It is not too late to join Fr. Stuart at The School for Christian Practice retreat and conversation this Sunday, December 6, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM. Explore The School for Christian Practice webpage to learn more and register to receive the retreat Zoom link.
Each year the Community of Hope International (COHI) asks its members to discern and renew their commitment to each other and to serving their community. This year’s Recommissioning is Sunday, December 6 during the 8:15 AM worship service.
COHI’s mission is to create communities steeped in Benedictine spirituality, to serve others through compassionate listening.
“Community of Hope International equips lay people to serve in all forms of pastoral care. Pastoral care is when a person is being ‘present’ in a listening, compassionate, non-controlling manner to an individual or group for the purpose of consciously or unconsciously representing God to them and seeking to respond to their spiritual needs.”
This year has illuminated the very core of Community of Hope in a new way. The intentional community life has grounded us during this tumultuous year, at a time when we have all been finding new ways to express and explore our spiritual lives. While we have been unable to serve the community in ways that we have in the past, we have continued to lean in on each other for support and spiritual growth, and to discern new ways to serve in the midst of the pandemic.
The Grace Center of COHI provides pastoral care in a variety of ways, both inside and outside the walls of Grace Church. Our community helps each lay chaplain discern where we are each called to serve. Our ministry has included things such as:
• Monthly Walk N’ Talks (mile walk followed by lunch) and courtroom support to participants in Hall County’s Mental Health Accountability Court Program
• Weekly pastoral visits to employees of the Department of Family and Children Services
• Weekly visits to residents in nursing homes
• Eucharistic and pastoral visits to homebound members of Grace,
• Support clergy upon request with hospital visits or other pastoral needs
• Pastoral support for families participating in Family Promise
• Weekly visits and meal delivery for Meals on Wheels
• Weekly visits mentoring and yoga classes at the Regional Youth Detention Center
• Weekly yoga classes at Grace Church
• Available as needed to all members of Grace Church for holy listening and prayer
As we are renewing our commitment for the next year, we are also discerning when would be a good time to offer training in 2021. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry, please contact Sarah Roberts.
AdventWord is a global, online Advent calendar. Each morning AdventWord provides visual and written meditations on AdventWord.org, email, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can sign up for the daily emails, and the visual and meditations will be delivered to your inbox. You can also listen to reflections on the spotify podcast.
Around the world, prayers ascend in response to each meditation. If you would like to add your own visual or written reflection, post to your preferred social media platform and tag AdventWord. From there, AdventWord shares and reposts on each site – amplifying the prayers during this holy season.
Join an international community in prayer to explore the mystery and wonder of Advent!
Several years ago we began a tradition of decorating a Grace Family Tree in the parish hall. This year’s tree will be put up in the nave so that we may enjoy seeing it during our livestreamed worship services.
If you are new to Grace, or simply haven’t yet contributed an ornament, please bring one by the church and put it in the box located by the red doors of the Grace Center facing Brenau Avenue. Make sure to write your name, and perhaps the year, somewhere on the ornament or on a ribbon attached to the ornament. At the end of the season, ornaments are stored at Grace to be put back on next year. Don’t miss this chance to leave a small Christmas legacy at Grace.
Grace Church invites all children and youth (12th grade and younger) to submit original artwork depicting the nativity that we can share in various ways during services and on our Facebook page during the Christmas season. Please use colored pencils, paint, crayons, pencil, or markers to draw a nativity scene on an 8.5×11 piece of paper. Don’t forget to include your name and age/or grade!
Submit artwork by Sunday, December 13: give it to Cheryl Kelley during Christian Formation on Sundays, put it in the box located by the red doors of the Grace Center facing Brenau Avenue, or scan (at 300 dpi or higher and saved as a .jpeg image or .pdf file) and email it to Jennifer Williams.
Beautiful flowers and greenery enhance our celebration of The Nativity of Our Lord at Grace Church, and you can help make that celebration special. Contributions to our Christmas flower and greenery fund may be made in thanksgiving for or in memory of loved ones, friends and family. Notice of your donation will be included in the worship bulletin on Christmas Eve.
If you would like to make an offering, please submit both the online form and your donation on or before Sunday, December 13.
Don’t forget we are gathering outside on Sunday mornings following worship for a time of study, fellowship, and fun. Our intergenerational Sunday School is open to families and parishioners of all ages! We meet in the Grace Center parking lot from 10:10 – 11:00 AM. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Registration is required. Register at the button link below and bring a chair and your mask!
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