Dear Grace Covenant Community, |
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The staff is excited to share the calendars below with you. Finally we can have some face to face time together --
some Summer Time Fun for 2021!
Remember that during the week there are over 110 kids who are in our building between The Children’s Center at Gracelyn (TCC) and Youth Transformed for Life (YTL), and they are all unvaccinated due to their ages. Because they are using most of the indoor space in the building, please continue to contact a staff member if you need access to the building or have a question about meeting space.
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You’ll notice that Tuesday there will be office hours in the church building. Staff is making our way back to working face-to-face some. At the same time, we’ve all learned that our families and our bodies are healthier when we have a different rhythm to our week. As we transition back into working in the church building, I am encouraging staff to find a combination of working at home and at the office that supports their health and well-being while getting their work done effectively. By the end of the Summer there will be more open office hours. For now, you can count on Tuesdays. The rest of the week, we are just a phone call, text or email away.
Summertime in the life of the church is usually a time when staff can have some renewal and there are fewer programs. Last summer because of COVID, we kept many of our programs going because we knew people needed a way to connect. Now this summer, because we are in a different phase of the pandemic, staff is once again feeling the need to offer more programming than we normally would in the summer. And please be aware as well that Jeff, our Director of Music Ministries, will be on sabbatical July, August and part of September. You, the congregation, have been so supportive of the staff during COVID and we pray that you have felt all of our love and support for you too. Let's continue to hold each other gently and extend grace in this time of yet another transition.
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A few things to keep in mind as you make plans to attend these events:
- We are focusing on outdoor gatherings while we give families with young children time to have their kids vaccinated. Remember that families with children under 12 have not been able to get vaccinated yet because vaccinations for those ages have not yet been approved.
- Our outdoor worship services (dates indicated below) will also be live streamed and available online. In the event of rain, the service will be online only that day.
- For outdoor services please bring:
A chair
A mask
A bottle of water
- We will have a few outdoor canopies set up outside for shade.
- If you do come into the building for any reason, please wear a mask.
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If you’d like to join a Garden Work Team, please contact Betsy Wilson at betsywilson1111@gmail.com.
- Evening vespers will be outside. In the event of rain, we will use the narthex with all the doors open and canopy in the courtyard.
- August is a time for staff to begin preparations for our Fall Kick Off. Mark your calendars for GCPC Palooza on Sunday, September 19th.
- The gatherings listed on the calendars below are all face to face and will take place outdoors at GCPC, unless otherwise indicated.
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Click here for a printable version of these calendars.
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Bible Study - The program year is over, but in an effort to continue our deep study of scripture and to see one another in fellowship, the lectionary Bible study will have two in-person, outdoor meetings over the summer on June 23 and July 14, both at 10am. Bring your Bibles and an open heart as we discern together what God is saying to use through the week’s lesson! All are welcome!
Men of GCPC - The men will gather in person and outdoors on June 24 and July 22. Bring your own breakfast and coffee and we will gather for conversation and fellowship around important topics of the day. If you are not on the email distribution list, please contact Richard for more information.
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J.O.Y. Group Morning Bingo! - To all those of retirement age, empty nesters, or qualifying for a senior discount, you are invited to come out for doughnuts, coffee, and ‘competitive’ outdoor bingo on July 15 at 9am. Highly sought-after prizes will be awarded! Please RSVP to Richard by July 11 so we can plan accordingly.
Racial Justice Book Series - We will hold our June and July book series meetings in person and outdoors. On June 29, we will be discussing Ijeoma Oluo’s, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America and on July 25, we will discuss Anthea Butler’s, White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America. Both meetings will go 6:30-8:00pm. Bring your own dinner and be ready to discuss these important texts from a faith perspective.
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For questions about any of the adult programs, please contact Richard at rcoble@gcpcusa.org. |
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GCPC Compassion Camp Days
On the Second Saturday of each month we will meet on the church lawn for a Bible story, community building, music, movement, creating, playing and a sending. The theme for these times is Lovingkindness.
Lovingkindness is the utmost form of selfless love toward ourselves and others. The practice begins with focusing on self-compassion because once we have compassion for ourselves, we can have compassion for others.
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These sessions are designed for families to participate together (no drop-off).
- Families with Children 0-5 years old will meet from 9-10:30 am.
- Families with Children current 1st-5th graders will meet from 11-12:30pm.
If you have families that span the age groups, please attend the one most convenient for you. Please wear comfortable clothes, a water bottle and a blanket to sit on. As always, this is open to the community, please invite friends to join us!
Let us know who will be joining us by filling out this form.
We still need some volunteer help before, during and after each camp day. Please contact Amy Kim at amykim@gcpcusa.org.
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Playground and Popsicles | 4th Saturday of every month | 3-5pm
Kids 0-11 and their parents are invited to join us on the playground of GCPC for some outdoor community building and popsicles. We will start at 3:00 pm and stick around until 5:00 pm. Please come for a little or a lot of the time! Please bring water bottles for your family.
ALL Youth Coffee Breaks - Join us for a beverage break and some good company!. We will announce the location a week before the date. For now, please mark your calendars to join us for a little break.
Middle School Youth (6-8th grade) - We will gather in the summer on the lawn of GCPC for community building and fun. You are welcome to bring a friend or two with you.
High School Youth (9-12th grade) - We will be having some late night fun on the church lawn. Wear some clothes/shoes ready for activities! Please invite friends to join you!
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For questions about any of the youth and children's events, please contact Amy Kim at amykim@gcpcusa.org. |
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Happy Summer 2021 GCPC!
Peace,
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