First of all, thank you. Your response last week to my request to replenish the Pastoral Fund was quick and certain. It makes a difference.

And now, some real "housekeeping." As you know, we made a commitment last year to reduce paper and photocopy usage. We made that decision for all the right reasons--budget and resource management.  And we have reduced paper use and costs as we moved most of our communications to email and our website. I know not everyone opens Grace email, and not everyone goes to the website to read the newsletter or check weekly announcements. But everyone can. 

Or at least almost everyone. We are now taking our next step in this direction, and it's a really good and exciting one. Our complete parish directory, with names and phone numbers and emails, is now available through the Grace website. And if you're in a tribe, you will can view your tribe's members at the click of a button.  You can even check your listing and edit your own data.  Yep.  Judy Cozine and the Membership Group asked "Can we do this?"  Susan Andersson, as our "Communicator" said "we sure should."  And then David Nason, our generous IT volunteer, made it all happen and made sure access is secure and limited to Grace members. Thanks to each and all of them.

1. Click here to go to the Grace website's home page.  Once on, bookmark the page. While there, browse around.  Find the newsletter.  All of them.  Enjoy.

2. OK, on the lower right side of our website's  home page, find the heading Would you like to . . . and then click on the line below that says, >>view the Grace Directory?

3. Now you have to login. Don't panic. If you have an email address on file with the Grace office then you will be on your way. (Now if we don't have your email, unfortunately you can't access the database. But then again, if we don't have it, then you aren't reading this)! Your username is your email address. We know that many Grace households have more than one active address--we have tried to include them all, but you may have to check that out.

4.  Now enter your password.  You already have one. It's your Tribe name.  Don't know your (new) Tribe name? Click right here for the Tribe List.

5.  OK, suppose you aren't in a Tribe. Well, consider joining one--for all the fun, and the chance to serve others. But in the meantime, your password is notribe.  Clever, right?

6.  If after doing this you get an error message, you will be directed to contact information so that we can help straighten things out.

7.  And if you get through, and find your listing, and the directory itself, well--do a happy dance. I did. Because I'm easily amused when I can get technology to serve a common good. And this easy access is good for us as a community. Heck, you can even access this information from smart phones.  That's really nice!

So, poke around that Directory. Check your listing. Make corrections. Make phone calls.  Send emails.  Stay in touch.  Can we add the photo Directory to all this?  Yep. Judy and David and Susan are already on it.  More to come.

One last word, and it's important and even related. As we know, staying in touch is an art form in a community as large as ours. And the art is necessary. Lately our prayer list has been a buzz of connectivity, and our need for pastoral care is very real. You can imagine that the Grace staff feels those pastoral needs deeply and acutely. Just like the rest of us. We have been saddened and tenderized, like all of us, over the last few months.  And we, like so many at Grace, feel a bit vulnerable.  We are grateful for your prayers and support, as we all seek to be a community connected to God and each other.