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Happy Friday, fellow Gregorians!
The Vestry met this week, and here are some of the various items of business that were discussed by the group or shared within committee reports:
Children & Youth- Sunday School needs more volunteers. Please let Father Doug know if you are available to assist with teaching or shepherding our children. The Youth Group intends to continue their field trips to other houses of worship. See Wade McGlamery for more information!
Financial- We're in good financial shape, especially since giving usually slows down a bit during the summer. We've had some pretty big expenses recently though, between work on A/C units and the parking lot. Please continue to keep your pledges current so that we don't experience shortfalls moving into the fall. Stay tuned for news about our Capital Improvements Campaign!
Buildings & Grounds- This committee has been working hard on the various projects, including the nursery playground, parking lot and a/c repairs. We weathered a windstorm on July 20 during VBS with only mild damage to the grounds. We're so grateful that things were not more severe than they were.
Outreach- Remember to keep the little red wagon in your thoughts as you plan your routine grocery shopping trips! The ushers will resume the practice of presenting the wagon during the offertory.
Vestry Nominations- The Vestry Nominating Committee is forming and will shortly begin the process of gathering names for next year's slate of Vestry members. Start prayerfully considering whether you might feel called to this service.
Adult Spiritual Formation- We will be starting a new cohort of the Sacred Ground program in September. Be on the lookout for additional details about this important resource!
As a reminder, minutes of each Vestry meeting are published on our website, if you wish to review them.
In love,
LeeAnne
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Children's Sunday School Update
Children’s Sunday School (the Christian education time that coincides with Adult Spiritual Formation between our two morning services) is tentatively set to resume the Sunday after Labor Day.
We are in the process of recruiting a team of folks (around 10) who can share the teaching responsibilities. We are looking for adults who can commit to teach or shepherd an average of one Sunday per month during the school year. This year, we hope to have two Children’s Sunday School groups (Kindergarten-2nd Grade and 3rd-6th Grades). The curriculum (Weaving God’s Promises) is easy to use, with more than enough activities to choose from for each lesson.
Sunday School happens between 9:15 AM and 10:15 AM, which means teachers need to be at the church and getting ready around 8:45 AM.
During the month of August, I will be working on securing our team of leaders. If you receive an email or phone call invitation to participate in this important ministry, I hope you will consider it with a listening ear and heart.
Fr. Doug
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Family Promise
Our week begins this Sunday, August 13. We are grateful that almost all the meals are taken care of by you! More information will be sent by email to those volunteering for meals about the families.
We still need volunteers for these times:
*weekend hosting (several times, including 8:00-10:30, 10:30-2:00, 2:00-5:00, this coming Sunday and the following Saturday),
*evening hosting (except for 8/17) 5:00-8:00;
*one evening meal on 8/18.
The hosting is very easy. You are on site at Milledge Avenue Baptist reading or browsing your phone and are only there in case of emergency, which is rare. The families are upstairs or out. The emergency numbers and contacts are in a notebook in the hosting room. There are snacks and cold waters available for you. Sign up here.
Thank you for your generous gift of time! If you are unable to volunteer, please keep these families in your prayers. For questions, please contact Annette Bates via email or 706-255-5839.
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Come join us this month, on Friday, August 18, when we will watch Come From Away (2021). “7000 passengers are stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland, where they were housed and welcomed. Based on a true story.” Join us in Parish Hall and enjoy some popcorn and soft drinks - or bring a blanket and a picnic dinner! The movie begins promptly at 7pm.
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Brown Bag Lecture Series
The next Brown Bag Lecture will be held at St. Gregory’s on Sunday, August 20 in the Parish Hall from 2-4PM. Presenter will be Holle Tubbs, Director of Diocesan Youth Ministries, and co-author of Keep Watch: Suicide, Christ, and Community. Keep/Watch is a learning tool for people of faith around suicide causes and prevention. Bring a snack if you’d like!
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BLINDSPOT GROUP
Our 20s and 30s group meets on the last Thursday of each month at 6:30PM for dinner and a small group study (usually off-site of the church). We also meet at least once a month for game nights, dinner and drinks, movie nights, and more. Newcomers are always welcome! Contact Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837 for more information.
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YOUTH GROUP INTEREST MEETING
If you or your child are in the 6th-12th grades, come out to learn about all that St. Gregory’s has to offier for the 2023/24 school year at our Interest Meeting, Friday, August 25 @ 7PM in Parish Hall! Sunday school, field trips, and more! Please contact Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837, if you have any questions.
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Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative conversations about race and racism. It invites participants into dialogue circles for 10 weekly sessions to walk back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story.
This season, St. Gregory will be partnering with Emmanuel Episcopal Church to hold Sacred Ground circles with members and facilitators from both parishes, alternating our meeting sites on Thursday evenings between St. Gregory and Emmanuel. The curriculum developed through the Episcopal Church utilizes weekly readings and films made available to registered participants via secured online access, as well as 2 books that can be purchased or borrowed. Each weekly session will include a light meal at 6PM followed by discussion until 8:30PM.
Conversations about race and racial justice are needed in our world. They are difficult, and yet when entered in a context of faith and within a community of prayer they can help us in our call to create Beloved Community. Please prayerfully consider joining this Sacred Ground circle with our friends and neighbors at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, beginning Thursday September 7, 2023, and concluding on November 9, 2023. Friends, family, and neighbors may be invited to join you for the program but but all must commit to the entire program. To ensure the sacred confidentiality with the sensitive nature of the discussions, drop-in visits are not permitted.
Deadline for signing up will be September 1, 2023.
For questions or to sign up please contact Ellen Richardson or Ron Balthazor
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come holy spirit
i try to turn
again toward love
to know the will
of god above
away from fear
where i can pray
where i can find
a better way
to listen for
the still small voice
that helps me make
a better choice
for how to live
as god intends
for neighbors all
to become friends
alice mohor
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YOGA RETURNS!
Fall Community Yoga is back! The fourth class of every month will be chair yoga. ALL are welcome! The class is free, but I am again accepting donations that will go toward purchasing more class props, and a carpet sweeper. Please bring your own yoga mat.
Schedule:
· August 2nd – 30th, WEDNESDAY nights at 5:30
· September 4th – November 27th, MONDAY nights at 5:30
Contact Anna Hiers for information, or if you would like to have the Zoom link. Feel free to share this information with your friends.
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Attention Acolytes!
Please be aware that we have now switched to Sign-Up Genius as a way to schedule acolytes, rather than Wade putting it together each month. Sign-Up Genius has worked very well with our lay reader ministry. Please take note of this and sign up when Ron Balthazor sends out reminders ! The link for the sign up is here.
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The AAEFB is in need of saltines, family-sized boxes of cereal, and juices! Please help us fill the Little Red Wagon! | | |
Adult Spiritual Formation
The Adult Spiritual Formation Sunday morning Bible Study group meets at 9:15AM and is currently on a journey through The Book of Acts of the Apostles. Please join us!
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Instructions for Live Streaming
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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:
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If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it.
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When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it.
Welcome to worship!
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Meeting Opportunities
Parish community offerings via Zoom or in person:
* Fall Community Yoga is back! The fourth class of every month will be chair yoga. ALL are welcome! The class is free, but I am again accepting donations that will go toward purchasing more class props, and a carpet sweeper. Please bring your own yoga mat.
Schedule:
· August 2nd – 30th, WEDNESDAY nights at 5:30
· September 4th – November 27th, MONDAY nights at 5:30
Contact Anna Hiers for information, or if you would like to have the Zoom link. Feel free to share this information with your friends.
* Blindspot Group Our 20s and 30s group meets on the last Thursday of each month at 6:30PM for dinner and a small group study (usually off-site of the church). We also meet at least once a month for game nights, dinner and drinks, movie nights, and more. Newcomers are always welcome! Contact Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837 for more information.
Hebrew Reading meets via Zoom on Wednesdays from 1-3PM. If you're interested, email Joel Hunt for more info!
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!
* St. Gregory's Book Club meets the first Friday of the month in Parish Hall @ 7PM ongoing for the foreseeable future. Two exceptions: no meeting in August and September's meeting will be Sept. 8th. Email Lois Alworth if you are interested in participating.
*Threads of Prayer meets on the 1st Tuesdays of the month @1PM! 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!
*Men's Group: 9AM on Saturdays. 1st & 3rd Saturdays at St. Gregory's library and 2nd & 4th & 5th Saturdays at the Somerville's house ! Email Peter Rice
* group(s) meeting in person
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