New or renewed services marked the start of a celebrative Easter season at Grace as well as a new stage in Grace Church's history. In addition to the traditional Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday services Grace hosted a re-instituted College Hill Community Good Friday Service and a full-blown Easter Vigil with three other Episcopal congregations.

On Good Friday, Grace hosted the College Hill Community Good Friday Service from noon to 3:00 pm. The service was sponsored by the College Hill Ministerium, and was organized by the Rev. Ray Betts, former Grace Rector.

Structured around the seven last words of Christ, it re instituted a long-time College Hill tradition after a 15+ year hiatus, and featured preaching by seven local clergy.

On Easter Eve, the first "full blown" Easter Vigil in memory was celebrated at Grace by four neighboring Episcopal congregations.

With the help of clergy and laity from St. James, St. Phillips St. Stephens and Grace, the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Omosebi baptized, confirmed and received members into the Church. The combined choirs of St. James and Grace led the congregation in singing the great Easter hymns and contributed two exuberant anthems.

The Great Vigil of Easter presents a great drama of our salvation, starting in darkness and proceeding into light. It includes readings and prayers reminding us of God's saving acts as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Testament and culminates in the first Eucharist of Easter.

A work day for our grounds will be held this Saturday, April 14. starting at 9:00 am. (Rain date is Saturday April 21) Work will include raking, spreading mulch, planting, cleaning winter debris, and other general tasks.

Please bring any tools you have and mark them with your identity before coming. Lunch will be provided. If you can, eMail office@gracecollegehill.org so we know how many to prepare for.

Grace Church Will be given 15 tickets to the service of consecration of Bishop-elect Breidenthal on April 28 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 are putting together a new directory of members and friends--with photos!. Beginning the Sunday after Easter, we will schedule up to 10 photos per Sunday until all pictures are taken.

The minutes of March 21 Mission Council meeting are posted on the bulletin board by the upper Belmont door. The following action items were approved:

1. Creating a business plan for renting the 1957 wing so that an application can be sent to the Diocese.
2. Placing flags above the front door to advertise the diversity and welcoming nature of our congregation.
3. Expanding the coffee hours to include both the 1st and 3rd Sundays in the month.

Newcomer’s classes now meet the third Sunday of each month after the 10:00 am service. All are welcome, including current members who may want to refresh their knowledge of the church or learn more about what is happening at Grace.

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.

Millennium Development Goals have been endorsed and adopted by the Episcopal Church at two successive General Conventions (2003 and 2006).

They are:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental stability.
8. A global partnership for development.