A Center for Spirituality and Healing.

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Friday, August 8, 2014

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Sunday's Baptism Service Will be Special

Brooklynn Grace Williams and Rashawn Israel

Lee will become the newest members of Christ's Church through the sacrament of Holy Baptism at the 10am Sunday service at Grace.

Their baptism would be enough to make the service special, but there are some added features that will make it extra special.

We're expecting the size of the worshiping congregation to double in size as family and friends of those to be baptized come to join the celebration.
Although the service will start and end in the air-conditioned Great Hall, we'll go to the nave for the baptism itself, so we can use the beautiful carved baptismal font in that beautiful setting.
Just to make things more interesting, we'll be piped to and from the nave with bagpipes.
Finally, this will be Susan Lehman's last Sunday service with us for a while, as she has been asked to serve regularly at the Church of the Advent for the next several months.

Join us Sunday for this special worship experience.

Look for a Special Healing Service Issue Early Next Week

This coming Wednesday and the Sunday following are both Healing Services (aka Celebrations of Wholeness and Healing) at Grace. We're compiling a special eGraceNotes issue about these services. Look for it early next week.

Grace Church and Next Dimension Enjoyed Worshiping Together Sunday

Can two congregations coming from different traditions worship together? Last Sunday, we learned that the answer can be "yes!" as Grace Episcopal Church and Next Dimension Family Worship Center joined for a Celebration in Song and Scripture with Holy Communion.

We sang traditional gospel songs and traditional Episcopal hymns. Everyone joined in with enthusiastic singing as well as some clapping and swaying. The joy of unity in Christ was present.

Worship was led by Pastor Will Hagans, Jr, and the Rev. Susan Lehman. Susan opened the service with introductions of all present, and gave a short homily describing the readings, psalms and songs to come, which were on the themes of Creation, Redemption, Salvation and Hope & Promise. Members of both congregations read scripture lessons and led psalms. Pastor Hagans and Bill Jenne led the singing--eight songs in all. Pastor Hagans presided over Holy Communion, which was distributed to all present. An abundant Snack 'n Chat (actually more like a full meal) followed the service.

Susan observed, "What I found most touching was that after the separate offering plates had been passed, a number of persons from both congregations walked forward and placed money in the other church's plate. What a sign of grace!"

Members of both congregations experienced some new things and found them rewarding. Grace people learned that they could learn to sing new music quickly and have fun in the process. Next Dimension added a wine option to their usual grape juice for Communion; for many, including Pastor Hagans, this was their first experience with wine at Communion.

Attendance (about 50) at this 1pm service was actually more than usually attend the separate Grace Church 10am and Next Dimension 2pm services. Attendance was bolstered by about seven people who are regulars at the Wednesday night free Community Dinners, but who usually don't attend either Sunday service.

Thanks ...

...to Gwynne Gabbard and Tom and Tish Thompson, for their generous gift of love and wonderful piping for Sunday's baptism service. Tom plays his great-grandfather's bagpipes; his great-grandfather played in the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums Band in the 1940s, as does Tom today. Tom also plays in the Cincinnati Emerald Society Police and Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums Band. We also wish Tom and Tish every happiness on their very recent marriage!

... to Susan Lehman for leading many of our Sunday worship services since February of 2012, and for her other support of Grace Church above and beyond the call of duty. Although her new responsibilities at Church of the Advent will take her away from our Sunday worship for the rest of the year and perhaps longer, Susan tells us, "be assured of my continuing interest and investment in the future of Grace Church."

... to David Mukasa, Grace Staples and Hawley Todd for visiting Elizabeth Kelly at her apartment at Twin Towers. She misses being able to attend worship at Grace, and really appreciates visitors.

... to God for Alison Handy's new educational and professional opportunities: acceptance into a PhD program in Educational Leadership, and her new position as Assistant Director of Admissions at Middlesex Community College (Boston).

... to the many members of Grace Church and Next Dimension Family Worship who worked together to combine our services and Sunday fellowship at Snack-N-Chat this Sunday.

... and huge gratitude/appreciation to Patrick Meade for helping Jackie Millay decorate the choir room for last weekend's workshop.

If you want to thank anyone in the congregation for something they did week (leading the meditation in the Friday Prayer and Meditation group, going above and beyond on a routine responsibility, donating food or cooking for the Community Dinner, etc.) then please send that thank you to Ken Lyon (eGraceNotes@gracecollegehill.org) or the office (office@gracecollegehill.org), so those people can get recognition in Grace Notes.

Even though everyone who does something special may not be recognized each week (although we do try), we are aware of how hard members of this congregation work together to keep this church going. Most of the work done in this church is by volunteers, so thank you to every one in this congregation for keeping our dream of Grace Church alive by your consistent contributions. None of us could do it without all of us working together.

Altar Flowers

The flowers for this Sunday are given in loving memory of Robin S. Garvin by Shelley Williams & Michele Prichard.

Flowers for last Sunday's combined service were donated by Grace Staples in loving memory of her mother, Alberta Nowell.

You can donate a bouquet of flowers on the altar on any Sunday in honor of or in memory of anyone. The suggested donation is only $35. Just sign on the flower sheet by the door or call the church office or email spikelyon@gmail.com or donate online at gracecollegehill.org.

Prayers and Thanksgivings

Prayers for healing are asked for Rev. Ernestein, Patty Rogers, The Rogers Family, Carl, Jackie, Robb Martin, Kim Martin, Melissa, Jordan and Brandie, Bill, Viola and Irma, Lee Hardy, Rhonda Sharp, The Partin Family, D.L., Merrilee Atkins, Maree White, Anna Keefer, Virginia Chapel and Family, Our President and Our Country, Anni Gibson, Bill Jenne, Don Wake, Albertha Howard and DeConte Howard, Johnny, Peter Harten, Phillis Dietz, Peter Hawkins, Judy Handy, Laura Hubrich (Phillis Dietz' daughter), Madeena Nolan, Gwynne and Naomi Gabbard, Marla, Mae Armstead, The Garland Family - Teresa, Debbie and Jay, Sherry Ridgeway, Jayna, Jan Sharp, James McNabb, Bev Olinger, David McManus, Kathy Casebolt's family and friends, Ruth Bertram, Paul, Katharine Thayer, Grace Moore, Elizabeth Kelly's granddaughter (Yvonne's daughter) Stella Parker, Gwynne Gabbard's brother-in-law and sister Jim and Nancy Vath, and Darryl Handy.

Prayers are asked for members often not able to come to church: Elizabeth Kelly, Janet Henthorn, Mary Jane Showers, Naomi Koester, Elva Gscheidle, Jo Carroll, Anne Henneberg, Phillis Dietz, Raymond Betts.

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.

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.

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, 513-541-2415).

Grace Church worship services and participants' assignments are shown here.

From the Editor...

You are receiving eGraceNotes because you subscribed online, or because you provided us with your email. You can unsubscribe instantly at any time using the link at the bottom of each issue.

eGraceNotes is published weekly whenever possible. Our purpose is to help keep members and friends of Grace Church up-to-date on what's happening at Grace and of other things that may be of particular interest to our readers.

While we try our best to represent the Grace Church congregation, final responsibility for what you see here belongs solely to the editor.

The content of eGraceNotes depends on what what is provided us. Send items to the editor at egracenotes@gracecollegehill.org.

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Ken Lyon, Editor

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