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Save the Dates
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Stewardship In-gathering
and Luncheon:
Nov. 20
First Sunday of Advent:
Nov. 27
Greening:
Dec. 18
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Neighborhood Events
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Holiday Gift Gallery:
Baum School
Nov. 23-Dec. 23
A Christmas Carol
at the Civic Theatre:
Dec. 2-17
Free Admission
at the Art Museum:
Every Sunday
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Welcome to the weekly e-newsletter of Grace Episcopal Church. Read about what's happening at Grace, and use the quick links to the left to find other helps to our life with God. To share this news with a friend, click the "forward email" link at the bottom of the page. See you Sunday!
--Beth Reed, Priest-in-charge
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| Sunday, November 20, at Grace | | |
Eucharist, stewardship in-gathering, luncheon
We celebrate the Eucharist at 10:00. It's the Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the liturgical year. The first reading and the gospel use the image of a shepherd, seeking out the lost and the vulnerable, and separating sheep and goats. What kind of a king do we serve? What does our serving consist of? For the full readings, click on "Sunday Scripture texts" (above left).
This Sunday is our stewardship in-gathering. When the collection plate comes to you, please put in your completed stewardship brochure (sent in the mail, but if you need another, look on the back windowsill of the church). Please, consider all the ways this community and building are a Place of Grace, and consider what time, talent, and treasure you can pledge for 2012.
After the service, we'll celebrate a successful stewardship campaign with a luncheon.
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| Seminarians' Visit | |  Students prayed,
sang, and enjoyed
Last Saturday Grace welcomed 15 students from General Theological Seminary in New York. They came to see the architecture and arrangement of our liturgical space and to celebrate the Eucharist with us. Great energy filled the room, during the Eucharist, the discussion afterward, and the festive reception that followed. In true Grace fashion, there was a lovely spread of food and excellent conversation. We received a thank-you note from a student on Wednesday: "Dear Friends at Grace Church: Thank you, both for the warmth of your hospitality and the honesty of your conversation! Our entire class now wants to do internships with you . . . sadly, you're a bit far away. God's blessings on your life and work, and God's peace in your hearts. With gratitude, Mark G."
Many parishioners went the extra mile to ensure a beautiful welcome for our guests, from arranging ministers for the liturgy to cleaning the worship space and bathrooms to preparing food. The cooperation made for an exciting evening, and seeds of new friendships were planted. |
| Advent |
| | New liturgical year begins next week
Sunday, November 27, is the beginning of Advent. This 4-week season immerses us in images and texts and music that herald the Incarnation (God becoming a human person in Jesus). We do not pretend that Jesus hasn't come in history; rather, we ponder how desperately we and the world still long for the fullness of God and God's justice. In the midst of our darkness, we yearn for the Light.
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| Church Events | |  Save these dates
December 18, after the Eucharist, we will "green" the church for Christmas. Children, young people, and adults are all needed and welcome; there are tasks for all. We decorate our huge wreath, drape garland, set out candles, and string lights on trees. John Adamson and other musicians (children especially) provide some Christmas carols. It's a lot of fun.
December 17, Saturday morning, volunteers will be needed to prepare for the greening. More details on a time will follow. |
| Grace in the Theatre | | Go see 5 members in A Christmas Carol
Out of five people in the family of Merce and Mike Fegley, four of them play Cratchits in the Allentown Civic Theatre's A Christmas Carol. Oakes is Tiny Tim, August is an older daughter, Merce is Mrs. Cratchit, and Mike is Mr. Cratchit. Julia Reed is a singing urchin. Performances run from Dec. 2 through Dec. 17. |
| Financing Flowers and Greens | | |
We'll skip the flower sale this year
If you have been around Grace for a while, you know how beautiful the church is for the Christmas season: trees, greens, wreaths, flowers, candles. The cost of this runs about $1,000, and to pay that, we've had a flower sale and asked for donations. Last year those two efforts did not cover the entire cost.
As we look at the numbers, the flower sale was a lot of work and netted less than $100, so this year the vestry decided to handle the finances for Christmas flowers this way: We will obtain trees from a cut-your-own place and transport them ourselves (instead of having them delivered from Hickory Grove). We may use smaller trees. We will not have a flower sale, and we will ask for donations to cover the other costs. Bob House will soon send a letter out about this.
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| Wedding Announcement | | |
Andrew Reinholz invites us all
"Dear Brothers and Sisters: I just wanted to say how wonderful it was to celebrate and share the Eucharist with you last Saturday night. It truly felt like a return home for me.
I have gotten engaged to a fellow student and member of our diocese, Kimberly Rowles. Kim and I will be getting married on January 14, 2012, and we want to extend an invitation to the service to all of you. The wedding will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in Reading, PA, at 4:00 PM. (Unfortunately, we are not able to invite everyone to the reception.) We hope you will be able to join us in blessing our new life together. Peace, Andrew Reinholz."
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