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For Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 23, 2012
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The Rev. Elsa Worth
Rector 
The Rev. Nancy Gage
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| Sermons Online |
Just a reminder that if you missed a sermon from one of our services (or want to see it again!), you can click here to link to the site. In some cases we have, also, provided a text version if you would prefer to read it. Also, you can click on "Sermons" in the email header above to connect to the site. Please share this site with your friends. |
Musical Interlude
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If you would like to see and hear Jessica Dickinson and Dave perform "Andante Cantabile" by Katharine E. Lucke, just click on the cello!
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We are the  CEREAL Church! | | For a long time, Grace
Church has been delivering canned goods and other food donations down to the St. Luke's/St. Paul's Food Pantry in Bridgeport. They urgently need donations of all kinds of groceries, but one of the items that they seem to run out of and need a lot of is cereal.
If all of us could remember to pick up a box of cereal (or two or more!) each time we shop, we'll be able to make a wonderful and much needed contribution for the food pantry each week. There is a collection basket at the main entrance of the church, and also one in lower Lewis Hall |
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"The Glow" Archives:
To view previous issues of "The Glow", click here. |
  | | If you wish to subscribe to the Episcopal Diocese of CT weekly eNewsletters, please click HERE. |
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Click HERE to read this week's wellness message from Living Compass |
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| Dear friend,
"Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you."
-James 3:8
Is God always with us? It certainly can be hard to believe that God is near when we're suffering or grieving or hurting. Wouldn't a loving God spare us from pain? James suggests that if we draw near to God - meaning, trust in God's caring presence - then God's caring presence will become apparent to us. If, on the other hand, we reject God's presence by relying soley on our own resources and being suspicious of God's intentions for us, God will only seem more and more distant and uncaring.
It's a big challenge to trust in God's caring presence, especially when things are rough. However, it's those who manage to trust anyway that receive the gift of feeling close to God no matter what. When has God felt really near to you? When have you felt really near to God?
Here at Grace Church we are dancing with life's big questions. If you're searching for a community of faith to belong to, we invite you to come to explore, come to connect and come to believe among us here at Grace Church. We'd enjoy both your company and your participation as we follow in the way of Jesus and learn and grow in discipleship together. |
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Peace,
The Rev. Elsa Worth
Grace Episcopal Church |
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Join us this Saturday, September 22nd for:
-Diocesan Healing Roundtable Grace Church hosts the second meeting of the Healing Roundtable, a gathering of people from CT churches that are involved in various healing ministries. The meeting takes place this Saturday from 10-noon in lower Lewis Hall. Anyone interested in sharing ideas and meeting others involved in healing ministries is more than welcome to attend. Come and see what others are doing! |
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-Progressive Dinner
 This Saturday, the Episcopal Churches of Trumbull (ECOT) will host a progressive dinner. Appetizers will be served at Christ Church, Tashua, at 5:30 p.m. followed by the main course at Grace Church and dessert at Trinity Church, Nichols. This will be a nice opportunity for fellowship with our Trumbull Episcopal friends and neighbors and we hope that you will plan on attending and enjoying a fun evening of community and great food.
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Godly Play
...starting THIS Sunday
Children between ages 5 and 12 are invited to the first Godly Play class this Sunday, immediately after church. This will be an orientation session for the children. Godly Play will continue on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. (Note - the time for Godly Play on Oct 14 will be in the afternoon, due to Pledge Sunday schedule. Details to follow.)
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Happenings-
To see what has been going on at Grace and in the larger community, please on each of the links below:
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 Tashua Apple Festival
This popular annual event takes place on October 5th and 6th at Christ Church. How can you support it? You can order a pie in advance, volunteer to help make pies, even help out on fair day. Let's show our friends in Tashua a new level of faithful assistance and hospitality by helping them make their fair a great success.
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Commitment Sunday - October 14th
-please save this date.
Following Jesus - that's what we're called to do every day in everything we do. It's about being kind and loving, open and honest, vulnerable and real in our relationships, in our actions, in our choices. Being mindful of stewardship means being mindful of how we spend ourselves - our time, our energy, our gifts, our resources. There are a lot of ways to live out our faithful stewardship. But they say that you can tell what a person's priorities really are by looking at their checkbook. How we share our financial resources in the world says a lot about what we value most, what and who we choose to support, and how we steward our lives. Maybe that's why more than half of Jesus' parables had something to do with managing money and possessions!
On Sunday October 14th, we will have our annual commitment Sunday. Good stewardship is something we practice all year round, but once a year, we put aside a special Sunday for one particular aspect of stewardship - making and consecrating our financial pledges to the church. On that Sunday, stewardship visitors will visit each and every church member throughout the morning and early afternoon. These visits are a wonderful way to share our love for Grace Church in both words and deeds. Once everyone has been visited and all the pledge cards for 2013 have been collected, we gather for worship at 4:00 in the afternoon (instead of in the morning.) Following the service, we celebrate with a festive dinner, when we will find out what we have raised together to support our ministry in the coming year. This year, our dinner will be a thanksgiving feast to express our gratitude to God and to each other!
Please save the date - October 14. It'll be a special one for our church community |
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Installation Service for Rev. Todd Shipley
Perhaps you have enjoyed a sermon by our friend Todd at one of the Recovery Services. If so, you might want to come and celebrate with him as he is formally installed as the minister of Unity Hill Congregational Church here in Trumbull on Sunday, Sept 30 at 4 pm. Elsa will be delivering the pastoral prayer at the service. Come help fellow brothers and sisters in Christ celebrate their new mutual ministry together.
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This Week's Announcements
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Sunday, September 23rd:
Eucharist service - 9:30 AM
Godly Play - immediately after service
Commitment Sunday Visitor Training - immediately after coffee hour
Night Prayer - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, September 26th:
Guided Meditation - 7:00-7:25 AM
Saturday, September 29th:
Coffeehouse - 7:00-9:00 PM
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Sunday, September 30th:
Eucharist service - 9:30 AM
Installation of Rev. Todd Shipley at Unity Hill Congregational Church - 4:00
Night Prayer - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, September 26th:
Guided Meditation - 7:00-7:25 AM
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Church Hall available for community functions
Click HERE for additional information and Church Hall availability. |
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Coffee House
-  beginning September 29th at 7:00 PM!!
Our new monthly coffeehouse for teens begins on Saturday, September 29th and will happen from 7-9pm on the last Saturday of each month thereafter. The coffeehouse will be a chaperoned, sober event sponsored by Grace Church and offered to the teens of Trumbull and surrounding communities for the purpose of providing a welcoming and accepting space for teens to be themselves, to enjoy music and the arts, and to grow in community.
Church members can support this event in two ways: 1. Volunteering as a chaperone or 2. Baking treats or donating individually wrapped snacks or drinks to sell at the coffeehouse each month. If you'd like to volunteer or if you have questions, talk to Dave M, Avery or Jon.
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