Seeking and Serving Christ in all Persons

Parish News For the week of May 22, 2022

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Or email lisa@graceepiscopallexington.org

From the Minster of Music

A Vesper service will be held Sunday, May 22 at 5 pm. It will be led by musicians Ginny Maddock (St. David's, Ashburn), Martha Burford, Bill McCorkle, and Paul Vasile, and others, including the Choir of Grace.

Music in the Garden

Grace Episcopal Church has joined in the 2022 sponsorship of Music in the Garden at Boxerwood. Join your Grace family at the first MITG concert, Tom Artwick and the Regency Trio, Friday, May 27, from 6:30 – 8 pm. Gates open at 5:30. Pack a picnic, bring a chair and we’ll see you there!

SUMMIT

Join us on June 4 and discover Invite Welcome Connect at Grace Episcopal Church! Invite Welcome Connect is a ministry of transformation that equips and empowers congregations

and individuals to cultivate intentional practices of

evangelism, hospitality, and belonging.

Rooted in the Gospel directive to "God and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) the vision of Invite Welcome Connect is to change the culture of The Episcopal Church to move from maintenance to mission. 

Jenni Faires, DIOSWVA Canon of Youth and Evangelism

will be our facilitator for the day.

Come, join us in Mission!

May is Preservation Month! Putting a Human Face to Slavery in Rockbridge County

May events sponsored by HLA: https://historiclexington.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/HLF-Newsletter-Winter-2022-Preservation-Month.pdf

On May 28, Charles Dew, author of the acclaimed book, Bond of Iron: Master and Slave at Buffalo Forge, will speak at 2 pm at Falling Spring Presbyterian Church, south of Lexington on Falling Spring Road off Rt. 11. Following his presentation, Dr. Dew has agreed to a book signing of Bond of Iron. Participants will then have an opportunity to visit nearby Buffalo Forge, thanks to the property’s owners.

Mission Mondays

Join us on three Mondays and one Sunday this Summer for service in our community.

Our first Monday is June 6. Grace will host the Hiker Dinner at St. John's in Glasgow. Glasgow is a popular destination for hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Shuttles are available from the trail to Glasgow. Glasgow has a shelter with a hot shower, a hostel, a post office, Dollar General, and a restaurant. The restaurant is closed on Monday so St. John's Episcopal provides dinner on Mondays for hikers from May to July. If you are interested in helping with the dinner please contact sharon@graceepiscopallexington.org

Other mission opportunities this Summer

June 20 - Community Closet in Buena Vista

July 11 - Campus Kitchens

July 24 - RARA Food Pantry

Car Needed

An 18 year old man at Boys Home is looking for a used Mazda (or any used car) that they can buy for around $3000, a first car for a hard-working guy. If you can help please contact The Rev. Anne Grizzle at agrizzle@boyshomeofva.org.

Virginia Boys Home Cottage Sponsorship

Virginia Boys Home Cottage Sponsorship is a commitment by Grace Episcopal Church to sponsor one cottage at the home near Covington, Va. The Home has Episcopal roots and accepts boys from 5 to 18 years old. Organizations that choose to sponsor a cottage are asked to contribute $2500 each year for the upkeep and maintenance of the cottage. Grace Church has opted to go further than financial support by engaging with the boys on a personal level. We have recruited individual sponsors from the parish for each boy - to write to them and visit them occasionally. We also plan fun events for all the 9 boys, usually in the Lexington area.

Since our sponsorship started, the boys have been transferred to many different cottages. However, we have chosen to keep sponsoring the same boys regardless of their cottage. Our program currently has 7 Grace Church parishioners who are sponsoring boys. These boys have either been troubled boys or from troubled homes.

We currently need a Grace Church parishioner who will coordinate this work and sponsor a couple of boys who are currently without a sponsor. The following represents the main duties of a coordinator:

1. Boys will be graduating and what new boys we sponsor should be discussed.
2. Grace Volunteers may decide they do not want to volunteer any longer. May need to recruit new volunteers.
3. Plan with help of Grace team members occasional events such as visiting a Grace sponsor home and having a picnic, a swimming/picnic event at a lake or pool, a campout at a sponsor home.
4. Encourage Grace Volunteers to visit their boy(s) at the home and to keep writing to them.

This is a rewarding and needed program. Anyone who chooses to coordinate or be a sponsor for this program will receive more than you give. But then, that is true with most giving.

For additional information, contact David Gates at michaeldavidgates@gmail.com or 261-1410.

Photo from picnic at the home of David and Bonnie Gates in the Summer of 2021

A Note from Samuel Pech

Dear Members of Grace Episcopal Church:  

I would like to thank everyone for being there for me while I have been in Lexington.  The whole church opened their doors to me and made me feel welcome. Many people gave me rides and helped me get food; the staff gave me space in the church and office to use. I was worried when I came, where I would be at first; but I felt comfortable at Grace Church, like being home. People here were always ready to help me out. 

 In particular, I would like to thank:

~Lisa for taking her time to help me get on the internet to look for jobs, for helping me to get medical care when I needed it, and for giving me rides here and there.  

~Tuck for helping me find a job, for connecting me with so many important numbers (especially RARA), and for helping me to find another place to live with Richard Jones.

 ~Richard for sharing his space and for helping to show me around and see the beauty of Lexington.  

 ~MJ for helping give me a ride to an interview, and for helping me get to many places, and helping me to understand many things about this new place,, especially with her connections to other South Sudanese people and activities nearby..

 ~Susan, Phillip, and Luke--the Community Connections Dream Team--for helping to connect me to other people here. and for good conversations, and for our time together!  

 ~Gail for supporting me in getting services from RARA, especially helping me to extend my lodging for 8 days.

 ~Sharon for understanding me when I needed that most! 

I feel so good that everyone in the church has encouraged me to come back again after I finish my business in Texas. I really want to be here! That gives me so much courage and trust. My eyes have opened differently, so positively, in my time here. I  look forward to seeing you all when I return--for more worship, Bible study, and fellowship. Please remember to pray for me! 

Blessing to you all!

Samuel Biar Pech 

BY THE GRACE OF GOD

AND WITH THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE

THE RIGHT REVEREND MARK A. BOURLAKAS

BISHOP OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA

WILL ORDAIN

SAMSON JAMES MAMOUR

CARA ELLEN MODISETT

WILLIAM WESTWOOD YAGEL

TO THE SACRED ORDER OF DEACONS

IN CHRIST’S ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH

SATURDAY, THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF JUNE, 2022

AT 11:00 A.M.

GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

123 W. WASHINGTON STREET

LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450

YOUR PRAYERS AND PRESENCE ARE REQUESTED

Hosting Ukrainians 

A local group has begun planning to host families from war-torn Ukraine.

A first meeting has taken place, with all attendees expressing an overwhelming wish to help. The community-based group, “Hosting Ukrainian Families,” welcomes others to participate, to be a partner in helping ease the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in front of us.

If you would like to answer a call to join us, please let us know at JerryNay@jerrynay.us .You will be sent progress reports with information on how to take part.

Vestry Minutes

Vestry Minutes are available on our website under the vestry tab.

Happy Birthday

Jim White (5/1), Elizabeth Harralson (5/2), Ruth Smith (5/2), River Hull (5/8), Kate Holston (5/8), Anne Hershbell (5/12), Jenny Mastin (5/15), Ren Price (5/16), Elaine Price (5/16), John Dickerson (5/17), Cynthia Robertson (5/17), Joan Crawford (5/20), Foster Pickett (5/20), Anne Tyler McCabe (5/31), Ellie Mastin (5/31)