Seniors and those who love them are invited to attend a four week series at Grace Episcopal Church to meet others, have some fun and hear inspiring stories about others who live longer and get stronger by adopting a variety of happy, healthy habits.  The series will be held in the Lewis Hall Meeting Room at Grace Church on Sunday afternoons from 1PM - 3PM, April 7, 14, 21 and 28.

    Watch an inspiring documentary about senior Olympians; listen to local happy and healthy speakers; participate in a Laughing Yoga session to get your endorphins hopping; learn about the daily habits of centenarians around the world;  enjoy a dance performance by a couple of competitive ballroom dancers in midlife and then take a group dance lesson with Kris, a Fred Astaire Studio instructor; meet the director of residential services from the Jewish Home in Fairfield and meet their resident dog; learn about the health benefits of keeping a gratitude journal and partake in a gratitude meditation.

    Come to one or all sessions.  The suggested donation is $3 per Sunday to cover the cost of handouts and coffee/tea.  To help us be prepared, please call Maryann at 203-268-2809 to register for any or all of the sessions.  Walk-ins are also welcome.

    Come and meet others who want to live longer and get stronger, to smile, learn how to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, retain mental acuity, increase bone density and muscle mass and increase joy and happiness on a daily basis.   For more information, visit  www.gracetrumbull.org.

• The Mission Working Group  (how will we sow the seeds of God's healing love out into our community this spring to make Grace known as a well of healing and wholeness?)
• The Property/Financial Resources Working Group  (how can we use/manage our property and funds to support our mission?)
• The Leadership Resources Working Group  (what kind of ordained and lay leadership is necessary to support our mission?)

Are you up for the Bible Challenge?

Many people say that they'd like to know more about the Bible. The one sure fire way to learn more about it is to actually read it. But that can be a daunting task - the Bible's not like any other book. It has many different parts - some history, some poetry, some mystical writing, some stories and parables, some letters. However, when you actually read the whole thing, you get a whole new view of what it is about.

"The Bible Challenge" was created a few years ago by a priest in Pennsylvania and it's getting more popular every year. The Bible Challenge is a simple map for reading the entire bible in one year - that's right - every word of the whole Bible. Each day, Monday through Saturday, you read an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading and a psalm. By the end of one year you've read each psalm twice and the whole Bible through once. People who commit to the Bible Challenge report that it is not hard to keep up with and you feel a great sense of accomplishment.

Many town libraries have the "One Book One Town" program when they encourage the entire town to read a certain book together. How about we at Grace Church do a "One Book One Parish" program and take the Bible Challenge and read the Bible together?   We could meet periodically to see how it's going and share thoughts and reactions to what we're reading. Speak to Elsa if you think you'd be interested in starting the Bible Challenge this Easter season, beginning on April 1. Just think - you'll have read the entire Bible by Easter next year!

Further information about the Bible Challenge can be found here.

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.  

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.