Grace Episcopal & St. Stephen’s Parish eNewsletter Vol 1 No 23

Grace Episcopal Church and St. Stephen’s Parish

Online Tidings

September 16th, Pentecost 16, 2007

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

Prayer of the Week

A Prayer for Patience

O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course; forgive our impatience, perfect our faith, and while we wait for fulfillment of your promises, grant us to have a good hope because of your word; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Gregory Nazienzen c. 330-390, from "Pilgrim in Durham Cathedral"

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 preach, and music from the choirs will include Adoramus te Christe by Palestrina.

In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, today we remember St. Barnabas Church in Glenwood Springs, St. Bede Chapel in Denver, St. Joseph in Lakewood, St. Mark's in Craig and St. Matthias in Monument.

Weekly Calendar

Sunday, September 16	Choral Eucharist at FCC	12:45 pm
	Children's Sunday School	1:30 pm
	Lay Ministries Fair	2:00 pm
	Youth Group	2:00 pm
Tuesday, September 18	Holy Communion at FCC	10:00 am
	Fr. Michael's Bible Study at FCC	10:40 am
	Brown Bag Lunch at FCC	12:00 pm
Wednesday, September 19	Grace and St. Nicholas Choirs rehearsal	4:30 pm
	St. Cecilia Choir rehearsal	5:30 pm
	St. Stephen's and Taylor Choirs rehearsal	7:00 pm
Thursday, September 20	MOPS	10:00 am
Thursday, September 20	Healing Service at FCC	12:00 pm
Friday, September 21	Grace Bibliophiles	12:00 pm
Friday, September 21	Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Sunday, September 23	Choral Eucharist at FCC	12:45 pm
Sunday, September 23	Children's Sunday School	1:30 pm

New Vestry Members Elected

We are grateful to all those willing to be nominated, and for the thoughtful and serious way the current vestry oversaw the process. Congratulations to our new vestry members, elected at a special parish meeting on Monday, September 10th.


Edward Brown	John (Chip) Hill	Sue Stoner
475-9490	481-9642	548-9254

Courage, Faith ... Laughter & Cookies

Over the Labor Day weekend the mail brought a small parcel to First Christian addressed to the Grace congregation. From Tappahannock, VA. came the following letter:

Dear members of Grave & St. Stephen's, I read in Episcopal News Service about the trouble Don Armstrong has caused. I can't imagine what this experience has been like for you, but I wanted to let you know that my heart goes out to you and I am praying for you.

May God continue to grant you courage, faith, wisdom, love, and laughter when you need them most. I hope that these will be gifts for you even in the most difficult and painful situations.

I made some oatmeal raisin cookies as a reminder that there are plenty of people in the body of Christ who care about you and support you. God bless you.

Peace & Love, Lucia Lloyd+

Children's Sunday School

Sunday School for children three-years-old through fifth grade will resume on September 16th. Sunday School this year will focus on Old Testament Bible stories. We will explore the journey of God's people and their relationship with God. Children will attend church with their parents, then follow their teachers to Sunday School after the children's homily.

Fall Lay Ministries Fair

The Lay Ministries Fair will be held at coffee hour after the service on September 16th. This will be your opportunity to learn more about the various ministries that are part of making Grace Episcopal function each week, and to volunteer to help in those areas that interest you.

Supporting Scouts

Members of Grace Episcopal who are Boy Scouts will be selling popcorn as a fundraiser beginning Sunday, September 16th. Several of these boys are currently working on their Eagle rank. If you like Scout popcorn, please consider supporting members of our parish. Popcorn ordered this month will be delivered by the scouts at church or to your home in November.

Youth Group Supports MOSTrust Headquarters

Congratulations to the youth group. Their rummage sale last Saturday raised more than $2,800 to support the MOSTrust building project. Thank you also to the volunteers who stored, moved, set-up, sold and cleaned up. Without your help, an undertaking like the rummage sale would not have been possible.

To make a contribution, please make checks payable to and mail to MOSTrust USA, PO Box 307, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0307. Have questions or need information? Call 719-282-7881.

Bill and Cindy Page, and Paul and Beth Ronka will be available at the conclusion of our services during September to answer any questions you may have about this project or about how to make a donation. Thank you.

Mothers of Preschoolers

A joint group of mothers from First Christian and Grace Episcopal churches are meeting to provide a space in busy lives for encouragement, friendship and Christian fellowship. The goal of MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) is to provide a haven for soothing frazzled moms; an opportunity to build lifelong friendships; an accepting atmosphere with encouraging discussions; and a time when women can receive practical advice on family life from a Biblical perspective.

Using the book Dwelling -- Living Fully from the Space You call Home, Deacon Sally Ziegler from Grace will lead the discussions during the first semester. Robyn Lee will serve as the leader from FCC and Tami Eckholm from Grace. Invitations have been issued to the mothers from St. Michael's and the Chapel of Our Saviour. Child care will be provided for babies and pre-school children.

The next meeting is September 20th. For information please call Tami Ekholm at 522-1976 or Mary Lou Porter at 599-5548.

ESM 25th Anniversary

Ecumenical Social Ministries invites you to an open house on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 from 5:00 to 7:00 in celebration of 25 years serving the low-income and homeless in our community.

ESM was founded in 1982 by eight downtown churches, including Grace Episcopal. Today ESM is the largest local organization of its kind, offering emergency services such as food, clothing, and medicine as well as housing assistance, job search support, and mental health counseling.

Come learn more about our programs, meet staff, and tour our facility! Refreshments will be served.

ESM is located at 201 North Weber Street. Free parking is available in the First Presbyterian parking lot. For more information, please call 228-6781 or email esm@ecusocmin.org. RSVPs appreciated by September 24th, 2007.

Please click here for more information about ESM's programs. Grace Episcopal's weekly ESM commitment is:

1st Sunday 250 cans of soup

2nd Sunday 250 boxes of crackers

3rd Sunday 400 cans of pork and beans

4th Sunday 500 boxes of macaroni and cheese

5th Sunday toiletries, paper products and baby items

Standing Notices

Grace Bibliophiles

After exploring the early days of our city and its locale in Irving Howbert's Memoirs of a Lifetime in the Pike Peak Region, this group of readers has put together a typically eclectic selection of books for the next three months.

September -- Turning to a classic modern American novelist they will read Joyce Carol Oates' 1971 success, Wonderland. Reviewers said, "Wonderland is not a place from which one escapes unscathed but for those who care about the best in American fiction it must be visited."

October --As special as The Kite Runner was to its readers, the consensus is that A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini is more so, bringing Hosseini's compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy to a tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope.

November -- In this month readers will have a wide choice of books by Ruth Rendell, an English mystery writer who combines her sharp observer's eye with an analytic view of how some of our modern vices can feed our malaise. Some of her best are The Water's Lovely, The Lake of Darkness and End in Tears. The Pikes Peak Library has a good selection of these gripping books -- choose one and come to discuss with us.

Bibliophiles meet at noon on the third Friday of the month in the Chapel. The next meeting will be September 21st.

Tuesday Bible Study

A Throne Established Forever is the title of Father Michael's Tuesday Bible study. The course will continue throughout the fall semester with these objectives:

To begin to appreciate the significance of God's covenant with David for understanding the content and meaning of the New Testament.
To understand the biblical idea of the monarchy and the Old Testament background for the Davidic covenant.
To understand the basic outlines of the promises made to David and the shape of the Davidic kingdom under both David and Solomon.

The first readings will include Matthew 1:1, Mark 10:11 and Mark 12: 35-37. Join us Tuesdays at 10:40 am following our Holy Eucharist at 10:00 am.

Weekly Healing Service

Each Thursday at noon a group of parishioners gather in the Chapel for a Service of Healing with laying on of hands and Holy Communion available. While this service has taken place for many years it has gained new importance as the members lift up all our Grace sisters and brothers, both at first Christian and at CANA, with prayers for healing and unity. As the sorrows of the larger world seem to increase, it is a true labor of love to come together and hold up the needs of all the broken places. There are prayers for family members, for one another, for reconciliation and for parishioners in need. To join in offering these intercessions within the company of the faithful is truly a gift that provides a strong center to the week.

We invite any who can add their voices to this weekly time of prayer and worship. A bonus has developed since we are meeting at First Christian; often members continue their fellowship with lunch together. All are welcome.

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 Inquires	Grace Episcopal	328-1125
Priest	Father Michael O'Donnell	233-2386
Deacon	Rev. Sally Ziegler	648-9350
Choirs (all ages)	Deke Polifka	633-7956
Volunteer Coordinator	Marti Lindberg	636-1863
Altar Guild	Anna Johnson	471-2233
Ushers	Bruce MacHaffie	579-6793
Chalice Bearers	Mary Lou Porter	599-5548
Lectors	Olivia Bennett	473-8305
Acolytes	James Duell	471-8944
Nursery	Helen Hazelton	633-7464
Sunday School	Ed Brown	475-9490
Youth Groups	Jim Hinkle	440-4432
Hospitality	Leigh MacHaffie	579-6793
Hospitality	Diana Anderson	502-1999
Transportation	Kathy Coffey	528-5754
Service Sheet	Bill Hazelton	210-4349
Online Tidings	Chuck Theobald	442-0602
Contact/Mailing Lists	Dave Eschliman	471-8334
Parish Nurse	Jill Wasinger	473-7366
Webmaster	David Newton	282-2360

Vestry:	Edward Brown	475-9490
	Clelia deMoraes	633-6807
	Amy Duell	471-3026
	Timothy Fuller	473-2629
	Chip Hill	481-9642
	Helen Hazelton	633-7464
	John Hough	577-9426
	Sue Stoner	548-9254
	David Watts	389-0050
Clerk	Conni Eggers	592-0388

Vestry Meeting and Minutes

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. The next meeting of the vestry is scheduled on Tuesday, September 25th at 7:30 pm.

Minutes of the June 26th, July 3rd and July 31st vestry meetings are available now on our web page.

Current Links Concerning Our Property

In the most recent court filings, you can find Plaintiff's Motion for Extension the lawyer for the secessionist congregation requests an extension from September 6th to September 11th to file a response brief, and in Order Re: Plaintiff's Motion the Court grants the motion. In Combined Response to Plaintiff's Motion to Compel (five pages), Mr. Nussbaum argues that certain documents requested by the plaintiff's lawyer are privileged communications between the officers of the diocese and their lawyer. These docum! ents have been summarized in a log in sufficient detail to allow the court to determine that they are privileged.

1st Sunday	250 cans of soup
2nd Sunday	250 boxes of crackers
3rd Sunday	400 cans of pork and beans
4th Sunday	500 boxes of macaroni and cheese
5th Sunday	toiletries, paper products and baby items