The Last Sunday after Pentecost
November 21, 2021
Dear Friends,
Last weekend the GCW (Grace Church Women) hosted a remarkably successful Christmas Fair in Tuttle Hall. We are not sure if the increased numbers were due to a street fair out on Broadway, the “new” entrance through the north aisle of the church which allowed pedestrians to step right in off the sidewalk, or the fact that people were just glad to see things getting back to normal after the long pandemic. My guess is that it was probably a combination of all three. In the end it is a credit to the resilience of our Grace Church community. A beloved annual tradition is back!
The Grace Church community is a multifaceted thing. As you know, it includes more than just the church. We are the mother of several organizations that comprise the campus and in their own way carry on God’s will: Grace Church School, the Grace Church Choral Society, and the GO Project. Another annual tradition that is back this year is one we call “Grace Church School Sunday.”
Every year we set aside a Sunday (usually, right before Thanksgiving) to celebrate our common history and mission. It was 127 years ago, in 1894, when the church gave birth to the school to educate the choristers in its newly established choir. You will see below that the combined choirs will sing at the 11 am service, and we will enjoy a festive reception in Tuttle Hall immediately following. Our guest preacher is the retiring Head of Grace Church School, George P. Davison. Earlier this week I reminded George of the two principles of a good Grace Church sermon. It should be A. about God, and B. about 15-20 minutes. George has promised that God is in there, and also some history based on his long tenure as Head.
But let’s not forget the GO Project. GO is a joint ministry of both church and school that reaches out to at-risk public school students and their families, offering them tutoring and social services. At the 10 am Sunday Forum in the reception room (and on Zoom) we will hear from Gayle Villani, the Executive Director of GO, who will speak about how vital work carried on through the pandemic.
Last but not least, don’t forget about the Choral Society. They have just a few rehearsals left before offering their Christmas concerts on December 3 and 4. Yet one more tradition on campus that is back. Get your tickets from the Choral Society.
See you in church.
