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. You are welcome to join the conversation on Wednesday mornings in the Chapel, beginning February 21. 10:00 Holy Eucharist, followed by Bible study. This week, we will be discussing Luke and Acts as a multi-volume work intended to be read together and the history of salvation as told in the Hebrew Scripture and New Testament. The passage to be discussed is Luke 1:46-56. The readings can be found online at http://www.goodbookclub.org/readings/ 

End of Life Planning

Richard Schaper writes, "In the dawning light of Easter we hardly wince to acknowledge that our earthly journeys will one day come to an end. Besides making each passing day more precious, this realization also prompts us to take steps to express our love for those we leave behind." Death and dying can be difficult issues to discuss, but it is a great blessing to our loved ones when we plan ahead for our own eventual death. This is especially true for families whose members are of different faiths (or no faith). As a Lenten discipline, the Grace Worship and Liturgy Committee would like to encourage all of Grace's parishioners to complete their advanced healthcare directive, will or trust, financial planning, funeral arrangements, final instructions and memorial gift planning. To that end, we will be providing resources about funerals in the Episcopal Church, advance directives, and memorial gifts to the church. It is our hope that each parishioner will complete a planning packet and provide a copy of it to the church office. Please consider participating. 

We have recently begun offering Healing Prayer during both our 8 and 10 a.m. services. If you wish to have someone pray with you for yourself or others, you may go to the prie dieu (kneeler) at the right rear corner of the sanctuary after receiving communion. This is a ministry of the people of Grace to one another -no clergy required!  We are looking for more volunteers for this important ministry, so if you are willing to pray with others, please let Rev. Deb know. No experience is necessary; we will train you!

Social Hour begins at 5:30 pm, Dinner will be served at 6:30 pm.

Tickets are $20. We will serve a Corned Beef Dinner complete with corned beef brisket, potatoes, cabbage and carrots, beer bread, soda bread, and dessert. Live entertainment and Raffle. Pass the word to friends and family! This annual fundraising event has been guaranteed fun, fellowship and fabulous food for over 40 years!

Grace Episcopal Church has a long tradition of reaching out to our community and helping those in need.  With this in mind, Rev. Deb recently suggested stocking backpacks filled with basic needs for any homeless individuals who visit the Grace campus. Following the announcement of this proposed program, however, several parishioners  expressed concern that giving things out on church property would endanger parishioners who spend time at the church alone or at odd hours. In response to these concerns, we asked parishioners to offer their opinions about this to their vestry representatives. A t their meeting this week, after prayer and consideration of the numerous and thoughtful responses we received, Rev. Deb and the Vestry decided against proceeding with Rev. Deb's plan. Instead, we are inviting parishioners to assist with filling backpacks for our homeless neighbors which will then be distributed off church property. If you are interested in assisting with this ministry, please see Reverend Walter.

Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which individuals "express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop" (BCP, p. 860). Through Confirmation, those who were baptized at an early age are invited to make a mature public affirmation of their faith, recommit themselves to the responsibilities of their baptism, and receive laying on of hands by a bishop (BCP, p. 412). Individuals who were baptized into other denominations and wish to affirm their commitment to the Episcopal Church may be received by a bishop. Bishop Marc will be visiting and performing confirmations at Grace in July. We will  be preparing individuals for Confirmation using the Discovery Series: A Christian Journey, which is a ten-week educational program for confirmation preparation Those classes will begin on April 22. If you are interested in being confirmed, please let   Rev. Deb know.

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!