This Sunday’s Gospel • Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise...[continue reading]. Lectionary scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Please join us online for virtual worship on Sunday, November 8 at ghtc.org via YouTube.

Avoid Phishing Emails Remember, clergy members or staff members will not reach out by email and ask you to do them a favor such as buying gift cards. Valid emails from the church always have an email address ending in @ghtc.org so be sure to look closely. When in doubt, please call the church; although staff are working remotely, your voice mail will go directly to the individual staff member's email so that person can call you back or contact you.

Coffee Hour this Sunday Thank you to everyone who participated in our Music Exploration Series! This Sunday, November 8 at 10:00 a.m. we will continue our every-other-week coffee hours with new and exciting topics. We hope to see you there! The first 15 minutes are for fellowship, then 45 minutes of discussion. This week we will talk about people's back-to-school experiences and Bill will give a preview of Diocesan Convention, which will be held online on Saturday, November 14. Click this Zoom link for access.

November Children, Youth, and Family Ministries Update is Live You can check out this month’s digital update from Children, Youth, and Family Ministries right here. Did you know that Advent wreath making falls early this year? Have you heard about our digital Christmas Pageant? Details about all this and more are through the link. If you do not receive the monthly update in your inbox and would like to please let Aaron Davis know and he will add you.

Generosity Campaign Continues Have you made your pledge for 2021? Perhaps you are considering a gift of appreciated stock to fulfill your 2020 commitment. We appreciate your financial support that helps keep us together while we are apart. You can complete your pledge online in about two minutes or make a one-time gift by credit card through the secure giving link on our website. Because of faithful, dedicated parishioners, Grace and Holy Trinity Church continues online each week—thank you!

Hanes Donation Thanks to HanesBrands which donated 300 pairs of socks and 100 reusable cloth masks to Red Door Ministry for our community this season.  Natural Life Donation  Thanks to Natural Life company who has donated uplifting women’s clothing for our Red Door Community members. Thank you to the generosity of our members who have arranged pick ups and drop offs for Red Door Ministry in October:  Betty Grinnan Swannee Ericson Jane Carlson Molly Howle Betsy Featherstone

Staying in Touch Over the past few months we have continued to stay in touch with our church family. If you’d like to join one of these fellowship groups, please contact the leader listed below or click here to learn more. Donna Campbell's group will include a weekly devotion and informal conversation with a focus on the positive. You can reach Donna at 804-389-0477. Chase Peak will be facilitating a six week faith-based personality study featuring I Said This, You Heard That conversation resources. Kathleen Thomas will explore Christian themes in art, music, poetry, and literature.

Author Earl Swift Visits with Zoom Book Club GHTC readers were delighted to welcome author Earl Swift to their Oct. 26 discussion of his fascinating book, Chesapeake Requiem. Earl spent nearly two years living on the Chesapeake's remote Tangier Island, which is likely to be the first US community to disappear because of rising sea levels. To check on the November book and meeting time, contact Mary Ann Blankenship at (804-phone number).

Race at Grace We promise at baptism to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. We do this with the expectation of having God’s help. Sometimes God’s help comes in the form of a friend, family member, or sibling in Christ sharing resources they found helpful. This is particularly true when we talk about race and racism in the institutions which we love. If you have a non-partisan resource that you would like to share with your GHTC family, please share it with Kim or Bill. See recommendations about Race at Grace here.

Ushers Needed! Although the Diocese has approved our plan to regather in church, we are waiting on the health markers in Richmond to decrease. When we do regather, we will need ushers to keep parishioners safe and follow new procedures. If you are willing to serve as an usher please contact Bill Perkins.

Cold Weather Clothing and Hygiene Items We are currently accepting fall and winter clothing for distribution at the Red Door feeding ministry. Personal hygiene items such as travel size soap and shampoo are also needed as we have not been able to restock during COVID. If you would like to donate items, a porch pickup can be arranged or you can drop items off at the church during the week by contacting Peter Knecht.

Vestry Nominations Due by November 30 Nominations are open for candidates for election to the Vestry class which will serve from February 2021 through January 2024. If you or someone you know would like to serve on the Vestry, please submit your recommendation to a Vestry member or Thomas Ewers. Before submitting a nomination, please consult the Vestry requirements and information online. Submit all nominations by November 30. If you have any questions you can reach out to a member of the Vestry, Bill, Kim or Thomas Ewers.