Baptisms
Sunday
 This
Sunday is extra special in that several candidates are
scheduled to receive the sacrament of baptism and to be thus
formally welcomed into the fellowship of the church. They
are:
- Charmiah Artea Hutchinson,
- Charnae Armani Hutchinson,
- Dujaun Lee Walker,
- Charmundo Artez Hutchinson, Jr.,
- Raekwon Dijajuan Valentine and
- Rahsaan Dehjajuan Valentine.
During the rite, the candidates (and/or their sponsors
speaking for them) will:
- Renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of
wickedness that rebel against God,
- Renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt
and destroy the creatures of God,
- Renounce all sinful desires that draw them from the
love of God,
- Turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as their Savior,
- Put their whole trust in his grace and love, and
- Promise to follow and obey him as their Lord.
All of those present Sunday will promise do all in their
power to support these people in their life in Christ.
Then, all present will join with the candidates in affirming
their baptismal vows in the words of the Apostles' Creed and
in the following commitments:
- With God's help, to continue in the apostles' teaching
and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
prayers,
- With God's help, to persevere in resisting evil, and,
whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the
Lord,
- With God's help, to proclaim by word and example the
Good News of God in Christ,
- With God's help, to seek and serve Christ in all
persons, loving our neighbor as ourself,
- With God's help, to strive for justice and peace among
all people, and respect the dignity of every human
being.
What a joyful occasion, on which we welcome so many to our
community!
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Notes
on Sunday's Readings
You can see the readings for Sunday here.
Tomorrow's gospel reading follows the first mission of
preaching and healing that Jesus sent the apostles out to do.
They return and he takes them away for rest and reflection.
Then they return to the crowds and Jesus has compassion on the
people, who are like sheep without a shepherd. This image of
Jesus as shepherd comes originally from David, the Shepherd
King, and is a consistent image of God in the Old Testament.
In the first reading, the prophet Nathan brings God's promise
to David that he who was taken from shepherding sheep will now
be the shepherd of God's people. God promises that David's
descendants will establish God's kingdom forever. Christians
see this promise as having been fulfilled in Jesus.
In Sunday's reading from Ephesians we find a reflection of the
Jewish-Christian joining of the personal and the social
aspects of the life of God's People, extended now to the
entire human family through the dying and rising of Christ.
We are called by God as individuals into a community of
persons. Again and again in the sacred story the promise of
God coming in person to care for the people is made. God will
make all people into one flock, one community. In the liturgy,
the tension between the personal and the communal is expressed
and resolved. In Holy Communion, it is our selves that are
offered, blessed, and broken, that we may be given as signs of
Christ to the world. |
| Keep
in Your Prayers ...
Anna Hamilton, Ed Frye, Jo Carroll, Karen Van Wagenen, Grace
Staples, Elaine Hughes, Maureen Back, Eloise Pinto, Ruth
Bertram, Robert Flemister, Mrs. Matthews, Judy Handy, Shelly
Martin, Barbara Todd, Kim Martin, Robb Martin, Florence and
Bob Poyer, Dean Bryeans, Mary Hall, Chris, Irene Bryeans,
Joshua, Caleb, Anne, and Darryl Handy, Marcus Flemister, Kim
Herrmann, Al Berghausen, Teri, Mary Lou Bellows, Jackie
Lewis.
Please let
us know if you need pastoral care or know of someone who
does. This includes information about illness, hospital
stays, requests for visits, communion, and prayers for
special concerns. Please help us to serve you. |
Education
for Ministry Resumes Soon
Grace Church's two Education for Ministry groups will resume
in September, under the leadership of Mentor Hawley Todd.
Education for Ministry (EfM) provides a safe place for
lay people to refine their faith, articulate their faith and
live their faith through a structured group learning
experience. EfM is an extension course from the School
of Theology of the University of the South at Sewanee
and is sponsored by the Diocese of Southern Ohio.
What EfM does better than any other theological education
program is to equip people to integrate their faith with
their real life experiences in ways that make sense and
bring meaning to their lives. EfM graduates attest to being
able to live more full and abundant lives. Many discover (or
rediscover) their ministries in their daily life and work.
Some find themselves called to use their talents in new
ways. In all cases, those who complete the program have new
confidence in their ability to live their lives as
theologically articulate Christians.
Are you concerned you are too busy to have time for EfM?
Busy EfM-ers have found that the classes provide a real
break in their schedules, leaving them rested and refreshed,
ready to resume their active lives.
You can learn more about EfM by calling mentor Hawley
Todd at (513) 967-6581, or by talking with current and
former EfM students Mary McLain, Grace Staples, Jim
Edgy, Carol Lyon, Roger Perna or Ken Lyon.
Read more about EfM in the next article, and in Everything
You Always Wanted to Know About EfM.
|
 Our
Best Kept Secret - EfM
Have you ever had a desire to know who God is? Have
you ever wondered what is in the Bible and how it came to
be? Would you like to have Jesus as part of your daily
life and decision making? Do you enjoy exploring
different perspectives and coming to your own conclusions?
Do you long to talk with other people who are asking these
questions? If you have answered yes to any of these
questions, then please read on!
For the past nine months, 21 participants from 11 parishes
in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky have met at Grace to be
involved in an extensive study of scripture and their
Christian faith. This study is known as EfM, Education
for Ministry. We have met weekly and investigated many
of the most fundamental issues in our lives. It has
been an exciting time of growth, challenge, and spiritual
exploration as each of us has come to realize what we truly
believe about God and the world in which we live. If
you are looking for an opportunity to expand your
understanding of scripture and theology, then EFM is for
you!
Each EfM class involves three separate elements. The
majority of our time is devoted to learning about God and
the various ways faithful people have encountered Him in
their lives. Secondly, each session includes prayer
and worship in order to provide opportunities for
participants to directly focus on the immediacy of God's
presence. Finally, each class sets aside time
for fellowship and the sharing of a "common
snack."
EfM is a program of theological education from the School
of Theology of the University of the South (Sewanee).
It is designed to provide seminary education for
parishioners in order to prepare them for whatever their
ministry might be. While EfM is a four-year
course of study (Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Church
History, and Theological Issues), each participant commits
to one year at a time. There are no tests or papers to
write and one does not need any prior knowledge or training.
There will be two classes offered at Grace this coming
school year, a Monday evening class from 7:00 - 9:30 pm and
a Friday morning class from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Classes will begin in September and conclude the end of May.
Hawley Todd TSSF is the mentor for these groups. He was
trained in the Anglican tradition at Bexley Hall Episcopal
Seminary, taught World Religions at McMaster University and
has been an EfM mentor since 1996. He has been an
Assistant Formation Director for the Third Order of the
Society of St. Francis and was the Director of Christian
Formation at St. Thomas Episcopal Church from 1990 - 2006.
He is a trained spiritual director and has led retreats and
missions in the United States and Canada. He is
currently Foundation Director for the Episcopal Healing
Ministry Foundation.
Now is the time to consider joining a class. Deadline
for registration is the end of July. Classes fill up
early so if you are interested in becoming a participant,
please contact Hawley Todd TSSF at todd@epsicopalhealing.org
or 513-967-6581.
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Christian
One-Liners
Florence Poyer passed along several "Christian
One-Liners," of which this is one:
Some people are kind,
polite, and sweet-spirited
Until you try to sit
in their pews.
We'll share others in future issues.
|
 Spread
the Good News of Grace at the College Hill Block Party
Volunteers
are needed to staff the Grace Church table at the College Hill
Block Party August 4 through 7 from 6:15 to 9:15 pm. If you
are able to assist, please see Judy Handy. See more
pictures of previous table-hosters here. |
Thanks
to ...
... Belinda and Roger Perna for continuing the painting of
the hall near the lower Belmont Door and other work to
improve our building and grounds.
... All our volunteers who do so much to keep Grace Church
lively, clean, and active.
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Coming
Events
Mark your calendars and plan to be with us to say farewell
to Ernestein on Thursday, July 30, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.
Please invite others who do not regularly attend Grace
Church but who might want to say good by to Ernestein at the
reception. Anyone interested in assisting with the
event please see Mary
McLain, Belinda
Perna, or Jim
Edgy.
Training for those wishing to become Eucharistic Ministers
and/or Visitors will be held July 28 from 10 am to 1 pm.
If you are interested in taking this training, lpease let Ernestein
and Jim
know. Eucharistic Ministers administer the chalice at
Eucharist; Eucharistic Visitors take communion to shut-ins
following the Sunday service.
On Sunday, August 2, Ken Lyon will make a presentation on
Common Ministry. Please plan to attend both the
service and the discussion following the service. Light
lunch will be served.
Officiants in August:
- Aug 2
Fr. John Bower
- Aug 9
Deacon Gary Givler
- Aug 16 Fr. John
Bower
- Aug 23 Fr. Ray
Betts
- Aug 30 Lay group,
leading Morning Prayer
See the Grace
Calendar Page for the most up-to-date listing of events
at Grace and of possible interest to Grace people. Let
us know at webmaster@gracecollegehill.org
if we've missed anything.
|
Greetings
from Hawley Todd at General Convention
Peace and all good to you all. Currently I am in
Anaheim, CA, at General Convention. It has been a very
fruitful time so far.
As Grace moves forward, please know that you have my
support and willingness to help in all ways.
Let us pray for healing for all of us as we grieve the
lose of our dear friend Ernestein.
Yet we are the body of Christ. My take on Common
Ministry is that it recovers the "grace" of the
early church where functions were done by the empowerment
of the Holy Spirit and through the gifts that God gave to
each member of the body. We have nothing to fear but
getting stuck in what we think should be done.
God is so good and will do His part as we try to do our
parts.
Much love, Hawley
PS: Here at General Convention, I met a nice person
who had been at Grace for many years. Jane Cobb Milner
sends greetings to Grace Church from General Convention
and remembers fondly the hospitality of the parish.
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Grace
Theme Song?
Carol Lyon suggests that the following West
Side Story lyrics are appropriate as the theme song
for the transition Grace Church is undergoing.
You can see and hear the original exciting version of Something's
Coming here.
Could be!
Who knows?
There's something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.
It may come cannonballing down through the sky,
Gleam in its eye,
Bright as a rose!
Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Under a tree.
I got a feeling there's a miracle due,
Gonna come true,
Coming to me!
Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming, I don't know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!
With a click, with a shock,
Phone'll jingle, door'll knock,
Open the latch!
Something's coming, don't know when, but it's soon;
Catch the moon,
One-handed catch!
Around the corner,
Or whistling down the river,
Come on, deliver
To me!
Will it be? Yes, it will.
Maybe just by holding still,
It'll be there!
Come on, something, come on in, don't be shy,
Meet a guy,
Pull up a chair!
The air is humming,
And something great is coming!
Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Maybe tonight . . .
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| Bishop
Breidenthal Calls Common Ministry Meeting September 19
In a recent letter to interested parties, Bishop Breidenthal
says "...our diocese is embarked on an exploration of
what Common Ministry means and might mean for Southern
Ohio....The first and most pressing phase of this
exploration has to do with congregational life: how should
clergy be trained and deployed? What role might lay
leadership teams play in pastoral care and oversight of
local congregations ..."
He continues "These are long term questions, but they
are also present and urgent challenges. I have some concrete
answers to these questions that I would like to share but I
also want to hear from clergy and lay people in key
leadership positions who have wisdom to offer, unique
perspectives to share and an immediate stake in how we
answer these questions."
The meeting will be held on Saturday, September 19 at
Procter Conference Center from 10 am to 3 pm. The more
people from Grace who can attend, the better prepared we
will be to make a decision about Common Ministry for Grace.
Mark your calendars now and let one of the members of the
Common Ministry team (Carol
Lyon, Ken
Lyon, Justine
Matovu, Wanda
Miller, Roger
and Belinda Perna) know your interest and we will
register you. There is no cost to attend.
For more information on
Common Ministry ...
- Read the the Bishop's invitation to the September 19
meeting here.
- Read the minutes of Mission Council's informational
meeting with The Rev. Derrick Fetz here.
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Preacher
Training Starts in the Fall
The Diocese of Southern Ohio through the School for
Ministry offers training for lay persons to be licensed to
preach. The training program is a three-year program
that meets monthly at the Procter Camp & Conference
Center for three hours on Saturdays 10 times per year. The
program includes worship, Bible study, theological
reflection and the practice of writing, delivering and
evaluating sermons.
Click here
for more information.
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It's
Easy to Keep in Touch with What's Happening in the Diocese
The Diocese has its own eNewsletter called e-Connections
that provides regular updates on Diocesan matters.
Lately, we've been seeing regular reflections from our
Bishops on what's happening at the National Convention of
the Episcopal Church. To subscribe, click here.
You can catch up with what's happening at the Diocesan
web site.
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