 | A Center for Spirituality and Healing. |
| | | Saturday, August 23, 2014 |
| | | | Recap of August's Special Worship Services
Sometimes August worship is kind of subdued--waiting for things to pick up in the fall, but that hasn't been the case at Grace this August. This August we've seen: A Combined Service with Next Dimension Family Worship Center August 3. At this special 1pm service, we learned that two congregations coming from different traditions can indeed worship together. Members of Grace Church and Next Dimension were augmented by several attendees from the Wednesday Night Community Dinner. Pastor Will Hagans, Jr., and the Rev. Susan Lehman led a Celebration in Song and Scripture with Holy Communion. Read more about it here.
Baptisms with Bagpiper August 10.
Family and friends of those about to be baptized swelled the congregation to over 70 worshipers. The service started in the Great Hall. Then, bagpiper Tommy Thompson piped us in procession to the nave where we gathered around the great carved font. There,
Brooklynn Grace Williams and Rashawn Israel Lee became the newest members of Christ's Church through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. We were piped back to the Great Hall for Eucharist, and the service ended with a rousing rendition of "Amazing Grace."
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An Electric Celebration of Wholeness and Healing August 17. Maybe it was our participation in singing gospel music led by Pastor Will Hagans, Jr. Maybe it was Hawley Todd's sermon, in which he challenged himself and others to follow the example of the Canaanite woman who, being put off by Jesus more than once, kept going going back to him until they connected. Whatever it was, at least for your editor, the Spirit was working at Grace last Sunday. What Will Happen This Sunday? This Sunday's 10am worship looks on paper to be the first "normal" service since July, but who knows? You never know when the Spirit will strike; it's great to be there when it happens. |
| Thanking Those Who Make the Wednesday Healing Service Possible
 Last week's special healing service issue has been well-received. One indication of this fact is that the Facebook post announcing that issue reached ten times the number of people that a typical post to our page reaches! One thing didn't make it into that issue was a list of people who contribute their time, skill and God-given gifts of healing to the Wednesday Celebration of Wholeness and Healing. We didn't have a complete list then, but now we think we do. So, thanks to the following, who make this special service possible. -
Hawley Todd, co-leader
- Bob Laake, co-leader
- J White,
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Gwynne Gabbard
- Amy Wehr
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Bill Jenne
- Fran Malone
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Jackie Millay
- Matt Peffly
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Tammy Robertson
- Teri Dettone
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Tina Todd
- Laurie LeClaire
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Anni Macht Gibson
- Celeste Feingold
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Ron Beathard
- Jorge Martinez
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Sherri Elmore
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If we have missed anyone, please let the editor know at egracenotes@gracecollegehill.org. |
"Fresh Expressions" Being Adapted for Use at Grace 
We'd been hearing about this thing called "Fresh Expressions," and wondered how it might apply at Grace Church. A few weeks back, Roger, Perna, J White and Ken & Carol Lyon met with the Rev. Jane Gerdsen, missioner of Fresh Expressions in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, to learn more about Fresh Expressions and what it might mean at Grace Church. She explained that what she does is to help people be the church in a somewhat non-traditional way. She often seeks to have dinner with a non-churchy group. They discuss their interests in a light way and in a deeper way. When she looked at the groups meeting at Grace, she thought the Spirituality and Healing partnership group leaders might get together and see where our commonalities lie. This was interesting to us, because we have talked about how to build bridges among the groups at Grace, and a dinner discussion seemed like a good idea. As a test of this idea, we decided to use Mission Council members as a practice group before taking the show on the road. Last Monday, after a very short Mission Council meeting, members adjourned to the Lyon home for dinner and discussion. Before the dinner, members submitted one or two questions they wanted to ask the other council members. They were told they could be light, such as, "Where was your last job?" or heavier, such as "Do you believe Jesus died for your sins?" After dinner was served, the questions were put in a bowl, pulled out at random and answered by everyone in round robin fashion. As might be expected in this group, much of the conversation had to do with the others' relationship to Grace Church--asking how others had come to Grace and why they kept coming. Common threads among the answers were having a sense of family, of being accepted and loved for who they really are, and the ability to make a contribution that was appreciated. The general sense was that this meeting worked very well--even better than expected. Even among this group, some of whom have been working together for many years, there were revelations that deepened our understanding of each other and of our mutual commitment to Grace's mission. Thanks to Jane Gerdsen for helping us see that Grace Church, with its many unchurched people from the greater community coming through our doors every week, can apply the principles of Fresh Expressions without necessarily leaving the building. |
 Thanks ... ... Aaron Fleming for pulling weeds around the lower Belmont entrance. ... to everyone who has been contributing to Snack 'n Chat during August from J White. We've had some big services and the food has been great! ...to Rashawn Lee for listening carefully in church and asking some penetrating questions about what he's heard. They make us think! ... to sexton Patrick Meade from Jackie Millay, for helping her decorate the choir room for a recent workshop. "It looks wonderful and so alive!" ... to God for Alison Handy's new educational and professional opportunities--acceptance into a Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership and a new position as Assistant Director of Admission at Middlesex Community College (Boston).... to the people who are currently knitting prayer shawls and for the two prayer shawls that Candace Moxley delivered this week for Jan, Rhonda Sharp's step-mother-in-law, and Ruth, her mother-in-law's best friend of decades. The prayer shawls were a comfort to them as well as being a comfort to the family, who now know that people care for and are praying for them. ... to an attendee at the most recent Wednesday night Healing Service for noticing and pointing out that we had a typo in the "Our Values" listing--a listing that has appeared in every Grace Church publication since last winter. It said, "We are guilded always by honesty and integrity." That's an interesting combination of guided and gilded, but in any case, it's been corrected, we hope. 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. |
 Short SubjectsBill Jenne submitted his resignation as organist on Sunday, August 3. On Monday August 4, the Executive Committee of Grace Mission Council accepted it with thanksgiving for his service. Bill agreed to play on Sunday,August 10 and asked that his resignation not be mentioned at the service. Judy Handy and Ken Lyon, co-chairs of the Worship Team are working to find music ministers to serve in the interim. The worship team is taking the opportunity offered by this interim time to find ways to enhance our music program--identified during last spring's Pray for Grace campaign as being top priority. If you have ideas or suggestions please send them to Ken at Ken@Lyonhouse.us or to Judy at murf0202@gmail.com. Jo Carroll had a stroke in early July and has since spent time in Christ Hospital and then Twin Towers. She is at home now, walking with a walker, and receiving therapy there. Darice Chapel was awarded an Academic Grant for Minority Women by Lawrence Home Association. Darice is a second-year student at Miami University. She thank Grace Staples for telling her about the grant and Carol Lyon for writing a letter of recommendation. Bring Toothbrushes & Tooth Paste to Church. J White tells us that she knows of school kids who can use toothbrushes and toothpaste. Ransack your medicine chest and bring your unused brushes and past to church Sunday. Cathedral Special Music Brochures Now Available. Christ Church Cathedral's 2014-15 music brochure is now available for download here. The brochure lists all of Christ Church Cathedral Music Department's upcoming concerts, performers, as well as their partnerships and other related information. In addition you will also find the music for special worship services. If you would like a printed copy mailed to you, contact Crystal Jones (cjones@cccath.org). Sister Mary Elizabeth Roll, C.T., Died at the Convent of the Transfiguration. Visitation will be at the Convent of the Transfiguration, 495 Albion Avenue in Glendale on Saturday, August 23 from 9 to 9:45 am, with a Requiem Eucharist to follow in the Chapel of the Transfiguration at 10 am. For more about Sister Mary Elizabeth, read here. Digital Display Added at Lower Belmont Entrance. Those of you who have entered the church lately via the lower Belmont entrance may have notice that we have a new display showing our calendar of upcoming events and a slide show. You can also see what's on that display here. This is a work in progress. So please keep an eye on it and let webmaster@gracecollegehill.org know if you see any errors in the calendar. Also,we'd like to improve the slide show by showing more pictures from the many groups at Grace. If you have pictures that you think would look good on our display, please send 'em in. |
 Altar FlowersThe altar flowers for the baptism service were given in loving memory of Robin S. Garvin by Shelley Williams and Michele Prichard.
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, Sarah and Joe Rogers-- Patty's parents, 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 Nickname: Cousin, Bev Olinger, David McManus, Kathy Casebolt's family and friends, Ruth Bertram, Paul, Katharine Thayer, Grace Moore, Stella Parker, Jim and Nancy Vath, 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. |
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