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Third Sunday of Lent
March 3rd, 2013

 

 
                 Sunday's readings here.
Elsa 20120325
The Rev. Elsa Worth
Rector
Email Elsa:
 [email protected]

Click HERE to read Elsa's blog 

Nancy 20120325
The Rev. Nancy Gage
Deacon
Email Nancy:
[email protected]

 Dave 2
David McWilliams

Minister of Music
Email Dave: [email protected] 
 

Grace Church Office Hours:

Mon-Fri: 1-5 pm
203-268-2809
Email: 
[email protected]
Musical Interlude
If you would like to have music when reading The Glow (or for whatever else you might be doing!), just click on the keyboard image to listen (or download) music performed by Dave during our services.

Happenings-
We are the CEREAL church!
Cereal
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.
"The Glow" Archives:
To view previous issues of "The Glow", click here.
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Living Compass
Click HERE to read this week's wellness message from Living Compass





Dear friend,  
Pruning1

   

"So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall."

-1 Corinthians 10:12

 

During Lent, repentance is a big theme. Repentance means turning in a new direction - turning away from something you ought not be doing and turning toward better ways to go. It's probably pretty easy for you to come up with a whole list of people who you know would really benefit from a little (or a lot!) of repentence. But Paul warns us this morning that whenever we think it's someone else who has the problem, it might be a good time to take a deep breath and start looking at ourselves. It's said that when you point our finger at someone else, you may have one finger pointing at them, but there are three folded fingers pointing right back at yourself! Have you ever caught yourself criticizing someone for the speck in their eye while ignoring the log in your own? How could you take some little steps this Lent to focus on cleaning up your own side of the street instead of criticizing how your neighbor keeps their side? What are some ways you yourself are being called to repent?


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.
Peace,
 
Elsa Signature

The Rev. Elsa Worth
Grace Episcopal Church

Bishop Ian Douglas visit
                                         -this Sunday, March 3rd!
Bishop Ian    In January, Bishop Ian Douglas was scheduled to come to Grace for our annual visitation, but had to cancel due to needing to be in Newtown. Fortunately, his schedule is now allowing him to be with us this Sunday.  He will celebrate and preach at our service and visit with us all at coffeehour.  I hope you can be with us for this sudden but very special event.

Ancestors
                                         -this Sunday, March 3rd

Ancestors will meet this Sunday at Grace Church at noon. The ancestor of the day will be David. 

Godly Play
                                        -next Sunday, March 10th

Godly Play will meet next Sunday immediately following the service.   


The Three Working Groups at Grace

At our annual meeting on February 3rd, Elsa charged Grace Church with three important tasks.

  • To decide which outreach and mission activities we will engage in this winter and spring to keep sowing the seeds of God's healing love out into our community and make Grace known as a place of healing and wholeness
  • To consider all possible clergy leadership models as we move into the future - full time, part time, shared leadership or having no clergy at all; and to specifically explore the possibility of clergy sharing with Christ Church.
  • To consider our property and its uses, exploring ways to either increase our income through our property or to decrease our property costs.  No possible options will be off the discussion table.

Each individual in our church has been asked to consider which area interests and animates them most and to put their name on that working group's list. You will find these lists posted on the wall downstairs today. We will all move forward in organizing these teams into working groups at the next vestry meeting on Sunday, March 10 (to which all are invited). Between now and then, you are encouraged to continue the important conversations about these tasks that we contionued last Sunday, and to continue to add more questions and ideas to the newsprint for each area. You are welcome to add your questions and ideas to any of the three areas, but you are asked to put your name in only one working group. If you missed the meeting and have questions, please speak to Elsa or a vestry member during coffeehour. Time to get to work!


Vestry Meeting - New Schedule
                        - and Second Sunday Potlucks

The vestry has decided to hold its meetings on the second Sunday of each month, beginning on March 10. This change not only fits better with our current vestry members' schedules, but it also gives everyone in the parish the opportunity to attend, stay informed and get involved. Also on every second Sunday, beginning March 10, we'll be having a potluck lunch in the church hall after church. Who doesn't love a good potluck lunch? Please mark your calendars now to remember to bring something yummy to share. The vestry meeting will then take place following lunch, and all are invited.

2012 in Review
For those who missed annual meeting, our officers reports, Elsa's annual address and the video review of the year are all posted on our website HERE.

Heartbeat: a peace concert and workshop at Yale...this Sunday at 3:00 PM

You may have read about the musical group "Heartbeat" in Elsa's blog post on Feb 21. It's a group of Israeli and Palestinian youth who play music together as a sign of unity and peace. The group is on its first US tour of East Coast universities, and will be at Yale today at 3 for a concert and workshop. Elsa has details if you'd like to come along. Details can be found here on the 2/21 post: www.theglowatgrace.blogspot.com.


Ecumenical Lenten Suppers and Services
Keeping Lent

Join your neighbors in faith for a potluck supper and then a short Lenten service on the Wednesday evenings of Lent. Supper is at 6, and the service is from 7:00-7:45 PM. 

 

  • March 6                      Long Hill United Methodist Church, 6358  Main Street
  • March 13                    Trumbull Congregational Church, 3115 Reservoir Avenue
  • March 20                    Unity Hill United Church of Christ, 364 White Plains Rd.  
A Lenten Fast Week

As suggested by Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Shori, the Worth family plans to do a week long fast in which they eat within the food stamp budget of just $4 per person per day.   About this Food Stamp Fast, Bishop Shori wrote:

 

Lent is a time when we pray, when we fast, when we study, when we give alms. It's a time of solidarity and it is particularly a time to be in solidarity with the least of these. As you prepare for your Lenten season and your Lenten discipline, I'd encourage you to think about consciousness in eating... It's very, very difficult to find adequate calories and reasonably nutritious food for that kind of a budget. But it would be an act of solidarity with those who do go without every day and every week. An act of solidarity like that might increase your consciousness about those who go hungry, it might increase your own consciousness about what you eat, and it might provide an opportunity to share some of your largesse, some of what you save from that kind of eating with those who go without.

 

The Worth's are planning to begin this Sunday, March 3, and continue through the following Saturday, March 9. Would you like to join in? If so, please let Elsa know you're in solidarity. She hopes you'll email her through the week with your experiences of this fast.

Elsa's Blog - Lent
If you want to read Elsa's reflections on Lent, click HERE.

Noisy Collection Contribution
Coins Thank you to everyone who contributed their loose change to our Noisy Collection on annual meeting day.  Because of your contributions, we will be sending $222 to the Bishop's Fund for Children.  Thanks for making some noise!

Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop
Stephen Ministry is a lay-led caring ministry for churches that has brought wonderful things among many congregations.  It would be a great addition to our caring ministries here at Grace Church. On Saturday, March 16th, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Trumbull will host a Stephen Ministry Workshop from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  Registration begins at 8:00 AM.  The half-day workshop consists of three sessions designed both to enhance participants' caregiving skills and to help congregations explore ways to expand their caring ministry.  The cost of this workshop is $15 per person or $50 for a group of four or more from the same congregation.  At least two from our congregation are already going - would you like to join them?  Want to find out more about the Stephen Ministry?  Visit their website at  www.stephenministry.org/workshop .

Used Clothing Shed
Maryann clothes bin

Certainly you've noticed the used clothing shed in our back parking lot.  Please spread the word about this new outreach project -laminated posters and small flyers are available to post and share.  Clothes donated into the shed are picked up by St. Pauly's, who distributes them all to people in need across the globe through their connection with larger agencies.  All of the usable clothing that gets donated makes its way to people in need, saving landfill space.  Items accepted include clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, linens, pillow cases, blankets, curtains and stuffed animals.  (Please do not put rags, fabric scraps, pillows, toys, household goods or electronics in the shed.)  Grace church receives 4 cents per pound on all items collected in exchange for hosting the shed. For further info on this project, there is information about St. Pauly's available in coffee hour, or click on this link: St. Pauly's.  


50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
            - at Christ Church Cathedral on May 5th

If you and your spouse were married on or before December 31, 1963, you are invited to attend a special 50th anniversary liturgy held each spring in Hartford. Whether or not you can make it to the service, we can make sure you are included in the prayers that day. If you and your spouse have been married for 50 years or more and you'd like to be included in any way or if you have questions about the event, please call Maryann in the office.


                    This Week's Announcements
Sunday, March 3rd:

Eucharist service - 9:30 AM

Ancestors at Grace Church - noon

Wednesday, March 6th:
                      

Guided Meditation - 7:00-7:25 AM

Lenten Supper and Service at Long Hill United Methodist Church, 6358  Main Street

  • Supper - 6:00 PM
  • Service - 7:00 PM 
Upcoming Events
Sunday, March 10th:

Eucharist service - 9:30 AM

Godly Play immediately following service

Sunday Potluck following service

Vestry Meeting - noon-2:00 PM   

 

Wednesday, March 13th:                      

Guided Meditation - 7:00-7:25 AM

Lenten Supper and Service at Trumbull Congregational Church, 3115 Reservoir Avenue

  • Supper - 6:00 PM
  • Service - 7:00 PM 
 
Church Hall


Church Hall available for community functions



For additional information and Church Hall availability, click
.