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Sixth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
Welcome Back, Bishop Monterroso!
View as Webpage
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IN THIS ISSUE
- Diocese Of Texas Clergy Pilgrimage Of Greece Photo Album
- Mother Suzanne Has Been Selected As A 2024 Trinity Leadership Fellow
- Re-Play Episcopal Parish Network Power Of The Small Church Webinar
- Have You Seen Our Induction Cooktop?
- The Waymakers Painted At Gander Studio This Week
- From The Brothers At SSJE - Love
- Bishop Monterroso Arrives Sunday, May 5 - Potluck Reception To Follow
- Thy Kingdom Come May 9 -19
- Together For Alvin - Worship In The Park, Friday, May 10
- Troop 400 Mama Mia Spaghetti Bisto Saturday, May 11
- Pentecost Picnic - May 19
- Don's Fish Fry and Silent Auction Benefitting The Women's Center of Brazoria County - May 25
- Vacation Bible School June 8 & July 13
- Episcopal Night At The Ballpark, July 31
Liturgy Of The Week
- Holy Eucharist Rite I With Confirmations
- The Preaching Moment Podcast - Celebrating 100 Episodes Published!
- A Holy Pause
- Rector's Tuesday Bible Study
- Wednesday Noonday Prayer Around The World
- The Mobile Food Pantry - Thursday, May 9
- Friday Get Clean Shower Ministry
- On Generosity...
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Click Here For The Prayer List
- Click Here For The Church Calendar
- Click Here For The Server Schedule
- Click Here For The Live-Streaming Team Schedule
- Click Here For Parish Directory
- Click Here For The Coffee Host Schedule
Keep Scrolling to Learn More...
If you know of a brother or sister with no computer or internet access - would you please print off this email and drop it off to that person? We don't have many, but there are some. Let's help all of our Grace Family stay connected.
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Clergy from our diocese participated in a pilgrimage to Paul’s Grecian Church plants through the Quinn Foundation and John Logan Memorial Fund, April 10-21. Bishop Monterroso and 12 clerics from around the diocese journeyed even deeper into their faith.
Click here to read on
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Recorded Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Description
The death of the small Episcopal Church has long been predicted. We know that urban and suburban parishes are thriving, but our parishes and missions often struggle in rural or exurban communities. While this trope is easy to repeat, it isn’t the whole story. And, importantly, we must recognize that our unique Episcopal witness is critical to these communities just as it is in our biggest urban parish context.
Panelists include:
- The Rev. Suzanne Smith – Rector, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Ed Carrette – Community Missioner, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Susie Credeur – In-House Pantry Manager and shopper, Grace Episcopal Church; Alvin, Texas
- Mindy Robertson – Compassion Ministry Coordinator, The Harbor Church; Friendswood, Texas
- Lela Hoffman – Catholic Daughters of the Americas, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church; Alvin, Texas
Click on the link below to learn more about how this parish secured its ministry and preserved our expression of the gospel in this community.
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Have You Seen Our Induction Cooktop? | |
One of our two Parish Hall kitchen induction cooktops is missing. Maybe someone took it home to clean it. Please be on the look out for it. | |
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The Waymakers Painted
At Gander Studio This Week!
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Love
You are loved unconditionally, now and forever. Abide in that love, draw strength from it every day, rest in it every night. Whatever you’re going through right now, of this you can be sure: you are deeply loved by God, and always will be. God will never forsake you.
Br. David Vryhof, Society of Saint John the Evangelist
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Bishop Monterroso
Arrives Sunday, May 5
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Bishop Monterroso wil be visiting on Sunday during which time he will confirm and receive new folks into the Episcopal Church. Please be in prayer for our confirmands and those being received into the Episcopal Church:
Confirmations on May 5, 2024
Becky Baldwin
Ed Baldwin
Andy DeLeon
Kylee DeLeon
Jenna Finegan
M.J. Gallop
Theda Harris
Nate Jones
Matthew Renkar
Jackie Russell
Stacey Swayze
Jim Weidner
Receptions on May 5, 2024
Michelle DeLeon
Marilyn Wright
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We Are Having A Potluck Reception
This Sunday
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Potluck Reception Honoring our Newly Confirmed Members and Bishop Hector Monterroso
Everyone is invited to our reception honoring our newly Confirmed and Bishop Monterroso on Sunday, May 5, after the 9am service.
Please bring a covered dish and/or dessert to share that day.
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Thy Kingdom Come is a global ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus.
Since it began in May 2016, God has grown TKC from a dream of possibility into a movement which unites more than a million Christians in prayer, in nearly 90% of countries worldwide, across 85 different denominations and traditions- so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Every person, household and church are encouraged to pray during the 11 days in their own way.
It is our hope & prayer, that those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and His love for the world, will hear it for themselves and respond and follow Him.
Specifically, we again invite each and every Christian across the globe to pray that God’s Spirit might work in the lives of 5 people who have not responded with their ‘Yes’ to God’s call.
Whether you have joined in ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ before or not, we invite you to take part & join in.
“In praying 'Thy Kingdom Come' we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities." Archbishop Justin Welby
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We will be celebrating High School graduations and Verger Installation.
The church will be supplying a meat for the picnic. Please bring a covered dish and/or dessert to share that day.
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We are haveing a Silent Auction again benefitting the Women's Center Of Brazoria County, in Memory of Vicki Ennis (Anna Arendell's mother), the center's Executive Director for 23 years and lifelong parishioner of Grace. The Silent Auction will take place during our annual Don's Fish Fry. Last year's Silent Auction raised $4,270 for the Women's Center
Please consider contibuting items to the Silent Auction. Here are some Silent Auction Ideas:
- Baked Goods - pies, cakes, cookies, etc.
- Fishing rods (Adult or kid)
- Toys and games
- Jewelry, art, collectibles
- Handmade items
- Spa/Salon Gift Certificates
- Restaurant Gift Cards
- Vacation Home Stays
- Astros, Rockets, SabreCats, Texans, Cougars Game Tickets
- Hardware Store Gift Cards
- Themed Gift Baskets
Your donations can be dropped of at the Parish Office during regular office hours or in the Parish Hall during Sunday Coffee Hour.
Pro-tip: Print out Donation Solicitation letters and keep them in your car, when you go out to eat, hand them to a restaurant manager.
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What does nature have to say about God's beloved family? Join us at Resoft Park on June 8th and July 13th from 9am-noon to find out, through stories and other activities, how we can become active participants in God's creation!
**Registration is now live! Click here to sign up your kiddo. If you are registering multiple children, please fill out one form per child: https://forms.gle/mAbh6FWDRr9dTWpz6.
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More to follow soon regarding Grace tickets. | |
Please help us conserve resources by downloading to your mobile device or printing ahead of time and bringing it along with you to church | |
- Holy Eucharist Rite I With Confirmations Led by Bishop Monterroso
- The service will also be live-streamed via Facebook Live - a musical prelude will begin at 8:50 a.m.
- 3 ways to Give today: Text the word ¨Fund¨ to 844-943-0932 to give via text, download and use the Vanco Mobile* app from the Google or Apple App Store, or visit the link below. Alternatively, you can mail a check to the church office at 112 W. Lang, Alvin TX 77511
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Or you can find The Preaching Moment on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. | |
From Mother Suzanne:
This time together is between 2-5 minutes. A small touch-point throughout the week to remind Grace and others to whom you belong and that we are together walking the road of faith.
As well, I think it's a good practice to pause during the day and "look up".
Please join if you are able on Grace's Facebook or Instagram pages....no particular time... The Holy Pause is also uploaded to Tik Tok.
If you subscribe/like/follow our Instagram and Facebook you'll receive a notification when we go live.
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"Tell me what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
"Devotions" by Mary Oliver
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Noonday Prayer Around the World | |
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This Wednesday, let's pause together as we join our prayers with brothers and sisters around the world via Zoom and Facebook Live.
Beginning at 11:55 you can log in to Zoom here (passcode 032547) to join us as an active participant in the prayers. Or if you prefer, just follow along via Facebook Live beginning promptly at 12:00 PM this coming Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer beginning on page 103, which you can download ahead of time here.
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Sanctuary Choir Practice
Wednesdays, 7 PM
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The Grace Sanctuary Choir rehearses Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 pm and sings each Sunday at the 9:00 am Sunday Worship Service and on some Holy Days (the choir meets 30 minutes before each of these services).
This group is open. Contact our Organist and Music Director, Paul Humphrey to meet and learn more about our choir - gphumphrey@yahoo.com
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Church in the Streets
Mobile Food Pantry
Thursday, May 9th
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Click on the arrow above to watch our
Thursday Mobile Food Pantry story
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Please consider volunteering, even if just for an hour - we could use your help. We begin setting up at 7:00 am and distribution ends at 12 Noon. Clean-up follows that. We especially need volunteers for deliveries to the homebound and to help with tear down and clean up starting at around 11:30. | |
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Thursday Mobile Food Pantry Schedule
If its Thursday, we have a Mobile Food pantry, come rain or shine!
EXCEPTIONS
Saturday, August 3, Back To School Event
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Your Food Ministry Statistics
From Harriet Sturgeon
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Weekly Update
The week of April 25, 2024, we distributed 10,815 pounds (almost one African elephant) of food to 283 families, including 57 homebound deliveries, totaling 790 people. We welcomed 14 new families. This was all made possible by the 56 volunteers (including drivers) who showed up to make it happen.
Monthly Update - April
For the entire month of April, we distributed 62,131 pounds of food (the equivalent of 5 African elephants) to 1,162 families, including 280 homebound deliveries, totaling 3,174 people. We welcomed 43 new families. This was all made possible by the 247 volunteers (including drivers) who showed up to make it happen.
Year-To-Date
As of the end of April, in 2024, we have distributed 291,068 pounds of food (the equivlent of 24 African elephants) from the Houston Food Bank to 2,449 families, with 139 new families coming to us for food. We have made a total of 566 deliveries. The total number of individuals served is 6,949. It required 473 volunteers to pull this off!
Thank you Harriet Sturgeon for being our statistician!
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Volunteers Needed From 9 AM - 1 PM | |
Have you noticed the cards on the table as you enter the church on Sunday? Well, one of our parishioners sets these cards out for us to sign and send a greeting to someone we may not have seen in a while, or someone who is ill.
Please take a minute as you come in, or before you leave to sign the cards and maybe write a brief note.
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MISSION & OUTREACH AT GRACE
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BCP - Prayers and Thanksgivings #35
Grace is committed to helping those in need, including vulnerable children, the unhoused, and those experiencing food insecurity. To learn how you can get involved, check our website or send us an email edcarrette@gracechurchalvin.org
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1st Sunday
Did you know that the loose plate offering on the first Sunday of each month goes to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund? This fund is used, at the Rector’s discretion, to assist the poor and indigent and to further the ministries of the church, not covered in the church budget. One of the main uses of this fund, at Grace, is to fund our Blessing Box and Blessing Refrigerator.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
You are invited to make a financial offering in honor of your birthday or anniversary. These offerings go to the Herrington fund, which provides scholarships to church conferences and camps for members of our church. Your offering may be placed in this little basket beside the piano as you approach the Chancel steps.
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Kroger Community Rewards
You can help support Grace by simply linking your Kroger Rewards Customer number to Grace. You only need to sign up once and you will earn rewards for the church with every shopping trip! You can enroll at any time, so please try to get your family and friends to sign up as well! Every time you make a Kroger purchase, Kroger will make a donation to Grace. (And you still receive your reward points)
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Matching your gift is a great way to make a bigger impact. Many companies match cash gifts from employees to qualified non-profits. Some even match gifts from retirees or spouses. To find out if your company will match gifts to Grace, visit your Human Resources Department. The Parish Office can provide you with a copy of our IRS Letter of Determination and W9 should you need it. | |
If you are not receiving text messages with important updates from Grace please click here for instructions.
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In case you hadn't noticed, we've expanded our social media presence to Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube | | | | |
