 Thanks ...
...to all who responded so generously to fund our beautiful Easter flowers. If you donated a plant or two and would like to take them home this Sunday, please feel free to do so. Any plants that are left over will be planted around the church grounds.
...to Mary McClain for her donation of the flowers in the planters in the front of the church.
... to Chuck Bowles, Rita Lyon and Carol Lyon for arranging the Easter Flower display.
...to Chuck Bowles for donating a propane grill and kitchen equipment to Grace Church.
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Summer Camp Opportunities in College Hill
 From the Christ's Community in College Hill Newsletter: This summer we are offering 2 opportunities for children in our community to have a camp experience. For seven weeks from July to August we will be offering Day Camp from 8am to 4pm. College Hill Presbyterian Church has offered their facilities to host us. We will serve breakfast and then spend the morning keeping academics fresh in our young peoples' minds. Teachers through Whole Again Program will provide this aspect of the day. Lunch will then be served and the afternoon will be spent having fun through planned activities and day trips to various destinations. Our second camp opportunity is sending 12 students to a week of camping at Procter Conference Center. The generous members of Grace Episcopal Church have raised the funds to send 6 of these campers. We are hoping to match that amount to send 6 more to this camp designed to help students grow in their walk with God and their ability to lead others. What a great way to impact the community in the future through our youngest generation. You can call Christ's Community at 513-541-0303. |
| 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: - Mission Council Meeting Monday, April 16 at 5pm in the parlor. All welcome.
- Interfaith Homeless Network hosting Friday thru Saturday, April 20-21 at First UCC.
- Sharing Sunday - 1st Sunday of each month - collection of goods/money for the College Hill Food Pantry
- Bible Study - Sundays, 9 AM, Parlor.
- Snack 'n Chat - Every Sunday after service, Small Assembly Room.
- Healing Service - 2nd Wednesday of each month, 7 pm, Grace Church sanctuary.
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Thirty Years of Handbells at Grace Church
 In 1981, Grace Church was in a state of flux. The 1979 Prayer Book had just been adopted, a new hymnal was in the offing, and a change of rectors was under way. A list of suggestions for future activities included the formation of a handbell choir, and a local handbell choir actually visited us that spring.
The following fall, the author purchased four handbells from the well-known Cincinnati bell company I.T. Verdin. These bells first sounded at Grace on December 24, 1981 in a handbell/recorder duet by then-Music Director Norman Selby and the author. On April 11, 1982, Mary Ellen Methot and this author performed "Joyous Peal for Handbells"--the first piece exclusively for handbells rung by church members. Grace's Handbell Choir, formed in 1982, initially consisted of a group of enthusiastic youngsters who were subsequently joined by several adults. This choir was formally dedicated at a worship service on March 6, 1983 and regularly rang for the next several years. Its high point came on April 14, 1985, when the choir joined forces with the handbell choir of College Hill Christian Church to perform at the College Hill "Spring Sing". Articles about our choir appeared in INTERCHANGE and also in OVERTONES , the journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. The choir continued as an ensemble until 1993. Under the guidance of Music Director Christina Haan, a "scratch" choir performed until July 14, 1996, when it performed "Mother Earth, Spirit Sky"--the last bell choir performance to date. By this time, the original four bells had multiplied to 61--a full five-octave set! Not wishing these bells to remain unused, the author adopted a dictum "Tintinnabula NON tacebuntur!" (The bells shall NOT be silenced!) and became a soloist.  Solo performances of any kind of music require a lot of adaptation. In the case of handbells, very little published solo music exists. This forced me to prepare my own arrangements--a challenge in itself. Two items I found out:
- Passages that look easy on paper and play easily on piano can be very difficult to perform on handbells.
- The quantity of music available in public domain is enormous !!
I have concentrated on arrangements of hymns (the number of published hymnals would fill scores of bookshelves!), songs of various types, and occasionally passages from classical composers. Simply choosing which ones to arrange is difficult! In addition to solo pieces, I also ring along with sung hymns. Again, this has its own challenges, but also opportunities-especially for new combinations of tones-well worth any and all difficulties encountered. In recent years Grace Church has developed the use of percussion instruments in church meetings--encouraged by the use of drumming in the monthly healing services. If this trend continues--and I hope it will--Grace Church has a wide range of possible combinations and opportunities to use percussion instruments, including handbells, not only in worship but also in other church activities. I would like to acknowledge and thank all those who have aided the development and use of handbells at Grace: the rectors, priests and ministers for their permissions and encouragements; the Music Directors for their active help, especially Christina Haan, Matt Estes, Jim Edgy and, most recently, Bill Jenne; the ringers, especially the two remaining members of the original handbell choir still with Grace Church: Jane Strohmeier and Judy Berghausen, and those others who have rung from time to time, especially Lisa Perry, with whom I played some splendid duets, and especially the congregation, whose members have provided so much support for the ringers' efforts. Anybody interested in becoming a ringer, even on an occasional basis, is encouraged to notify me or the Church office. Thanks to John Thayer for this article, for all those bells and for his dedication to ringing.
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Webcast on Poverty and the Environment
Experts will examine The Intersection of Poverty and the Environment on April 21 in a live webcast beginning at noon EDT. The program will be available at no charge on the Episcopal Church website www.episcopalchurch.org. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panelists during the two-hour webcast, originating from St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Salt Lake City, UT. A Facilitator's Guide and resources to optimize viewing and participation are available here: www.episcopalchurch.org/intersection.
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Islam and Christianity
A new dialogue series in four sessions begins on Monday April 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Centennial Barn, 110 Compton Road at the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. This is the fifth year that Franciscans Network has partnered with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to sponsor this wonderful opportunity. Come sit at a table with Muslims and fellow Christians as we talk about various aspects of our life and faith. All are welcome. For further information contact Bill Lonneman at (513) 541-2377 or e-mail franciscansnetwork@cinci.rr.com. |
| Restoring Lives through Eastertide Chocolate
In the joy of Easter, you can restore lives all over Southern Ohio through supporting the Episcopal Community Service Foundation's upcoming Chocolate Fest. All proceeds of this blissful Eastertide event go into community ministry grants to Episcopal churches in this diocese. Here are two recent examples of the many lives restored:
- The man who emerged from poverty through mentoring at Partners in Hope in Troy, and developed the new Hope Blend for a local café, with the proceeds benefitting to the great ministries at Partners in Hope.
- The young mother in Piqua who gave up drugs, turned her life over to Christ, and is now striving to support her children through a legitimate job as a nurse's aide. Donations to ECSF help the St. James Pantry to provide her family food so she can use her $9/hr wages to meet $600 a month in rent.
Here's how YOU can restore lives:
- Bid on our silent auction which goes live Easter Monday at BiddingForGood/ECSFsouthernohio, or
- Make an online contribution to ECSF at ECSFsouthernohio.org, or
- Come to Chocolate Fest April 21 from 2 to 4 pm at beautiful Trinity Church at 76 E. Main Street in Newark, Ohio, where the ECW are preparing an awesome party! For only $10 (order tickets at ECSF's website or just come) you can taste all of the scrumptious recipes being prepared by awesome holy bakers, see the great auction items, and have a heavenly time.
Do Good. Eat Chocolate!
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Prayer Requests
 Please keep these people in your prayers for their special needs: Tom, Madeena and Michael, Missy, Paula's Family, Hadiya, Scott, Ruth, Doug, Susan, Marjorie, Rhonda Partin-Sharp, The Partin & Sharp Family, Angie and LaMont, The Bennett Family, Rita, Nadine Renee, Rick, Bob, Jared, Teresa, Elizabeth Kelly, Carl, Lee Hardy, Tara, Paul, Shari, Rev. Ernestein, The Erik Handy Family, The Darryl Handy Family, Albertha, Dee, The Burlew Family, The Fantetti Family, Harry Shafer, Viola and Bill, Ethan, Paul and Ashley, Angie and Johnny, Joshua, Amber, Chris, Debbie, Cris and Charlie. Please remember these members and friends who are not often able to come to Grace in person: Mary Lou Bellows, Nancy Hall, Maureen Back, Carl Relyea, Mary Jane Showers, Jane Strohmeier, Naomi Koester, Elva Gscheidle, Mary Ratliff, Jo Carroll, Anne Henneberg. Please contact the Church Office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org) with the names of the persons you wish to remain in our prayers. If you email, please place "Prayer Reqest" in the subject line. 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. |
Worship Service Volunteers
Here is the worship volunteer schedule through the end of April. The whole schedule is available on our website ( gracecollegehill.org). If you're scheduled and can't make it, find a substitute and let Ken Lyon ( webmaster@gracecollegehill.org, 513-542-2941) know so the schedule can be updated.
Sunday Service Volunteers are needed in all volunteer positions. We will provide training as needed. We are a Common Ministry Parish - everyone is encouraged to serve. Contact Judy Handy (jhandy23@cinci.rr.com, 513-681-5829). April 15: Eucharist II - Celebrant: Susan Lehman
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Mathias Mukasa
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Chalice: Wanda Miller
- Lector: John Thayer
- Prayers of the People: Judy Handy
- Offering Counter: John Thayer
- Usher: Mary McLain
- Altar Guild: Lisa Perry, Tammy Robertson
- Flower Guild: Carol Lyon
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Grace Staples
April 22: Eucharist II
- Celebrant: Fr. David Howard
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Jamanuel Thrower
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Chalice: Carol Lyon
- Lector: Maria Mukasa
- Prayers of the People: Phyllis Mukasa
- Offering Counter: Roger Perna
- Usher: Wanda Miller
- Altar Guild: Carol Lyon, Wanda Miller
- Flower Guild: Chuck Bowles
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Maria Mukasa
April 29: Celebration of Wholeness and Healing
- Officiant: Hawley Todd, TSSF
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Mathias Mukasa
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Lector: Tammy Robertson
- Litany of Healing: Mary McLain
- Offering Counter: John Thayer
- Usher: David Mukasa
- Altar Guild: Chuck Bowles, Jackie McCray
- Flower Guild: Wanda Miller
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Virginia Chapel
May 6: Eucharist II
- Celebrant: Fr. David Howard
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Jamanuel Thrower
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Chalice: Ken Lyon
- Lector: Judy Handy
- Prayers of the People: Chuck Bowles
- Offering Counter: Roger Perna
- Usher: Grace Staples
- Altar Guild: Chuck Bowles, Maureen Back
- Flower Guild: Carol Lyon
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Roger Perna
May 13: Eucharist II
- Celebrant: TBA
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Mathias Mukasa
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Chalice: Wanda Miller
- Lector: Mary McLain
- Prayers of the People: Ken Lyon
- Offering Counter: John Thayer
- Usher: Phyllis Mukasa
- Altar Guild: Lisa Perry, Tammy Robertson
- Flower Guild: Chuck Bowles
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Grace Staples
May 20: Celebration of Wholeness and Healing
- Officiant: Hawley Todd, TSSF
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Jamanuel Thrower
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Lector: Ken Lyon
- Litany of Healing: Grace Staples
- Offering Counter: Roger Perna
- Usher: Albertha Howard
- Altar Guild: Carol Lyon, Wanda Miller
- Flower Guild: Wanda Miller
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Maria Mukasa
May 27: Eucharist II
- Celebrant: Fr. Bob Hufford
- Keyboards: Bill Jenne
- Acolyte: Mathias Mukasa
- Healing Minister (lead): J White
- Chalice: Ken Lyon
- Lector: Carol Lyon
- Prayers of the People: John Thayer
- Offering Counter: John Thayer
- Usher: Mary McLain
- Altar Guild: Chuck Bowles, Jackie McCray
- Flower Guild: Carol Lyon
- 9am Adult Bible Study: Ken Lyon
- Sunday School: Virginia Chapel
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