Grace notes February 2014
Diocesan Convention, 2012
OUR TEAM
Stan McKinnon RECTOR
Lora Walsh CURATE, DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN FORMATION
& YOUTH MINISTRIES [email protected]
OFFICE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Bay GreenHill COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR
Hope Johnstone FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR
Anne Jones
CHILDREN 9 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHAPEL COORDINATOR
Ben Bergstrom GODLY PLAY DIRECTOR Meredith Bergstrom
KITCHEN AND NURSERY COORDINATOR Angie Chaney
11 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHAPEL COORDINATOR Travis Chaney
MUSIC ASSISTANT CHOIRMASTER
Liesl Dromi DIRECTOR OF MUSIC & ORGANIST
Dr. Jan Wubbena CHILDREN’S CHOIR SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Terri Wubbena
MINISTRIES Altar Guild Outreach
Episcopal Peace Fellowship / G.A.P.P. Meals on Wheels
Prayer Chain
VESTRY Meredith Bergstrom
Andy Bossler Grace Davis
Ben Hill Rob Lambert
Amanda Orcutt Debi Selby
Curtis Smith Robert Smith
Mike Moss, Treasurer Hope Johnstone, Clerk
COMMITTEES Building & Grounds Christian Formation
Community Life Finance
Outreach Worship
WORSHIP SCHEDULE SUN Holy Eucharist, 9:00 A.M. Christian Formation (all ages), 10:00 A.M. Holy Eucharist, 11:00 A.M. WED Holy Eucharist & Healing, 12:10 P.M. MON-FRI Yoga Morning Prayer at Studio, 7:00 A.M.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
RECTOR’S ANNUAL MEETING REPORT It has been said that when planning for the future we anticipate more than we can
accomplish in the short term and less than we are able in the long. I am amazed every year
at what God has enabled us to do together and looking at these 2013 reports it has indeed
been another blessed year.
Our parish continues to grow in number, character, and depth. I’m proud to hear that
guests who come to Grace find a welcome and hospitable community that extend God’s
peace in Jesus Christ to all and that Grace Church members can be found in all walks of life
serving our surrounding community through their business, education, healthcare, and
volunteer efforts.
This year marked several milestones for us. Our part-time curate, the Reverend Dr. Lora
Walsh, joined us in March and has made an immediate impact leading in worship and
Christian Formation classes for adults and youth. She has also assisted in pastoral care,
Grace on Tap, and planning programming for the church.
At the Bishop’s annual visit this Fall we added 29 new members through confirmation,
reception and baptism – our previous high was 12.
For the sixth year in a row our average Sunday attendance increased by at least 10% to 158
putting us into the top 10 most attended Episcopal churches in Arkansas.
Also for the sixth year in a row our pledges and giving increased both in number of pledges
made and in total dollars given.
We acquired two adjacent properties, one purchased through refinancing our existing
mortgages into one with an overall cost saving to the church because of the new rental
revenue, and the other by a generous gift of Mary and George Benjamin. This second house
is now being used for children and youth formation on Sundays because of the need for
more nusery and office space.
Many other highlights could be mentioned, from the innovative “No Kid Hungry” program
in the park to the addition of an Alcoholics Anonymous group using the parish hall for
weekly meetings, but what stands out most to me is the desire of our Grace Church
community to worship the triune God with our lives loving each other as we reach out to
those who need God’s love. Keep up the good work you are doing!
Peace,
Rector’s Reflections
WHY DO WE SING HYMNS? by Jan Wubbena On this past Second Sunday of Advent a long-time parishioner stopped by the organ bench after
the service. He does this quite frequently, often to share a flash of insight he has had when singing
one of the hymns. A phrase of hymn text captures his attention, appeals to his imagination,
resonates in a profound way – and he wants to share this with me.
On this particular Sunday our closing hymn had been No. 534, “God is working his purpose out,”
and in this instance it had also served to trigger a memory – and I factored prominently in this
memory. At one point our history Grace Church and the First Presbyterian Church joined forces for
a Sunday school, the Union Sunday School. For at least a while during this period of time I met
with the youth (junior and senior high) for a bit of “hymn education” for a few minutes before their
regular classes began. It was probably during Advent that year also, and I imagine that we were
going to sing this hymn in our service. I was going through the text with the young people, stanza
by stanza, line by line, commenting on the text, explaining this, explicating that. He must have
overheard this teaching session, and I gather that he must have stayed till the end. And the
thought occurred to him, “I need to pay attention to what we sing.”
I have no memory of this specific Sunday or of him standing where he could observe me waxing
eloquent. My friend had not previously shared this memory with me, but I shall remember it
henceforth, partly because the session prompted some new understanding (as teachers are always
grateful to learn), partly because what might seem to a self-evident truth may not, in fact, be
widely understood or accepted.
“I need to pay attention to what we sing.”
Why do we sing hymns? It’s not because of the music – if it were, we could sing “la la la” and be
freed from having to read words. We sing hymns because of the text. The text serves to reinforce
The Word, and the music serves to make the text more memorable. (Have you ever struggled with
song lyrics until you started to sing the song, and then the lyrics flowed more easily?) Also, specific
hymn tunes are chosen to set with specific texts because the music and text are complementary.
We even sometimes speak of the “marriage” of hymn text with hymn tune: marriage partners must
be compatible.
In choosing the hymns for a given Sunday, I pay careful attention to the lessons appointed for the
day of the church calendar. The Old Testament reading appointed for Advent 2 in Year C is Isaiah
11:1-10, verse 9 of which passage is the source of the line which concludes each stanza of Hymn
534: “…the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.” (Lest you
wonder, I use published “aids” which are useful in identifying hymns which are particularly
appropriate for the day’s Propers.)
“I need to pay attention to what we sing.” But we don’t always. Indeed, we would recognize the
absence of Christmas texts on Christmas Eve, and we would miss hymns with the Resurrection
message on Easter, but much of the time we, in fact, don’t pay much attention to the content of
the hymns we corporately sing.
Next month I will offer some ideas about how we might reverse that tendency. Stay tuned.
Acciaccaturas
February Gathering…
Cottage Groups will meet once a month from Feb-May and will be
led by Stan or Lora. Please sign up for your preferred night of the
week: Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday by visiting
www.gracesiloam.org/cottagegroups or to sign up via email,
[email protected]. For those who have signed up, we will be
announcing dates soon!
Winterstar Camp 2014…
Winterstar, the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas’
annual winter retreat for Jr. and Sr. High students
(Junior high Winterstar is for 6th–8th graders;
senior high Winterstar is for 9th–12th graders.).
Winterstar will be Feb. 24–26; junior high
Winterstar, March 2–4.
Both weekends will begin on Friday evening at
8:00 p.m., and end Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m.
The weekends include games, music, worship
services, Christian education, and more. The cost
is $110, and scholarships are available. For more
information or to register, visit the Winterstar
website..
Feb. 7th-9th Jr. High Winterstar
Feb. 28th-March 2nd Sr. High WInterstar
Click here to visit a link from the previous Winterstar
camp with photos so you can see what to expect.
February 8th
at 7:00 p.m.…
The Vineyard (formerly Fine Wine Women of Grace), will meet on
Saturday, February 8th
at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Mary Ann Guinn
(115 S. College St.). This is an opportunity for the women of Grace
to meet once a month and share drinks, eats, and laughter! Please
bring a beverage and/or snack to share.
Seth Long…
Seth Long will be traveling with John Brown
University's (JBU) Cathedral Choir as part of
the JBU International Mission Program.
You are welcome to submit checks payable
to Grace Church with Seth's name in memo
line. For more information about this trip,
please click here (or request a printed copy in the church office).
Jonathan Larson…
Jon Larson will be traveling to London this
Summer to intern with World Harvest
Mission's. You are welcome to submit checks
payable to Grace Church with Jon's name in
memo line. For more information about this
trip, please click here (or request a printed
copy in the church office).
The Raiths…
We will have a Baby Shower for The Raith’s on February 9th
after the
late service. Elizabeth Lucy Raith was born on December 17th
. Join
us for a time of celebration and light refreshments. Gifts are not
required but if you feel lead, diapers and wipes are appreciated.
February 14-15, Little Rock…
Diocesan Convention will be held Feb. 14–15, 2014. Friday's events,
including Eucharist and the ordination of Sandra Curtis, will be held
at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Little Rock. Saturday's
meetings will be held Episcopal Collegiate's Lower School. For more
information and to register, visit the convention web page.
http://episcopalarkansas.org/convention/
February Choir Camp & Music Schedule…
2/15: The Grace Children’s Choir School (GCCS) will have Choir
Camp on Saturday, Feb. 15th
from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Grace
Church.
2/16: GCCS will lead worship on Sunday, Feb. 16th
at the 9:00 a.m.
service. Choristers please arrive by 8:15 a.m. to warm-up and
prepare.
MINISTRY OF THE MONTH
DAVE RAMSEY FINANCIAL PEACE
Update Coming Soon...
This month, Vestry will review the Service Schedule Survey
submissions in order to determine the schedule that will
accommodate the most people. We will keep you posted.
We’re Online...
Have you seen our social media sites? You can find us on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, and email to connect with us digitally.
“Like” us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GraceSiloam
Twitter: twitter.com/GraceSiloam
Instagram: instagram.com/gracesiloam
Vimeo (videos): vimeo.com/gracesiloam
We’d love to connect with you. If you take an image at a Grace
Event and want to tag us, use @GraceSiloam
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You...
Our sign variance was approved through the City of Siloam Springs
at a public hearing on Jan. 28th
, Meredith Bergstrom represented
Grace Episcopal Church. New sign coming soon to the NE corner of
Cheri Whitlock and Progress Ave.
Pancake Supper, March 4th
…
The Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held Tuesday,
March 4th
from 5-7 p.m. Adults $5, Children $3. Proceeds benefit
Genesis House. Invite your friends and join us for a great meal!
Proceeds benefit Genesis House. We encourage you to bring a can
good to donate. Shrove is derived from the word shriving which
means confessing and absolving. The Tuesday before Ash
Wednesday is commonly known as "Mardi Gras" or "Fat Tuesday"
due to the Lenten feast. In some places it was a day of celebration
and indulgence before the discipline of Lent. If you would like to
volunteer please see the sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall or email
March 5
th ...
Ash Wednesday Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes | We
will have Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes on Wednesday,
March 5th
at Grace:
12:10 p.m.
6:00 p.m. (with music and childcare)
Ashes to Go | If you are unable to attend an Ash Wednesday
service at Grace, please visit Fr. Stan at Pour Jon's to receive the
Imposition of Ashes (Ashes-To-Go):
8:30-9:30 a.m.
1:00-2:00 p.m.
4:00-5:00 p.m.
April 11-12, Camp Mitchell
Mark your calendars for the first ever Grace Church Parish Retreat
at Camp Mitchell on the afternoon of April 11th to Saturday
evening April 12th. Sign-up sheet available in the Parish Hall!
Additional details will be available closer to each date
Apr. 19-20, 2014 Champagne Breakfast & Easter Sunday
July 2014 Summer Potluck & BBQ
Aug. 14, 2014
Rally Day Potluck
FEBRUARY 2ND
Malachi 3:1-4
Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Psalm 84 or
Psalm 24:7-10
FEBRUARY 9TH
Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)
1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16) Matthew 5:13-20
Psalm 112:1-9, (10)
FEBRUARY 16TH
Ecclesiasticus 15:15-20
or Deuteronomy 30:15-20 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:21-37
Psalm 119:1-8
FEBRUARY 23RD
Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18
1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm 119:33-40
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