Growing in Faith. Creating an Inclusive Community.
Serving with Compassion. Working for Social Justice.
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December 2
The Second Sunday of Advent
Holy Eucharist
Visitation by
the Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano
In person
10 am
and online
Pre-registration no longer required.
Online service can be viewed on our live Vimeo feed. We are no longer offering a live Zoom service.
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Upcoming Service Times
In December and January, we have many special service times. Mark your calendars!
Sunday, December 5th: Advent 2 & The Bishop's Visit
Sunday, December 12th: Advent 3 & The Christmas Pageant (11 am)
- Service times: 8 am and 11 am only
Sunday, December 19th: Advent 4:
- Service times: 8 am, 9:15 am, and 11 am
- Lessons and Carols 5 pm
Friday, December 24th: Christmas Eve
- Service times: 4 pm and 10 pm
Saturday, December 25th: Christmas Day
The following Sundays will have a single service at 10 am:
- December 26th
- January 2nd
- January 9th (with baptisms, Annual Parish Meeting afterward)
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Explore your Faith with “Takes on Advent”
Hear insight from diverse teachers on the Advent Season.
Kelly Brown Douglas
Richard Rohr
Rachel Held Evans
Nadia Bolz-Weber and others
10:00 – 10:40 am in the North Room on Sunday, Dec. 12th
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Join us for the Gingerbuild!
The Stroller Group is excited to bring back the Gingerbuild!
Join us Saturday, December 11th at 11am (following the conclusion of pageant practice) to decorate mini gingerbread houses and raise money to support CHiPS. Please RSVP by Monday December 6th (necessary to guarantee a house to decorate).
When: Saturday December 11th at 11am
Who: All ages welcome & feel free to bring a friend! While Stroller Group events are typically geared toward the young ones, this is a great event for kids of any age that would like to decorate a house.
Why: to gather the little ones for some holiday fun & benefit CHiPS! The suggested donation is $10 per house (though this is just a suggestion, please donate at your discretion)
How: with lots of icing (sorry parents!) and fantastically festive candy.
We hope to see you then!
~ Stroller Group
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ADVENT ORGAN RECITALS
Please join us for the following Tuesday organ recitals during Advent.
Tuesday Organ Recitals
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
ADVENT 2021
7 December 2021
Craig R. Whitney
Grace Church Brooklyn Heights
14 December 2021
Eric Birk
New York City, New York
21 December 2021
Paul Richard Olson
Heidi Engstrom, flute
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Giving to Grace
2022 Annual Giving Campaign
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Why We Give to Grace
There are so many reasons why we give to Grace Church every year. But the one reason we’d like to focus on right now is our teenage son, Henry, and how important and significant Grace has been to him, from his parents’ perspective.
Henry was baptized at Grace and has moved through the church since then in all phases of his life: from being a student at Godly Play to performing in the Christmas Pageant to now serving as an acolyte and crucifer, roles he takes very seriously and mean so much to him in his formation not only as a Christian, but as a young man and citizen. Seeing Henry lead the procession was also a source of profound joy to his grandparents, Walter and Elisabeth — an incomparable and unforgettable experience.
All along the way, Grace has been nothing but loving to Henry and to all of the kids who quite literally grow up in the church. Rev. Steve Muncie’s high fives during the recessional hymns — to young Henry and his friends — sent a message at an early age that too many young people don’t receive from religious institutions: You are welcome here. You are loved. You are valued. You are SEEN. Our son has also had deep and lengthy theological conversations with Father Allen and Father Chris — over lunch or ice cream — and no question was “out of bounds,” no topic too difficult to address and tackle. Allen and Chris took the time, and offered their best and most profound insights to a young seeker. I know this has also been the case with many other young people at Grace.
Our church community never fails to make our son and his peers feel that they belong at Grace, that they are always welcome, and that they are integral to the life of the church.
How many religious institutions make the young feel that way? How many convey to the young the most positive, loving, and generous experience of the Christian faith? And who wouldn’t want you support such a church — as generously as possible — with their treasure and time?
— Geoff Brewer and Regan Solmo
Campaign Update
As we reflect on last week’s Thanksgiving holiday and our many blessings, we are very thankful to Geoff and Regan and the 84 other individuals and households who have pledged $427,612 to the 2022 Annual Giving Campaign. We acknowledge and thank you here. As your Stewardship Chairs, we are both grateful and humbled by your generosity.
Our goals for this year are both realistic and optimistic as we seek to maintain our current ministries, address rising expenses and allow for new opportunities for growth. If you are an active pledger we are asking all Grace households, if able, to prayerfully consider increasing your 2020 pledge by 5% or more. If you have never pledged before, we are asking you to do so now. Please remember that if you want to receive the tax benefits from a gift in the calendar year 2021, you must make your donation by midnight on December 31.
And as a special treat for the 2022 Annual Giving campaign, we are pleased to share that pledging households will receive the first annual Grace Church Christmas ornament! The ornaments, in personalized envelopes, are available to pick up in the back of the sanctuary. We plan for this to become an annual tradition, so please get your pledge in so that you make sure you don’t miss out, as we only have a limited number.
Please free to contact either of us (Seth and Andrew) with any questions. You can make a pledge online through your Realm account, by returning the pledge card you received in the mail. And if you need help signing into that account, please let us know. We’re happy to help!
Every pledge matters – and we hope you will join us and our families in supporting the mission of our Church.
Seth Lloyd & Andrew Blair
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LAST CALL!
Grace Parents' Book Club
Ever struggled to stay connected to God and the Church from Monday to Saturday? In Liturgy of the Ordinary, priest and NY Times columnist Tish Harrison Warren offers guidance in finding the sacred in the mundane details of everyday life. Please join us for another round of lively and supportive discussion. Buy the book locally here (or buy it from Amazon).
Parishioners Jane Nelson and Sarah Yates will co-lead the conversation, along with Fr Chris. We will meet via Zoom at 8pm on three Mondays: January 3rd and 31st, and February 28th. Please RSVP by clicking here. |
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Grace Church Holiday Campaign for CHIPS
We are calling upon the Grace Church family to help make the upcoming holidays special for single moms and their babies.
As always, in the spirit of generosity, please consider the following:
- Purchasing toys for infants and babies
- Purchasing gift cards for Amazon, Target, Walmart, Macy’s or Visa that will go in Welcome Kits for new moms at the CHiPS Shelter
- Donating other Welcome Kit items such as new utensils, dishes, dish towels, dish cloths, laundry detergent, new linens, or comforter sets
- Helping to assemble the Welcome Kits
Please look for the designated basket at the back of the church. (You can also drop off donations separately at CHiPS)
Look for the volunteer sign-up sheet at the back of the church and let us know how you can help.
Other opportunities:
- Volunteer at CHIPS to serve meals during the holiday season
- Prepare meals and bring them to CHiPS; food donations are accepted Monday- Friday from 10am-3pm and Saturday mornings from 10am-11am.
CHiPs is located at 200 4th Ave. between Sackett and DeGraw.
Thank you!
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Social Justice & Reconciliation
Fall 2021 Discussion Group
With the increased news coverage calling for the closure of Rikers Island, our Social Justice and Reconciliation Ministry will begin a journey exploring the current conditions at the detention complex. Taking an historical approach, we’ll compare the concerns raised fifty years ago by inmates at the Attica Correctional Facility before the 1971 prison uprising. We’ll examine the broader implications for better policing and criminal justice reform. The materials are available here. Please be advised that the content includes graphic images and accounts of violence. We will gather Sunday, December 19th at 12:15 pm in the North Room for conversation and discussion. To join or for more information, please email Rev. Leandra Lisa Lambert at llambert@gracebrooklyn.org.
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SUNDAY SCHOOL RETURNS!
Grace Church is pleased to once again offer our children’s formation program starting in mid-January, 2022. Classes will meet for about 45 minutes, immediately following the Sunday 9:15 a.m. family service. Trained lay volunteers will lead students through the new and increasingly popular Storymakers curriculum.
Parents are welcome to register their school-age (K-5) children using this link. Feel free to email Fr Chris with any questions. And thank you for committing to one of Grace’s Core Values—growing your family’s faith!
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Grace Church Journey to the Holy Land
12 Day Pilgrimage August 5-16, 2022
You are invited to join other pilgrims from Grace Church as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Together we will visit places of his birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Our experienced guide Iyad Qumri will lead us in exploring ancient places, vibrant markets, and modern museums in a land that is suspended between East and West, past and present. For more information, please contact our coordinator, Allison Robinson, or click here to download a copy of the flyer.
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Rector’s Bible Study
Please join the Rector for weekly Bible Study. The Bible Study group meets in person every Tuesday from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm in the Choir Room. Please enter the church through the clergy door when you arrive.
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Evening Prayer
Grace Church offers Evening Worship every Tuesday - Friday at 5pm online.
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Coffee Hour Returns
Grace is thrilled to announce a return of our post-service coffee hour! Please join us in the Guild Hall for coffee, individually-wrapped snacks, and fellowship after our 8 am, 9:15 am, and 11 am services. All are welcome. We hope to see you there!
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Sunday Worship Service:
Live Stream Volunteers Needed
If you would like to volunteer to be part of the Grace Church live stream team and help sustain and grow our Media Ministry, please contact Peter Farrell.
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FIRST UNITARIAN COLLECTING NEW AND GENTLY USED SHOES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOLES4SOULS
New and gently used shoes will be collected at First Unitarian, corner of Pierrepont Street and Monroe Place:
December 4th at UniFair in First U Chapel from 10 AM to 2 PM
December 5th at Sunday Service at 11 AM
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Parish Prayer Concerns
That we may prepare a way for the Lord in our time, and make a straight path for God in our hearts, our families, and our workplaces. That we may courageously live as disciples who bring good news and compassion to others. For repentance: may we open our minds and our hearts to God’s ways, and be changed. For the gift of hope in a time of uncertainty and anxiety. For all who live daily in the shadow of war and violence. For all those who are lost, and all who are experiencing rough places in their lives. For all who suffer from COVID-19, and those who have been commended to our prayers this week, especially Claude; Tom B.; Ryan; Gwen; Bill C.; Linda & Ed; Heleen; Sonia; Sally; Anita; Linda C.; Tom K.; Erika; Noreen K.; Cary; Tim, Katrina & Krissy Jo; Kris; Aria & Ruah; Kerrilynn; Ophie; Stephanie; and Trey. For those who live with chronic or incurable illnesses, and those who care for sick or aging loved ones. For those who have died, especially Patricia Seabaugh, mother-in-law of Theresa Seabaugh; Michele Jaggernauth, niece of Renny Dindyal; the Rev. Kevin Von Gonten, a retired priest of this diocese; and all who have died by gun violence this past week. For all who mourn.
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Sunday Services
Sunday worship services have returned to the Sanctuary for our 8 am, 9:15 am, and 11 am services. (Please note our special service times for December and January above.)
We ask that all groups maintain social distance while attending worship services. For this reason, our capacity will be 150 worshippers per service (not including clergy, acolytes, and choir). We are no longer asking anyone to register in advance to attend, and we will not record information for contact tracing at the door. Everyone must wear a mask while inside any Grace Church building. Further, we do strongly encourage all worshippers and visitors to Grace Church be vaccinated against COVID-19.
If you have any questions about our worship schedule, please contact Melissa Kelly, parish administrator, at parishoffice@gracebrooklyn.org or (718) 624-1850 x 10.
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Child Care Returns
Grace Church has resumed nursery care in the Colonial Room for small children for our 9:15 am and 11 am services. The Colonial Room is located across from the kitchen in the Parish Hall. As always, children are welcome at our worship services as well.
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Giving to Grace
Thank you for your on-going support as we continue to worship remotely as well as in person. We are happy to let you know that you may make a pledge or general offering donations by text!
Please send a text to 73256 with the message "GraceBrooklyn". The first time, you will be prompted to provide your name and address, including your card number. If you save that information for future use, the second offering by text will be immediate. You may also make one-time pledge payments and general offering donations online here.
If you would like to set up a recurring pledge payment on Realm, please contact Melissa Kelly, parish administrator, for an invitation to join.
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In Remembrance or Gratitude...
Altar flowers are a wonderful way to express gratitude for life's blessings or memorialize a loved one.
If you would like to contribute Altar flowers, please contact Marilyn Grant. An acknowledgment will be included in the service bulletin.
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Weekday Visits to Grace
To ensure your safety and maintain the workplace standards established by the Department of Health, we ask you to let us know ahead of time when you will be stopping in. When you visit please use the Clergy Door, which is the first door on your right in the Hicks Street courtyard. Sign the Visitors Log at the door (should we need to do any contact tracing), sanitize your hands and, as always, wear a mask.
To minimize traffic, particularly while children are at school, please refrain from moving through the Parish Hall. The restroom at the back of the sanctuary is available for your use. We thank you!
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Grace Church | 254 Hicks Street | Brooklyn NY 11201 |
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