Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
13 July 2017
I am a “cat person”
(i.e., I am owned and managed by a
cat!), and I therefore think it normal that there is cat hair in the house. But, if someone comes to visit me, I make a
point of being extra-thorough in vacuuming and cleaning, because I know that
what is just “my space” (actually, it’s the cat’s) is now also my guest’s, and
I cannot and should not assume that he or she will think it normal to have a
little cat hair around.
What parallels can
you see between this domestic example and how we welcome people to Grace
Episcopal Church? You may have come here
for years, and you’re just used to the way things look. But a visitor might first encounter dirty
entrance stairs (on 7th Street—they’re being cleaned), or overgrown
shrubbery (there is a plan to correct this), and conclude something about this
place and our welcome that we don’t intend.
To return to the
example of the entrance stairs, I mentioned to a person who attends the
Thursday morning AA meetings that one of the reasons I am cleaning the stairs
(this is a 7 day project) is that I want our guests to feel welcome when they
come in the front door and descend to the basement meeting room. She shared this in the meeting, and reports
that there were some tears in response! (tears from people who perhaps are not
used to being told “You are welcome here!”)
This allowed her the opening to share the idea of a Recovery Eucharist,
a special celebration, and the idea is now being actively considered. In other words, welcome can be an important
part of evangelism.
Look around the
church and grounds with “visitors’ eyes”.
I have asked the Vestry to do this, and to come up with a list of items
requiring attention. And, quite apart
from physical plant issues, consider how if you were not familiar with this
place you would hope that others might welcome you as a visitor. If you see someone you don’t know, introduce
yourself. (And please, everybody, wear your name tags!) If it turns out they have been here for 40
years, that’s okay. Let’s not expect
that we’ll all just know each other unless we are intentional about knowing
each other. Introduce yourself, and
invite our guest to the coffee hour, or offer to answer any questions.
Being welcoming
involves paying attention. It involves
doing something like saying “Cat hair may be an issue for my guest. I’ll spend more time cleaning up.” It involves looking at our home through our
guests’ eyes, to make sure that what they see is welcome.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Steve and Katy Larson
for the Sunday coffee hour.
§ Bobbie May for
gardening and janitorial help.
§ Ben Crouse and Scott
Gedemer for lawn care.
§ All who helped clean
the church from dust associated with the roofing project: Fr. Jon Ambelang, Julie Davidson, Steve
Larson, Dale Massey, Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Mary Snyder, Tom Wright.
Special “Thank You’ s” : A supply of Thank You note cards can be found
on the table at the back of church nave.
When someone in the parish does something special, take the time to
write them a personal note. Also, from
time to time, think about who you might want to thank for ongoing service, and
let them know you have noticed!
Call
for Contributions: If you
have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers
toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by
Wednesday in the week of publication.
Don’t
forget “Something Extra for Grace”:
Supplemental giving envelopes can be found in pews. If you want to give something extra, please
use an envelope to ensure that you are credited.
When you think about
giving: When you think about giving, consider that we
are one of the only churches in the downtown area that’s generally open for any
walk-in. Consider this in light of the
information and reflection included in the attached blog post:
Music this Week: The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10)
Guest Organist: Sandie Palmer
Prelude: “Messa per gli Apostoli” Bernardino Bottazi
Entrance
390 – “Praise to the Lord” Lobe den Herren
Offertory 377
– “All People that on Earth do Dwell” Old 100th
Communion 660
– “O Master, Let Me Walk” Maryton
Closing 551
– “Rise Up, Ye Saints” Festal Song
Postlude: “Preludium
XXI, BWV 866” J.S. Bach
Parish Notices
§
Volunteers still needed at All Saints’
Chapel: We are in need of help for the
following Sunday: August13th.
This would include: picking up the box of bulletins at Grace Church, arriving a
little early to open the buildings, finding readers for the lessons and the
prayers of the people, lighting candles, greeting the visiting priest, various
other tasks, locking up at the end and returning the box to Grace Church. There
are instructions printed and several people who would be able to help if you
have questions. Please sign up for a Sunday or two on the clipboard on the
Narthex table or by calling the office at 452-9659 with dates you are
available. Thank you.
§
July Ultreya
– Sunday, July 16th at St. Thomas, Menasha. Fellowship
at 2:00 pm, Ultreya at 3:00. Bring snacks!
§ Freedom Cry fundraiser:
Freedom Cry is working to raise money for trafficking victims. For details go to:
§
Women’s
Mini Week: Held at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, August 10th –
13th.
§
Women’s Mini-Week is to provide an
annual retreat event for adult women, offering refuge, friendship, relaxation,
and fun. And NO dishes! Mini-Week combines opportunities to learn with
fellowship, spiritual exploration and delicious food as we invite all women to
participate as much or as little as they would like and need. For more
information see the notice board in the Narthex or go to womensminiweek.org
§
Cost: Thursday
Dinner through Sunday Brunch: Cabin $245 Lodge $265
o
Friday Dinner through Sunday
Brunch: Cabin $220 Lodge $240
o
(Cabin = platform
bed, w/electric, bath house nearby)
o
(Lodge = dorm-style, platform bed, w/electric and full shared bathroom)
o
Requests for scholarships are due
July 16th. Advanced reservations are requested with $50 deposit.
Balance due by August 1st.
§
Please keep Bill in prayer: Bill May has been diagnosed with a compression
fracture in a vertebra. This means that he will be on restricted
duties. We have established a volunteer rota for items such
as: fellowship hall set-up and take down; restroom cleaning; trash
removal; floor cleaning; lawn care. Sign-up sheets are on the Narthex table.
Thank you.
§
Biblical Greek to be offered: Join us on Thursday evenings,
beginning on Thursday, 7 September. (Classes will meet 7—9 p.m.) This
is not a course about learning to speak Greek, and it is unlikely that you will
become fully literate in the biblical language but, what you will learn is how
to really dive deeply into the Bible by using a myriad of resources (online and
in print) that will allow you to study the words in the original and what the
grammar in the original may point to in meaning. There is a
cost: $100—hence, the early notice. There will be limited
scholarships available. We are opening this course to other churches, and
will limit overall class size, so if you are curious explore your interest with
Fr. Karl or Mthr. Michele.
§
Education for Ministry: How do I learn to make the Bible
stories become my stories? How do I learn how God wants to bless me with more
than I can imagine? Join the EfM
(Education for Ministry) group that is starting on Monday, September 11th. Two
groups will meet at St. Peter’s Church House in Sheboygan Falls. The morning
group is from 9:30-11:30 and the evening group runs from 5:00-7:00pm. Scholarships are available, so don’t let the
cost of $375 for this college credited class, stop you from joining. Registrations
are due by August 1st so materials can be received before the first class.
Contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman at bzimmy@excel.net or 920-893-5189 for registration
materials. The choice is yours—do you want to learn how to bring God’s mercy
& delight into your neighborood?
§
Grace Notes is here: http://gracechurchgracenotes.blogspot.com/. You can sign up to receive the
blog every Thursday
§
Like Grace Church on Facebook:
@gracesheboygan
§
Follow Grace Church on Twitter:
@gracesheboygan
§
Follow Grace Church on Instagram:
@gracesheboygan
§ We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!
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