Elevator Update-- Good News! |
In an era when one must steel oneself before opening a news-app or turning on the TV and/or radio, Grace can offer some unadulterated good news: the elevator has been restored to health and can be boarded and ridden without supplemental food and oxygen supplies! Gone are the tedious upward trudges and the gimpy downward skitters; we can simply stand with dignity as we ascend to the Nave or to quilting or head down to the choir room or the lower parking lot. Thanks be to God and Bill Higgins, whose electrical mastery got it all sorted out. |
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Elevator is Back in Service!
Directory Photos on Sunday
Adult Formation in Lent
New Sacred Dialogue Circles to Begin
Inquirers' Class/Episcopal 101
Worship on Sunday
Grace Changes Endowment Investment
GreenGrace -- Lighting and Trees
Children's Ministry
Alice Ramsey Milestone
Food Pantry
Daily Worship
Keep in Mind (Thorne Sparkman, Craig Scholarship, Family Promise)
Useful Information
Parish Prayer List
Serving on Sunday
Lectionary
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Directory Photos on Sunday
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Though he was thwarted by a wayward respiratory demon last month, Jim Milburn plans to be available this Sunday after both services to photograph those who would like to be included in Grace's online directory. If your photo is already in the directory but no longer adequately corresponds to your current configuration, you are welcome to pose for an updated picture. |
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During Lent, the Sunday morning adult formation group will be working on Life Transformed: The Way of Love, which is part of the Becoming Beloved Community program of the National Church. The Way of Love has seven themes: Turn, Pray, Learn, Bless, Rest, Worship, and Go. We will be focusing on one of these during each of the seven Sundays of Lent. Session One/ TURN: Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ (Romans 6:3-11). As Christians, we are continually called to repent and be renewed in faith. This session introduces The Way of Love and invites participants to reflect on themes of repentance and the new life we have in Christ through baptism. We will consider spiritual practices of turning away from the spiritual forces of evil and sin and turning toward Christ. We hope you will be able to join us in the Barth Room at 9:30 for all or some of the sessions.
David Stanislawski
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New Sacred Dialogue Circles to Begin |
We are planning to launch two new Sacred Ground Circles on Monday, March 7 and Thursday, March 10. Both sessions will meet for 10 weeks via Zoom from 6:30 – 8:00. A brief description of the program is given below and a more expanded discussion can be found at: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/. If you are interested in joining one of these circles or would like more information, please email David.stanislawski@chattanoogastate.edu and indicate which session you are interested in. We will try to hold the group sizes to 10 to 12 people to facilitate discussion.
Sacred Ground is a race dialogue series designed for these times. It is an attempt to be responsive to the profound challenges that currently exist in our society. It is focused on the challenges that swirl around issues of race and racism, as well as the difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue we need to have with each other about them. It invites participants to walk back through history to peel away the layers that brought us to today, and to do so in a personal way, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story. It holds the vision of beloved community as a guiding star – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing.
David Stanislawski
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Inquirers' Class/ Episcopal 101 (continued) |
Inquirers' Class/Episcopal 101 continues this week at 9:30am (in the Merritt Room) and 6:30pm on Thursday, March 11th (via Zoom), all who are interested in baptism, confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation are invited to explore church tradition, history and our place in the Episcopal faith through Inquirers’ classes. Led by Lay Catechist Laura Bertrand, Rev. April and our seminarians, this class will be a space for exploring questions about belief and practice within the Episcopal Church, as well as the life of faith in general.
(While registration is not required, we would love to know you're coming!). Please contact Laura Bertrand for more information (laura@laurabertrand.com).
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For the safety of the community, we encourage all to take advantage of vaccinations and boosters, and we ask that all who attend either service or any indoor activity wear masks. The 10:45 a.m. service will be streamed online for those who are unable to attend. You can access the service at Grace's Facebook page, and you can find the bulletin for that service HERE.
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Grace Changes Endowment Investment |
The Vestry and Endowment Committee of Grace Episcopal Church unanimously approved moving the endowment funds from its current Growth & Income, pooled portfolio to the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) portfolio.
The ESG portfolio was first offered as an option from State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) in October 2020: however the Committee decided to wait until SSgA could provide performance data before making a decision. The Committee had a meeting with our Investment Advisors from the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) on December 9th 2021 to review the performance data. The results indicated there was no significant differences in performance and a slight reduction in fees.
The primary reason the Committee recommended making this change to the ESG Portfolio is that SSgA considers environmental, social and governance factors along with financial factors when making investment decisions for this portfolio. These include environmental issues such as climate change and pollution, social issues such as human capital and product liability, and governance issues such as corporate governance and corporate behavior. ECF believes that ESG portfolio management may improve results by investing in companies identified as better managed and eliminating those companies that may not be addressing significant risk affecting sustainable financial performance.
In summary, the Vestry and the Endowment Committee believes that placing the endowment funds in the ESG portfolio will better align our investment strategy with the ethical values and religious beliefs of Grace Episcopal Church.
Richard Hyatt
Endowment Committee Chairperson
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GreenGrace -- Lighting and Trees
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Lighting at Grace
As part of the GreenGrace initiative at Grace Church, one of the easiest cost saving measures to “green” the facility is upgrading lighting to LED.
Almost all of the lighting in the Nave has been updated to LED. It has been a few years since the bulbs in the hanging lanterns were changed over. The quality of LED bulbs has improved significantly since that time, so we could look into changing those to brighter bulbs (each lantern has 7 bulbs - 6 regular, 1 flood.)
The chancel / choir spot lights were changed out early last fall. The light quality isn’t that great, and the altar could be better lit. Those fixtures need to be totally replaced, and they are expensive. The side aisles, baptistery, and chapel were also upgraded at this time along with the new ceiling.
The entire facility needs an LED upgrade from fluorescent. Unfortunately, it’s not a matter of swapping out the bulbs, most fixtures will require the electrician to swap out the ballasts to run LED.
I am also researching new fixtures that are dark sky friendly to replace the ones over exterior doors.
Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated and encouraged.
Peace,
Jeff Workman
Junior Warden
Arbor Day
This weekend is the celebration of Tennessee's Arbor Day. The single best thing any of us to do to fight climate change is to plant a native tree; oaks are particularly recommended. Please take a moment to notice trees as they they bud out over the coming weeks: pick your favorite and give it a hug!
Lisa Lemza
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We have been having so much fun and learning so much! Recent activities included remembering the miracle of Saint Valentine as we explored how visual differences affect daily life, and a Mardi Gras party and towel tie-dye art!
Sunday School is from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and Children’s Chapel from 10:30- end of Eucharist. Nursery care is also available from 9:15 a.m.-end of service. Come and join the fun!
Betsy
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Alice Ramsey Milestone on the Horizon
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Alice Ramsey, one of the most brilliant and beloved jewels in Grace's crown, will turn 90 on March 9, and in recognition and appreciation for her and her many contributions to our collective good works and sanity, her friends encourage us all to send her a card and, if your finances allow, a contribution in her honor to St. Mary's Convent at Sewanee, where she has been an associate for many years. The pertinent addresses are below.
Birthday cards to Alice Ramsey
7511 Shallowford Road Apt #118
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Donations to St. Mary's Convent
1100 St. Mary's Lane
Sewanee, TN 37375
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Noble souls Richard Hyatt and Phaen Stone, this week's pantry volunteers, received 13 visitors on Wednesday and sent them off with food for 45 -- 24 adults and 21 children. The lighter demand left our supplies in much better shape than last week, but of course there are some areas that need bolstering:
* Canned chicken
* spaghetti noodles
* Chef Boyardi pastas or similar
* canned baked beans, pinto beans
* canned peas
* canned chili
* pudding cups
* beanie weenies
* peanut butter (16 oz. jars preferred)
* pop tarts
* saltine crackers
Blessings on all in the church and the Belvoir neighborhood who provide constant infusions of goods or the means to get them! We cannot thank you all properly for your unflagging determination to help those who need it, but please know that we are grateful in the extreme!
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Grace offers Compline services at 8pm each evening; you can join
& the password is: compline
Morning Prayer continues every day (except Sundays) via Zoom, beginning at 9:00 a.m.; click the link below or paste the URL into your browser.
For Morning Prayer, click here:
or paste this URL into your browser:
Meeting ID: 746 8859 6599
Passcode: amprayer
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Thorne Sparkman School of Religion
Lectures begin on Wednesday, March 9, so if you mean to participate, it's time to spring into action! This year's program focuses on "Faith and the Environment," with speakers ranging from Dr. Andy Thompson, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics, School of Theology, University of the South, to the Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith. Ticket pricing options include pricing for regular admission ($30), student admission ($20), dinner options for adults and children, and optional free childcare. The soup-supper preceding the lectures is $30 for all five weeks (adult price).
Masks will be required for the safety of all who participate.
For more details on the speakers, click HERE.
Each evening begins with an organ meditation at 5:15 p.m., followed by supper at 5:45. The lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. Registration is currently open.
Click HERE for more information or to register.
Craig Scholarship
The Dr. Robert Craig Scholarship at Grace Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, TN., was established in 1991 through a generous endowment from Dr. Robert Craig. for Grace Episcopal Church children who attend St. Nicholas School. The Craig family, long-standing and faithful members of Grace Church, have always been devoted to education and especially to St. Nicholas School. This scholarship will continue their support and legacy in perpetuity by assisting our own youth in that endeavor.
The application deadline is April 30th, 2022. If you wish to apply, please contact Paula Garner, Parish Administrator (423-243-3250, ext. 2), for an application.
Family Promise
Grace's next Family Promise stint will be in June -- dates TBA. If you volunteer for this ministry or are interested in becoming involved, activate your radar as Mothers' Day creeps close and watch for details in Grace Notes and the bulletin.
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P.O. Box Use and Address
Please use Grace's P.O. Box for dispatches containing money or other valuables: hard times persist for some of our neighbors, and checks have disappeared from our mailbox more than once. The address is Grace Episcopal Church,
P.O. Box 80954, Chattanooga, TN 37414.
Accessing the Online Church Directory
The directory can be accessed via the church's webpage ( www.saygrace.net). Find the menu item “BREEZE” at the right end of the menu options that sprawl across the screen near the top, click and log in; user name is ‘saygrace’ and the password is ‘Chattanooga.’
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Please remember: Joseph, our President; the Senate, the House of Representatives, and our Courts of Justice; together with all elected officials, and the other leaders of our country and the nations of the world.
We pray for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Brian, our Bishop; for April, our priest; for Caroline, our seminarian; for our missionaries, and all other bishops and ministers.
We pray for the unemployed and underemployed, especially those in our congregation and community. We pray for the homeless and the hungry, and for those in special need of prayer, especially
Jamie Stone, Daniel Stanislawski, Tom Lifsey, Glyn Melnyk, Hannah Brewer,
Lee Moore, Valorie Lephart, David Stanislawski, Rhonda Boocock, Wilma Laney,
Bill Clark, Mary McDonald, Patricia Kelley Williams, Russell, Tony Hill, Scott, Julia, Tony, Mary Cooper, Martha Smith, Sue Sears, William Simpson, Neil Robinson,
Ash Gunlock, Bill Strang, June McEwen, Amy, Deborah, Jim Hinkle, Andrea,
the Brown family, Reba, Terrie, Alex, Angela, Dwight McMillan, Doris,
J.R. Hicks, Libby Workman, Jean Williams, Barbara Reed, Jim May, and Ann Swint;
We pray for Wil Mabry, Jake Dorris, Kevin Kelley, Tripp Mouron, Mike Mabry, Alexander Ross, Russel Webb, Logan Roberts, Jim Makepeace, Sean Benson,
Evan Watkins and all of our Armed Forces, here and abroad;
We pray for Emily, who is with child.
We pray for this community: For our local leaders; for our schools and marketplaces; for our neighborhoods and workplaces, for protesters and for police. Help us to honor your image in one another. Give us courage to strive for justice and peace among all people, beginning here at home.
We pray for all whose homes are in peril or uprooted because of climate change, for all displaced because of hurricanes, fires or other disasters.
We pray for the people of Ukraine and of Russia who find themselves beset by war.
We pray for those who have died, that they may share with all your saints in the full revelation of your eternal glory.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Church of Korea. The Anglican Communion has adopted a cycle of prayer called "From Aba to Zululand," praying its way alphabetically through its members on a daily basis between January 1, 2021 and September 2023. The newsletter and, in the future, the printed bulletin, will include the prayers for Sunday; if you would like to see the daily prayer requests, you can find them at ACoP.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. Christopher, Kingsport, TN, and All Saints, Herrick, SD.
Those in need of continued prayer:
Sally Cauthen, Mary Lou Walden, Jeanette Cureton, Wanda Kirkpatrick,
Emma Andrews, Jim Strickland, Michael Conner, Helen Williams,
Peggy Fugate, William Simpson, Timothy Penny, Donald Jones, Cooper Jones, Charles Smith, John Woodham, Elaine Harrison, Marcia Magers,
Major McCollough, John Cox, Gayanne Silver, Heather Nelson, Robert Clark,
Dexter and Helen Williams, Cheryl McCurry, Ethel Rutledge, Lanie Lundgrin,
Terri Harvey, Anne Getz, Michael Roberts, Jeannie and Andy Williams,
Jaime Cooper, Teresa Noel, Tina Knowles, Joyce and Greg Snyder, Martha Killeffer, Robert Durham, Jessica Ricketts
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Serving on Sunday
At the 8:00 a.m. service: Lectors, Emily Evans, Thomas Evans; Crucifer, Cindy Davidson; Torchbearers, Emily Evans, Thomas Evans
At the 10:45 a.m. service: Lectors, Laura Bertrand, Charles Bond; Intercessor, Skeeter Makepeace; Gospeler, Laura Bertrand; Torchbearers, Helen Bertrand, Eleanor Bertrand; Crucifer, Jeff Bertrand; Lead Usher, Tom Makepeace
Lectionary Readings
Deuteronomy 26: 1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13
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You may contact the church office at 423-243-3250
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