A 10:00 am service at Grace was packed full of hands-in-the-air worshipers in February when Grace Church hosted the Diocese of Southern Ohio's Exodus Weekend the weekend of the 17th.

Over 80 high school age youth from around the Diocese spent Friday and Saturday night in the church. Grace volunteers prepared and served breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning and parents of the participating youth cooked a spaghetti dinner for the youth and members of the Grace congregation Saturday night.

Run by a group of high school students with an adult mentor, Exodus focused on the students' personal relationship with Christ, and dealt with how to maintain faith in a faithless world. Through a series of discussions accompanied by traditional and contemporary Christian activities, ideas were formulated and voiced.

In addition to their more spiritual activities, participants started the process of renovating a room for the Grace congregation to use for coffee hours and other social activities.

The weekend culminated in an enthusiastic service on Sunday morning. One hundred and fifty people packed into Grace for a service put on by the youth with Grace Vicar Rev. John Bower serving as celebrant. Highlights included a short but concise sermon by Exodus youth leader Zack Cornelisson and a closing musical number that brought an "old time revival" feeling to the hallowed sanctuary and nave of Grace Church.

Article contributed by Allen Reed.

This year's plans for Easter include two services that have not occurred at Grace for quite some time.

The Rev. Ray Betts is convening a group of at least seven churches from the College Hill Ministerium to reinstitute the Good Friday Community Service. If past services are any indication, these services will be well attended by members of the community and will present a wonderful variety of worship experience.

The Great Vigil of Easter will be celebrated on Easter Eve at 7:00 pm. This is a service that some consider to be the peak liturgical experience of the Christian year. At least four Episcopal churches will combine to create this event: Grace, St. Stephens ,St. James and St. Phillips. Bishop Benjamin Omosebi will preside.

Holy Week services are scheduled as follows:

• April 1: Palm Sunday 10:00 am, Liturgy of the Palms, Passion narrative and Holy Eucharist.
• April 5: Maundy Thursday 7:00 pm, Holy Eucharist with foot washing and stripping of the altar.
• April 6 Good Friday, 12:00 Noon to at least 2:00 pm, Community Service with local churches.
• April 7: Easter Even, 7:00 pm, Easter Vigil with lighting of the new fire, baptisms, confirmations and first Eucharist of Easter with neighboring Episcopal churches.
• April 8: Easter Day, 10:00 am, Festive Holy Eucharist.

Here's your chance to get your idea in print. We can use more short (no more than 5 to 6 words) pithy sayings for the outside sign board.

Got ideas? Tell the office (513-541-2415 or office@gracecollegehill.org).

On Saturday, March 31, Bishop-elect Breidenthal will host a day long conference of lay leaders at Procter Camp and Conference Center from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. The cost is only $10 per person.

This conference is based in the Bishop-elect’s belief in "the priesthood of all believers . . . that we are all called to represent Christ to the world." He stresses that this is for all people, even those who do not identify themselves as a "lay leader." If you want to go, sign the sheet on the bulletin board near the upper Belmont entrance and either put a check marked "lay conference" in the collection plate or give your money to Jim Edgy.

In the morning, Dr. Breidenthal will offer a presentation on "The Authority of Individual Believers," and Bishop Price will report about the House of Bishops meeting and offer reflections on the actions of the Primates meeting in Tanzania. Several workshops will be offered in the afternoon.

Your editor has posted a selection of pictures from the 2007 Annual Meeting. See yourself and/or your fellow members.

Grace will have 15 tickets to the service of consecration of Bishop-elect Breidenthal on April 28 at the Mershon Auditorium on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. If you wish to attend, please sign up on the sheet by the upper Belmont door, or email office@gracecollegehill.org. First come, first served.

We would like to put together a members directory with photos. Beginning the Sunday after Easter, we will schedule up to 10 photos per Sunday until all pictures are taken. Please sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board by the upper Belmont entrance.

Our volunteers are doing a great job under the direction of Carol Lyon but we must still pay for the flowers. If you wish to memorialize or honor a person or event sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board by the upper Belmont Door.

You've certainly heard all kinds of things about the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in Dar es Salaam. Here are some sources of perhaps better information:

• Bishop-elect Tom Breidenthal has written a response to the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in Dar es Salaam. . Click here to download the letter.
• The responses of our new Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, can be found here.
• Finally, you can read the actual communiqué coming out of the Primate's meeting, and learn what this meeting is all about here.

Greeting one another and newcomers after service over coffee is one important way to build community. We would like for people to sign up to host our coffee hours on the first Sunday in each month. Responsibilities include making coffee, arranging for some things to eat and beverages for non-coffee drinkers, welcoming people at the coffee hour, and clean up following. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board by the upper Belmont Door. Or email office@gracecollegehill.org with some dates you'd be available to take responsibility for and we'll get back to you.

A fresh supply of printed tracts have been placed in the racks in the rear of the church and inside the upper Belmont door. Please check them out for short readings to inform you and to share with others.

Mary McLain, Grace's representative at the monthly College Hill Summit meeting reports: "The Summit is an organization of College Hill leaders. Each year we focus on one or two things we think are important to our community. Last year we looked at what we could do to foster a healthy business district and youth and young adults. Many good things came of that.

"This year, the Summit will focus on:

• Breaking down barriers between residents: racial, socio-economic, etc.
• Building relationships and celebrating diversity.

What do you think Grace Church could do to contribute to this focus? Give Mary McLain your ideas (513-541-8509, maryemclain@fuse.net).

An Enquirer’s Class meets each Sunday after the 10:00 am service. All are welcome, even life long Episcopalians who may want to refresh their knowledge of the church.

You can share your bounty by bringing non-perishable food items to church each Sunday. These will be passed on to Christ's Community in College Hill and Churches Active in Northside for use in their food pantries. Place items on the pew against back wall.