Sunday Services: 8:30AM and 10:30AM

Wednesday Service: 9:30AM
Christmas Services at Grace

Christmas Services at Grace

The Eve of the Nativity, December 24, 2019: 

Music and Christmas Pageant by Grace Kids & Youth – 5:30pm: Kids of all ages are welcome to participate in the annual Grace Christmas Pageant!

Christmas Eve Service – 6:00PM: Following the pageant, we will have a Christmas Eve Children’s service. All are welcome to this service. The sermon will be geared towards children and families.

Christmas Eve Choral Service of Carols and Holy Eucharist – 10PM: The choral service of carols will start at 10:00PM and will be followed by a Traditional Midnight Eucharist starting at 10:30PM.

The First Sunday after Christmas Day, December 29, 2019: 

Holy Eucharist Service – 10:00AM (One service ONLY today!)

Advent Star Tree

The annual “Star Tree” will be in the Commons for the season of Advent and here’s how it works: There are stars that have an item for you to purchase and return to Grace for the Rodriguez-Matos family, who came to us as refugees two years ago and are preparing for the spring/summer build of their Habitat home. Other stars will ask for gift cards which are given out during the year by our pastoral staff to people in need of food or gas. And some stars ask for a gift to the ‘Beyond Grace Fund’, through which we give to local organizations such as: Out On The Lakeshore, Lighthouse Immigration, Resilience, and Community Action House. Write a check to Grace with “Beyond Grace” on the memo line and place it in the offertory plate on a Sunday. Lastly, next to the tree are envelopes addressed to “Habitat for Humanity.” You can make a contribution directly to Habitat with “Rodriguez-Matos” in the memo line, and those will go directly toward materials for their build. Know that together, we’re reaching out with Grace for the world! The Star Tree gift wrap party will be December 15 after the 2nd service in the Forum Room. There will be Christmas carols, hot cocoa & cookies!

Oktoberfest 2019 is here!

Join us on THIS Sunday, October 20, 5:00-7:30pm for this annual celebration of the mission and ministries of Grace Church.  We’ll kick off the annual pledge drive with wonderful food, music, and dancing for the whole Grace family!  Featuring beef tenderloin, apple crisp, beer from Big Lake Brewery, and local cider with food & fun for the kids too. 

 

Raise the Roof!

Last summer we raised over $150,000 for roof repair in honor of our sesquicentennial. Phase I of this major project which involves the roof over the sanctuary began on Tuesday, July 9 and will continue for several weeks. Roof tiles will be removed, the sixty year old felting replaced, and any other necessary repairs taken care of before the tiles are put back on.  We should be able to remain in the sanctuary through the entire project  We’ll have a few trucks and equipment on the grounds, but thanks to the parking expansion, that shouldn’t be a problem!  Phase II involves the roof over the entire rest of the building and is planned for Summer 2020.  THANK YOU, to all who contributed to Raise the Roof, making this important work possible!  We are enormously grateful and celebrate that the “Shelter” of that is Grace will continue on.

 

A liturgy in thanksgiving for the life of former Grace Rector Tom Toeller-Novak will take place at Grace on Monday, July 8.  There will be a visitation in the Commons, starting at 10am, followed by the service, including committal in the Resurrection Garden, starting at 11am. Following the committal, please join Tom’s wife, Deirdre, and other family members for a reception in the Undercroft.

The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop and Primate

 

“All Gods People are Called to be Agents of Change”

Saturday, May 25, 10:00am-12:00pm, An Address and Conversation

 

Holy Eucharist and Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Parish Conversation with Bishop Jefferts Schori after the Service

Sunday, May 26, 10:30am-1:00pm

 

Bishop Jefferts Schori will be with us as Speaker, Preacher, and Presider to celebrate 150 years of Grace! Part of the history of this congregation is a commitment to women’s ministry in all areas of church life.  Grace Church sponsored the first woman for ordination in our Diocese and the first woman to serve on a commission of the larger Episcopal Church.  Bishop Katharine was the first female Presiding Bishop of our Church and the first female Primate in the entire Anglican Communion.  She is a thoughtful theologian and strong pastoral leader with a commitment to inclusion and a passion for caring for all of God’s creation.  Her coming to Grace is an extraordinary opportunity for Grace and the larger community to experience this world leader as she celebrates with us 150 years of being Grace.

 

Grace is marching in the Tulip Time parade!

On Saturday, May 11, we will be marching behind a huge Grace 150th banner and lining the parade route with Grace to celebrate an Episcopal presence in Holland since 1868! Per Tulip Time rules, we’ll have 24 Grace folks marching and a few in the car trailing.  Make sure to give us a shout or a wave when we walk by! Watch the Grace Facebook page or contact the office to find out where other Grace folks will be!

 

Inspired by Grace

Join us to Tell Your Story With A Necklace on Sunday, May 5 after the 10:30 service. All materials will be provided but you are also welcome to bring anything that you would like to incorporate.  Snacks will be provided.  All ages are welcome.  Please contact the church office to sign up.  If you have any questions, please contact Robbie Schorle (artforsoul1710@gmail.com) or Mary Matrosic (mmatrosic@charter.net).

 

Holy Week & Easter Schedule

Here are our Holy Week service times. For more information, please visit our Worship page by clicking HERE.


Palm Sunday (April 14) – Services at 8:15, 10:30AM

 

Maundy Thursday (April 18) – Agape meal, foot-washing and service starting at 6:00PM

 

Stations of the Cross (April 19) – Church will be open from 8:00 AM—5:00PM

 

Good Friday (April 19)- Service at 7:00PM

 

Easter Vigil (Saturday, April 20) – Service at 8:45PM

 

Easter Morning (Sunday, April 21) – Easter Baptism and Holy Eucharist at 10:30AM

 

“Your History Matters: Approaches to Writing Personal History”

A Workshop with Jack Ridl on Saturday, March 23, 10:00-1:30pm

In our time together I hope to give you a variety of ways to get in touch with your own history: the people and events that had an impact on you. The memories can be as traumatic as experiencing a war, as poignant and lasting as baking cookies with your grandmother. Poet Garret Hongo was movingly insightful when he said, “We think we remember, but we really, deeply remember when we start writing in ever expanding detail.” As with all my workshops, the time will be spent starting a variety of ways of exploring your history. We will not finish things. In fact, I will interrupt you to go on to a new exploration. I hope that you will leave with many a meaningful start to further writing, and with a meaningful time with what matters to you.

You need no writing experience to find the time valuable. You will be mostly scribbling, jotting down notes, writing lines, doodling, etc

Bring something to write on, something to write with, and good cheer.  Lunch provided. Call or email the Church Office to sign up!

Newcomers Brunch:If you’ve come to Grace since the beginning of 2018, or even earlier, if you consider yourself a “newcomer” we very much hope you’ll join other newcomers and a few longer-time members of Grace for brunch and conversation after the 10:30am liturgy on March 31. To give us an idea of how many to plan for, please sign up on the sheet in the Commons area, or contact Mary in the Office by email, gechurch@graceepiscopalholland.org or phone 396-7459.  We are blessed to have many newcomers at Grace, and if you’re one of them we want to get to know you better. – Rev’s Jen and Jim