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 Please join me as individuals and as communities in offering this prayer for victims of violence, the people of Syria, all refugees, and a world where all are equal:
God our strength and our redeemer, we ask for your loving presence and for your peace to be with the families of Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins and Carol Robertson, all victims of violence, the people of Syria, of all religious traditions and of none. Be with those in positions of leadership, that their decisions may hasten peace and bring an end to violence. Be with those who are in fear for their safety and their lives. Be with those who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Give them strength and courage.
And be with us, as we listen and discern your call to us. Equip us and empower us to be witnesses to your love - as advocates and as servants, as ministers of welcome and of hope for Syrians and all those displaced by war and violence.
In your Holy name we pray, Amen.
(Adapted from the prayer by Tommy Dillon)
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Rally Day & Fall Festival!
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 This Sunday, September 20th will be Grace's inaugural Rally Day and Fall Festival! Come to the parish hall from 9:30 -12:30 to play games, make caramel apples, and find out about opportunities for all ages of Christian Formation for 2015-2016!
Contact Kendall (kendall@graceoakpark.org) if you would like to help host the event. |
As many of you know, we reached a settlement in the lawsuit related to our parking lot. We have signed a two-month agreement that allows the use of part of our parking lot for construction activity. This agreement will allow the finishing of the development's east wall and will move the construction activity away from our lot and buildings. Please follow this link to see where some alternative parking may be found. We do not have an agreement with the 19th Century Club for alternative parking.
Thanks for your cooperation and patience.
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St. Luke's, Renk, South Sudan
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Partner Parish of Grace Episcopal Church
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This is the second in a series of articles about Grace's relationship with our partner parish in Renk, South Sudan.
 St Luke's parish, Renk has been a partner parish of Grace Church for many years, at first alone and now in joint partnership with St Christopher's, our neighbor on East Ave., Oak Park. Together we have supported Mother Alice, St. Luke's priest with our prayers and financially with funds from the Outreach Committee, as well as money raised from fundraising activities such as Black History Month luncheon, Concerts@6:26, and from personal donation.
For decades South Sudan has suffered horrific devastation, first in the War of Independence from Sudan which ended in 2011, and since then in a bloody civil war between warring factions which broke out at the end of 2013, and is still ongoing is spite of several efforts to broker peace.
Mother Alice's home was a casualty of the civil war. Her home was destroyed and she had to flee along with many people in the area. She has since returned and has started to rebuild her home. It is our understanding that one room has been rebuilt and she wants to rebuild the other two rooms. However because of the fighting and drought, the humanitarian needs of the area and of the people of Renk are great. Food and supplies are very expensive and scarce. Rebuilding will be a challenge.
Bishop Joseph Garang, bishop of the diocese of Renk will be visiting St. Christopher's and Grace Church on October 4th. He will bring news of the latest developments and how the peace talks are going, and will let our congregations know in what ways we can be of help.
Information of the exact time of the meeting will be posted in e-Items (as of now the plan is to have a compline/evensong at St. Christopher's with light refreshments, and of course hearing from Bishop Joseph).
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 As wise person once said "Teaching children to count is important, but teaching them WHAT counts is best." And, that's what our Grace community recently accomplished. Not only did Grace contribute $150 from the Grace Outreach fund to purchase backpacks for Lawrence Hall Youth Services in Chicago, our generous community:
- Wrote notes of encouragement and support to place inside the backpacks!
- Gave an additional $270 to send along to LHYS for additional school supply materials!
- PURCHASED additional supplies and backpacks! Special thanks to all who brought those supplies to church. We were able to fill over 4 boxes of materials to send over!
 What is the difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson, and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson. Thanks, Grace community for providing a generous lesson to our youth and the youth of our church - a magnanimous heart!
-Sally Prescott and Karen-Jo Mensch
Outreach Committee Co-Chairs
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Two Bishops in as Many Weeks!
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As you've read in the article earlier in this issue, Bishop Joseph Garang will be with us on October 4th.
Our diocesan Bishop, Jeffrey Lee, will be with us on October 11th for our Bishop's Visitation. More details will follow, but please mark your calendar and plan to join us!
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Birthday Wishes for James
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Our fellow parishioner, James Fair, has his 55th birthday on Sunday, September 27th. James has been attending Grace Church for many, many years. He now uses an oxygen tank and is not in good health. A few of us are planning to get him a birthday cake to celebrate. The children are making cards. Please feel to bring him birthday cards and/or wish him Happy Birthday on the 27th. I am sure he will be delighted.
-Joan Anderson
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Registration for Children's & Youth Formation
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 Registration for Children's and Youth Formation is up online at this link! This will sign your child up for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or Journey to Adulthood. We are excited to accompany your child in the great year of programming we have in store! For more information about formation programming come to our Rally Day and Fall Festival on September 20th. |
Baird & Warner is celebrating their 160th birthday, and to mark the occasion they are donating $160,000 across 16 local nonprofit organizations, including Housing Forward (formerly West Suburban PADS), the organization Grace partners with to provide shelter for those who are homeless. You can be a part of choosing 16 charities that will each receive $10,000 from a nominated list of 25.
Cast your vote at this link.
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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 September 20th 10:30am Service:
MC/LEMS: Mark Woodworth; Sam Love, Charlie MacDougall, Karen-Jo Mensch, Natalie Ratz, Natalia Reniszewski
LECTORS: Gloria Rayburn, Jen Cantrell
INTERCESSORS: Cyndy Reynolds, Lascelles Anderson
ALTAR GUILD: Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Kathy Onayemi, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Chuck Tupta
BREAD BAKER: The Lucé Family
USHERS: Flora Green, Stan Kaderbek, Linda Francis, Alex Lippitt
GREETERS: Adrienne Gervais, Cyndy Reynolds
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| Wednesday, September 16, 2015 | | Wednesday Morning Eucharist | 7:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Schola/Scholars Rehearsal | 3:30 PM | | Special Vestry Meeting | 7:00 PM | | PADS Overnight Shelter | 7:30 PM |
Thursday, September 17, 2015 | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Staff Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Evensong | 6:00 PM | | Healing Prayer Group | 6:30 PM | | SAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | Adult Choir Rehearsal | 7:30 PM |
Friday, September 18, 2015 | | Rector's Day Off | | | SLAA/SAA 12-Step Workshop | 9:05 AM |
Saturday, September 19, 2015 | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 9:30 AM |
Sunday, September 20, 2015 | | The Rite Place - A service for the child in us all | 9:00 AM | | Coffee Hour | 9:30 AM | | Registration, Rally Day & Fall Festival | 9:30 AM | | Lectionary Discussion Group | 9:45 AM | | Sung Choral Eucharist | 10:30 AM | | Coffee Hour | 11:45 AM | | Madrigals Rehearsal | 1:30 PM | | SLAA Women's Group | 5:30 PM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | AA 12-Step Group | 8:30 PM |
Monday, September 21, 2015 | | Landscape Maintenance | | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Chicago a cappella rehearsal | 6:45 PM | | Education for Ministry (EfM) | 7:00 PM |
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | Vestry Meeting | 7:00 PM |
Wednesday, September 23, 2015 |
| | | Wednesday Morning Eucharist | 7:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Kitchen Reserved for Grace PADS Cooks | 3:00 PM | | Schola/Scholars Rehearsal | 3:30 PM | | Grace Staffs PADS Shelter | 6:30 PM | | PADS Overnight Shelter | 7:30 PM |
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