As is his practice, Bishop Wright has offered short video meditations for spiritual growth during Lent, each one coming with a worksheet. Click here if you would like to participate.

Also click here for the Bishop's podcast with the same title, Letting Go.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS CAMPAIGN UPDATE

A message from Lane Norton of the Capital Improvements Committee; Lane is the manager of our Labyrinth project:

A labyrinth is a sacred space that invites the community to come experience peace in God’s presence.

Visual incarnations of the Fibonacci Sequence, the circle and spiral have been used as spiritual symbols by people of many cultures for millennia.

The most famous labyrinths are found in medieval cathedrals throughout Europe, but lesser-known labyrinths can be found all around us, in church and hospital gardens, and even in your neighbors’ backyards. Local examples include labyrinths at Piedmont Hospital, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and Barrow Elementary School.

Labyrinths have been used throughout history to bring our spirits closer to the presence of the divine; many have been used to make spiritual pilgrimages, in lieu of traditional journeys which are often too physically and financially demanding for most seekers of God’s peace.

We purchased our first labyrinth about 25 years ago, a 32-foot diameter canvas modeled on the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral. While it is a wonderful meditation tool, it is greatly limited in two ways: space and time.

Our labyrinth takes up much-needed space, and because it is indoors, users can come only when a caretaker is present to open the building. Because of the space limitation, it is laid out only a few days a year, adding further time limitation.

A permanent, outdoor labyrinth is available to all, any time of day, without appointment: our personal need for meditative prayer does not always happen only during office hours.

Seekers of all ages can use a labyrinth for both personal meditation and for community-building experiences. Religious education classes, school groups, groups of friends, families with children, and individuals all gain personal and communal insight and peace from traveling the labyrinth. You may not be aware, but people from around the surrounding neighborhoods often use our grounds for their daily walks; many of them would welcome the opportunity to walk a labyrinth. What a wonderful and easy outreach we could offer to our neighbors! There is also an online site , World-Wide Labyrinth

Locator, where we could register our labyrinth and welcome visitors from all over the world.

There are many types of labyrinths: they can be made from a wide variety of materials and there are many layouts to choose from. One layout we are considering is the Reconciliation, or Ceremonial, Path. It was designed by Clare Wilson of South Africa as she worked to bring about a peaceful end to apartheid. This labyrinth has two entrances that merge and lead to one exit, allowing multiple people to use it at once in an exercise focusing on bringing people together.

We have a display in the Parish Hall which includes images of different examples of labyrinths as well as a QR code to access Clare Wilson’s description of her journey to her labyrinth. The estimated cost of the labyrinths we are considering, including landscape

preparation and installation, is about $20,000.

I would like to personally invite you to experience the peace of the labyrinth during Holy Week. We’ll open the week with a special event: a Guided Labyrinth Walk. It’s Sunday, March 24th (Palm Sunday) from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the Parish Hall. Special meditative music will be provided by Dr. Grace Huang on piano. We’d love to see you there.

Again, I am Lane Norton, a member of your Capital Improvements Campaign Committee, and you are always welcome to reach out to me with any questions. Thank you so much for all that you do to help bring peace and reconciliation to our community.

Lane Norton, a member of your Capital Improvements Campaign Committee

Parish Offices will be closed on

Friday, March 22 so that Parish Hall ducts can be cleaned.

Pastoral Care Committee will meet on Sunday, March 17, in the library, immediately following the 10:30AM service. Anyone is welcome to join!

The Flower Guild will meet in the office next to Kendall's office on Sunday, March 17, right after the 10:30AM service.

We are looking for new members as well! Please join us!

New Offering for Church Leaders: "Kindle Holy Fire"

Kindle Holy Fire is an immersive online training for church leaders to learn to adapt to change and discern God's future in a changing world. The Diocese of Atlanta, in partnership with the Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM), is offering this training for free to Diocese of Atlanta and Province IV parishes through a grant from Trinity Wallstreet. Kindle Holy Fire is a 14-week, self-paced, experiential immersion in the "Hearts on Fire" spiritual leadership practices that support the work of leaders navigating change. Specifically, churches will build their capacities for deep discernment, relationship-building, holy listening, letting go, prophetic imagining, adaptation, and design. The first online training cohort will start in April and is being offered to those leaders of Province IV who are reimagining church, and it is especially geared for leaders of small congregations. Interested in registering for the first cohort? Contact Sally. 

Mother Nikki is Calling All Lay Preachers!

Hi y'all Beloveds,

In an effort to pursue shared ministry, I'd love if we had 3 more lay preaching here at St. Gregory the Great! (Note: if you've already preached in the pulpit here (during my time here), the formation piece to follow does not apply to you, unless you just want something else to do, lol. )There are a few of you I've asked privately about such an interest, but I'm aware that others may be out there who would like to explore the possibility. Enter our diocesan School for Ministry, Formation for all the Baptized (please see below)! If you feel lay preaching or some other lay ministry may be a call for you, please make an appointment with me asap, by contacting the Kendall, our parish administrator, so we can talk through requirements and possibilities. 

Creating and curating resources for ministry formation of all kinds, particularly lay ministry.

The Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church charge each diocese to "make provision for the affirmation and development of the ministry of all baptized persons, including: (a) Assistance in understanding that all baptized persons are called to minister in Christ's name, to identify their gifts with the help of the Church and to serve Christ's mission at all times and in all places. (b) Assistance in understanding that all baptized persons are called to sustain their ministries through commitment to life-long Christian formation." To that end, the School for Ministry for the Formation of All the Baptized was born. 

In 2022, the School for Ministry for the Formation for All the Baptized launched formation for Licensed Lay Ministries

Licensed Lay Ministries

The Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church provide for several licensed lay ministries:

Pastoral Leader

Worship Leader

Preacher

Eucharistic Minister

Eucharistic Visitor

Catechist

Evangelist

The new FAB (Formation for All the Baptized) School for Ministry will support the formation and licensure process for those lay ministries. To be licensed as one of these types of lay ministers requires participation in a discernment process, endorsement of clergy and vestry, formation classes, meeting with the Commission on Ministry, and a commissioning service. Licensure means that the person can serve not only in their sponsoring parish, but also potentially in other parishes in the Diocese who would benefit from those ministries.

More info about the process itself is HERE, including requirements

Article about our most recent commissioning of licensed lay ministers HERE

Pathways profile on one of our licensed lay ministers HERE

Lenten Program

Adult Spiritual Formation will be offering a Wednesday evening program for Lent. The wonderful Matt Rogers will once again be leading us in Bibliodrama, this time in an exploration of the Psalms. Wednesday evenings 2/21-3/20, 6:30PM for a simple supper with the program to follow at 7PM.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS WEDNESDAYS @ 5:30PM

Wednesdays February 21, 28, & March 6, 13, 20, & 27 @ 5:30PM in the Sanctuary

The stations mark Jesus’ journey through the streets of Jerusalem from his arrest and trial to his crucifixion and burial. At each station, we pause for a brief reading and prayer.

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter is almost here, and among the many Easter week events will be the Children’s Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday! We need some candy donations to fill our plastic eggs (we have plenty of plastic eggs). If you would like to help out, bring donations to the copy room across from Kendall’s office. And remember, we are a peanut free parish. Thanks!

Easter lilies

If you wish to dedicate an Easter lily in honor/thanksgiving of someone living or in remembrance of someone deceased, please complete the yellow form found in the narthex and leave the form and your donation in the offering plate or in Kendall’s office (or email Kendall directly)

The suggested donation is $15/lily. The deadline is Monday, March 25. ** Please note the additional question we ask on the form: Would you like to keep your lily after Easter or have it given to Pastoral Care to take to one of our shut-ins? **

PALM SUNDAY, March 24

8am and 10:30am * Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist

(8am begins in sanctuary; 10:30am begins in the courtyard)

WEDNESDAY, March 27

5:30 pm Stations of the Cross

6pm Holy Eucharist & Healing Service

MAUNDY THURSDAY, March 28

7pm * Maundy Thursday Liturgy & Stripping of Altar

ALL NIGHT PRAYER VIGIL 

Thurs. 9pm - Good Fri. 11am

Jesus said,”Could you not stay awake with me one hour?”

Sign-up sheet is in the narthex for 1-hr time slots

GOOD FRIDAY, March 29

12pm Good Friday Liturgy

7pm * Good Friday Liturgy

THE GREAT VIGIL OF EASTER, March 30

8:30pm* Festival Eucharist & Choir 

starts outside with the lighting of the Paschal Candle

Please bring noisemakers, pots, pans, cowbells, airhorns, drums for the 

Great Noise to ring in Easter!

EASTER DAY, March 31

10am* Festival Eucharist, Baptism, & Choir

followed by an Easter Reception 

(please bring a finger food if you’re able!)

& Easter Egg Hunt for children

**(please note only 1 service on Easter morning)

* live streaming services

CEILIDH FOLK SERVICE

Beginning on Friday, April 19, St Gregory's will be offering a monthly Ceilidh service (pronounced kay-lee). Based on a Gaelic tradition of celebrating community and hospitality, a folk liturgy complete with live folk music and a meal will be offered in the Christian Education building at 6:30PM. Foot washing and hand anointing will also be available at these services for anyone who wants to take part. Any musicians that are interested in helping to provide the music for these services, as well as anyone with questions about the service, are encouraged to reach out to Wade McGlamery.

Adult Sunday School

Adult Discussion Group: (Parish Hall) The Adult Spiritual Formation Sunday morning Bible Study meets at 9:15AM in the Parish Hall. We are currently discussing the Gospel of Mark led by Wayne Coppins. Please join us! 

Lectionary Class: (Library) The lectionary class meets in the Library at 9:15AM. We study the assigned readings for each Sunday. Please contact Les House at 478-733-2939 or via email if you have any questions. 

Children’s Sunday School continues for children in grades K-5/6 beginning at 9:15 with a gathering time in the Children’s Chapel located on the ground floor of the education building. We go to the upstairs classrooms at 9:30 and hold our program until roughly 10:20. It would be great if parents could drop off children and pick them up again when the group time is over. That would help keep our youngsters safer!

Children’s Chapel/Church starts with families gathering in the Sanctuary at the 10:30 service for opening announcements, music, and prayers. The children then adjourn to the Children’s Chapel for their own worship time, including their lighting candles, having a short and usually interactive lesson, saying a doxology, singing, and saying the prayers of our young people. Children return to the Sanctuary during the peace, so that they can join their families for communion. Children of all ages are welcome to attend the children’s service time.

covid anniversary

not to return

to our despair

but our journey 

from morning prayer

to video 

once improvised

with anthems sweet

and synchronized

patio then

reservations

for divided

congregations

with mask mandates 

and contact lists

we worshiped through

the turns and twists

alice mohor

Instructions for Live Streaming

• Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church YouTube Homepage

• 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.  

• When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it. 

Welcome to worship!