-Shawn

shawnschreiner@sbcglobal.net

Grace Church will present David accompanying the movie during the Halloween Party extravaganza at Grace Church on October 31, 2012 beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Admission (pay at the door) is $20 for the movie, but is reduced to just $10 if you come in costume!  Spread the word!   Join the event on our Facebook page. 

Each of us experiences a loss in a different way-some seek community, others solitude; some pray through song, some quietly, some audibly.  This service is meant to provide space for grieving to some, opportunity for closure to others, a time of joyful remembrance and comfort to all. 

It is our firm hope and prayer that all will go away from this service with a sense of hope and comfort.

Directions and parking information is at this link.

For those of you I have not met yet, my name is Walter, and I am very excited to be spending this year as the new Seminarian at Grace Church. I moved to Chicago from Washington DC to pursue a Masters of Divinity at the University of Chicago's Divinity School just over a year ago. Shortly after arriving in Chicago, I started searching the Chicago area for an Episcopal Church in which to do the field-placement component of my program. I spent many of my Sundays last year trying out Episcopal churches, and during this process I picked two characteristics that I thought were representative of the type of community I wanted to be an active part of.

First, is the church welcoming? Does the church state explicitly during the service, in the bulletin, and on its website that all people were invited to be part of both the worship and the church community? During my first visit to Grace, and in my time spent subsequently at Grace, I have been impressed with the church's statements of inclusivity, and the ways these ideas are enacted by all congregants and leaders. Second, does the congregation sing during worship? I love great church music, and Grace has it. However, I chose singing as a criterion for churches because I believe people who sing during worship understand that Christian life in community is a participatory activity. Grace is a church full of singers. The time I have spent at Grace, and the people I have met here, have confirmed the validity of my metric. People at Grace are singers and also passionate to live and worship in a church community that is proactive in its efforts to welcome strangers and fulfill God's will in the world.

I have greatly enjoyed my time at Grace so far, and I am excited to share this next year work and worshipping with you all.

-Walter Thorne

The Vestry is moving forward with a number of urgent capital projects for the church: boiler replacement, asbestos abatement, and stained glass window repairs. These are part of the ongoing maintenance of our lovely worship space that will later include repairs to the parish hall roof and chapel roof, which is causing leaks over the chapel and could require structural repairs.

The immediate capital needs are approximately $95,000. We are excited to say that generous giving by parishioners has already raised $52,000, with an additional $5,000 verbal commitment. This leaves $38,000 as the amount that we still need to raise now.

We as a vestry and finance committee are also committed to adding a small amount from this fundraising into our Outreach Endowment.  

Please know that any funds that are not used for this project will be placed into a Building Fund for some of the other ongoing projects that are listed above.

We ask you to join the parishioners past and present that have given us this cherished space. In thanksgiving, in remembrance, for the joy of participating in the ongoing co-creation of beauty in the world, join us and make a gift to the legacy of Grace.

If you would like to contribute specifically toward the Boiler Replacement* project, please click the link below to donate securely online:

To make a donation to A Legacy of Grace to be used toward any of the above projects, please click the link below to donate securely online: 

-Grace Church Wardens and Vestry 

*should the total amount donated exceed the boiler replacement cost, the surplus will be placed in the Legacy of Grace Fund for the other projects described above. 

Enjoy spending time with older adults? Become a Legacy Corps volunteer! AgeOptions is recruiting volunteers for Legacy Corps, a federally-funded AmeriCorps program that provides companionship to older adults from veteran families so that their family caregivers can have time away from caregiving. AgeOptions is the Area Agency on Aging for suburban Cook County.

Volunteers receive training and $150 per month stipend for providing 10-12 hours per week of care between November 2012 and October 31, 2013. Upon successful completion of the year of service, members receive a modest education award. We are especially seeking volunteers in/near west suburban Cook County, and who have veterans or military members in their families. Please contact Sarah Stein (Grace member and AgeOptions Caregiver Coordinator) at (708)383-0258 or sarah.stein@ageoptions.org.