasons,
we have decided to stop work on this project until the Vestry is able to discuss it at their February meeting. We would like to hear from you. Please express either your concern or support for this program to any Vestry member.
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| An easy way to contribute to Grace
Grace Episcopal Church Martinez is now on Amazon Smile. If you are shopping at Amazon, simply go to the Grace Martinez Amazon Smile link and we will receive a portion of their sale to you. Spread the word! |
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