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"...rekindle the gift of God that is within you..."  

from 2 Timothy1:6-14

A funny thing happened at convention last week. Instead of just boring business, I felt God's Grace upon us.  Each of us was asked to look into the dark place of our hearts, to find that ember that is barely burning and then fan it into the flame of the Holy Spirit in order to do the work that God has given us to do. And then we were asked to look into the darkness in the heart of our church to find that small ember that needs to be fanned into a flaming fire that will give us the power, love and self-discipline to bring about the Kingdom of God in our church and our community.

In among the business of the convention the theme was repeated in the liturgy, in the music and in the stories we told each other. We told stories about our family, our faith, about fire and about the future. We answered questions like: What is the most important lesson you have learned? What is your favorite Bible character and why? Share a memory you have of a fire. If you could make one change in the church, what would it be? Talking with each other involved each of us and animated our conversations.

As I looked around the room, listened to the reports, engaged in the liturgy, I thought, "We are not alone but we are among a 'cloud of witnesses.'" I believe the people of the Diocese have something to offer one another. I would urge us to give what we have and to take what others have to give us.

Carol Lyon, Convention Delegate

See reports on everything that happened at the Convention of the Diocese of Southern Ohio here.   

  Rhonda Sharp passed along this Facebook post by Patty, the little girl we collected the greeting cards and gift cards for over the summer. Patty has Neuroblastoma and was coming to Children's Hospital to fight it.  Many people still ask about her and are praying for her, so Rhonda thought they might like to hear this lovely thing she wrote.  

"Everyone's doing those 'I'm thankful for' posts, so I guess I'll do one.  

"I'm grateful for the things that everyone is doing to support me, or to keep me occupied, or just plain make me happy. I truly am thankful for you guys; BUT, there are people out there who are in a lot worse shape than me.  

"I had a pen pal for a short time. She was about my age and had both Neuroblastoma and Leukemia. I received an email from her mom this week saying she had died.  

"KiKi, the little girl with Neuroblastoma that Tara Strong sponsors, is in a lot worse shape than I am. Her parents thought they could treat it with homeopathic medicine, and now they are scrambling for spots for chemo and other treatments.  

"Then there are the kids who are starving to death every day, the kids who are being abused, the kids who don't have a home to go to, or a family. The kids who were foolish enough to get pregnant, and the ones who got pregnant against their will.  

"It's nice you care about me, but please, I live in great comfort--these kids don't. Do something for them, instead of Adalia Rose or me. Those kids can be helped, Adalia Rose can not. So, go help a shelter, donate money to a relief fund, do something that will make someone's life a little bit better."

Patty's mom writes: 

"If I could suggest some charities to donate to, these are at the top of my list:  

• The National Children's Cancer Society  
• Alex's Lemonade Stand  
• The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge  

Thanksgivings are offered for your prayers for J. White's sister, Maree. After three months being in the hospital and then rehab unit, and sometimes back to the hospital, Maree is now home and is doing well. Maree will still be attending dialysis several times a week, so she asks for greetings to be done via phone calls. If she is able to accommodate a visit, that can be scheduled during the phone call.

Prayers for healing are asked for Judy Handy, Rev. Ernestein, Patty Rogers, The Rogers Family, Ken Lyon, Carl, Jackie, Robb Martin, Kim Martin, Melissa, Tara, Paul, The Erik Handy Family, The Darryl Handy Family, The Burlew Family, The Fantetti Family, Harry Shafer, Viola and Bill and Johnny, Lee Hardy, Christine Hicks, Debbie, Chris and Charlie, Derek, Denise, The Visbal Family, Rhonda, The Partin Family, The Sharp Family, The Marshall Family, The Bennett Family, Nadine Renee, Bob, Teresa and Kids, Jo Jo, Jared, Shirley L. Allen, Melissa, David , Theresa Buskirk Neabrey, Merrilee Atkins, Leroy, Carol Lyon, Maree White, Verene and Katrina, Tom, Gayle, Elaine Robinson, Rita Lyon, Maria Mukasa, Anna Keefer, Brenda Armbruster and her family, JB, Christine Zuniga, Tonya, Shonda's Father, Cornell Bryant, Pastor Rita and Family, Karen and Diane, KiKi, Sonia, The Coal Miners and their familys who are being laid off, Virginia Chapel, Hurricane Sandy Victims, Bonnie Willenbrink, Kay, Our President and Our Country.

Prayers for "shut-ins," (members and friends who are often not able to attend) are asked for Nancy Hall, Janet Henthorn, Carl Relyea, Mary Jane Showers, Elizabeth Kelly, Jane Strohmeier, Naomi Koester, Elva Gscheidle, Jo Carroll, Anne Henneberg.

To add or subtract from this list, please contact the Church Office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org) with the names of the persons to be included on this list.  If you email, please place "Prayer Request" in the subject line.  Please also indicate whether the name of the prayer recipient is to be listed in the bulletin.

Names remain on the list for about a month. Please let us know if people should be put back on the list.   

For the second year in a row, eGraceNotes was awarded two top "Gold Quill" awards by the Diocese of Southern Ohio: "Overall Excellence in Design" and "Best of Show," both in the electronic division.   

Julie Murray, who managed the competition, said in announcing the awards:

 

"To anyone who has not seen eGraceNotes, you should really take a look at it. It's an excellent e-newsletter, one of the best examples of email communication in the diocese. eGraceNotes is a wonderful example of great communications on a tight budget. Using readily available, inexpensive internet-based tools and a willingness to spend some time to include great photos and information gathered from the congregation, Ken Lyon can tell the story of Grace Church in a polished, professional manner. I admire his ability to take that electronic information and repurpose it in a printable form for those who might not have access to a computer or the internet, so that everyone can stay informed and feel like a part of the church."

Winning entries in the second annual wRite Stuff communications competition were presented with Gold Quill awards for excellence in communication in a ceremony held November 9 at diocesan convention. Read more about the awards, including names of other recipients here:  http://www.diosohio.org/dfc/newsdetail_2/3156349.   

The online Grace Church Calendar lists most everything we know about that's happening at Grace Church. Here's a snapshot of a week's worth of the online calendar as of today.  If something's not listed, or if you see errors, please tell the office (office@gracecollegehill.org, 513-541-2415).