Date: March 5th 2010

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March 2010

Services for Holy Week

Palm Sunday
March 28

Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist
8:00 AM & 10:00 AM

Monday

Holy Eucharist
9:30 AM

Tuesday

Holy Eucharist
9:30 AM

Wednesday

Holy Eucharist
9:30 AM

Maundy Thursday
April 1

Choral Eucharist
with
The Footwashing and The Stripping of the Altar
7:00 PM

The Watch at the Altar of Repose
8:30PM – 7:00AM

Good Friday
April 2

Morning Prayer
At the conclusion of the Watch
7:00 AM

Stations of the Cross
11:30 AM

Good Friday Liturgy
with Communion from the Reserved Sacrament
Noon

Stations of the Cross
for grade school children
4:30-5:00 PM

Stations of the Cross
7:00 PM

Holy Saturday
April 3

Liturgy of the Day
9:30 AM

The Great Vigil of Easter
7:30 PM

Easter Day
April 4

Holy Eucharist with Hymns
8:00 AM

Choral Eucharist with Brass
10:00 AM

Tuesday Eucharist moved

The Tuesday morning Eucharist will move during Lent to Bethlehem Chapel so as to encourage people not involved in the Women's Study Group to attend. It is held at 9:30 AM, every Tuesday. Please join us! All are welcome.

Lenten Wednesdays

  February 24th through March 24th

    Holy Eucharist – 6 pm
     Light Supper - 6:30 pm

    Teaching Series: The Eucharistic Life – 7 pm

The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the principal event of the
church's life. The Eucharist is where and how we receive ongoing formation as Christians. We are baptized into the Eucharistic life. This series will explore five ways of this formation; five dimensions of the Christian life.

The five sessions are: Gathering, Listening, Confessing, Sharing, and Living.

If you can help with food for our suppers, please sign up to bring Soup/Salad/Bread, or to cleanup afterwards. Your help is appreciated!

Easter Offering

The Outreach Committee would like to remind you that the celebration of Easter and the joy of Christ's resurrection is also a time to remember those who are in need. As in the past, the offerings at the Easter services will be donated to the work of the Outreach Committee. All of our projects directly result in feeding, housing, and spiritually supporting those in need, and now the need is greater than ever.

Please look for the Outreach envelopes in your pew and give generously. Make your check to Grace Church and put Outreach on the memo line, or you may donate directly to one project. Thank you so much for your help in the past, and please prayerfully consider continuing to help others.

Programs our Outreach supports are:

Episcopal City Mission - Provides salary for the chaplains to the juveniles in detention. Provides a birthday party for juveniles in detention in June.

Trinity Hot Lunch - Once monthly provides an excellent meal for an average of 100 men, women and children.

Task Force for the Hungry - Provides meals for people in the diocese of Missouri with soup kitchens at various parishes.

KirkCare - Provides food and money for utilities to people living in the R-7 school district.

Habitat for Humanity - Builds homes for struggling families.

SPROG, Inc. - Provides a 6 week summer camp for economically disadvantaged children of Kirkwood.

Episcopal Relief and Dev. - Provides essentials for people around the world.

Annie's Hope - Provides grief counseling and support for children who have lost a parent or other significant person.

Easter Flowers
and
The Book of Loving Remembrance

As Lent progresses we are making preparations to decorate the Sanctuary in celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Contributions toward Easter flowers would be gratefully accepted.

Donations can be made in memory of loved ones, or in thanksgiving for family, friends or blessings received. All dedications will be recorded in the Book of Loving Remembrance, which is traditionally placed on the altar for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday services.

The box designated as "Book of Loving Remembrance" will be on the Narthex table the last three weeks of Lent to receive your donations. Please note your dedication information on the envelopes provided within. You may also mail your contribution directly to the church office, noting "Easter Flowers" on your check's memo line and including the dedication you wish recorded. Thank you for your help in beautifying Grace church for this wonderful celebration.

Holy Ground

Holy Ground met on Monday, March 1 at 6:30 pm.  We made "God boxes". 

A God box is a container in which you place a prayer or a concern that is wearing on your soul.  We all have situations from time to time when we have problems in discerning the right path.  The idea is to write that concern/prayer on a piece of paper, place it in the God box, close the lid...and literally and figuratively, turn it over to God.  This is a great way to focus our centering on God's will and ways during this Lenten season, so please come join us.

We share potluck at 6:30, start our program at 7:00 and celebrate Holy Eucharist around 8:10.  Join us at anytime during the evening, we'd love to have you!  If you don't have time to bring a dish or an empty container, don't worry, we'll have plenty of both!

Gretchen Logue and The Rev. Emily Hillquist Davis

Sunday Morning Christian Formation

FOR CHILDREN & TEENS

Sunday School 9:00AM – 9:50AM. (High-School Teens meet at Kaldi’s.)
Nursery open every Sunday 9:00am – 11:30am.

FOR ADULTS: The Rector’s Forum

"Good News for All: The Gospel of Luke"
Luke's Gospel is uniquely inclusive, involving all people.  The Good News is for the outcast and the establishment, for the religious and those searching.  Luke speaks to women, to men, to the strong and healthy, to the weak and dispossessed.  Its relevance today inspires faith, spirituality and action.  Whether you have been a part of a regular bible study, or never explored the bible with a group; all are encouraged to join with us on Sunday mornings from 9am – 9:50am in the LaVielle Room.  Please call Todd with any questions.

Christian Formation on weekdays …

First Mondays of each month—(excluding January)
6:30-8:30p.m. – Holy Ground – Women’s Spirituality & Pot Luck
Join us for divine potluck, deep sharing, spiritual exploration of various kinds, and an intimate Eucharist.

Tuesdays
9:30-10a.m. – Holy Eucharist – Informal (Kean Library)
10-11:45a.m. – Women’s Study Group (Kean Library)
A rich delving into all kinds of books! We read, discuss, share, and talk about faith, theology, and life. Contact Susan Leach for details.

Wednesdays
8:30-9:20a.m. – Mystics and Meditation (in the Sanctuary upstairs)
Moving from intellectual pursuit to spiritual practice, we begin with 15 minutes of discussion, proceed to 15 minutes of lectio divina focusing on mystical texts from the Bible and beyond, close with 20 minutes of centering prayer/meditation, and depart in silence. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Emily with questions.
9:30 am—Morning Prayer Service

Second and Fourth Wednesdays
Noon – 1:30p.m. – Grief Group
We gather with Rev. Emily and Rev. Doris Westfall at St. Matthew’s 2 miles north of Grace Church (1551 Bennett Ave. in Warson Woods, zip code 63122) to eat and chat, read about and discuss our own experiences of grief and mourning, and to encourage and support each other. All are welcome. Call Rev. Emily for details.

Grace adds a Creation Care Ministry

Psalm 24 states: “The Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it; the world and those who live in it.”
As people of faith we are called to act in the image of our Lord. By becoming one with God’s will we can get a glimpse of how much this fragile place means to our Lord. In love he created it. A unique, amazing collection of all kinds of species, reflecting God’s creativity and where his presence is most evident. From the very beginning we humans were put to the task of tending and nurturing this very planet that sustains us. We are asked to hold this special home in trust for God on behalf of future generations. That’s a big job! In many ways we have lost this sense of stewardship. What is our fair share as a congregation of Grace; as individuals? What is the carbon footprint of our buildings and what impact do we have on our community; our city; our country? Everyone has a carbon footprint but some are bigger than others. The impact of a building like we have at Grace is immense. Buildings alone account for 60% of all electricity used in the U.S. “Mah atma Gandhi used only one bucket of water per day, for all his requirements, because he thought that was his fair share, even when he was in England.”

What is our fair share? Grace’s Creation Care Ministry wants to explore the many resources and ideas that are available to us to reduce our impact on God’s creation. Our first meeting was very fruitful and our goals are quite diverse: Sustainability - how could an energy and waste audit help us to determine our carbon footprint? How about a community garden or collecting batteries and used cellphones? Why not reduce, reuse and recycle whatever we can at Grace?

Church community - coming together with other parishes from the diocese will strengthen our goal to become better stewards to the wider community. We want to share our space to educate, host movie nights, invite speakers and hold workshops that address our impact we have on God’s planet. Interfaith gatherings for Creation Care are taking place all over the country. Over 10,000 congregations have pledged to take a new look at creation. One of the resolutions from the last General Convention is the Genesis Covenant: Reducing our impact of every Episcopal Church building by 50% within 10 years. There is no doubt that we live in times of great consequences but also of great opportunities! Come and share your ideas when we meet every 3rd Sunday.

Our next meeting is on March 21st after the 10 o’clock service in the Kean library. Everyone is welcome to attend but we encourage especially the youth to participate as their generation will be effected the most. We will share more of the many opportunities at Grace in the coming months. Look for a bulletin board in Albright Hall for announcements and the Ministries Calendar.

In the meantime, if you are eager to learn more right away, why don’t you join us for an interesting discussion of the bestselling book by Thomas Friedman, Hot, Flat and Crowded at the Bread Company in Kirkwood on April 11th at 6:30 p.m. Please let us know if you are planning to attend and if you have any suggestions and ideas you want to share. Send an e-mail to ourgreenchoices@gmail.com for more information and to RSVP for the book discussion.

Your Creation Care Ministry Team.

Let's Turn Everything Off For Just One Hour!

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 8:30 p.m. local time, Grace's brand new Creation Care Ministry encourages you to take part in Earth Hour—an event led by World Wildlife Fund in which millions of people around the world will unite by turning off their lights for one hour to make a bold statement of concern about our planet.

Earth Hour started three years ago in Sydney, Australia and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Nearly one billion people from 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents participated last year and, with your help, Earth Hour 2010 can be even bigger.  During Earth Hour, international landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramids have gone dark alongside the city skylines of Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and more. To see it for yourself, check out this video:  www.myearthhour.org/earth-hour-video.

However, Earth Hour isn’t just for national landmarks and big cities—anyone can participate, whether it be individuals like us or schools, businesses, organizations, and our state and local governments. We hope you will join us for this amazing event and help send a message that the time for action on climate change is now. To sign up and start spreading the word, visit  www. EarthHour.org.   If you'd rather not sign up, you can still turn off all your electrical appliances for just one hour!  It's a great way to start a thoughtful conversation about energy consumption in your own household.

Please help us spread the word. Let’s switch off our lights and send a powerful message: by working together, each of us can make a positive impact. Thanks!

Corinne Eschenroeder,
Grace's Creation Care Ministry

Leadership Conference

Saturday, March 6, 2010
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

St. Martin's Episcopal Church
15764 Clayton Road Ellisville, MO 63011

The Rev. Devon Anderson, Executive Director for Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, and trainer in the art of Public Narrative will be guest speaker and trainer.

This conference is devoted to lay leadership ministries within the congregation. The workshops are especially meaningful for elected leaders, but all congregational leaders will benefit from the presentations.

Information: Contact the Rev. Canon Dan Smith at
edsmith@diocesemo.org
Email: rweisenborn@diocesemo.org
Phone: 314-231-1220 Ext. 1373

Quilt Raffle

Emmanuel in Webster Groves is holding a raffle throughout Lent, and the prize is this beautiful quilt!

Created by a fabric artist on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.

Chances are $5 each, or 6 for $25, and are on sale at Emmanuel, and will be available at the concert on March 7th.

Drawing to be held on Palm Sunday, March 28th.

100% of the proceeds benefit ERD Haitian efforts.

How much do you know about the Diocese of Lui?

We pray for their clergy each Sunday in the Prayers of the People. Money raised at the Holiday Sale each December benefits women in this African diocese. This is your chance to see their Christian witness and hear their music and stories through the eyes of the Rev. Emily Bloemker of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. While a student at Washington University, Emily traveled to Lui on one of our diocese’s first trips, and she returned there the day after she was ordained. She is a very articulate young priest who has “walked the walk.” Attend Women of Grace’s program on March 16 at 1 p.m. to learn more.

Sign up on the kiosk in Albright Hall for this most interesting and informative program.

 

Second Call for All Long-time Members of Grace

Have you belonged at Grace for at least 25, 50 or 75 years? If so, please notify Christie Boyle (boylech@sbcglobal.net; 314-821-5421) or Janet Mika (macbub@swbell.net; 314-965-8148) to let us know how long. You may also leave a note in the 50th Anniversary mailbox at church.

Save May 23 for a celebration of 50 years in our present sanctuary. Grace moved from its previous location (now Eliot Unitarian Chapel) to our current one in 1960. Pentecost is a perfect opportunity to mark this occasion with a liturgical celebration followed by an all-parish picnic on our beautiful grounds. Stay tuned for more as the time draws nearer.

VESTRY HIGHLIGHTS – February, 2010

An abbreviated vestry meeting was held during the vestry retreat on February 5, 2010. Fr. McDowell welcomed new member Richard Eschenroeder who has been appointed to serve the remaining one-year term of Michelle Huber.

For the benefit of the new members, Treasurer Mike Heyer gave an explanation of the various components of the financial statement. He reported favorable figures for January. Pledge income was over budget by 10.7% and expenses were 6% under budget. Salaries, equipment and outreach costs were all under budget. Building maintenance costs were over budget due to adjustments made to the lighting system.

Senior Warden Dick Entenmann reported 109 resumes have been received for the position of Parish Administrator. The list has been narrowed to 30 and an interview process is being set up.

Rev.Davis announced that assistance with pastoral care is needed. Training with the Community of Hope is scheduled to begin in September.

Detailed information is expected shortly on estimates from three companies for repair/replacement of the HVAC systems.

The vestry gave approval for the appointment of Mike Heyer as treasurer and Shirley Browne as secretary.

News from the Church School Committee

For the two (2) Sundays that cover Spring Break we will combine classes:

March 21st all youth and teachers to meet in Room 1 for a group class 9:00 - 9:50 am.
March 28th all youth and teachers to meet in Room 1 for a group lesson "Sounds of Holy Week" 9:00 - 9:50 am.
April 4th Easter youth to meet in their regular classrooms AFTER the 10:00 service to gather for the Easter Egg Hunt.

Any adult who would like to help with the Easter Egg Hunt please contact Peggy Capriglione at 314-965-9148 or djcjd@aol.com

Our annual pancake supper was a great success! We served approximately 100 folks of all ages, and made a donation to our Outreach programs of about $300. Thanks to all who helped make this event happen!

 

MURDER MYSTERY 2010!!
Friday, March 5
6:30 until ??

Murder and mayhem will be in the air on Friday night, March 5. That’s when the high school students will try to solve a culinary mystery at Grace Church. The Italian Dinner is over, but what secrets were left behind? Did everyone make it home that night? Are you sure? Hopefully not too many lives will be lost in this pursuit of the truth. A murderer may still be hiding in these halls.

Pray for our safe return. The murder (oops – fun!) begins at 6:30PM.

To those of you who plan to help solve this mystery – come hungry and remember – it’s much more fun if you dress the part.

The future of Grace is in your hands.

 

Rector’s Forum Group

Fr Todd McDowell leads the series Good News for All: the Gospel of Luke.

Luke's Gospel is uniquely inclusive, involving all people.  The Good News is for the outcast and the establishment, for the religious and those searching.  Luke speaks to women, to men, to the strong and healthy, to the weak and dispossessed.  Its relevance today inspires faith, spirituality and action. 

It’s never too late to join our group of learners! Sundays, 9:00am 9:50am, LaVielle Room.

Renaissance Art Tour of St. Louis Art Museum

Grace on the Go’s next outing on March 10 features a docent-led tour of the Renaissance art collection at the Art Museum. Many paintings of this period have a religious theme.

Meet at Grace at 9:45 a.m. to car pool. Tour is at 10:30. Lunch at the museum will follow the tour. Please sign up on the kiosk in Albright Hall.

Drivers needed

We have several members of our Parish who are in need of rides to church on Sunday mornings. This list changes on a regular basis, and are in various areas of the Metropolitan area. If you are available to assist occasionally, please let the Parish Office know.

Don’t forget to Spring Forward!

When you go to bed on Saturday, March 13th, please remember to turn your clocks forward an hour. Daylight savings time begins Sunday morning early, so you’re not late for church!

News of our Parish Family

Janet and Steve Mika are proud new grandparents! Ava Wesley Graham was born February 10th, weighing in at 7 lbs., 20 ouces, and she was 20 inches long! Her equally proud parents are Katie and Michael Graham.

———————————————————————————————-

Lud Wallgren, a beloved member of our Parish, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Services for Lud will be held on Friday, March 5th, beginning with a reception at 11 am, burial service at 12:30 pm.

James Robert Prichard, II— brother of Chloe Poe and uncle of Rebecca Harrison, passed away suddenly on Sunday, February 28th.

May they rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon them.

Do you have news of any of our family of faith? Please send us your news— births, graduations, deaths, illnesses, new grandchildren, new jobs, anniversaries, etc. Send to RHarri7176@aol.com.

Your temporary Office staff would like to thank you all for your patience as we muddle through this transition.

Every once in a while something gets dropped through the cracks, but we’re doing the best we can!

Thanks for your understanding.

Trinity Hot Lunch Program

"Looking for a few good men"...or women, or children!! Trinity hot lunch program is always looking for helpers. If you can't serve, you can shop, if you can't shop, you can donate food items, if you can't...well you get the idea. There is something for everyone.

We will be serving March 14 at 1:00. We serve up to 100 men, women & children every month. Grace provides ALL servers every 3rd month, so March help is especially needed! Any questions please call Gale Theis at 314-952-4333. 

 

Kirk Care

Did you know that low-income families cannot buy personal care items with food stamps? This means that a family may find it difficult or impossible to purchase items such as toothpaste and soap.

At this time, the Kirk Care pantry is running low on all personal care items – soap, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shaving cream etc. Please consider making a donation now of any type of personal care item. You can leave your donation in the shopping cart in Albright Hall.

In April, the Girl Scouts will conduct their “April Showers” collection of personal care items. It is through the April Showers collection that Kirk Care replenishes its shelves with personal care items, so please be generous at that time also. Many thanks for keeping this important ministry going strong.

Pastoral Care

Please call the Church office at 314-821-1806 to contact our clergy.

In case of an emergency at any time, dialing “7” when you hear our answering machine will connect you to the cell phone of the priest on duty (Father Todd or Rev. Emily).

If you are going to be in the hospital, please let us know. We will gladly make arrangements for prayers, anointing, and visits (as you wish).

We have lay visitors and Eucharistic Ministers ready to reach out, that we may seek and serve Christ in one other. Please help us know where there is a need.

Altar Flowers

There are new sign up sheets on the kiosk in Albright Hall to donate Altar flowers on Sundays. The schedule begins with the week after Easter Sunday, and is completely blank.

These flowers not only provide beautiful decorations on Sunday mornings, they also brighten the days of our ill and shut-in Parishioners.

Please consider signing up to donate flowers for our church.

Help us keep our church beautiful, and keep our shut-ins who receive these flowers in our thoughts and prayers.