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Grace Episcopal Church
Parish News
For the Week of June 28, 2020
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Sunday, June 28
4th Sunday After Pentecost
(Please register if you are attending at 10:30 in person here)
If you cannot gather with us in person for Holy Communion and would like to receive communion, please call the parish office (540.463.4981) or email (
sharon@graceepiscopallexington.org) and let us know how many people in your household would like to receive communion and specify if anyone needs a gluten free wafer. Someone from the service will deliver (observing social distancing) the consecrated bread to you shortly after the service.
Regathering Plans for Grace Episcopal Church
Our worship guilds have prepared that our regathering is as safe and joyful as possible. Please help us by
- Staying informed and vigilant with regard to your personal and household risk.
- Following the instructions in Stop the Spread of Germs. pdf Everyone should bring and wear a mask.
- Signing up for one of the Sunday services. Attendance at each service is limited to 41 individuals or households spaced six feet apart. These restrictions should not pose an issue at our 8 AM service. We will have to sign up to attend the 10:30 service. Sign-ups are available starting mid-week before the service on the website, by a link sent to you by email or you can call the church office to reserve a space.
- Bringing your personal Book of Common Prayer and Bible either in printed or electronic formats. You can download the electronic Common Prayer app here. Prayer Books and Hymnals have been removed from the church.
- Bringing a pre-printed or use an electronic version of the service. (www.graceepiscopallexington.org) If you arrive without Prayer Book or Bible a limited number of preprinted full text bulletins will be available.
- Remembering that because singing is currently deemed a "superspreader," we will currently be singing in our hearts and not out loud.
- Bringing the love of God and each other with you! Please don't forget the Holy Spirit including joy, kindness, patience, a sense of humor, and the openness to experience new things.
- The church will not be air conditioned during services. The front and side doors will be left open for circulation of air.
- Obeying the instructions of ushers, clergy and other worship leaders.
The opportunity to regather is not a sign that the risk of contracting the virus has diminished. It does mean that we have confidence that our health care system has sufficient capacity and that we all have sufficient resources to manage the risk.
Exploring a Prayer Discipline, Monday, June 29 at 10 am
Morning Prayer, Monday - Friday, 8:30 am
Compline, Monday - Thursday, 8:30 pm
If you are interested in leading a night of Compline please let Sharon or Martha know.
Virtual VBS, Compassion Camp, July 13 - 16
The downtown Lexington Churches are teaming up again to offer Vacation Bible School. This year it will all be online! Watch for details!
Did You Know?
Did you know that you can pay your pledge or make a donation to Grace Episcopal Church online? Go to
www.graceepiscopallexington.org From the list on the top right hand side click on
GIVE.
Study of the book of Acts, Wednesdays, 6:30 pm
Welcome to our new Parish Financial Secretary!
We extend a warm welcome to our new Financial Secretary, Wendy (Moses) Bearden. Wendy recently married Bill Bearden, pastor of Mt. Horeb and Collierstown United Methodist Churches and moved to our area. If Wendy's name sounds familiar she last worked as the Controller and Benefits Coordinator for the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. She will be in the office Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to noon. You may reach Wendy at
bookkeeper@graceepiscopallexington.org
We are grateful to Angie Fafatas for her faithful service to Grace Episcopal for the last 3 years.
Yard sale cancelled; funds still needed
for South Sudanese Students!
Sadly, it does not seem safe to hold our Sudan Mission Yard Sale scheduled for July 11, so we will not be collecting any more sale items in the Parish Hall. Many thanks to those who have already donated goods! Proceeds of selling them on Facebook, starting July 1, will go to the South Sudan Student Fund.
The fundraising will go on, however, so that John, Mary and William from Tonj, South Sudan can pursue secondary education in the 2021 academic year (January-December). The goal is $3,500. The Christian Outreach Committee has already given $1,500 to this effort.
If you would like to make a cash donation to help complete the goal, you can send a check to Grace Episcopal Church with "South Sudan Students" in the memo line, or make an online donation by selecting "Community Outreach" from the drop down menu on the church website at
www.graceepiscopallexington.org/give
In spite of the global pandemic brought on by Covid-19, the students are making excellent progress under the care of their bishop, the Rt. Rev. Peter Yuol Gur. Your donation will give them the opportunity to continue their education for another year. Thank you very much!
Bridge to Hope Food Pantry
Bridge to Hope, a food pantry operating out of the Church of the Nazarene in Buena Vista, would appreciate food donations as they strive to meet that local community's needs during this time. Especially needed are staple items (such as flour, pasta, rice, oil) and condiments. Donations may be left in the bin just inside the Grace Episcopal Church Parish House door, under the bridge. Bridge to Hope is staffed completely by volunteers and they would welcome anyone who might have a couple of hours to spare. Volunteer work entails packing boxes for curbside pick-up. For further information about volunteering contact Cressia "Sam" Roberts at 540-460-9131 or
RARA Needs Boxes
RARA is in need of small to medium sized boxes to distribute food to clients. They can be brought to the RARA food pantry, 350 Spottswood Drive, Monday-Thursday, 9:00 to 4:30 p.m. or just left outside the door after hours. Now that recycling in the city is ending, all those Amazon boxes can be recycled for use at the food pantry.
I Can Help
The COVID-19 virus will leave some of us in Rockbridge isolated and vulnerable and others better positioned to help out. We are working together as an unofficial group of neighbors in the region who want to help match people who are experiencing hardships from COVID-19-related issues with volunteers who have offered to provide help. If you are healthy with no underlying conditions, you may want to volunteer for in-person assistance to others, such as delivering food or supplies or running errands. If you are more comfortable offering assistance from your home, there are options for that as well. We will be doing our best to direct you to up-to-date organizations that need volunteers or to match you with people who have indicated need. After you fill out the form, we will let you know where you can be most useful based on what we are hearing. THANK YOU, KIND PEOPLE.
I Can Help
You are invited!
Birthdays for the weeks of
June 28 and July 5
Lu Dooley (6/29) Michael Finnell (6.29) Margaret Sayre (6/30) Tom Vinson (7/5) Elise Brooke (7/5) Adam Webster (7/5) Doug Cumming (7/5) Jay Crawford (7/6)
David Wade (7/6) Benjamin Holston (7/7) Sue Shultis (7/8) Mary Wilson (7/11)
Otis Mead (7/12)
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