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Save the Dates
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Brief Parish Meeting
and Vestry Meeting:
Sunday, January 20,
after church
Book Group:
Sunday, January 20,
6:00, place TBD
Parish Annual Meeting:
Sunday, February 10, after church
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Happy New Year!
We look forward to another year of being Grace in the city--growing in our love of God and love of our neighbors.
To share this news with a friend, click the "forward email" link at the bottom of the page. See you Sunday! --Beth Reed, Priest-in-charge |
| This Sunday at Grace |
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Eucharist, refreshments 
We celebrate the Eucharist at 10:00; it's the Feast of the Epiphany. We hear in the gospel how the wise men from the East traveled to visit the newborn Child--a sign that the liberation he brings is for all people, not just his own (the Jews).
After the Eucharist, we gather for refreshments and conversation.
On the table in the hall, offering envelopes are available for anyone who would like them.
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| Grace's Food Pantry | |  We have a new relationship
with a local vendor
Parishioner and pantry volunteer Mike A has a friend at Stonyfield Farm, and when he told him about our pantry, the friend offered to give us yogurt for our pantry guests.
Here's how it works: Pantry director Patty McNamara calls Stonyfield every few weeks and arranges for a volunteer to pick up several cases of yogurt from the warehouse in Kuhnsville. Last time she called, the gift was 15 cases! The organic yogurt is now available every week at our pantry. This is a great example of nurturing connections in our area: a parishioner was able to extend the work of Grace through a friend. The friend is able to contribute healthy food for our neighbors, and the circle of Grace grows wider! We appreciate the generosity of our friends at Stonyfield.
What other connections are just waiting to be explored? |
| Andrew Reinholz | | A new deacon among us
Andrew Reinholz was ordained a deacon by Bishop Paul Marshall on December 21 at the Cathedral in Bethlehem. His wife, Kimberly Rowles, was also ordained a deacon. This joyful event was followed by a sad one: Andrew's father, for whom we had been praying for months, died a week later.
As part of the ordination process, Andrew visited Grace in November and met with the vestry. They conversed with him about his call to ordained ministry and wrote a letter to the Bishop recommending him for ordination.
We wish him and Kimberly all the best in their new ministries! |
| Leadership at Grace | |  There are vestry openings
There are openings on the vestry (the leadership board of the church). At this time, the vestry especially needs people who are skilled in planning and doing the work of communications (telling our story on the website, newsletter, Facebook, and other media) and in fund raising. We need generalists as well, people who can help lead our parish as we discern the next phases of our life together and the work before us in Allentown.
Please consider the church's needs and your gifts and abilities. Do you feel led to offer your name for consideration? If so, please let a vestry member or Beth Reed know by January 10. The vestry will consider prayerfully the names that come forward and propose a slate of candidates. We will hold a brief parish meeting on January 20 at the end of the service to elect new vestry members. According to the by-laws of the church, vestry members need to be confirmed Episcopalians, and they need to contribute financially to the parish. The vestry meets about once a month, usually on a Sunday after refreshments, and there is some work in between meetings. If you'd like more information about what serving on the vestry entails, please talk with any vestry member or Beth Reed. (The list of vestry members is published in the bulletin each week.) The photos shows vestry members Tony V, Joan R, and Ellen R in our usual meeting place, the conference room downstairs. |
| Christmas at Grace | | Greening party got us ready
The calendar this year was tight: the Fourth Sunday of Advent was December 23, so we made a quick transition after that celebration into immediate Christmas preparations. Many folks from the Sunday assembly stayed to decorate the church with greens, candles, roping, and ribbon, and thanks to Pam A's planning, we had sandwiches and cookies.
Chuck M took the lead on organizing the church decorating this Christmas, with great results. Sarabel C had done this task with loving care for many years, and she left detailed notes that were helpful. Chuck researched some new vendors and set up some new relationships--and saved the parish several hundred dollars in the process. Chuck's work certainly was a gift to the parish and our Christmas visitors.
And we are grateful to interior designer Topher G for his imaginative way to add greens to our wreath frame: by wrapping it with soaked grapevine, he created a sturdy mesh to hold the greens.
 | Topher and George wrap grapevine
to hold the greens. |
 | | Three friends work on wreath ribbons. |
 | | Gunnar and Joe string the lights. |
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