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The Importance of Faith at Home
Practicing faith at home allows children, youth, and adults to connect with God and put faith at the center of their lives. Along with church and other communities, the household is where faith is formed, nurtured, and passed on. Practicing faith at home is fun! Even a few minutes a day, or one faith practice per week can have strong and lasting impacts.
Home Practices from Building Faith
If you are looking for ways to live out your Christian faith at home, we suggest "Home Practices" from the website Building Faith (www.buildfaith.org/home-practices). Building Faith is a trusted site, published by the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary.
With Home Practices, you'll find free household activities and practices that are do-able, adaptable, fun, and meaningful. The two-page guides, by authors who have done the practices themselves, include easy-to-follow steps, along with helpful guidelines, and even materials and resources. For example, there is "Make a Sacred Space at Home," and "Birthday Prayers and Blessings." You will also find seasonal offerings for Advent, Lent, and more.
Who is it for?
Home Practices can be used by all households, regardless of the size and form: singles, friends, couples, children, teens, and parents. Likewise, most of the practices can be adapted for use with all ages, whether your household has young children, older children, teens, or adults.
How does it work? Go to www.buildfaith.org/homepractices and look through the practices. Click on a faith activity that interests you, and enjoy the free, easy-to-follow guide. You can view the guide on your computer, tablet, or smartphone; or you can print it out. The pdf format is especially easy for printing and sharing.
Closing Encouragement
It is never too late to bring faith into your household. Jesus' promised gift of the Holy Spirit means that we have strength and guidance to live and share our faith. Suggestions and tools for faith practices at home can encourage us along the way.
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Adults and Kids All On a Journey
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Many of our children and adults have headed back into classrooms. They go with hopes to learn, grow, make new friends, offer wisdom to one another, and so much more.
This Sunday, August 23, at both services we will bless backpacks, briefcases, books, pencils - whatever you want to bring. Teachers, administrators, bus drivers, and students will all be blessed. BRING A FRIEND!
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Blessing For a Sabbatical Journey For Our Musician, Dennis Northway
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On August 26, Dennis will hop on a plane and begin a well-earned sabbatical. Dennis will be singing Evensong, writing music, relaxing and connecting with God in what I imagine will be some profound ways.
Come to church this Sunday, August 23 to help send him off with a blessing and our love. Consider writing him a note to take with him as a way to have a little reminder of his ministry here. Dennis will be invited to turn off the work email and let go and relax into a new schedule.
May God bless him in this holy time and we will look forward to seeing him after Christmas.
Peace,
Shawn
P.S. Please take a moment to let your children know about this time that Dennis and Grace will have.
Prayer for Sabbatical
Friends in Christ: Today we give thanks to God for Dennis and ask for God's blessings as we send him for Sabbatical rest. We ask God to bless this intentional time of growth both for Dennis and for our congregation, and we ask that God to bring Dennis back to our community refreshed and nourished with God's Spirit as we seek to glorify God with our gifts to serve all.
A reading from Exodus: Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)
And again from Exodus: I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke: Now, more than ever, the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to out-of-the-way places and pray. (Luke 5:15-16)
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 PADS Cooks: how about joining the fun. If you're new to Grace, or maybe just have a change in your schedule so that you have the 4th Wednesday afternoon of the month free, please consider joining the merry crew who prepare dinner for our PADS guests each month. The time commitment for each of us is minimal, but the joy of preparing really wholesome food just can't be beat. If you're interested, please contact Sue Wells (sue@wells1.com).
Our yearly planning meeting and "tea party" will be Tuesday 1:30 Tuesday, Sept. 15 at my house. Thanks to all the PADS Cooks as we start our 11th year together.
-Sue Wells
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Final Concert of the 2015 Season!
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Join us this Thursday, August 20 for the final performance in the 2015 Concerts@6:26 series. We will sing Evensong beginning at 6:00 p.m., followed at precisely 6:26 p.m. with a thirty-minute recital by Sally Kidwell. There will be a freewill offering, half of which goes to our outreach programs. Click here for more information, including the full program.
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Grace Night at Thursday Night Out
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 The 6:26 concerts are about to end. Anticipating needing something to do on Thursday, August 27? Meet at Grace Church (at 6pm) and join in some fellowship, food, music and more by heading to the wonderful Thursday Night Out program on Marion Street in downtown Oak Park. Not familiar with the event? Click here to learn more. If you can't get to Grace at 6:00, feel free to find us on Marion Street later. |
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Support Grace while you shop!
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If you shop at Amazon, please use the link below to access Amazon.com. Grace will then get a percentage of any purchases made. It's a painless way to help Grace and costs you nothing. FYI, we never see who buys what.
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Participants in This Sunday's 10:30 Service
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Participants in August 23rd 10:30am Service:
MC/LEMS: Sam Love; Bob Vogler, Sue Wells, Lascelles Anderson, Tony Dobrowolski, Barbara Larsen
LECTORS: Sam Love, Gloria Rayburn
INTERCESSORS: Cathy Tokarski, David de Jong
ALTAR GUILD: Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Kathy Onayemi, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Chuck Tupta
BREAD BAKER: Doug Lucé
USHERS: Laura Morgan Day, Sam Love, Tony Riley, Donna Anderson
GREETERS: Ade Onayemi, Gloria Rayburn, Jane Shirley
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| Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | | Wednesday Morning Eucharist | 7:00 AM | | Chess Camp | 8:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Northway music lesson | 11:00 AM | | Wedding Rehearsal | 5:00 PM | | Property Committee Meeting | 7:00 PM |
Thursday, August 20, 2015 | | Chess Camp | 8:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Staff Lunch | 11:30 AM | | Northway Organ Lesson | 4:00 PM | | Northway Music Lesson | 4:30 PM | | Evensong | 6:00 PM | | Concerts@6:26 | 6:26 PM | | Healing Prayer Group | 6:30 PM | | SAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM |
Friday, August 21, 2015 | | Rector's Day Off | | | Chess Camp | 8:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA 12-Step Workshop | 9:05 AM | | Wedding | 3:00 PM |
Saturday, August 22, 2015 | | Northway Music Lesson | 9:30 AM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 9:30 AM | | Northway Organ Lesson | 10:30 AM | | Northway Organ Lesson | 1:00 PM |
Sunday, August 23, 2015 | | The Rite Place - A service for the child in us all | 9:00 AM | | Coffee Hour | 9:30 AM | | Lectionary Discussion Group | 9:45 AM | | Sung Choral Eucharist | 10:30 AM | | Coffee Hour | 11:45 AM | | Northway Music Lesson | 12:45 PM | | Northway Organ Lesson | 2:30 PM | | SLAA Women's Group | 5:30 PM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | AA 12-Step Group | 8:30 PM |
Monday, August 24, 2015 | | Landscape Maintenance | | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM |
Tuesday, August 25, 2015 | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | Vestry Meeting | 7:00 PM |
Wednesday, August 26, 2015 | | Wednesday Morning Eucharist | 7:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Northway music lesson | 11:00 AM |
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