Beyond Dementia Coalition (BDC) is introducing a new project to Grace – Emergency Comfort Kits – and volunteers are needed to assemble the kits. They are intended to proactively assist those in the community living with dementia in the event of a disaster or other unplanned displacement. The kit includes the Emergency Comfort Kit aka purple bag; Red Cross Comfort Kit with personal hygiene items; and a Plan in a Can with medical information, physician directive, etc. as well as other personal items.
Come help with kit assembly on Sunday, July 17 from 9:30 – 10:30 AM in the parish hall.
The T3 men’s group will meet at Tap It (110 Maple Street, Gainesville) at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, July 19. Bring ideas for discussion topics that interest you, and join us for some more pub theology.
Fr. Stuart is leading a retreat for clergy and laypersons at Mepkin Abbey September 19-22. The retreat will use key themes from the book The Heart of a Calling: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness in Congregational Ministry, to invite participants into times of deeper reflection on both their own vocations and their community experiences. We will explore key aspects of the book, such as practices of mindfulness; images of living a transfigured life; and prayer and desire. Each day will have opportunities for group discussion and individual reflection, as we listen to how the Spirit is calling us to trust more deeply.
Mepkin Abbey is a community of Roman Catholic monks established in 1949 on the site of the historic Mepkin Plantation located on the Cooper River, north of Charleston, South Carolina. Mepkin Abbey is home to the St. Francis Retreat Center, which provides an atmosphere of respite and solitude for those who care to share in the prayer life, menu, and the awesome landscape of the monastery. The suggested donation for this retreat is $450, which will include lodging and meals. Rooms include a bed, desk, reading chair, and private bath. Retreatants take their meals together in a dining facility adjacent to the monastic community’s refectory, with the same vegetarian diet and observing the same silence as the monks. Retreatants may attend prayer services in the Abbey Church and have a designated section to accommodate them if they so desire. Although the content sessions of the retreat conclude Thursday, guests are welcome to stay until Friday at 9:00 AM if they choose.
Compass Conversations, a new seasonal workshop series from Mary & Martha’s Place, explores how to navigate uncertainty, connect with community and discover practical spiritual tools to find your way. These events are crafted to offer practical tools for those seeking to live a more intentional, purposeful life in the midst of career twists and turns, relationships, parenting and social & ecological concerns.
The first workshop will feature Brie Stoner for Unknowing: The Spiritual Path of Creative Potential, a one-day, exclusive, in-person and live streamed event at Matchstic in Grant Park, Atlanta on Saturday, July 23.
In the wake of Uvalde, threats to our democracy, and the climate crisis, can we find a place to stand? Are you ready to Un-know what “has been” to make room for “what could be?” Unknowing is more than “I don’t know what to do or think.” Unknowing is both a spiritual path and a practice that nurtures our creative cycle and personal transformation.
As you are likely aware, Grace Church streams our 10:45 AM Eucharist to Facebook each Sunday. Although we do have a streaming license and copyright permission through One License, Facebook has recently begun muting portions of the audio due to copyright claims. The July 3 service was completely blocked/removed. Unfortunately, the dispute process with Facebook is cumbersome and there is not a way for us to register our license with the platform. At this time, the muting or blocking does not seem to happen during the livestream, but be aware that you may not be able to hear or view the archived recording of the service after it is over.
If you run into issues watching services on Facebook, please remember that services are also live streamed here on our website and recordings are archived for about 4 weeks for on demand viewing. You can even download the video or audio of a service if you wish to keep a recording!
Look ahead to upcoming opportunities for prayer, worship, and community!
This post highlights events and news of the parish. For full news, we invite you to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter.