A “Circle of Grace” for Parents of Children and Youth
Tuesday, April 1, 6:30-7:30pm
Forum Room
All parents of Grace children and youth are invited to a conversation with one another and Revs. Jen and Christopher as we prepare for this next phase of formation for and with our kids. What are your hopes and expectations for these ministries? What concerns do you have? What matters the most to you when you consider formation possibilities and experiences? Good seeds have been planted here at Grace! We’re looking forward to helping them and our kids grow and trust that from this place, we’ll be given a strong vision forward.
“Marching from Pain to Possibility”
Sunday Forum, March 9-April 13, 12:00pm
Forum Room
Join us as we journey through the “Wilderness of Woundedness with the Hope of Wholeness.” With weekly videos, reflections, and discussion we’ll explore Lent as an invitation into a life of transformation. We will imagine how the wilderness invites us to explore our own and our world’s woundedness, personal and communal pain as well as the possibilities to flourish through peace, healing, and wholeness. All are welcome to gather around the Forum table this season (and always.)
Grace Reads: “Lent in Plain Sight,” by Jill J. Duffield
Wednesdays March 12 – April 9, 10:30am
Forum Room (or on Zoom)
God is often at work through the ordinary: ordinary people, ordinary objects, ordinary grace. Through the ordinary, God communicates epiphanies, salvation, revelation, and reconciliation. It is often through the mundane that we hear God’s quiet voice. In this devotion for the season of Lent, Jill J. Duffield draws readers’ attention to ten ordinary objects that Jesus would have encountered on his way to Jerusalem: dust, bread, the cross, coins, shoes, oil, coats, towels, thorns, and stones. In each object, readers will find meaning in the biblical account of Jesus’ final days. Each week, readers encounter a new object to consider through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. Contact Mary Huisman, maryhuisman47@gmail.com to get on the e-mail list for Grace Reads!
Suggested reading schedule for “Lent in Plain Sight”:
Wed, March 5 Ash Wednesday: No meeting but read ‘Week One’: Dust
Wed, March 12 Bread – Bring a favorite bread recipe
Wed, March 19 Cross – Bring a cherished cross
Wed, March 26 Coins – No more pennies
Wed, April 2 Shoes – Bring a pair of shoes for the Mission
Wed, April 9 Oil – Essential Oils anyone?
Palm Sunday: April 13 Coats, Towels, and Thorns – No meeting
Easter Sunday: April 20 Stones – No meeting
Creation Care invites you to:
Friday, March 28: Hope Church Creation Care Ministry is sponsoring a popcorn and movie night at 7:30pm. The film is a new film called “Common Ground.” The film follows North Dakota farmer, Gabe Brown, as he demonstrates the fact that following nature’s way of regenerating soil is compatible with every farmer’s mission to “feed the world.”
Sunday, March 30: “Our Common Ground”: Midtown Center from 3:00-4:30pm.
More information on Creation Care for March here!
Growing Into Worship will begin its gradual curriculum shift to Godly Play starting next month. Our children will hear the core stories of our faith using Montessori materials and response methods as they continue to learn what it means to be people of God.
Youth Group will be held on every 3rd Sunday of the Month from 12:00-1:00. We will have Jimmy John’s catered, a check-in, and a brief exploration of a notable person of faith. Feel free to bring friends and let Jonathan know if there are any dietary restrictions. Mark your calendar for youth group every third Sunday of the month 12-1pm.
All are invited to participate in the opportunities listed below as we seek to love and serve our neighbors in this community and beyond. If you have questions, ideas, or contributions regarding resources and Grace’s Outreach and Social Justice Ministries, you can always reach out to Elizabeth Brubaker and/or Rev. Christopher Roe.
Kids Food Basket Spring Break Bags Collection
March 9-23 in the Commons
Kids Food Basket provides healthy, ready-to-eat meals daily to thousands of children across four West Michigan counties. We will be collecting the following items for Spring Break Bags: fruit cups or pouches, pudding cups, pretzel, cheez-it, or goldfish bags (1.5 oz. or smaller), meat sticks (.28 oz or .5 oz.) All brands are fine. Note that Kids Food Basket can only accept these specific items.
What is Kids Food Basket (and what’s up with the brown bags)?
Last summer, Grace began volunteering with Kids’ Food Basket. We have decorated brown paper bags for KFB. And we are collecting items for Spring Break Bags through this Sunday, March 23.
Kids’ Food Basket exists to increase access to healthy food for children and families. Their core belief is that food is a right, not a privilege. Their services include their flagship Sack Supper program, sustainable farming, community food distribution and educational programming. The Sack Supper program provides healthy, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals each weekday to children experiencing food insecurity. Kids Food Basket serves schools across Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties, and currently serves nearly 11,000 children every day.
The Sack Supper program delivers food in decorated brown lunch sacks. The meals ensure children have access to the healthy food they need to thrive. KFB takes this one step further through bag decorating, adding a colorful reminder that the community cares. If you are interested in decorating bags, materials are available in the Commons. You can decorate bags at home as well – click on this link for guidelines : Brown-Bag-Decorating-flier-2024-English-FINAL.pdf
In addition to providing food for children and families through the Sack Supper program, the Kids’ Food Basket Farms in Holland donates fresh vegetables to Community Action House for its Food Club. For a detailed look at the impact of Kids Food Basket, check out this link : Impact & Updates – Kids Food Basket
Lighthouse Immigration Advocates 
Ally Event
At Grace Episcopal Church
Sunday, March 23 ,1:00-3:00pm
Several local churches will join us at Grace for this LIA event to educate allies on the current immigration landscape, immigrant rights, and the
best ways to support our immigrant and refugee neighbors. LIA says that “this session wraps up with a dynamic 1-hour Q&A—come ready to learn, ask questions, and leave empowered!” Friends are welcome.
“Art with Refresh” on Friday, April 4
9:00-11:00am at First United Methodist
Grace will provide the people support and the art supplies while Carolyn Stich leads a morning of making art with those who participate in Refresh Ministries a partnership ministry of Community Action House and FUMC. Read more about Refresh here.
Reach out to Carolyn, Rev. Christopher Roe, or theChurch Office to let us know you
can help out and come help ART and other goodness happen!
Waves of Pride: The Impact of Out On The Lakeshore which
Holland Museum Focus Gallery through June 30, 2025
More locally, be sure to visit the Holland Museum’s “Waves of Pride” Exhibit! Out On The Lakeshore is a non-profit organization co-founded by Rev Jen and launched right here from Grace as a collaboration of organizations that met for years in our space: Holland is Ready, PFLAG, Holland Pride, and GenderSAFE. OOTL is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in West Michigan. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2025, this exhibit, Waves of Pride: The Impact of Out On The Lakeshore, will showcase the organization’s rich history and explore the vibrant stories of the local LGBTQ+ community.
Continued Support for Immigrants and Refugees
Michigan Immigrant Resource Center has resources to be shared widely with anyone you believe might benefit. Particularly of note is the availability of the guide “Preparing Your Family for Immigration Enforcement,” which can be found in a variety of languages for accessibility.
Amid executive orders on mass deportation and the halting of new refugee resettlement, many are asking how to respond in support of our immigrant and refugee neighbors. The Episcopal Church offers advocacy tools, links to upcoming webinars, ways to help, and more in the Immigration Action Toolkit.
Episcopal Migration Ministries will host a 30-minute call every Tuesday at 1:00 pm on the changing landscape of U.S. immigration, refugee, and migration policy. They will share updates and resources and be joined by the Office of Government Relations and the Chief Legal Officer. Register Here.
Vestry 2025
Executive Committee:
Karen Bylsma, Sr. Warden & Personnel Committee
Abby Van Beek, Jr. Warden, Fellowship, & Formation
Dave Masselink, Treasurer
Holly Anderson, Clerk
Alan Babbitt, Streaming & Communications
Ned Goodman, Building & Grounds, Endowment Board
Allen Gradnigo, Endowment Board
Ed Hansen, Creation Care
Julia Hopkins, Formation
Sally Reinink, Buildings & Grounds
Carolyn Stich, Outreach and Social Justice
Joanie Smith, Congregational Care
Laurie Van Ark, Fellowship
Kelli Van Dyke, Worship
Thank you, people of Grace! We not only hit the pledge goal for 2025 but passed it, with all gifts given in support of the mission and ministry of this congregation!
There will be more to share at the Annual Meeting on January 26th. For now, on behalf of the vestry, staff, other church leaders and all who benefit from the presence of this community of faith; many, many thanks!
-Rev. Jen Adams
We will be sending out a Weekly Newsletter that is called Grace to You. If you do not receive this, please email the church office at gechurch@graceepiscopalholland.org to get your email added! After we send out, we will be posting it here as well.