Welcome to Summer at Grace! With the start of our summer schedule, we are grateful to begin re-opening our doors and worshipping together as the body of Christ. I want to take a moment to update you on how we will be proceeding in the coming weeks.

First and foremost, please know that we have put a lot of prayer and consideration into the best way to regather. Following the guidelines of the CDC, our Governor, and our Bishop, the Vestry and I have outlined a summer regathering plan that will allow for multiple ways to worship while addressing the varied health concerns within our community.

It is important to know that with any plan that takes into account community health, we must remain flexible and kind. What we do today, may not be what we will need to do in the near future. No one plan will ever be perfect. Our intention, however, is to do the best we can to create a welcoming environment for anyone who wishes to worship with us at Grace, no matter their health concerns or family needs. And, as overall comfort grows with regathering, we will continue to progress towards worship without restrictions of any kind.

Beginning May 30th, we will NO LONGER require masks outdoors. We WILL require masks indoors at the 11am service but will not have space limitations on the number of attendees. We will also continue our online service for those unable to attend in person.

By having three different options for regathering, we will honor the various health concerns within our congregation while offering the flexibility to worship without restrictions for others. Please remember that not everyone is able to get vaccinated at this time...some for medical reasons, others due to age. Our call as a community of faith is to remain welcoming and loving to each and every person who desires to worship with us. I believe we are doing just that.

Of special note, there are no longer any space limitations or distance requirements at any of our services or other church functions. We may also share fellowship time with one another. In addition, both church and community groups may fully resume gathering in the Parish Hall. Since masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals, each group is encouraged to determine if masks would be beneficial for their particular gathering based upon any existing health issues within the group.

To read the latest update from the Bishop Goff, please see her letter to congregations here. You may read her letter to clergy here.

Our new schedule, beginning on Sunday, May 30th is listed below.

Starting May 30th, the new Grace Church Sunday worship schedule will be as follows:

We will continue to offer communion in one kind for the near future. That means we will only distribute wafers for both the outdoor and indoor services. No common cup will be shared at this time.

During the 11 am indoor service, we will resume coming to the altar rail for communion!

As much as we have missed one another, please refrain from moving around to pass the peace with others during our services. We have heard from many members that they are still concerned about illness even as things begin to open up. Although social distancing isn't required, respect of one another's wishes and health concerns is always important.

In addition, the passing of the peace is a scared moment in the service. It isn't meant to be a social or fellowship time. Instead, it is meant to provide an opportunity for each person to essentially "make peace" with anyone they may be in conflict with, to forgive and to reconcile BEFORE taking communion. The Peace is a sign of reconciliation, love, and renewed relationships.

To maintain the significance of the Peace and to allow space for everyone to feel welcome and safe, please exchange the Peace with only those closest to you and remember that no everyone is ready to have physical contact just yet!

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

As we begin the process of moving forward with our new worship schedule, we are hopeful that many of you will prayerfully consider serving with us on Sunday. You may wonder what that means or how can you assist?

At the 9 am outdoor service, we need 1 Usher and 1 Lector. The Usher will distribute bulletins and the Lector will read the lectionary texts.

At the 11 am indoor service, we need 2 Ushers and 1 Lector. The Ushers will distribute the bulletins, assist people for communion and pass the offering plate. The Lector will read the lectionary texts.

Please sign up here for an opportunity to serve in summer worship so you can choose which dates work best for your schedule.

You are invited to join Emily on Sunday, June 20th at 10 am to discuss Henri J. M. Nouwen's book, Life of the Beloved.

If you want to join the community book talk, you can purchase the book here on Amazon.

We are so excited to announce that Grace Episcopal will be one of three sites this summer for the Goochland County Public Schools Sunshine Food Bus!

The Sunshine Food Bus is a program designed for all children in the County ages 2 to 18 who can have a meal provided in the summer for FREE! The bus will be parked at Grace Monday - Thursday from 10:30 am to 11:15 am. Adults may purchase a meal at a discounted rate.

Help us spread the word! If you are a part of any organization in the community, you are invited to print the flyer provided here so you can share the news with others.