Holy and Blessed Beloveds,
With all that's going on in the world, remember our God softly breathes on us, tenderly holds us and completely loves us. And for all of us who find nourishment in the outdoors (even me, if only for a few minutes 😂), remember God is everywhere with us....
Blessings,
Mo. Nikki+
Thank you, Holy Trinity, for the garden of the earth
praising God the Creator who gives the growth,
laboring with God the Son
to turn the soil and bring the harvest,
rejoicing in the Spirit
who renews life
and lends the energetic spark to every cell.
May this garden give God
in leaf and bud and fruit
and in its fallow season,
and may we tend our souls
as joyfully, constantly, and patiently
as we pray we tend the earth.
Adapted from original version of Gardening Prayer from the book Simple Prayers for Complicated Lives by Jennifer Phillips
|
|
** If there is anyone with a van willing to volunteer themselves and their vehicle for rides to and from the UGA campus Presbyterian Church parking lot to the Wright House, please let Kendall know ASAP. **
You are invited! Get a sneak peek at The Wright House, the new Episcopal Center at The University of Georgia, during its Open House on June 11 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Registration is required. Please click here to register.
The June 11 open house is the only open-to-the-public event planned for The Wright House which will be occupied by students prior to the fall semester. The 123-bedroom facility, which features a bathroom for each bedroom, includes onsite parking, bike storage, a fitness facility, study spaces, and an indoor common kitchen and coffee bar. It will also have extensive outdoor common areas adjacent to the building and on the green roof deck.
The new building is named in honor of Bishop Rob Wright, for his steadfast support for children, youth, and college ministries. It sits on the site of the former Episcopal Center and chapel in the heart of The University of Georgia campus at the corner of University Court and South Lumpkin Street.
|
|
Children's Sunday school last week with their homemade tongues of flames for Pentecost!
|
|
|
Here is the schedule for June:
June 5: we will meet
June 12: we will not meet
June 19: we will meet
June 26: we will not meet
|
|
|
Adult Spiritual Formation meets this Sunday to continue our exploration of the Gospel of Luke. All are welcome in the Parish Hall from 9:15 to 10:15 with no need to have attended earlier sessions. Bibles will be available but feel free to bring your own favorite.

The Spiritual Formation Committee will meet on Sunday, June 12, after the 10:30 am service in the small conference room in the Parish Hall. All are welcome to join.
|
|
Athens Pride Festival
On Sunday, June 12, St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church will have a booth at the Athens Pride Community Resource Festival 2:30-6:00 pm at Thomas Lay Park (297 Hoyt St.). All are welcome. If you would like to help welcome visitors please email Alice Mohor.
|
|
Please join us for a Spiritual Formation series on the intersection of faith and nature. The series will have different presenters on an array of topics over 5 weeks on Sunday afternoons/evenings. The remaining sessions:
6/12, 7pm, Hildegard and Teilhard, the Green Mystics, Lee Ann Pingel (@ St. G's)
6/19, 7pm, Creation Care, Jason Roberts (@ St. G's)
Each session will be about an hour (plus travel time if the session is not at the church) and will include a presentation, some meditative practice in nature, some group conversation/reflection on the program, and some communal liturgy.
The fourth session on June 12 will be led by Lee Ann Pingel and will focus on Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). Hildegard was an abbess, mystic, visionary, composer, and healer. In this session, we will learn about Hildegard's experience of the Divine, including her conception of veriditas, the "greening" work of the Holy Spirit. We will spend some time listening to her extraordinary music as we meditate with common medicinal herbs. We will conclude with a brief liturgy drawn from Hildegard's writings. We will meet at the church at 7:00 pm.

|
|
Dates and Times: July 18-21, 5:30 - 7:45
We are about six weeks (July 18-21) from
"Compassion Camp: Changing the World with Lovingkindness."
We have extended the nightly sessions by 15 minutes, beginning with supper at 5:30 and concluding at 7:45. As is the case every year, in order to pull off a week of Bible School, we need several volunteers. Please notice the needs listed below, and contact Doug Adkins to let him know in which area you would like to serve.
Supper: We need a team of 5-6 people to organize the suppers each night. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but we had discussed: Pizza Night; Spaghetti Night; Jason's Deli Sandwich Box Night; and a Food Truck Night (tacos and burritos?) Also - each night we will have a "make your own salad" option.
Gathering & Music: We need someone to lead us in singing a couple theme songs each night for our gathering time. If you cannot be there each night, you can lead one or two nights. Doug has the music and scripts.
Below are the three rotations for each night. Volunteers will be doing the same lesson for three different groups of kids as they rotate through Compassion Camp.
Games & Movement: Alice Mohor will be leading this rotation, and will be recruiting her team. See Alice if you would like to assist.
Bible Story/Scripts: We need 5-7 people to assist with presenting the Bible story for each night.
Create/Crafts: We need 3-4 people to assist with this rotation.
Doug Adkins has the curriculum for each group. Please let him know as soon as you can regarding the area you can serve. How exciting it is to finally be back in person for a week of Bible School!
|
|
St. Gregory's Family Promise (formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network) week is July 3-10 (we help 3 weeks a year). We belong to this organization of churches in Athens which provides temporarily homeless families with a place to stay for up to several months, giving them and their children stability. The breadwinners in the family get rides to work if needed. Those who don't have a job have the support to find one. Meals are provided. Family Promise also works to prevent homelessness by helping families who might need a rent payment or a utility payment to be able to continue living in their home. They have helped some families find and purchase a used vehicle. We have this chance to put our faith into action, to walk by faith into a role we maybe haven't experienced yet, but which God is calling us to, like Mother Nikki told us in last week's sermon. To feed the hungry and house the homeless, to give hope to those who need it. Contact Annette Bates via email or 706-255-5839 to learn more.
|
|
|
|
The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank is asking for white rice (not brown), pasta (mostly spaghetti), and peanut butter!
Let's fill the little red wagon!
|
|
|
|
It is true,
I must confess
That we need folks
To help process us
To the altar.
In rows we go
A sacred flow.
As hearts, unite
With delight
In his communion.
A holy duty
To serve as usher
And, help the Church avoid a crusher.
Humbly, I beseech the,
To volunteer would be so peachy!
We need 8 more! If you would like to volunteer, and/or coordinate, please contact Anna Hiers, vestry liaison to the Worship Committee, via email or @ 706-340-9799. Training will be provided.
|
|
|
|
|
MOVIE NIGHT!

This month, on June 17th, we will be watching Black Panther (2017)! Join us in the parish hall and enjoy some popcorn and soft drinks- or bring a blanket and a picnic dinner! The movie begins promptly at 7pm.
|
|
|
|
ACOLYTES NEEDED
We are in need of a few more acolytes to give a bit of relief to those in our current rotation. Never served before? That's fine- we will teach you! Acolyting is a great, low commitment, way to get involved in the life of the parish! Reach out to Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837, if you would like to volunteer.
|
|
|
|
|
love is love
a changing church
when i arrived
my path forward
was then revived
in worship with
new words to say
and fellowship
to find my way
in a circle
drawn wider still
for everyone
to know the thrill
of being loved
for who we are
all children made
to travel far
alice mohor
|
|
|
|
If you're in your 20's or 30's and would like to stay up to date on events for your age group please reach out to Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837, to join our group chat.
|
|
|
|
|
Coffee Hour!
Due to the lack of volunteers, there may or may not be coffee hour on any given Sunday. If you are able to host or bring a baked item for a future coffee hour, contact Melissa or Catrina to sign up. A sign up sheet will also be posted at the event.
|
|
|
|
Instructions for Live Streaming
- Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church
-
Near the time for service, underneath our channel logo, you will see our video for that day, with the word ‘live’ on it. The page will look like this:
|
|
-
If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it. To ‘refresh’ go up to the top of your screen and on the left or right of the web address you will see this image (little curvy arrow to the right -->). Click on it to ‘refresh.’
-
When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it.
Welcome to worship!
|
|
Meeting Opportunities
Parish community offerings via Zoom or in person:
Stacie Court hosts "Let's Chat!" for women of the parish. The days and time vary, and not everyone can join every time, but everyone is welcome to join whenever they can! Email Stacie!
Book Club first Friday of the month @ 7PM ongoing for the foreseeable future. Email Lois Alworth if you are interested in participating.
Lectionary Discussion Group via Zoom, every Thursday at 6:00pm. Email Ken Taylor if you are interested in participating.
*Threads of Prayer will meet only the 1st Tuesdays of the month @1PM for June and July, and likely August! We'll meet outside if the weather is good and inside the Christian Ed building if the weather is bad. Email Annette Bates if you are interested in participating. All knitters and crocheters welcome!
* group(s) now meeting in person
Other groups have been meeting via Zoom as well, so if you've got a group already meeting in Zoom rooms, and want to widen your circle, let Kendall know so we can get the word out there!
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|