Hello Grace Family. My name is Amelia Brooks and I have been a member of Grace for almost two years. For those who do not know me, I attend the 10 o'clock service with my family, my husband Nate and our son Sondre. I love Grace Church, it has been such a welcoming and supportive parish. At our previous church in Portland, All Saints,  I served as a vestry member. I would be honored to serve as a vestry member for Grace.

I am honored to be considered to serve on the vestry of Grace Episcopal Church.
As an Episcopalian since my childhood, I have seen a lot of change, both in liturgy and doctrine, since my confirmation in 1963. Since the Church is a living organism, I believe change is something that should be expected and helps the Church and its people evolve with continuing relevance, with respect rendered toward long traditions of faith and practice.
In 2018 and 2019, I worked with Reverend Deb to write some of the articles about Grace Episcopal Church for the Martinez Gazette.

My daughter and my grandchildren are truly the lights of my life. Being a part of their busy lives gives me the opportunity to see the world in refreshingly new ways and keep my finger on the pulse of the future.
My work as a registered nurse in Women's Health requires me to work with many different people of all ages and widely divergent backgrounds to help them achieve their healthy best. In such work, communication skills are of key importance for patients and the staff who care for them.
I thank the people of Grace for considering me.

Sally is a longtime Grace parishioner, attending the 8 o'clock service. Some of her ministries at Grace have been youth leader, search committee, Vestry member 2016-2018, Worship and Liturgy Committee, and co-librarian of our theology library in the Education Building. Sally is excited about the opportunity to work on the Vestry again, and feels it is important to have representation from both services. 

Prior to being elected a regular Deanery representative last year, I served as an alternate for 3 years.

Pat Hambly has served on the Vestry and has been a Deanery and Diocesan Convention Representative for approximately nine years. She also serves as a Eucharistic Minister. Pat was born in South Haven, Michigan, and is a "cradle" Episcopalian.  Pat became a member of Grace in the early 80's. Pam and Claude Nave brought her to Grace when she was looking for a church home. Pat immediately felt comfortable at Grace, because it followed the liturgical tradition she was used to, had activities for her children, and was accepting and welcoming. Pat has enjoyed being a Deanery and Diocesan Convention delegate because it provides an additional perspective on the workings of the church beyond  Sunday worship. She says "Grace is a very welcoming and open Christian  community" and she is proud to represent the parish to the greater church.

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and have been a member of Grace since 2007. A "cradle Episcopalian," my family attended St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Berkeley, until my teen years. My husband, Ron, and I have been married 45 years, and are retired from the Lafayette School District. I have served on the Vestry, sing in the choir, participate in the Book Group and Wednesday Bible Study, but my primary ministry is as part-time Volunteer Parish Administrator (soon to be retired!) The work has allowed me to keep my administrative and clerical skills honed in a way that puts them to good use. I was appointed as an alternate Deanery/Diocesan delegate last year and have enjoyed the learning experience and the opportunity to be involved with the wider church community, as a representative of our vibrant community here at Grace.

Offering Envelopes - The offering envelopes are available in the Narthex of the Church. They are slightly different this year as they do not have dates or pledger numbers. This is because we made an executive decision not to pay $250 for 50 sets of envelopes. Hopefully this decision will not backfire. Because of this change, it is important that you put your name on the envelope if you are giving cash to the church. If you are writing a check, you do not need to fill out any information on the envelope.

 

End of the Year Statements - We are in the process of putting together letters for each pledging unit (parishioner/family) reflecting their giving in 2019. Please review the statements carefully and contact me at m-mleeds@comcast.net if you have any issues. (The information is input to an Excel spreadsheet manually, so it is vulnerable to human error.)

 

Calling Pledger #19 - I have not been able to find the list of pledger numbers that correspond to giver names. This results in an inability to provide a statement of giving to the mysterious Pledger #19. If that is your number, please let me know.   

 

Thank you! Marj Leeds.   

Did you know that our church is the second oldest in the county, and that it turns 150 years old this July?  To celebrate this momentous occasion our Planning Committee needs your suggestions. Please let us know your ideas via email at  Gracemtz150@gmail.com, or speak with co-chairs John Vander Kamp or Melissa Rodrigue-Kennedy.

Young people ages 7-17 are invited to join in learning to read, appreciate and perform music in a low-stress environment.

Rehearsals are on Sundays at noon (following our 10 a.m. service and coffee hour). To enroll, contact Music Director Arthur Omura by calling the parish office (925) 228-6574, after the greeting, select Option 4.   

 Epiphany Bible Study: The Gospel of John

 

Online Directory 

 

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.