Grace Episcopal Church and St. Stephen’s Parish

Online Tidings

Pentecost 7, 2007

P.O. Box 51410, Colorado Springs, CO 80949
www.graceepiscopalcolosprings.org
grace.episcopal.church@gmail.com
719/328-1125

Prayer of the Week

For the Mission of the Church:

O God, who hast made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent thy blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after thee and find thee, bring the nations into thy fold, pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of thy kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, page 206

Services This Week

Sunday services this week will be at 12:45 pm at First Christian Church, on the corner of Platte and Cascade. Father Michael will be our preacher this week. There will be coffee hour after each service this month except July 22nd.

In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, today we remember Good Shepherd Church in Centennial, Our Merciful Savior Church in Denver, Christ's Church in Castle Rock, Grace and St. Stephen's Church in Colorado Springs, and The Church of the Good Samaritan in Gunnison.

Visitation by Bishop O'Neill

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening, August 1st, Bishop O'Neill will meet with our congregation in the sanctuary at First Christian Church. This will give him a chance to see the wonderful hospitality that First Christian Church has provided for us and to give us any new updates on the status of the legal proceedings. Come welcome our shepherd.

Meet Your Vestry: Amy Duell

Amy Duell cares deeply about Grace Episcopal Church. Along with her family, she has been a member since 1989. Her current role as a member of our Vestry allows her the opportunity to help lead this church, establishing sound financial practices and expanding the focus on mission. Amy believes in true transparency regarding Vestry decision making, saying that, “The workings of the Vestry must be known to every member who is interested.”

In the past, Amy has run a day-care center, worked with the Girl Scouts and been a child protective services worker. Currently she works as a school counselor at an alternative high school for students who are at risk for dropping out of school. These roles have prepared her to lead us as a Vestry member who is concerned with the life of our church and community outreach. Cherishing the joy and enthusiasm that we all share in worship and in fellowship, Amy believes that we must also embrace more Christian outreach through organizations such as MOSTRUST, Habitat For Humanity, ESM and others.

Amy’s husband, James, is our Acolyte Master and one of our Vergers. Her son, Les, was baptized at Grace and was an active Acolyte and Youth Group member until graduating from high school. You’ll see Amy singing in the choir on Sunday. You may also see her working behind the scenes with the Altar Guild and the St. Theresa’s Guild. Amy loves Grace Episcopal and is pleased to be able to serve on our Vestry.

ESM Offerings

Grace Episcopal is one of the founding members of Ecumenical Social Ministries. In order to fulfill our obligation, we need a high level of participation. Donations are easy to make: just bring what ever you would like to donate to church on Sunday and place it in the large grocery cart located between the narthex and the fellowship hall. ESM is in need of volunteers to help in all of their departments, including the food pantry, housing assistance, jobs program, general health care, and mental health care. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Joyce Polifka at 633-7956.

1st Sunday250 cans of soup
2nd Sunday250 boxes of crackers
3rd Sunday400 cans of pork and beans
4th Sunday500 boxes of macaroni and cheese
5th Sundaytoiletries, paper products and baby items

Memorials and Thanksgivings

While we are at First Christian there is no need for additional altar flowers but for those who want to mark special memories or events in their lives designated contributions may be made and will be acknowledged in the bulletin. Presently such gifts might be made to the Choir Camp Fund and will be noted as directed -- either in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving.

Summer Child Care

In order to provide for the children we have a great roster of parishioners who will provide care during the latter part of the Sunday services for the remainder of July. All are experienced teachers in various fields and they will supervise teams of teen-agers from our Youth Group.
DateSupervisor
July 15Nick Abbott
July 22Deborah Kirkpatrick
July 29Jan Malvern

Following our usual tradition there will be no Sunday School for the children during the month of August. Sunday Schoolers will remain with their families for the full service. We are grateful to the fine volunteers who provided care the children during June and July giving a welcome break to the regular Sunday School staff. The Nursery will be available as usual with many thanks to the faithful staff who care for our littlest parishioners.

Grace Midweek Services at First Christian

Thanks to the continuing hospitality of our hosts at First Christian, all our midweek services will be held in the Chapel at the north end of the building. All are welcome as we sustain ourselves with these worship services.

Tuesdays -- 10 a.m. -- Holy Communion with Fr. Michael. There will be no Tuesday Bible Study this month.

Thursdays -- 12 noon -- Healing Service and Holy Communion.

Youth Group

Our Day in Pueblo is this Saturday, July 14th. Activities include the Pueblo Riverwalk, a movie at the Drive-In and the best pizza in Colorado! Remember our youth group meetings this week are the YAC meeting at 11:45 and the full youth group at 2:30 on Sunday. Please email Jim Hinkle or contact him at 440-4432 to RSVP or for information on how to get involved in our Youth Group program.

Grace Bibliophiles

Readers will gather as usual on July 20 and August 17. In July, we will discuss themes from Susan Howatch's extraordinary series of novels about the Church of England in which she presents a compelling picture of the gifts and temptations that mark the lives of its unforgettable characters. The series is available at the public library and any of them makes good reading and will enliven the discussions. The volumes are Glittering Images, Glamorous Powers, Ultimate Prizes, Scandalous Risks, and Mystical Prizes. Readers are invited to choose one (or more) for fascinating summer reading.

Closer to home is the setting for August's book, Memories of a Lifetime in the Pike's Peak Region by Irving Howbert. This is a 2007 reprint of the classic 1925 autobiography of a man who arrived here as a 14-year-old boy from Iowa. He was an early public official and was an active assistant to General William Palmer in the founding of our city. The book is available at the Old Colorado City Historical Society and at the Pioneers' Museum. The Howbert family has been part of Grace Church for decades and you will find the name of the current Irving Howbert listed in our 2005 parish directory.

Hospitality and Housekeeping

Please do not bring any peanuts or foods made with peanut products into First Christian as there is a child with extreme allergies.

Tithes and Contributions

Please note that as long as we are at First Christian, you may send all contributions and general correspondence to P.O. Box 51410, Colorado Springs, CO 80949. This address appears on both the web site and at the top of all editions of the Online Tidings. Checks should be made payable to Grace Episcopal Church.

All contributions directed to our post office box or placed in the collection basket during Sunday services are used only by Grace Episcopal and cannot be accessed by the secessionist congregation.

Weekly Calendar

Saturday, July 14Youth Group Day in Pueblo
Parish-wide Saturday Suppers
Sunday, July 15Youth Advisory Council 11:45 am
Choral Eucharist @ FCC 12:45 pm
Youth Group 2:15 pm
Monday, July 16Worship Committee 5:00 pm
Tuesday, July 17Holy Communion at FCC 10:00 am
Brown Bag Lunch at FCC 12:00 pm
Thursday, July 19Healing Service at FCC 12:00 pm
Friday, July 20Grace Bibliophiles
Sunday, July 22Youth Advisory Council 11:45 am
Choral Eucharist @ FCC 12:45 pm
Youth Group 2:15 pm

Contact Information

All underlined contact names throughout the Online Tidings are linked to email addresses for your convenience. Just click in the online version to contact one of our vestry, staff or volunteers: >
General InquiresGrace Episcopal328-1125
PriestFather Michael O'Donnell233-2386
DeaconRev. Sally Ziegler648-9350
Choirs (all ages)Deke Polifka633-7956
Altar GuildAnna Johnson471-2233
UshersBruce and Leigh MacHaffie579-6793
Chalice BearersMary Lou Porter599-5548
LectorsVirginia O’Conner685-1306
AcolytesJames Duell471-8944
NurseryHelen Hazelton633-7464
Sunday SchoolEd Brown475-9490
Youth GroupsJim Hinkle440-4432
HospitalityNancy Klotz622-1254
TransportationKathy Coffey528-5754
Service SheetBill Hazelton210-4349
Online TidingsChuck Theobald442-0602
Contact/Mailing ListsDave Eschliman471-8334
Parish NurseJill Wasinger473-7366
WebmasterDavid Newton282-2360
Vestry:Clelia deMoraes633-6807
Amy Duell471-3026
Timothy Fuller473-2629
Helen Hazelton633-7464
Bob McJimsey471-1765
David Watts389-0050
TreasurerDavid Nuss594-2079
ClerkConni Eggers592-0388

Vestry Meeting

The dates of the next vestry meetings have been changed. The July meeting will now be held on Tuesday, July 31st at 7:30 pm, and the August meeting on Tuesday, August 21st. You are invited to attend all regular monthly meetings of the vestry. Meetings are held at La Posada del Sol Clubhouse at 2090 Mesa, on the corner of Mesa & Fillmore. Turn in the gate at La Posada del Sol -- the clubhouse is directly ahead clearly marked.