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! 

We celebrate the Eucharist at 10:00.

Jesus says in the gospel for the day: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh." 

We may automatically associate his words with the bread of the Eucharist. And what else comes to mind? 

After the Eucharist, we will share refreshments in the gathering space. The vestry will meet after refreshments.

The children in our summer camp program have been tending vegetables in the garden on the playground. The fruits of their labor will be given to the food pantry. 

Fresh produce is not readily available from the sources the pantry uses, so this contribution is quite welcome. Such collaboration across our ministries nurtures the broader mission of Grace Church and welcomes more people into our work, even teachers and kids at summer camp.

In the photo, Teacher Christine Cleary and Program Director Radhika Hoshing check some plants. (Thanks to Diane Cimorelli, Advancement and Communications Manager at the school, for the photo.)

This Wednesday, August 15, at 7:00 pm, Congregations United for Neighborhood Action (CUNA) is convening a meeting for the community to discuss the possible development of a "Community Benefits Agreement" in relation to the downtown development projects. I (Beth Reed) plan to attend and all members of the community are welcome. The meeting is at Zion's UCC, 620 W. Hamilton.

Several members of Grace have recently visited CUNA meetings to learn about this avenue of involvement for the well-being of the city. 

For more information, visit this site.

 

For the second year in a row, St. John's Lutheran Church at 5th and Hamilton will host an interfaith service the evening before the Pride in the Park Festival. The service is called "Engaging the Spirit: Celebrating Faith, Pride, and Equality."

Local members of the gay community, as well as musicians and clergy (including Beth Reed) are preparing the service. It will begin at 7:30 on Saturday, August 18, and refreshments will follow the service. All are welcome. 

Members of Grace Church will help staff the diocesan booth at the Festival (Sunday afternoon, August 19, at Cedar Beach). Other churches that are participating include St. Andrew's, Allentown; and the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. If you would like to volunteer for a 2-hour shift between 12:00 and 6:00, please contact Beth Reed. Mike Allen, Tony Voros, Kathy Young, and Addison and Mary Louise Bross have already volunteered. 

Kelly and Gunnar Denton-Borhaug have generously offered to host a picnic at their home in Coopersburg on Sunday, September 2. All are welcome. (And bring your swimsuit, if you like; there is an in-ground pool!) There is no agenda other than enjoying each other's company. 

The Denton-Borhaugs will prepare some grilled chicken and hot dogs; the rest of us can bring a salad, dessert, or beverage. There is a sign-up sheet for these items in the hall outside the gathering space. 

 

Love Free or Die is a documentary about Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay person to become an Anglican bishop. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival awarded the film a "Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change."

On Thursday night, September 13, we have the opportunity to see this amazing film at Grace Church. 

Parishioners Hank Baird and The Rev. Ray Harbort are leading publicity and organizing the logistics of this showing. This is a great opportunity to welcome visitors from throughout the Lehigh Valley to our parish, and to demonstrate our commitment to the full inclusion of everybody who seeks a deeper life with God and the church. 

Read more about the movie and see clips at the website.