Bill Harper with a few members of the Confirmation class on Good Friday

Confirmed 

But Not Conformed

Wednesday, May 18th, 7 to 8:15 pm, reception to follow  

On Wednesday evening, May 18th, nearly 2 dozen Gracies will affirm their journey of faith as they stand before Bishop Rickel, and our Grace community, in a unique Confirmation liturgy. The participants, all high school students, have been preparing over the Fall, Winter, Spring, focusing on God Beyond, God With Us, and God Within Us. Bill Harper, Kathie McCarthy, and Ann Strickland have helped to facilitate the conversations, and the experience-and they, with the entire group, are looking forward to this unique next step. Bishop Rickel accepted our invitation for this special Wednesday evening service in order for us to experience a creative and formative liturgy. It's hoped that even on a Wednesday evening in May we will be able to gather a strong core of our Grace community to support these young Grace folk-and to celebrate with them and with their families. 

Kids Sing at 4:30 this Thursday.

Also next week the 19th and the 26th.

No rehearsal on June 2nd.

We will sing True Colors on Sunday, June 5th. Maybe One Day too!

If you would like more information about our Kids Sing program, please contact our Music & Arts director, Ann Stricklan. >> Annie@gracehere.org 

Grace Building and Property Manager

New Position Available July 5, 2011

The person in this position will be responsible for overall upkeep and the custodial care of the Grace Church building and grounds.  This is a salaried position averaging 20 hours per week paying $1,500 per month, without benefits. The majority of time will be spent during regular weekday working hours performing cleaning and maintenance services as well as scheduling and supervising routine service and repair appointments with outside contractors.  Some night and weekend hours will be necessary to provide setup and cleanup duties for scheduled Grace and non-Grace events. This position reports to the Rector and works closely with the Place for Grace Minister and the Office Administrator.

  >> View our Grace website for more information, including a more detailed job description, and a Grace Employee Application Form.        

To apply, email a completed Application Form to >>  Jay Mitchell at jobs@gracehere.org 
Applications should be received no later than May 18th.

A letter from our Wardens and Rector regarding employees at Grace:

Dear Grace Friends and Family, 

From time to time we feel it's important to pass on information about Grace as broadly and quickly as we can. This letter is meant to do just that. There are some staff changes at Grace, and as might be expected, it's good for us to know and be aware of those changes. The details are really pretty simple and straightforward.

READ MORE

Tornado Disaster Relief.   

The Grace Outreach Committee has challenged church membership to a $500 matching charitable donation grant to Episcopal Relief & Development's efforts in the tornado-torn southern U.S.  All donations will be matched "dollar-for-dollar" up to $500.  Please make checks payable to Grace Church with "ERD Tornado Relief" in the memo portion.

Grace Food Basket May

Pasta or pasta sauce, Jelly, canned meat (not tuna), dry cat food, variety of cereals, beans (protein), mixes for meals.  

 2011 Outreach Grant Application 

The 2011 Grace Outreach grant application is available online or by contacting Mark Kruse.

The Farm Stove Project /Proyecto Estufa Finca

at Grace Sunday, May 15th following the 9:30 Service 

Now in its second year, a group of volunteers from SeaChar (Seattle Biochar Working Group) have completed a pilot project working with organic coffee growers in the Santos region of Costa Rica to provide micro-gasifier cookstoves to migrant coffee pickers to reduce exposure of women and children to smoke from open cooking fires and to produce biochar. Organic coffee farmers are already familiar with biochar, having used it in their compost formulations for the past 10 years. Grace is pleased to welcome Art Donnelly following the 9:30 service on May 15. Grab a cup of coffee and join us to learn about his leadership with this project. You can also view the short film below to learn more about the Farm Stove Project.

Mas que Café

Habitat Work Day

A group is forming to spend Saturday, May 28^th at the Kitsap Habitat for Humanity worksite in Suquamish.  Volunteers from St. Barnabas Episcopal & Faith Episcopal (Kingston) will also be helping on this "build".  Please contact Mark Kruse at 206.842.8910 or  mskruse12@gmail.com for details. 

Last Call! 

Getting in Touch with Mother Nature

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Bird Watching

Saturday, May 21

Please let the Earth & Spirit group at Grace know if you plan to join
Donna Greenawalt and other intrepid Grace birders for a day of soaking up nature's sights and sounds, and the lively Spring bird activity at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.  

They'll meet at Grace at 8 am to carpool and plan to return by 3 pm.  We'll be exploring one of the richest saltwater estuary systems in Puget Sound. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is on the Nisqually River delta, between Tacoma and Olympia.  Here, three thousand acres of salt- and freshwater marsh, grasslands, and mixed forest are protected to provide resting and nesting habitat for waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, and wading birds.  Check out a photo of the newly completed boardwalk on the

>> Nisqually web site 

Bring binoculars, clothing for being outdoors all day, a lunch, and water.  The walking is not strenuous.  Please RSVP to Marcy at 206.842-8942 if you plan to come.  Questions?  Call Donna at 780-1144.

Here is "Good" Happening.  We hear so much that just isn't good, but right here, each week, we'll provide a link to a little bit of goodness and grace.  And we love to hear from you, too.  Send us the goodness you'll see--we are made for this!

This lovely story, video and podcast linked below, came to us via email from American Public Radio:   

What We Nurture by Krista Tippet, American Public Radio

For Mother's Day: we offer a live event with Sylvia Boorstein. She is a Jewish/Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist, a mother and grandmother. We soak up her warmth and wisdom on nourishing our children's inner lives and our own, for their sakes.  

The Act of Parenting Is Folding the Towels in a Sweet Way--

I picked up Sylvia Boorstein's lovely book That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist years ago and loved it. Then, three years ago, I found myself on a panel discussion with her and loved her in person.

>> READ MORE 

>> Listen to the Podcast with Krista Tippet and Sylvia Boorstein  

Click on the image below to view the video on Loving Kindness

with Jewish-Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein.   

Women's Wilderness Sojourn

 August 18th - 25, 2011

North Cascades, Stehekin to Image Lake

Get strong. Be in community in the wild. 

There's nothing quite like it.

Many different levels of physical ability can manage this with careful, gentle training.

Questions: kathimccarthy@healingworks.com

Register:   Candee at Grace 

Deposit:    $100 non-refundable deposit 

$700 by July 17th