October/November 2011 Newsletter
PASTORAL LETTER
“But we appeal to you brothers and sisters to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very lightly in love because of their work... Rejoice always, pray, without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ, Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 16-18)
Dear Friends in Christ:
I always think of this time of year as a season of thanksgiving. From our time of remembrance for those saints who have passed before us to our giving of our time, talent, and treasure as a response of thanksgiving for all that God has given us. And then ending our church year with a national day of Thanksgiving for the blessings of peace, prosperity, and freedom that God has given each of us. We “give thanks in all circumstances.” This year I am especially thankful for those “saints” among us at Grace Church who have served in ministry for this past generation. It seems like the season of change has come at a time when many are completing years of faithful service in the church as well as in the community.
I am thinking especially of Bill Peace who has served as an Old Saybrook selectman for the past sixteen years. Using his expertise as a retired traffic engineer, Bill has been instrumental in the revitalization of Main Street including the reconstruction of the school into Town Hall and the renovation of the old Town Hall into the Katherine Hepburn Center for the Arts. In his capacity as Warden of Grace Church, Bill was instrumental in the creation of the vegetable garden which supplies almost 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries. During the 1990’s, Bill served as chairman of our Building Committee which was responsible for the renovation of the church. So as Bill finally goes into a well deserved retirement and as his pastor and a friend, I want to say thank you “well done, good and faithful servant of God.”
I also want to give thanks for three faithful women of our church who have served an average of over twenty years, each in a key ministry in our congregation. For the past twenty-five years, Jackie Phyfe has been responsible for organizing, training, and scheduling volunteers from our parish to collect, count, and deposit the offerings from our Sunday services. Jackie has now passed this responsibility to Fran Tarrio. Barbara Bowie has led the Altar Guild as its Director for the past seventeen years. She has built this group of saints into a community of servants of God who regularly provide a beautiful setting for our worship.. Betty Salldin has succeeded Barbara in this important ministry. Twenty years ago, Marita Pettersson took over responsibility for the Prayer Line from Jean Carney. Assisted by Pat Monte, this group of prayer warriors has been available day and night to pray for those who requested intersessions. Marita has also hosted Praise Gatherings each year to thank God for His faithfulness to us. So I thank God for the privilege of serving alongside these women of faith.
Finally, I am grateful for those senior members of our church who have been a godly example to us. We have eight women in their nineties who have been long time members of Grace Church. One of them, Olga Dobbs, will celebrate her 100 birthday this month. We will have the opportunity to celebrate with Olga at the Coffee Hour after the 10:00 am service on November 20, Thanksgiving Sunday.
We have much to thank God for, not the least of which are the “saints” who dwell among us.
Faithfully yours, The Rev. Charles L. Hoffman, D. Min.
Shoreline Soup Kitchens Thanksgiving Dinner
The Shoreline Soup Kitchens will again this year prepare and serve a Thanksgiving meal at Grace Church in Merrill Hall on Thanksgiving Day at 1:00 pm. All are welcome for food and fellowship. A traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings will be served and no reservations are required. Please join us for this wonderful family orientated day.
All proceeds from the offering from our 10:00 am Thanksgiving Service will be given to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens.
WOMEN OF GRACE
We are a group of ordinary women using God's word to seek God's will in whatever life brings. We will be meeting every Friday evening from 7:00 until 9:00 pm in the Hudson Room. All women are welcome. For questions or more information, please contact Sue Bjornberg (860/662-0028) or Grace Bates (860/575-1103).
We hope you will join us.
Grace Church Altar Guild
The last time you read about the altar guild I gave you a history of our past. Today I ‘d like to introduce you to our faithful servants, who serve God and Grace Church regularly.
On October 9, Altar Guild Sunday, Betty Salldin was commissioned as Director of the Altar Guild and Joyce Baker, having completed a time of training, was commissioned as a member. We hope you will continue to offer prayers of encouragement for Joyce to continue to be a committed servant to the guild.
And we thank the Grace Church Altar Guild members for their many years of faithful service:
As a brief reminder, we are the people responsible for arranging the flowers for Sunday services as well as the Christmas, Easter, and other events. We also prepare the elements for the breaking of bread. We fill the candles so they can burn brightly for the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ. There are many more tasks but most importantly for this living world, we are a loving support to each other.
Credentials that are necessary, include but are not limited to, being available a few hours a week once every 4-5 weeks. Flexible scheduling and incredible benefits make this a ministry YOU should consider. A yearlong internship is provided with excellent supervision. If you would like more information please speak with any member of the altar guild or the rector. The Altar Guild is open to and welcomes both men and women of our parish.
Prayerfully seeking new members.
Blessings,
Kathy Bartus
OLGA DOBBS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Our beloved and very special Matriarch, Olga Dobbs, will turn 100 on November 21. Today, in her honor, we plan an enlarged coffee hour reception immediately following the 10:00 am service. In lieu of flowers and other gifts, the family requests that parishioners help us celebrate this special festive occasion with a plate of cookies, muffins, cut up fruit & veggies or other finger foods for the reception. Or you may wish to make a donation to the Altar Guild for a new Fair Linen (altar cloth) in Olga’s honor. We look forward to this day and pray you will all be able to join in the fun!
The Church Offices will be closed on Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day), and Friday, November 25.
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