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NEW ZOOM INVITATIONS
FOR GRACE CHURCH
Due to an update in the Zoom setting, a password is now needed to join any meeting. With these new invitations, the password is encrypted into the invitation. So all you need to do is click on the link to join on your computer, IPad, or smart phone. You can also call in for audio only and may be required to provide the password. Thank you for your courage and patience as we continue to connect with each other in these times.
Worship (Sundays at 10:00 AM)
or call +
1 646 558 8656 US (New York),
+
1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
(Meeting ID): 177 160 858
Password: 917937
Tuesday Bible Study at 7:00 PM
or call
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York),
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
(Meeting ID): 753 016 518)
Books and Bread at 7:00 PM
or call +
1 646 558 8656
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
Centering Prayer Thursdays 5:00 PM
or call
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York),
+
1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
(Meeting ID): 203 314 800)
Third Sunday Supper 3rd Sundays
at 6:00 PM
or call
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York),
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
(Meeting ID: 778 608 743)
Be safe. Be well. Hope to see you soon.
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Grace Church Service, May 3
Service at 10:00 AM
To join Sunday Service
by computer using Zoom:
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Lector
Intercessor
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Dindy Anderson
John Cheek
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The new
FORWARD DAY BY DAY
booklets for May to July are now available in regular or large print. If you would like a copy mailed to you please
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Questions about Zoom ?
Robert Forman's telephone number for those who would like help using Zoom:
914 478 7802.
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Step into Grace |
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Where strangers become friends |
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We are a
n Open and Affirming church. Every one of every age, race,
ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental ability, or economic status is invited to join us as together we live out the Gospel message of love, forgiveness, service, and justice. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey- you are welcome here.
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SHINE YOUR LIGHT
In this unpredictable time, your church continues to give thanks for and need your support. If you are
capable of sending in
your pledge, thank you. If you are unable to give at this time, we understand. If you are capable of giving a bit more so we can respond to the needs of our community, we are very grateful. If you are in need, please contact
Janet
at 512-981-8211. Since we are not gathering in person in community, we ask that you send your gifts via mail to Grace Church, P.O. Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230 or give online by phone or co
mputer to
Tithe.ly
Using your phone you may text the word "GIVE" to 774-252-9246. Please contact Janet or any member of the Stewardship Committee for questions.
We are truly all in this life together We pray, trusting that God will see us through this season and beyond.
Thank you for giving generously to support the ministry of Grace Church.
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Bible Study
Tuesdays with the Word at 7:00 PM
We are studying the Gospel according to Matthew. We'd love to
have you join us online
Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM.
(Meeting ID: 667 015 870)
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GRACE CHURCH
Please Include In Your Daily Prayers This Week
Members of the Parish Family: The Rev. Ted Cobden, Linda White, John Breasted, Vonnie Frye, Edna Leavenworth, George Raymond, Ed Hutchinson, Elinor Hamill, Pam & Bill Drumm, The family of Richard Gore, Sr., Mimi and Dick Alford, Doreen Hutchinson, Barbara Turner, Pennie Curry, Frank Vogel - Polizzi, Mark Anderson, Marion Andrews, Elizabeth Holland, Janet Zimmerman, Stacey, Claire and Mark Thomas, Richard Edelstein, Connie Garber, Ruth Crawford, Marcia Doelman, Dindy Anderson, Tom Murray, Paula Doyle, John Grammer, Aidan, Andrea, the Rev. Steve White, Maureen Terry and Gino Furio.
Others we love: Evie De Melker, daughter of Rev. Ted Cobden; Karen La Rocque, friend of Sue Gore; Donovan Buck, nephew of Pennie Curry; Susan and Dan Gray, Beth Grady, niece of Deborah Holmes; Alice Fitch, Rose Blakely's sister; Fred Bunce, father of Mary Booton;
Khali Zabian; Matt Alford, son of Mimi and Dick Alford; Wendy Reeve, sister of
Cathy Haywood, Keiron Lee, daughter of Doone Marshall; Andrew Artz, brother-in-law of the Rev. Janet Zimmerman; Anne Peters, Leslie Albert,Debbie Losaw, daughter of Rosemarie Blakely, Ashley Gangell, Zeke Hills, brother of The Rev. Francie Hills, Charles Olegar, Jane Williams, John Belizzi, Carole Chapple, Christy Yeo, Cooper O'Brien, Rosalind Haywood, Colonel John Tryon, nephew of Anne Andrews and all who serve our country.
Those who have died: Chuck De Melker, husband of Evie Cobden De Melker; Rev. Stephen Chinlund, friend of Jainee McCarroll and John and Ellis Ericson; Joy Saville, mother of Andrea White; Richard Gore, Sr.; Locke Larkin, brother-in-law of Maureen Terry; Charles Olegar; Marianne Felch, friend of Janet Zimmerman; Pat Edelstein; Anthony Aiuvalasit, friend of Janet Zimmerman; Patrick Barney, nephew of Mark Anderson; Stephanie Engel, friend of Steve White; Valerie Smith, Mary Dalton, mother of Dindy Anderson; Scott Crawford, son of Ruth Crawford.
Our world: For those who suffer from the COVID-19 virus; for those who have died from this virus and those who mourn; for those who provide care and comfort in this pandemic.
The many ministries of our local community and the Diocese of Western Massachusetts: especially for our partners at St. Paul's, Stockbridge and the Rev. Sam Smith; Christ Trinity, Sheffield and the Rev. Erik Karas; and our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas J. Fisher; the Mampong Babies' Home in Ghana;
St. Mark's, Leominster; Commission on Ministry
The Church's wider mission: Faith Alive; The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS)
And we offer thanks: for all those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries this week: Dutch Pinkston (4/28)
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We supply this list so you may contact members of our congregation who are at home or in a nursing facility.
Please hold in your prayers and
reach out as
you can.
ANDREWS, Marion C. (413) 243-0458
155 Marble Street, #40
Lee, MA 01238
BLAKELY, Rosemarie (413) 243-0485
21 Crossway, #108
Lee MA 01238
BOWENS, Marina (310) 398-2484
c/o Maryella Satinover (310) 749-9424 (cell)
11908 Windward Ave.
Mar Vista, CA 90066
BREASTED, John (413) 429-8123
Fairview Commons Cell (413) 854-3977
151 Christian Hill Road
Great Barrington MA 01230
BROOKS, Jane (413) 243-3367
165 George Street
Lee MA 01230
CRAWFORD, Ruth (413) 243-2575
125 Woodland Road
Lee MA 01238
FRYE, Vonnie (413) 881-4055
Devonshire Estates
329 Pittsfield Road #216
Lenox, MA 01240
GORE, Barbara (413) 243-4261
50 Stockbridge Road
Lee MA 01238
GRAMMER, John (413) 258-4212
86 South Beech Plain Road
Sandisfield MA 01255
HAIDER, Meredith (413) 551-7319
5 Fox Hollow Road #409 (814) 308-4865 (cell)
Lenox, MA 01240
KEENE, Sara (413) 528-4152
The Egremont Village Inn
17 Main Street
P. O. Box 275
South Egremont, MA 01258
TURNER, Barbara & John (413) 243-8904
130 High Street
Lee MA 01238
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Join us for Centering Prayer ONLINE
every Thursday
5:00 - 6:00
Topic: Centering Prayer-Grace Church
Encouraging a practice of silence and stillness we focus on practices of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina using scripture, art and music. All are welcome.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 423 359 748 or call
+
1 646 558 865
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Click here for the 
Grace Church calendar
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Please Participate in
the 2020 Census
 You should have received information on the 2020 Census in the mail. It is even more critical this year that you mail this information in promptly. With COVID-19, collection of census information will be difficult. But it is important for accurate numbers to be determined for the Berkshires. Census numbers impact education, infrastructure, health care, employment training, and housing decisions at the federal level. These results will affect our community every
day for the next ten years.
Please do not be absent from this census.
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Support Ascentria Care Alliance
Donate or call to learn about volunteering
A
scentria Care Alliance provides resettlement resources for refugees who have received extreme vetting by the U.S., are sponsored by the United Nations, and have been invited to live in our country.
Ascentria partners with the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and a host of other volunteer organizations to do God's work in caring for the most vulnerable in our world.
Donate on-line at
http://www.ascentria.org/donate-today
or call them at (413)-787-0725 to learn about volunteering.
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The Welcome Project Mat by
Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms in Nashville, TN. has come together with women refugees in Ritsonia, Greece to provide an economic platform for women and their families to escape the refugee camps. Lee and John Cheek have brought us a mat woven from materials the women took on their journey to Greece.
The mat that was on our altar is a symbol that love is the greatest force for change in the world.
Every Purchase Helps a Woman Survivor Heal. Shop Now!
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What are you grateful for?
In this time of fear and anxiety, it can be easy to miss the daily blessings that are right in front of us. Being grateful is not just for good times. Being grateful is even more important when fear sets a place at your table and heartbreak seems to be in your every breath. Because by being grateful we become aware of all the ways God is working in us. Being grateful is a part of our healing and our deliverance. Being grateful is where our best selves reside.
I invite you to take time each day to breathe and be aware of all the ways God is present with us. Write them down or simply include them in your daily prayers. A heart that turns toward being grateful comes to see the goodness and grace of God everywhere, even in a time of hardship.
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It costs about $1500 a year to support a baby. The Diocese's goal is for one congregation
to support one child for a year.
To donate to support babies at the Mampong Babies Home in Ghana please send a check to Grace Church, PO Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230
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Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:1-10
Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
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HYMN
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| Atlanta Master Chorale | The Lord Is My Shepherd (Rutter) |
The lord is my shepherd:
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture:
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul:
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness,
for his Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them
that trouble me:
thou hast anointed my head with oil,
and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.
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Jen is thrilled that the greenhouse is finally done!
Jen may be celebrating in this photo, but it's Fisher who deserves the credit for the work. He spent our last two workdays putting it together.
 Meanwhile, we have been working hard on our no-till beds in the front of the greenhouse.
This takes more work than we realized. We have about 16 small beds, and each bed requires a series of steps in order to be fully prepped:
1. Rake the hay off
2. Shovel the soil to even out the ground
3. Rake the soil to even out clumps
4. Collect rocks
5. Broadfork the soil to loosen it
6. Rake one last time
7. Now it's ready for seeding!
Dutch came to lend a helping hand on our pea beds. Thanks Dutch!
It may not look like much now, but in those beds of soil, we have spinach, beets, radishes, carrots, and soon we will transplant our pea sprouts!
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JOIN OUR DISCUSSION ONLINE
Wednesday, May 13, at 7PM
Martha Katz will lead our discussion
Meeting will end at about 8:00 PM
The book is Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
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Here is your Zoom invitation to join us on Wednesday, May 13 at 7:00 PM
Topic:
Books and Bread on Zoom
Time:
Apr 8, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 676 651 421 or call 1 646 558 8656
F
or more information email Peter at PetetheK@yahoo.com
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Please save the date
for the Installation and Celebration
of the Ministry of the Rev. Jen Bloesch
Program Director of Gideon's Garden
Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 1:00 PM
or call by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 947 9490 5319
Password: 066298
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Third Sunday Supper is going online
Next Gathering is on Sunday, May 17 at 6:00PM
Join us on Zoom for an evening of laughter and conversation.
All are enthusiastically welcomed!
For more information contact George Raymond
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COVID-19 Scams...
Be Careful
A crisis brings out the best and sadly, the worst in people. Some of the worst have been showing up in scams. Most are old scams with a COVID twist. Here's what to watch out for and some tips to steer clear.
1. Offers to "help" you get your COVID relief benefits. This is the old, "give us your bank info and social security number" scam with a viral twist. Don't ever give that information out over the phone, by text message, or in an email reply. Also, you don't need help getting those benefits. They will automatically come the same way your tax refund comes.
2. Scammers create an email address that looks similar, and may even use a picture of a leader you trust to make it look real. Impersonating a leader, they ask for help by asking for gift cards. No bishop, pastor, or priest will ever ask for your support through gift cards. You can always call me to check if it's real.
3. Scammers impersonate government agencies. Remember that government agencies will never call you to ask for personal information or money.
4. Do not click suspicious links in text messages or emails particularly from unknown numbers or email addresses. If it looks odd and was sent from a friend, call them first to see if they sent it or were hacked.
5. Check up on all charities before donating.
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Why We Join, Why We Give
Meet four members of our community. Each tells the story of what being a member of Grace means.
Why We Join
is a new feature on our website. Would you like to add your story? Contact
Kathy
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A LETTER FROM BERKSHIRE SOUTH COMMUNITY CENTER
Dear Community Friends,
The Community Center has been working on a project with the United Way/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Fund to execute a meal pick-up program. The goal is to provide 500 meals to the Southern Berkshire Community from local restaurants each week on Wednesdays from 1-3, to be distributed at the Center. This coming week, Barrington Brewery, The Marketplace, Red Lion Inn, and Number 10 have committed to providing the meals! A special thanks goes to Deb Phillips for her guidance.
If you've got questions, my new "office" phone is 413-717-2674 and my hours are usually Monday-Friday from 9am-1pm (though, as you can see I'm often available beyond these hours because there is no such thing as the concept of time anymore). Please feel free to call, text or email!
I'm hoping you can help get the word out to your communities. Berkshire South has a post on Facebook but the information is also below in this email as well!
Here are the details:
WHAT:
Nourishing Neighbors south county meal program,
providing 500 meals from local restaurants weekly!
WHO:
Meals are available for all community members in the southern Berkshires needing extra support at this time, especially our senior population, those who have lost their jobs, and those otherwise financially struggling.
WHEN: Wednesdays, 1pm-3pm (For any updates or changes, follow Berkshire South's facebook page) - Please, no early birds!
WHERE: Berkshire South Regional Community Center, drive thru*. 15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington.
**If you're not able to drive, please contact meals@berkshiresouth.org and we'll deliver to you! The deadline to request delivery every week is Tuesday at 10am so that we are able to plan ahead.
DETAILS: This is a contactless system, please stay in your car. We'll be happy to take your order curbside. Questions: please email
meals@berkshiresouth.org.
HOW: We are so grateful for Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the COVID 19 Emergency Response Fund. We're also thankful for Price Chopper and M Designs for their donations of bags & masks, respectively (Community donations will be welcomed shortly).
Kate Tucci
Director of Educational and Community Programs
BERKSHIRE SOUTH REGIONAL COMMUNITY CENTER
15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
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Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures
For a summary on the Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures that went into effect Monday, April 20 please click here. Remember:
No tenant should be moving out of his/her home at the insistence of a landlord.
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THE BELOVED COMMUNITY OF THE DIOCESE
OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Invites all people and parishes in the Diocese
to read and discuss Howard Thurman's
Jesus and the Disinherited
in 2020.
Two Sessions via Zoom
May 7 & May 14
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
A mentor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Howard Thurman anticipated many of the themes of liberation theology, including Black Theology. But Thurman's focus was not direct activism so much as cultivating a liberated spirit. The result is a short, inspiring work of pastoral theology.
Parishes could use
Jesus and the Disinherited
as the basis for
one or more ZOOM conversations about Christian formation, spirituality, and racial justice.
God's peace and all good be with you all!
Lee Cheek & Harvey Hill
Co-Chairs of the Beloved Community Commission
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The Way of Love:
Practices for
Jesus-Centered Life
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has completed a series of podcasts in which he discusses the Way of Love. They are available to listen to on The Episcopal church website.
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Worship Schedule
Morning Prayer and Sunday Service
at 10:00 am
In this time of COVID-19 our public gatherings
have been suspended for the good of all.
Please join us online
for worship, study, and fellowship.
We pray for all who are affected by this virus
and we give thanks for the many people who are giving themselves in service to others.
May God hold you close in these anxious times.
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You can now donate to Grace Church through PayPal.
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For Janet's sermons click
here
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On occasional weeks there will be a reflection by Janet. Click
here.
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OFFICERS
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Class of 2021
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Anne Andrews
Dutch Pinkston
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Junior
Warden
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Class of 2022
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Cathy Haywood
John Cheek
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Treasurer
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Sue Gore
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Class of 2023
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Dindy Anderson
Holly Murray
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Clerk
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GRACE CHURCH
An Episcopal Community in the Southern B
erkshires
The Rev. Dr. Janet Zimmerman,
Rector
The Rev. Jen Bloesch
Gideon's Garden Program Director
Mailing:
P.O. Box 114
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Gretchen Fairfield
Office Assistant
or by phone at 413-644-6572.
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