 | A Center for Spirituality and Healing. |
| | | Sunday, September 28, 2014 |
| | | Grace Welcomes Two New Community Dinner Partners  Two new Community Dinner partners have become major contributors in support of the free Community Dinners served every Wednesday from 5 to 7 pm at Grace. Christ Church Cathedral has donated $10,000 to support the building costs associated with the dinner. Good News Baptist Church has taken responsibility for serving dinner the first Wednesday every month. The three churches who have been serving the dinners every Wednesday--Grace Church, the Trans-Saints ministry of Truth & Destiny Covenant United Church of Christ and the Next Dimension Family Worship Center--are pleased to welcome their new serving partner. Grace Church, who has been carrying the cost of providing the facility in which the dinners are served is very grateful for the financial support of the Cathedral. Others who contribute to make these dinners possible include: - The Episcopal Community Services Foundation, which has provided a grant of $2,000 to help defray the cost of food.
- Panera Bread downtown, which provides unsold bread, rolls, and other goodies (and J White, Candy Moxley and others who go get that bread).
- Bimbo Bakeries USA in West Chester, which provides unsold bread (and Charlie Parker who brings that bread every week).
- Pauline Lumet, who contributes desserts every week.
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| | Christ Church Cathedral and Grace Becoming Partners in Ministry  Grace's "Pray for Grace" program during Lent led to several recommendations for enlivening Grace Church's ministries. One of them was to explore some kind of partnership with Christ Church Cathedral. With the help of Susan Lehman, Grace leaders arranged to meet with Cathedral Dean Gail Greenwell, who responded very positively to the idea, and immediately offered to help underwrite the cost of the facilities that house the Community Dinners at Grace.
The Cathedral's announcement of the partnership reads, in part, "To support Grace in this particular ministerial outreach, Dean Gail Greenwell presented the church with a $10,000 grant from the Coombe Fund. The grant represents the first step in a new partnership that the cathedral is forging with the Grace congregation to support its efforts to use its sacred space in creative ways that serve neighborhood needs." You can read the complete text of the Cathedral's announcement in this month's issue of the Cathedral Tower here. We expect this partnership to grow as we learn how we can best support each other. One thing you'll notice immediately is that we'll be keeping you informed of Cathedral programs that are of possible interest. |
Fellowship, Not Food, Is the Star at the Community Dinner  Through the generous support from Grace Church members, friends and partners, Grace Episcopal Church offers food and fellowship for the community every Wednesday in the Great Hall. We and our partners take turns preparing food for our guests, but the food is not the star.
The real gift is the community. People may hunger for food, but in today's fast paced, non-traditional family world it seems as if the hunger is as much for connections--people who care. I have had the honor of calling people every week to remind them of the dinner. At first I wondered why, since the list was populated by people who had been to the dinner and knew we had dinner here Wednesdays. However, the experience has been awesome. Most people are happy to be contacted and touched that we care enough to reach out. I may be in a bad mood when I start but by the end of my calls I feel truly blessed. There is a sense of comradery at the dinners. Some will stay the whole two hours, caring and sharing. We have three children who come in without parents. The oldest boy is a young teen or perhaps preteen, the middle one a grade school aged boy, and the youngest boy a preschooler. They line up with everyone else to get their food and sit with various people at the tables. The older ones may need to remind the little one to sit down and eat but never in a harsh or threatening way. It is heartwarming to feed and witness this little family as they accept Grace as a safe place. One of our congregation, Jeff Ritchie, sits with a whole table of people that comes and stays until the end. They are always willing to help carry, serve or anything asked. Roger Perna is always there, fixing beverages and talking to people. He does half the weekly calls and has stated he feels as positive about the experience as I do. On the rare occasion we have a complaint or concern, Miss J White sets it right. So our paradigm shifts from our service to the Lord only on Sunday mornings, to witnessing our Christian values in the middle of the week! This is just one thing your pledge dollars make happen. Thanks to Candy Moxley for this article. |
About the Free Community Dinner  The Community Dinner at Grace Church has been growing over the past three years, and, at this time, we are serving a hot, home cooked meal to 60 to 100 people every Wednesday night. The dinners began in October, 2012, as an idea generated by J White and Roger Perna from Grace Church, and Pastor Rita Bryant from Life Renewal Discipleship Church. We began serving dinners two Wednesdays each month. In 2013, our efforts were reinforced by Truth & Destiny Covenant United Church of Christ, and we gradually evolved to a point where the Lord has allowed us to serve dinners every Wednesday night of every month. Our dinners are a wonderful mix of food, conversation, and Christian fellowship. Volunteers and guests alike are experiencing a family atmosphere as we come together. With Leadership changes, the congregation that was Life Renewal Church is now Next Dimension Family Worship Center. Recently we have been further blessed with the addition of two more congregations as partners in our efforts: Good News Baptist Church and Christ Church Cathedral. With the combined energy of these five congregations, we anticipate further expansion of our efforts to include helping our dinner guests with attaining various social services. We are truly thankful in the ways the dinner is growing . Thanks to Roger Perna for this article. |
| Healing hands and open hearts....where do YOU see them? Find out soon.... |
 Selected Short Subjects
Grace Church welcomes in-kind donations in support of her mission, and will provide donors with a receipt to use in case the IRS asks a donor for documentation of in-kind charitable gifts. Any Mission Council member who can verify receipt of the gift and who isn't related to the donor can sign the receipt. Once the receipt is signed, give a copy of the receipt and whatever documentation is provided to the Treasurer for filing. Copies of the receipt form are available in the office. *** J White and Carol Lyon attended Sunday worship at the Cathedral last week. Dean Greenwell had invited J to give an announcement about the Community Dinners at Grace. *** Your editor attended one of the free introductory Yoga workshops offered at Grace by Aaron Fleming of College Hill Yoga.
He found Aaron to be a great teacher and would encourage anyone with any
interest in or curiosity about Yoga to try this class. Unfortunately,
your editor won't be going back soon--although this is not a high-impact
course, he discovered that he needs to do more of his back exercises to get
in shape. |
Native American Spirituality to be Explored at Our CathedralAs a small congregation, we don't often have the opportunity to have well-known leaders come to inspire us here at Grace. Happily, Christ Church Cathedral does provide us with opportunities to attend events that we can't sponsor on our own. One such event is coming up October 3 thru 5 at our Cathedral. At the Native American Weekend, Bishop Steven Charleston (Choctaw) will explore native American Spirituality and its relationship with Christianity. 
Since Grace is a place of Spirituality and Healing this represents a chance for us to learn about the spirituality of the Native Peoples. Let's get a group together to hear this well-known Native American. Contact Carol Lyon (spikelyon@gmail.com, 513-919-0542) if you're interested in forming a group to attend all or part of this event. Read more about it in the Cathedral's newsletter here. Thanks to Carol Lyon for this article. |
 Thanks ... ... to Judy Handy for constructing the order for our Sunday worship each and every week. You editor had the experience of doing this for a few services last summer and now realizes that this is not only an important responsibility, but a demanding one that takes a lot of time. ... to Ruth Bertram for her hard work keeping our books these past two years, to Roger Perna to taking on this chore in previous years when no one else would do it, and to Cathedral member and accountant Malcolm Dunn for his assistance. Your new Treasurer is learning how much is involved, and is very thankful for Ruth, Roger and Malcolm's continued support. ... to David Mukasa and Candy Moxley for volunteering to serve as acolytes (David's children are looking forward to training him). ... to John Thayer for all he does to prepare for ringing handbells on Sunday Mornings. Rhonda Partin-Sharp observes "I am often in the office when John comes in to prepare, and it requires a lot more preparation than I ever realized before I saw him do it. Copying music and coordinating all of the music to make sure he has the bells out he needs for all songs--then practicing. It is often an all afternoon undertaking." ... to Grace Staples and Candace Moxley, who have often offered their office assistance to Rhonda while she's been out helping with her ill step-mother-in-law. ... to Hawley Todd for his hard and effective work as consultant to the program leaders. ... to Rita Lyon for preparing all the labels and letters for the 2015 pledge campaign. ... Grace Staples, Candace Moxley, Mary McLain and Carol Lyon for their work preparing for the 2015 pledge campaign. ... to God for answering prayers from Grace members and others for help finding a replacement for Rhonda Sharp's wrecked car. ... 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 Admission at Middlesex Community College (Boston). 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 they can be recognized. |
| GIMME FIVE! What does that mean?????? Find out soon! |
Keep Informed of Cathedral Events Via eMail
 Christ Church Cathedral often hosts events that are of interest and value to people in the community and around the Diocese. You can be kept uptodate about what's happening at our Cathedral by subscribing to their two enewsletters. The Cathedral Tower is a monthly newsletter. The Cathedral Weekly is a weekly electronic newsletter featuring upcoming events and other cathedral news. To subscribe to these publications, go to the Cathedral website ( christchurchcincinnati.org) and click on "SUBSCRIBE: WEEKLY eNews" in the lower right corner of the screen. Try it! (You can unsubscribe instantly at any time if you change your mind.) |
 Altar Flowers
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 (Sarah and Joe Rogers - Patty's parents), Carl, Jackie, Robb Martin, Kim Martin, Melissa, Jordan and Brandie, Lee Hardy, Rhonda Sharp, The Partin Family, DL, Maree White, Robert and Kathleen Keefer and Anna Keefer, Virginia Chapel and Family, Our President and Our Country, Anni Gibson, Albertha Howard and DeConte Howard, Johnny, Peter Harten, Phillis Dietz and Laura Hubrich, Peter Hawkins, Judy Handy, Madeena Nolan, Gwynne and Naomi Gabbard, Marla, Mae Armstead, Jan Sharp, James McNabb, Bev Olinger, Kathy Casebolt's family and friends, 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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