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grace episcopal church
galena, illinois
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First Sunday in Advent
November 28, 2021
Morning Prayer, 10:30 am
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November 28, 2021
The State of Illinois has officially issued a directive for masking at indoor gatherings for all who are two years old or older regardless of inoculation status. Out of concern for those who cannot yet be vaccinated or whose immune systems are compromised, we respectfully request that you comply and wear a mask indoors that covers your nose and mouth.
Our diocese has requested that each church regularly review the CDC map that has
four stages of COVID risk and make decisions accordingly about safety precautions.
Jo Daviess County's risk factor (and that of the entire state of Illinois) is now in the highest category.
The only other precaution reinstated at this time is to suspend contact during the Peace.
Please be cautious and also be prepared for changes at any time.
Social hour is suspended.
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Ministers of the Service
Members & Guests, Celebrants
Debbie Kallback, Officiant
Carol Poston, Lector
Phil Jackman, Lay Homilist
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Robin French, Music Director
Nancy Cook, Erben Organist
Nancy Cook, Vestry Coordinator
Pat Golden & Charlotte Stryker, Altar Guild
Teresa Burke, Greeter
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Thoughts from the Deacon
At Convention last Saturday, Acting Bishop Chilton preached on the verses from Jeremiah that say, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart”. The theme of her sermon was waiting.
Jeremiah wrote these words when Israel had been taken as prisoners of war to Babylon. It is said they would remain there for 70 years. As Bishop Chilton pointed out, it was a number that represented waiting longer than they wanted to wait. I imagine she was talking about not only the upcoming season of “waiting” but also our diocese waiting for our new bishop to be well enough to be consecrated and assume the tasks of being our bishop. For me, and I imagine the other delegates from Grace, it also reminded me of our waiting for our new rector.
As Bishop Chilton pointed out, waiting is not a time to stand idle and wonder when the waiting is coming to an end. It is a time for us to pray, to seek God with all our hearts, to join with others to renew our connection, to accept God’s invitation and to trust God’s promises. As we enter the season of Advent this Sunday, let us remember that there is much to do while we wait.
Blessings,
Diane
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Events this Week:
Sunday 11/28
Morning Prayer 10:30am online (YouTube)
and in-person
Social Hour is suspended at this time.
Monday 11/29
Poetry Group 2:00pm
Melanie Hoffman's Birthday
Tuesday 11/30
Compline online 8:30pm
Wednesday 12/1
Midweek Worship online and in-person 7:30am
Morning Study Group on Zoom 10:00am
Thursday 12/2
Friday 12/3
Centering Prayer online 9:00 am
Saturday 12/4
Choir Practice 9:30-11am (early for Quiet Time)
Quiet Time Noon-4:00pm
Important Links:
Office Hours
9:00am-Noon, Tuesday through Friday
Sr. Warden Office Hours
The Sr. Warden will have office hours on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am until 2pm.
ROTA (11-7-21 to 4-24-22)
Website: includes a password protected members' portal where most recent Vestry minutes, financials, and Grace Church Directory are found.
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ANNUAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN
If you did not bring your pledge on Sunday, November 21st, you may put it in the collection plate on November 28th. It would be helpful if all the pledges were received by December 6th.
Thank you!
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Dear Ones,
On Sunday evening, (the 14th), I had a bit of quiet time after the flurry of activity these past weeks. I sat with a pile of envelopes, opening them one by one, and reading the sweet notes from all of you. Words cannot say how touched I was. I shall savor these in the cold winter nights to come. Each one kindles fond memories of our years together.
What a wonderful celebration we had on Sunday! Thank you so much to Diane Luther and all the others who put it together. I wonder if the center aisle at Grace has ever experienced a procession like the one lead by Emily Painter! The photo book, the Hal Martin painting, the plaque crafted from a piece of an old pew and made to shine, the beautiful and delicious cookies—glad there are pictures, because I’m sure they’ve all been devoured—and THE PURSE! All of these shall be treasured along with memories of each of you.
And the music! Robin—Choir—Nancy! It was amazing.
I’m not sure the anthem will become part of the annals
of most sung choral works, but it was great fun. And the Rutter and French hymn brought me to tears.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful send-off! As I said—you and Grace Church will always be a part of me, and I cherish the time and ministry we shared for nearly a decade!
Yours in Christ,
Gloria+
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SEARCH COMMITTEE
Small Group conversations are completed. The Search Committee will tabulate all the ideas gathered.
Rector Search Committee Members
Steve Coates & Pete Stryker, Co-chairs
Greg Anderson, Teresa Burke, Elizabeth Ludescher, Dave Mikelson and Joy Von Wolffersdorff
Their contact information is available in the church directory on our website at this link: directory
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QUIET TIME AT GRACE
Lori Erickson, one of America’s top travel writers specializing in spiritual journeys, is the author of The Soul of the Family Tree, Near the Exit, and Holy Rover. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications, She created the website Spiritual Travels featuring spiritual sites around the world. Lori lives in Iowa City, Iowa.
Lori will lead the Advent Quiet Time at Grace Episcopal Church on Saturday,
December 4th from noon until 4 pm. A quiet day is a time of discussion and reflection that resembles a mini-retreat. Lori will lead us in a discussion and reflection of matters of ancestry. How do we reconcile those uncomfortable parts of our heritage, whether bloodthirsty Vikings, proponents of the Doctrine of Discovery or slave-owning institutions, with our contemporary sensibilities?
The suggested donation is $10. Register by leaving a message at (815) 777-2590 or texting (815)757-2011. Registration deadline: Wednesday, December 1.
Choir will practice from 9:30 to 11:00am that day.
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MINISTRY OF CARE
Because of the many volunteers willing to help out with calls, rides, errands, meals, etc., the Ministry of Care won’t miss a beat while our search for a new rector is ongoing.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Bonnielynn Kreiser at 815-777-1468 or 815-291-9005 if you are in need. Also know that our clergy are available to meet your spiritual needs
as well.
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TOWER REPAIR
The tower repair plan was to finish east side by Thanksgiving. The lift will be gone until next spring when the north side of the tower will get new louvers.
Repairs to base of columns that separate the louvers has been significant. Water erosion of the rock. It was a surprise but then old buildings have many surprises.
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POINSETTIA ORDERS
There are sign-up sheets in the Parish Hall entry and in the Narthex for Poinsettia Orders for Christmas. The plants are $15.00 each. Any questions, please call or email Ann Berry.
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NEW STREAMING EQUIPMENT
The new streaming equipment has been installed at Grace. The console with all the controls and a monitor is located at the back of the church. Please feel free to stop and look at the screen and the preset buttons before or after our church services.
Our first broadcast was on Sunday, November 7th. We learned the system requires more fine-tuning. On the positive side, with the preset positions for the cameras and a marked script of the service, operating the system is a fairly straight-forward activity.
We’re almost ready to have a team of techies. Lynn Giles will set up a training session soon for everyone who expressed an interest and anyone else who interested.
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UNITED CHURCHES OF GALENA
R.I.P. Medical Debt
Several of our UCG Churches will participate in raising funds for this not-for-profit called R.I.P.Medical Debt that buys debt to assist families overwhelmed and crippled by medical bills for serious diseases. In the seven years since its inception, more than $5 billion in debt has been forgiven. To learn how this works, please see the article that Jim McCrae has written for his congregation. R.I.P. Info
As an Advent project, moneys will be raised by our churches to donate to R.I.P. We already have one $5,000 gift from a member of 1st Presbyterian Church that will turn into $500,000 of debt forgiveness. This may seem too good to be true, but the evidence is clear and compelling.
Our Grace Outreach Ministries have committed to a donation; I (Gloria) will be giving personally as well as from the Rector's Discretionary Fund. If you wish to join me, a tax deductible contribution can be made to Grace with "R.I.P. Medical Debt" in the memo line.
HELP NEEDED!
The Board of the United Churches of Galena is made up of clergy and lay representatives of all churches that wish to participate in this ecumenical group. You may know UCG best from its Food Pantry--by far its largest project! Or from its annual Hunger Luncheon and Christmas Concert that are fund raisers for the Food Pantry--both of which have not taken place during this pandemic.
Grace Church is in need of a representative--at least during this transitional time between rectors. Grace has been a member since the beginning. The meetings of the Board are on the first Thursdays of each month at from 10:30 - 11:30 am from September through June. The location is rotated amongst the churches. If you might be interested in serving in either a temporary or longer term capacity, please contact one of the Wardens
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OUTREACH MINISTRY NEWS
GLORY PARISH ALTAR CLOTH BLESSING
On November 7, the altar cloth created by Steve Dowe for the new Glory Parish church building was blessed and is on its way to the Diocese of Renk in South Sudan. Jackie Kraus, our Diocesan
representative for the Chicago/Renk diocesan partners joined us on the 7th for worship.
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RICHARD BABCOCK MEMORIAL YARN MINISTRY BLESSING |
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The bins across the front of the church last Sunday morning held the work of the members of the Richard Babcock Memorial Yarn Ministry.
The hats, mittens, scarves and blankets were blessed at Grace, then are distributed to the Galena Food Pantry, Shelter Care Ministries in Rockford, Riverview Center in Galena, Dubuque Rescue Mission and Opening Doors in Dubuque.
Well done, everyone! Thanks for your contributions to this ministry!
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FELLOWSHIP NEWS
SOCIAL HOUR SUSPENDED
Coffee and conversation has been suspended due to COVID.
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TRAIN ON DISPLAY
Phil & Terri Jackman's N-scale train layout is on display at Crossroads Community Church starting Nov 26 from 1-5pm on weekends through December 19th.
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FORMATION NEWS
We are a group that studies spiritual subjects, including the Bible. All are welcome to join us to enhance their knowledge of spirituality and explore how to apply it to their lives. Lately we’ve been studying the Gospel of Luke. Anyone needing a Zoom invitation can contact Greg Serwich (gserwich@gmail.com).
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COMPLINE on Zoom 8:30pm on Tuesdays
On Tuesday evenings, at 8:30 pm, Lynn Giles leads a service of Compline. She has been participating in the service that has previously been offered to the Diocese of Chicago by St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn. This service of the Daily Office in our Book of Common Prayer is a brief, contemplative service that is ideal for prayerful letting go of the cares of the day and preparing for a restful night. Find the link button above.
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MEDITATIVE PRAYER 9:00am on Fridays
Looking for a way to improve your prayer life, to open your heart, mind and soul to the Holy Spirit? Consider joining the Centering Prayer Group Friday mornings for about forty minutes of meditative prayer: twenty minutes of Centering Prayer followed by Lectio Divina.
Contact Greg Serwich (gserwich@gmail.com) for a Zoom invitation which includes a description of these types of prayer.
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MORNING PRAYER: FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Isaiah 12
Thessalonians 3:9-13
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ZOOM POETRY GROUP 2:00pm on Mondays
A Zoom Poetry meeting from Grace Church has been organized and meets Mondays at 2:00pm. This is not specifically a Grace ministry, but a number of Grace members and friends are part of it If you are interested, write Carol Poston at poston@sxu.edu or call her at 815-777-0220.
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An Episcopal Wednesday service of Morning Prayer 10/27/21 Eric Kallback, Officiant; Debbie Kallback, Homilist & Intercessor.
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An Episcopal service of Holy Eucharist 10/31/21
The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Presider; The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Richard Luther, Intercessor; Greg Serwich, Lector; Bill Foltz, Thurifer; Robin French, Music Director; Nancy Cook, Erben Organist; Melanie Hoffman, Trumpet.
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An Episcopal Service of Holy Eucharist 11/7/21, The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Presider; The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Donna Davis, Intercessor; Carmen Ferguson, Lector; Robin French, Music Director; Lynn Giles, Tech Coordinator |
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The Rev. Thomas Scott, Presider;
The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Elizabeth Ludescher, Intercessor; Nancy Cook, Lector; Robin French, Music Director; Lynn Giles, Tech Coordinator
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REOPENING CHURCH
Hybrid worship has resumed for both in-person and streaming congregations in line with Diocesan guidelines and Phase 5 of the State of Illinois COVID recovery.
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Vestry:
Lynn Giles, Senior Warden
Richard Luther, Jr. Warden
Jim Berry, Treasurer
Crystal Mason, Clerk
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Staff:
The Rev. Linda Packard, Priest Associate
The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon
Nancy Kenney, Parish Administrator
Robin French, Music Director
Nancy Cook, Erben Organist
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Charlotte Stryker: Worship
Elizabeth Ludescher: Communications
Nancy Cook: Outreach
Eric Kallback: Building & Grounds
Crystal Mason: Pastoral Care
Phil Jackman: Fellowship/Parish Life
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Grace Episcopal Church Office:
107 S. Prospect Street
Galena, IL 61036
815-777-2590
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