"Are any among you suffering? They should pray.  Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."

Nightwatch is a diocesan event.  This fall, Nightwatch will be an overnight sleepover at  Resurrection in Pleasant Hill . Join youth from around the Diocese and Northern California for fellowship and fun. There will be facilitated community building, active and contemplative activities, art, music, and prayer. Nightwatch can also be a time for youth ministers to spend casual time together. We hope to see you and your youth there!

All women of Grace are members of St. Christopher's Guild. Rev. Deb will be joining us. On the agenda is planning for the December 4 Christmas Luncheon, an annual fundraising event that draws a good crowd not just from our church family but from the wider Martinez community (and beyond!). More than just a luncheon, there are the ever-popular Gift Boutique and Country Kitchen, where guests can purchase ready-made gifts and goodies for holiday giving and entertaining. Putting this event together takes many hands and hearts, and there is a variety of tasks to share for all ability levels. Please come join the conversation! 

Now that we have a fabulous new Music Director and a fancy chamber organ in the Sanctuary, it's time for anyone who has been hiding their vocal light under a bushel to step forward and sing a new song unto the Lord! Choir rehearsals at Grace are Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. You don't need experience or even the ability to read music.  Arthur will be teaching a "Learn or Improve your music abilities" class before choir each week, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Please join this amazing ministry!

Very few people say they really enjoy change, and most of us would prefer to keep things status quo - especially if we are feeling comfortable with them. Church folks are particularly notorious for asking, "Why do we have to change?" and Rev. Deb has been hearing a lot of that question lately. The answer is long and complicated and she is always happy to talk to you in person about it, but here are a few things to consider:

1) The Episcopal Church, like its mother Church of England, has always made decisions based on three things: Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. We have a long and beautiful tradition, based on scripture, and we respect and honor it, but we also know (reason) that times change and some of the things we do need to change with the times in order to remain relevant to us. The Episcopal Church strives to make changes that bring us closer to God and one another and to help us grow spiritually and in numbers.

2) There has been a great deal of research on church size. These data tell us that when a church changes in size, we need to change the way it is structured, or it will cease to grow or even shrink in size.  Grace has long been a Pastoral-sized church (50 to 150 members) operating like a Family-sized (fewer than 50) one.  Since her arrival, Rev. Deb has been making changes that will help us to function as the size we are now AND be prepared to grow further.

3) Part of the changes we are making is to organize ourselves into one united congregation working together for common goals. In order to do that, the Vestry has adopted the SWEEPS model. The SWEEPS acronym identifies the ministries of the church: Service (Outreach), Worship, Education, Evangelism, Parish Life, Pastoral Care, and Stewardship (which includes Buildings and Grounds). All of our ministries fall under one of these headings and each "letter" now has a chairperson so that it's easy for new folks to get involved in activities at Grace and for Rev. Deb to keep track of all of the wonderful work (and fun) going on here.

Change is necessary for the best possible reason: Grace is a g rowing, vital, parish! Neither Rev. Deb nor the Vestry wish to "take away" any of the good ministries currently happening at Grace - only to better organize them and make them more accessible to all.  Do not be afraid! "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

Jeremiah 29:11

Read any good books lately? Want to participate in a book discussion group? Like to eat out? Come drop in on the Grace Book Group! We'd love to see you!
When: 3rd Wednesday of the month, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Smooth Season restaurant at Muir Station
Shopping Center. 

 

An assortment of cooking implements and supplies has accumulated in the kitchen over the past month or so. These are all items that probably belong to a number of wonderful helpers. If this rings a bell for you, please retrieve your items next time you're at church. Thank you!