October/November 2010 Newsletter
Newsletter
(Copy of articles which appear in
the monthly Grace Church Newsletter)
October/November 2010
RECTOR'S LETTER
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Dear Friends in Christ:
The Bible passage above is taken from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. Paul begins his letter with the opening words “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:1-3)
St Paul’s letter is really written in gratitude to the Thessalonians for all their faithfulness and support of the missionary work of the early church. This “attitude of gratitude” is something that should be characteristic of every Christian’s walk with the Lord. Giving thanks can radically change our relationships with each other and with God. Our Father has given us the gift of his son; Jesus has given us the gift of his life. They have given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Trinity we have the power to live that abundant life while we are here on earth. The Great Thanksgiving hymn reminds us that “all good gifts around us are sent from heaven above, so thank the Lord, thank the Lord, for all His love.”
The month of November is a wonderful time to give thanks to God. There will be many opportunities to express our thanksgiving at Grace Church. We hope that you will join us for the following activities:
“Giving Thanks at Grace,” an all parish dinner to celebrate what God has done for us throughout the years. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Tom Furrer, Rector of Trinity Church in Tariffville, Connecticut. Tom is a son of Grace Church having come to faith in this place and sponsored for ministry by this parish. The dinner will take place on Friday, November 5, from 6:00 until 8:30 pm, in Merrill Hall. You can still sign up by calling the church office at 860/388-0895.
On All Saints Sunday, November 7, we will receive six people into the church through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. We thank God for them. We also remember and thank God for all the members of this church who have died during the past year.
On Saturday, November 13, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm, the women of the church will host the Harvest Fair. By our offering of the proceeds from this event to mission work beyond our parish we express our gratitude to God for the “wideness of his mercy.”
On Sunday, November 14, Larry Stankus, our Stewardship Chairman, will share his story with us as part of the sermon. On the following Sunday November 21, Thanksgiving Sunday, we will offer to God our pledges of support for the church for the coming year. This act of giving is an appropriate way to give thanks for all that God has done for us, remembering that “God loves a cheerful giver.”
Finally, we sum up all our thanksgiving as a people by observing the national holiday on Thanksgiving Day with a 10:00 am service in the church and a 1:00 pm community Thanksgiving Dinner in the parish Hall sponsored by the Shoreline Soup Kitchens. All are welcome.
So my friends “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever.”
Faithfully yours,
The Rev. Charles L. Hoffman, D. Min.
Rector
HARVEST FAIR
Saturday, November 13
Please invite family and friends to join you at our Harvest Fair on Saturday, November 13, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.
Craft items, including dolls and African jewelry, as well as our homemade cakes, jams, jellies, and our favorite old standby, sugar-free applesauce, will be sold.
At 11:00 am, a lunch of homemade soups, crackers and dessert will be served. A Taste of Grace Cookbooks, our collection of recipes by congregation members, will also be sold. Again this year, there will be a Kids’ Christmas Corner & More in the Hudson Room.
Small gifts for the Children’s Room as well as all craft items must be brought to the parish hall on Friday, November 12, between 1:00 and 2:00 pm.
Blessings and thanks,
Gunlög Millet
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.
Grace Church Fall Clean-UP
The Grace Church Fall Clean-Up has been scheduled for Saturday, November 20, from 8:00 am until 12:00 noon. There will be a sign-up sheet posted on the notice board adjacent to Merrill Hall.
This annual event helps us to spruce up our grounds after the leaves have fallen. Both young and old are invited for lots of fellowship and lots of hard work!
Please join us on November 20.
Tape Ministry
Did you know that the Sunday gospel and sermon are taped? If you would like a copy, just fill out the request envelope located in a brown wooden box in the Communications Room and leave it there. Most requests are filled within a week or two. We will be converting to a CD format when our current supply of tapes runs out. For questions, contact Grace Bates at 860/575-1103.
Food Pantry
Grace Church is such a giving parish. The current economic downturn certainly hasn't affected our contributions to the Food Pantry.
In only 10 months this year we have donated almost 30% more items than we had all of last year."
The Lord loves a cheerful giver.
Peace, Frank Tarrio
Just a Reminder...Newsletter items deadline is the 15th of the month!
Please turn them in to the church office or email them to grace.episcopal@sbcglobal.net
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