Creation Care Ministry

Why is it important to be sustainable?

Celebrating successes: Reducing our impact on God's creation.

Energy 

Buildings like our church are taking up huge amounts of energy. Both electricity and gas meters are always spinning. That's why we had an energy audit to determine our opportunities for saving energy.

Have you noticed the many motion control devices that turn the lights on automatically when you enter a room? 

These save considerable amounts of electricity because the motion sensor 'knows' when someone is in the room and when not.

-Lighting is being replaced in phases with more efficient parts and bulbs. Pretty soon all of our lights will have been changed, saving thousands of dollar a year in electricity cost.

-Heating and cooling systems were found to be inefficient, incorrectly installed and outdated in many parts of the church. A review is underway to determine how we can keep the buildings efficiently heated and cooled. This is a very difficult process and many 'behind-the-scene' parishioners have helped bringing in ideas and suggestions.

-The Windows in the old section of the church are inadequate and in many places, broken. Without proper windows, none of the above mentioned updates would be very effective. Buildings are like a living system and windows play a crucial role.

Addressing these issues is a concern to all of us. By conserving energy we will produce less emissions and will save financial resources at the same time. So, if you see yourself being the last in the library or the kitchen, go ahead and turn off the lights. Grace will thank you!

Recycling

We have started to use our new recycling bins in our classrooms for paper and in the kitchen for glass, plastic, cans and cardboard. Since we don't have curbside recycling yet, it is important that we divide our recycling from our kitchen trash. Please keep an eye out for the blue recycling bins in the kitchen that are meant only for recyclable items. Jan McMichael, Kathy Davis and others have donated their time and effort to always go the extra mile to bring these recyclables to our Kirkwood waste facility. If you want to help out and take a load full next time you leave the church, don't be shy! Everyone will be happy to provide you with directions. The Kirkwood recycling place is only a minute from Church by car.

Hot Cups, plates and stirs have been acquired to help with coffee hour. Clean up and doing dishes for all the china cups and plates takes some time. Often, parishioners feel they don't have this extra time after church and therefore don't sign up to host coffee hour. Since it is still encouraged to use china, the new Hot Cups provide an easy way to skip the dishes and just toss the cups into the recycling bin! They are made of compostable and recyclable material that does not harm the environment. 

'Turning a new leaf event'
Thank you to all Sunday school teachers, children and parents who made this event possible. Hundreds of paper leaves were distributed during Earth Day Sunday in April. These leaves provided an idea for a lifestyle change that benefits the environment. You can still fill out a leaf and hang it on the beautiful tree in the Narthex. These are our promises and hopes for God's creation. We want to make a positive impact by changing some of our ways like not letting the water run, while we brush our teeth or to start recycling. Grab a leaf and start writing. A promise, is a promise.

Grace Creation Care Ministry will be meeting again on Sunday, May 16th after the 10 o'clock service in the Kean Library. Everyone is welcome. Please bring a friend!

Visit http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/ to learn more about this Ministry.

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Dear Grace Parishioners,

We wanted to let you know that we were approached by a group called Fair Shares.  They wanted to use a room or hallway at Grace to distribute locally grown food to its members once a week.  

Fair Shares is a non for profit organization that was started in 2008. They are dedicated to getting fresh local food to St. Louisans. They are extremely conscious of trying to support local farmers and small businesses. Their other goal is to educate people on eating healthy. Sandy Padgett is a member of Fair Shares and asked us to consider helping them.  They will distribute their food at Grace on Thursdays from 3:45 -5:30. They do not need any equipment of ours except a table. 

We decided to help them out on a trial basis. They understand that if we need Albright Hall at their delivery time , they will  need to move to a different area.  They have 2 other pick up sites in St. Louis. The members that would pick up their food are from Webster, Kirkwood and surrounding areas. They also donate food to Alexian Brothers which helps senior citizens that are in need of food, the Trinity Presbyterian Food Pantry, and Ebenezer Food Pantry.  

This is another way that Grace can support going green by supporting local farmers and eating healthy.  Please feel free to visit  their web site www.fairshares.org if you would like to learn more about them. 

Thanks so much,
Julie Grossman
Junior Warden

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We are seeking your artwork for publication in Seek and online. Photographers, digital artists, textile artists, painters, illustrators, sculptors: digital photographs of any genre of work will be accepted. We publish essays from diocesan members, clergy and lay, to share the successes and challenges of our shared life in Christ. Some of us offer profound evangelism through our created works of art. We want to honor these stories of Christian life, too.

The Editorial Board and Offices of the Bishop will choose one or two selections for each Seek issue. Our first theme is Celebration. Celebration is such an integral concept for us as Episcopalians. We celebrate the Eucharist, we celebrate sacraments, new ministry; we celebrate the life of the departed. And in these fifty days of the great celebration of Easter when we begin our call for art, we celebrate resurrection. Alleluia!

Chosen artwork will be published with a brief bio of the artist and small photo, and statement about the work and how it relates to that call's theme. Artists selected will receive our thanks and a small token of appreciation from the Offices of the Bishop. Please send one or two high resolution digital images of your work, your name and contact information, a brief bio and a brief description of your work as it relates to Celebration (If artwork file size is under 5 MB, send by email, if larger by CD.) Submitting the image of a work for publication consideration implies your consent for the Diocese of Missouri to publish that representation in diocesan publications (print and online), with attribution to you. Not all artwork submitted will be published. All submissions are welcome.

Submission deadline for Celebration artwork is Friday, May 14, 2010.
Digital files may be emailed to communications director Beth Felice at
bfelice@diocesemo.org, or phone us to make other arrangements, 314-255-1387.

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Prayer request

To keep you up to date on Edward Sherrick, I created a CaringBridge website. You can follow Edward’s progress and show your support.

Visit Edward’s website in two easy ways:

    1. Visit the CaringBridge website by clicking the link below.
         http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/edwardsherrick

    2. Enter the website name, edwardsherrick, at  www.CaringBridge.org.

Show your support for Edward

• Visit and keep up to date.
• Leave a message in the guestbook.
• Receive e-mail notifications when the journal is updated.

Thank you.

Kathy Sherrick

ERD Thanks You

 Grace Church received a letter from Episcopal  Relief @ development thanking us for our generous contribution of $3,405 to their plea for Haiti Earthquake Relief. What a wonderful response!! It will help the roughly 25.000survivors by supplying food, water, medicine and shelter and providing transportation to help deliver life-saving goods and materials.

 ..."your support of Episcopal Relief @ Development is saving lives and transforming communities. We couldn’t do this work without your compassion and generosity."

 Thank you!

  Marty O'Leary,ERD Rep

Church School News

Interested in what the students of Grace are learning on Sunday mornings?  Please join the students and teachers in the ThompsonRoom on May 23rd from 9:00 - 9:50 am for an all-inclusive Godly Play Lesson.  We will do a group lesson and light breakfast for our last Church School lesson of the school year.  All are welcome! 

Newcomer Coffee Hour - June 6

Calling all newcomers, visitors, and established members of Grace!  On June 6, immediately following the 10:00 am service, the Welcoming Committee will host a newcomer coffee hour.  The purpose of this coffee hour is to honor newcomers and visitors to Grace.  We hope that all will join us in celebrating and welcoming those who have recently entered our doors.

Help Wanted

For many years, the Kirk Care pantry has been maintained by Ed Schaefer, Kirk Care board member and member of Concordia Lutheran Church. Ed has decided that it’s time to cut back on his hours at the pantry, and is looking for one or more people to take over some (maybe eventually all) of his duties. This is a year-round volunteer position, and includes taking in, sorting, and placing on the pantry shelves all of the food that is donated to the pantry. Ed says he is at the pantry several days a week, and the amount of time required is dependent on the amount of food donated and given out. Ed has kept the pantry beautifully organized for years.

If you have a strong back, a penchant for keeping things tidy and some spare time, please consider accepting this call to a ministry very important to our community. If you’re interested, either Sue Nixon or Denise Miller will be happy to put you in touch with Ed. Thanks!

Help Needed!  Badly!

We have hit what could be termed “critical mass” on Altar Guild.  We have had seven women resign in the last year, and are now in desperate need of new members, especially at 8 o’clock.

This is a very important ministry of our church.  Without Altar Guild, our services on Sunday mornings would not “flow” as smoothly.  Our vestments, hangings, and holy vessels require special care and attention.

Please consider joining this ministry.  If you have questions, please contact Father Todd, Rev. Emily, or Rebecca Harrison.

The Mother's Day Drive for Kirk Care collected 68 heavy bags of groceries, $660 in checks and $290 in Shop 'n Save gift cards. Cards have been sent to those you honored with your contributions, and we ask God's blessing on everyone in whose memory or honor donations were given. Kirk Care and Women of Grace are very grateful for your generous  response to the huge needs in our community.

Gifts were given in memory of the following:

All mothers
Mrs. Frances Baker
Barbara Berry
Carolyn Bonzo
Susan Boyle
Mary Bredenberg
Jean Burton
Jessie E. Daly
Emily Hillquist Davis
Laura Domitrz
Gloria Eickmeyer
Margaret Entenmann
Rebecca Entenmann
Nancy Eschenroeder
Lisa Fister
Sonja Freeman

Katie Friar
Jeanne Haddenhorst
Irene Harding
Helen Haring
Lisa B. Harre
Karen Hechler
Sharon J. Hicks
Alice Hildebrandt
Lisa Hoffmann
Ruth Jayne
Carla L. Kurth
Diana P. Kurth
Barbara Lauber
Elaine Long
Jill Losse

Nicky Losse
Annette Mac
Dannie McLaughlin
Megan Mouser
Nancy Perkins
June Petrie
Janice Price
Ruth Rabbitt
Peggy Reed
Sue Reimelt
Martha Sagawe
Michelle Shippen
Alice J. Stewart
Joyce Sutherland
Amanda Tricoglou

A Summer Opportunity to Experience Lectio Divina
Offered by the Center for Spirituality
Grace Episcopal Church
Kirkwood, Missouri
June 4 –July 16

There many ways to read the Bible.  One is to engage in Bible Study and another is to “pray the scriptures.”  When we do Bible Study we use our head to understand how the scriptures came to be written and what the words mean for us today.  The ancient practice of “praying the scriptures” is reading God’s word more with our heart than our head.  Called “lectio divina,” literally “holy reading,” it begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply, to hear “with the ear of our hearts” the words of Holy Scripture.  In “lectio divina” we listen for the still, small voice of God - that “faint murmuring sound” which is God's word for us, God's voice touching our hearts.  As we read the Scriptures in this contemplative way we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and lives to God. 

Using the readings for the coming Sunday, The Rev. Susan Skinner will facilitate a group in the practice of “lectio divina” for six sessions this summer.  The group will meet on Friday mornings from 11:00 a. m. to noon in the chapel at Grace Church Kirkwood, 514 East Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, MO 63122 beginning June 4 and will continue through July 16.  (There will be no meeting on July 2.) 

A $10 registration fee covers the cost of materials and may be brought to the first session.  Sign-up by calling 314.753.7911 or email episcopalians@gmail.com

Bring your Bible and join us on June 4 for an experience in “holy reading.”  For further information contact The Rev. Susan Skinner at (314) 965-9155.

News of our Parish Family

Russ & Chloe Poe   are proud new great-grandparents!   Nolan David Stark was born May 6th. His equally proud parents are Meghan & Andy Stark .  Nolan and his parents live in Boston, MA.

Andrew Hunt , eldest son of Becky & Gary Hunt , is graduating on May 8th from the University of Tulsa with a BS in Business Administration.  He will be moving back to St. Louis to work for Switch advertising company.  Congratulations!/p>

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. 

Trinity Hot Lunch Program

Did you know that hunger is a year round problem?? It's true, often people think of the needy only during the school calendar year, but in actuality the Trinity Hot Lunch program has an increase of men, women & especially children during the summer months. Please consider helping out during the summer months of June, July, August & September. We serve up to 100 men, women & children every 2nd Sunday of the month. We always need shoppers, cooks, servers & of course donations!!! If you can help out or have any questions, please call Gale Theis @ 314-952-4333. 

Please take a moment this month to say a prayer and give thanks for the many men and women who have been, or are currently, members of this great nation’s military.

 Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and National Guard, all of you are greatly appreciated.

 God Bless America!

Pastoral Care

Please call the Church office at 314-821-1806 to contact 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 for June, July & August is now posted.

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.