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News for and about Grace Episcopal Church
April 24, 2010
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Christian One-Liners

Forgiveness is not for sissies.

Got a favorite one-liner? Sent it in and we'll probably share it.
Dear Friend,

Tomorrow (Sunday) will be a busy one at Grace. We hope to see you!

Baptisms Sunday. 
Congratulations to Kristin, Kylie and Zachary West, who will be baptized Sunday.

Gifts Workshop Sunday or Thursday. The first Gifts workshops were well-attended. The second is being held Sunday and again Thursday. If you didn't some to the first one, don't worry, you can still come to the second on either Sunday after worship or Thursday at 6:30 pm. See details below.

Grace Church Directory. We'll be handing out a draft version of the Grace Directory Sunday so that people can make corrections and additions. Expect a "real" directory to follow soon.
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In This Issue ...
Christian One-Liners
All Are Encouraged to Attend the Gifts Workshop Sunday or Thursday
A Little Homework for the Next Gifts Workshop
Keep in Your Prayers
Coming Events...
A Successful Parolee Work Day
Grace Notes Article Comes Full Circle
Free Ticket!
Healing Service Draws Record Crowd
Grace Member Selected for College Preparation Program
Grace Member Taking Preacher Training
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio Summer Camp Information
All Are Encouraged to Attend the Gifts Workshop Sunday or Thursday

All Grace members and friends are encouraged to attend the Common Ministry Gifts Workshops. We expect that these workshops may well enable participants to live lives that are more fun, more meaningful and more rewarding. We also expect that the life of the Grace community will be further invigorated.

The next workshop is this Sunday, April 24 following worship or on the following Thursday, April 29, at 6:30pm.  Snacks will be provided. If you need child care provided, please contact Ken Lyon (ken@lyonhouse.us, 513-542-2941). 

This series of workshops will help each of us identify our special gifts--those things we most love to do and feel most alive when doing them. We'll also identify the issues in the world around us that most concern us. We'll reflect on how our gifts might be used to address our concerns. Finally, we'll see how our individual gifts and concerns can be combined with those of others to form ministry teams at Grace Church.

Here's the schedule for the remaining workshops:

Sunday, April 25 after worship or Thursday, April 29 at 6:30 pm. Gifts Assessment Workshop II: "Identifying Our Gifts."
We will meet in small groups and talk about accomplishments in our life that we value or feel good about. By listening, others in your group will be able to help you assess your gifts as demonstrated by your stories
 
Sunday, May 16 after worship or Thursday, May 29 at 6:30 pm. Gifts Assessment Workshop III: "What Tugs at My Heart?"
You will identify what community and world issues are most important to you, and we will work together to determine which of these issues are most important to Grace Church as a parish.
A Little Homework for the Next Gifts Workshop

Here's a little "homework assignment" to complete before attending the next Gifts Workshop. 

Take a few minutes to think of and then write down some important accomplishments or achievements in your life which you value or feel good about. Be prepared to share with others at the workshop.  By sharing our ideas, we hope to discern the gifts that each of us has been given.
Keep in Your Prayers ...

Prayer RequestsJim Edgy, Phillis Dietz, Jo Carroll, Pete Staples, John (Johnbear) Dunn, Jack Hart, Anjean Poyer, John Thayer, Gigi Woode, Toussaint Thrower and family, Ray Harris, Marilyn White, Trevor Van Wagenen, Ed Frye, Karen Van Wagenen, Elaine Hughes, Maureen Back, Eloise Pinto, Ruth Bertram, Robert Flemister, Judy & Walter Handy, Molly, Shelly Martin, Barbara Todd, Kim Martin, Robb Martin, Dean Bryeans, Chris, Irene Bryeans, Joshua, Caleb, Anne, and Darryl Handy, Marcus Flemister, Kim Herrmann, Al Berghausen, Mary Lou Bellows, Jackie Lewis, Mike and family, Chris and family, Malcolm Daniel, Jean Cavalieri, Shelby Hager and family, Laura Chace, Erik, Alison, Nathanael and Alexis Handy, Mary Jo, Belinda Hoerst, Steve, Tom, and Mary Ratliff. Father John Bower and his wife, Louise.

If you need pastoral care or know of someone who does, please call or email the office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org). Please keep us informed about about illness, hospital stays, requests for visits, communion, and prayers for special concerns. Help us to serve you.
Coming Events

Grace Church Calendar
  • Sunday, 4/25 at 11:15 am: Gifts Workshop II.
  • Thursday, 4/29 at 6:30 pm: Gifts Workshop II (repeat).
See the Grace Calendar Page for more information and more events.

We try to list every event at Grace in the online calendar to facilitate scheduling. If you know of any meeting that's not listed, please let us know at webmaster@gracecollegehill.org.
A Successful Parolee Work Day

Parolees come to Grace Church the fourth Thursday of every month to work as part of their community service requirement. Last Thursday's work day was particularly successful, thanks in great part to leadership provided by Tony Denbo.

Tony reports, "We had 7 parolees do a lot of weed pulling in the garden areas on both sides of the church. Two of the guys helped out painting in the first floor bathroom. Please note that these bathrooms are still a work in progress. Parole Officer John Eckman mentioned to me that this was the hardest they have worked in a long time."

Tony is already thinking about the next parolee work day in May. He says, "I have set some goals for the next visit. I will be contacting the parole officer two weeks prior to the next visit to possibly have more guys here to get more work done.  Should you have anything that needs to be done, please let me know. I am going to compile a "to do" list so that he and I can determine the number of guys we can use. I already have a few items on the list to get accomplished.  John told me that we most likely can have up to 15 guys if we can show the various jobs that need to be done and the time to do them."
Grace Notes Article Comes Full Circle

Grace Member Marjorie Shadd writes:

You aren't going to believe this but I received an e-mail yesterday relating to a mission trip I will be taking which included the following:
 
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you will live deep in your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, exploitation of people and the earth, so that you will work for justice, equity and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer, so you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so you will do the things which others say cannot be done.

(Author Unknown published in Grace Notes, Volume 1, Issue 4, August/September 2000)
 
Isn't that amazing? The e-mail came from a woman in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese.

The words certainly bear repeating!
Free Ticket!

Jane Strohmeier has a free ticket to Ain't Misbehavin', the musical, at the Playhouse in the Park, Saturday, May 22, 2010, at 4:00 pm for anyone who would give her a ride to the performance. Call Jane to accept at 513-385-1123.
Healing Service Draws Record Crowd
 
Hawley Todd reports that the Celebration of Wholeness and Healing on April 14 was "the largest crowd that I have ever seen at Grace for a service."

Hawley goes on, "When I got to Grace at 5:45 to set up for the service there were already two cars in the parking lot.  I explained that we start at 6:30 and that they were welcome to join us."
 
"An accurate count is often difficult since the service is fluid and typically about three and a half hours long.  At one point I counted 60 in the pews, and typically we have about 20 more people in the healing circle at the rear of the church. I saw six additional folks come in later.  For the count I will say 86."
 
"Kevin Drigger commented to me that when he and Bob Laake first came to Grace, he had an "image" of it as a holistic healing center.  That is just a thought as we look to our future."

"Many thanks to J White and Tammy Robertson for their support!"

The next Healing Service is Wednesday, May 12. Drumming starts at 6:30 pm; the service proper starts at 7 pm. Read more about this service here.
Grace Member Selected for College Preparation Program

Absalom JonesOnly twenty-five applicants were selected for the SCOPE (Summer Collegiate Orientation Program and Enrichment) program, and Grace member Darice Chapel was one of them. To be included in this program, she wrote several essays and obtained references from teachers and others. Her good grades were also an important factor.

Darice is the daughter of Calvin & Virginia Chapel and is a Sophomore and Honor student at Finneytown High School.

SCOPE brings together African American high school students from the Greater Cincinnati area to assist them in preparing for college. Students reside on campus for one-two weeks, attending classes and earning credit to apply toward a college degree. Students also attend workshops on the college admission process, library research, financial aid, coping strategies and study skills.

This program is a three-year commitment beginning in the student's sophomore year of high school. At the conclusion of the three-year program, student earn six transferable college credits to the college/university of their choice.

Project SCOPE is supported by the Macy's Fund of the Federated Foundation.
Grace Member Taking Preacher Training

Grace Church member Ken Lyon has almost completed the first year of a three-year Diocese-sponsored class intended to provide the Diocese with a group of licensed lay preachers. The class meets monthly to practice sermons on one another.

The sermon Ken delivered last Sunday, On Not Being a Good Christian, was prepared as part of that course. You can read it here.
 
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio Summer Camp Information

The Diocese has announced a full slate of Summer Camps at Procter Retreat Center

123 Camp (June 30-July 3): For children entering 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade and one adult chaperone to accompany them. We will learn Bible Knowledge and Bible Trivia.

Boys and Girls Camp (July 6-10): For children entering 4th or 5th grade. Learn about prayer, Bible Scavenger Hunt.

Junior Camp (August 2-7): For Children entering 6th or 7th grade. Learn to read the lessons, write prayers, and learn about the Bible through the Bible Amazing Race!

Intermediate Camp (July 26-31): For those entering 8th or 9th Grade. Learn about Liturgy, how to read the Bible and how to share your faith with others.

Senior High Camp (July 19-24): For those entering 10th, 11th, 12th grade, and graduated seniors. There are many formation tracks to choose from, including Biblical Storytelling, Peer Ministry, Worship through Music, Carrying Your Faith Confidently after High School, among many others.

Creation Camp (July 12-16): For those entering 6th-12th Grade. Formation tracks will focus on Creative Arts and Sports.

Outdoor Adventure Camp (June 30-July 3): For those entering 6th-12th Grade. See God in nature as you sleep in a tent, learn to cook your own food, and participate in many outdoor activities such as canoeing!

Family Camp (June 25-27, July 16-18, or August 11-14): Age specific activities. Bible Study for all ages. Spend quality time with your family.

Read more and register here.
eGraceNotes is published every week or two or three. Our primary purpose is to help keep members and friends of Grace Church up-to-date on what's happening at Grace.

While we try our best to represent the Grace Church congregation, opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of anyone other than the editor (and perhaps not even his!).

The content of eGraceNotes depends on what news is provided us. Thus, the fact that something appears or doesn't appear in eGraceNotes is more likely a matter of whether or not someone provided information to publish rather than editorial bias. Send news that you think would be interesting to eGraceNotes@GraceCollegeHill.org.

Photos in eGraceNotes are often edited to remove extraneous material.

Ken Lyon, Editor.
Grace Episcopal Church | Phone: 513-541-2415 | 5501 Hamilton Avenue at Belmont Avenue | College Hill (Cincinnati) | OH | 45224