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A spiritual home where all are welcome; a healing place in a broken world.
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Dear
Friend,
Who Are We?
Sometimes we members and friends of Grace Episcopal Church take who we are and what we have for granted, forgetting that our inclusiveness and our openness is not the norm out there in the world, especially in churches. The unfortunate truth is that most people put the Episcopal Church and Grace Church into the same bucket as the other religions out there--the ones that make the noise and get the media coverage. Unless we tell them and show them, people have no way of knowing that this church community will accept them when others have rejected them; that we are a people who will support them in their search for truth without telling them what to think, while still worshiping in forms rooted in the ancient liturgies of the early church. So who are we? Here are some official statements: In the Book of Common Prayer (pg 855), "The mission of the church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."In the Episcopal Church's Style Guide (of all places), is this: " For those looking for more meaning and deepened spirituality, The Episcopal Church offers honest and unconditional acceptance, which removes barriers to Jesus Christ and permits belonging to an authentic church community." And then there are some statements made by Grace Church: Our Mission: To be a place of Grace, a community where all are welcome:- to experience the grace of God through worship, study and action
- to celebrate our diversity and history
- care for our community and each other
- to serve Christ in our lives and work.
Our Values: - Treat every person as a child of God.
- Grow and awaken continually to God's presence in our lives.
- Be guided always by honesty and integrity.
- Be nourished by people of every cultural background.
- Honor everyone's age, race, economic situation, sexual orientation, family configuration and religious approach.
- Serve God by sharing with those in need and by working actively for social justice.
Our Goals: - Increase participation and inclusion of those seeking God within the ministries of Grace church.
- Develop and practice ways of bringing deeper spirituality and healing into the lives of our parishioners and our neighbors.
From the banner of our web site and this newsletter: Welcome to Grace Church - A spiritual home where all are welcome;
- A healing place in a broken world.
What's Grace Church to you? In your own words, how do you explain Grace to yourself and others? Drop us an email with your thoughts. Ken Ken Lyon, eGraceNotes editor eGraceNotes@GraceCollegeHill.org |
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Who Are We, Demographically?
A friend who is applying for a grant to support a concert series at Grace asked for some demographic information about Grace. That's not something we track officially, so your editor took the names of the 33 members that are on our web site and made some guesses. The results may not be totally accurate, but they are indicative.  American Indian 0% Appalachian 6 Asian 0 African-American 42 White 58 Hispanic 0 Disabled 0 Senior Citizens 33 Immigrants 15 LGBT 21
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Silent Prayer Sessions to Resume at Grace
 Marjorie Shadd and Carol Lyon and are discussing resuming the silent prayer sessions attempted early last year. We envision these as guided sessions which will use themes, or varying approaches to meditation. When the prayer period is completed we will discuss the experience to learn what is most helpful to participants. The sessions will be facilited by members taking turns.
Sessions are tentatively scheduled for noon on the first Wednesday of the month. Contact Marjorie (513-853-0991, shaddma@gmail.com) for more information.
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Haiti: Rebuild Our Church
 The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti--the largest Diocese in the Episcopal Church--is in ruins. While the people of Haiti struggle to rebuild their nation, Episcopalians are uniting to rebuild our Church in Haiti, beginning at the center with Trinity Cathedral. Dioceses across The Episcopal Church have committed to raising money to rebuild the cathedral in Port-au-Prince. In Southern Ohio, Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal has issued a challenge to raise $90,000 in the season of Epiphany 2012. You can help, brick by brick. For more information, see here. To donate, put a check in the collection plate Sunday, or contribute online here. |
 Thanks to ...
... Ken Lyon for repairing several of our tattered flags from the front of the church. We live on a very windy corner!
... The parolees and all who are helping direct and feed them today. They come once a month to help maintain our church, while getting in some community service time.
... Fr. Bob Hufford, Fr. David Howard and Hawley Todd, for leading our worship services.
We're sure that we've left out many of the people who deserve our thanks. Let us know who we've missed by clicking eGraceNotes@GraceCollegeHill.org.
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Prayer Requests
 We will update our prayer list in the next two weeks. The list in the February 5th bulletin will include only those requests (new and renewed) received between now and Wednesday, Feb. 1. Please contact the Church Office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org) with the names of the persons you wish to remain in our prayers for inclusion in the February 12th bulletin. If you email, please place the person's name and the date the request is being made in the subject line. In the coming year we will include stories of the answers to your prayers. Please keep these people in your prayers for their special needs: Jonathan S.,Chico & family, Lauren, the Daniel family, the Cavalieri family, Virginia Chapel's family, Anne, Darryl, Caleb & Joshua, Brian, Kim, Robb, Erik, Alison, Alexis & Nathanael, Marie, Irene Bryeans, Dean Bryeans, Diane, Maxwell & family, Barbara, Beverly, Bob and Rita, Alice, Christine Zuniga, Nathaniel, Zachary, Bonnie, Kristine, Judy J., Marci, Susan, Pat J., Rehan, Dee, Kim H, Mary S., Margaret K., Beth Tracy, Karen and Diana, The Partin-Sharp family, Rita, Mimi, Brenda, the Fantetti family, the Bennett family, Luanne, Fr. John, Gayle, Ernestein, the Burlew family, Tim, Life Renewal Discipleship Church, Rev. Deb Gamble (and her family and ministries), and Hadiya. Also pray for the following Grace Church families: Steven Alexander, Mathew Appenzeller, Jerry Azinge, Maureen Back, Charlotte Battistone, Mary Lou Bellows, Alfred and Judy Berghausen, Ruth Bertram, Raymond Betts and Mary McLain. Please pray for all on our prayer lists and the following members and supporters who are not always able to attend services: J. Carroll, E. Gescheidle, N. Hall, A. Henneberg, J. Henthorn,E. Kelly, N. Koester, E. Pinto, M. Ratliff, C. Relyea, MJ Showers, and J. Strohmeier. Requests for prayers may be called in to the church cell phone: 513-763-9520. Please also indicate whether the name of the prayer recipient is to be listed in the bulletin. Pastoral Care
If you need pastoral care or know of someone who does, please call or email the office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org). Keep us informed about about illness, hospital stays, requests for visits, communion, and prayers for special concerns. |
Selected Short Subjects
 The Transfiguration Spirituality Center in Glendale, still has a few spots open for their Franciscan Spirituality Retreat coming up soon February 10-12 and they still have some partial scholarship funds to award for the retreat. See last week's article for more information. The Worship Volunteer Schedule through March 25 is now posted here. Please check it out and arrange for replacements as needed. Direct corrections and changes to webmaster@gracecollegehill.org.
Nominations are now open for vacancies on Mission Council. We will vote for new Mission Council members at the Annual Meeting on Feb. 12th. Any member in good standing may nominate themselves or you may nominate someone you believe would be a good leader. Please get permission from your nominee before submitting her/his name. Submit nominations to Mary McLain, Chair of the Nominating Committee (maryemclain55@gmail.com, 513-541-8509).
To support altar flowers, please sign the Grace Flower Donation Sheet on the front table (near the piano). The requested donation is $35, however, there is a special Flower Box for smaller amounts that can be combined to provide a Sunday arrangement. You can also contribute online here.
Please bring a little snack or some juice to share at Snack 'n Chat after the services. Volunteers to help with clean up afterwards are also appreciated. Since Chuck Bowles will be leaving in the near future, we will need Altar Guild and Flower Guild volunteers to replace him. Please contact Chuck Bowles at bowles1453@aol.com if you are interested. Chuck will train you before he leaves. Any folks wishing to lend their talents to becoming music leaders for the congregation (even if not for every week) should speak with our organist, Bill Jenne. |
Coming Attractions
The online Grace Church Calendar lists most everything we know about that's happening at Grace Church. If something's not listed, or if you see errors, please tell the office (office@gracecollegehill.org). Note especially: - Bible Study - Sundays, 9 AM, Parlor.
- Snack 'n Chat - Sundays after service, Small Assembly Room.
- Healing Service - 2nd Wednesday of each month, Grace Church sanctuary.
- Annual Meeting - Sunday, February 12, after the service, with lunch.
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Sunday Service Volunteers
Here is the Sunday Service volunteer schedule for the next two Sundays. If you're scheduled and can't make it, find a substitute and let the webmaster know so the schedule can be updated. You can see the whole schedule and list of participants here. If you'd like to serve in any capacity, contact Judy Handy ( jhandy23@cinci.rr.com). January 29: Eucharist II - Celebrant: Fr. Bob Hufford
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Jamanuel Thrower
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Chalice: Ken Lyon
- Lector:Judy Handy
- Prayers of the People: Carol Lyon
- Offering Counter: Roger Perna
- Usher: Phyllis Mukasa
- Altar Guild: Carol Lyon, Wanda Miller
- Flower Guild: Chuck Bowles
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Virginia Chapel
February 5: Eucharist II - Celebrant: Fr. David Howard
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
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Acolyte: Mathias Mukasa
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Healing Minister (lead): J White
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Chalice: Wanda Miller
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Lector: Ken Lyon
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Prayers of the People: Maria Mukasa
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Offering Counter: John Thayer
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Usher: Mary McLain
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Altar Guild: Chuck Bowles, Jackie McCray
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Flower Guild: Wanda Miller
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9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
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Sunday School: Roger Perna
Reminder: Sunday Service Volunteers are needed in all positions including choir members, Sunday School teachers and sitters. Training is offered for acolytes, Eucharistic Visitors and Chalice Bearers. We are a Common Ministry Parish - everyone is encouraged to serve. Let the office know of your interest for training dates. |
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