E-Blast for Friday, February 20, 2026

The First Sunday in Lent

February 20, 2026

7:45 & 10 a.m.

Celebrant:

The Rev. Steve Keplinger

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Are You Among The Missing??

We used several pieces of information to plan on the number of Estimates of Giving that people would submit for the 2026 Giving and Receiving campaign. That information included average worship attendance and donations over the past five years, particularly last year’s number of Estimates.

That work led us to look for 200 Estimates of Giving for 2026. We have a history of many Estimates being turned in after the formal end of the campaign. This year is no exception. We’re still hoping for 75 more Estimates to be submitted to add to the 125 already received.

Here are several ways to submit your Estimate of Giving for 2026:

If you wish to advise GSP of your PLANS TO DONATE by check or cash, use this QR code of website link to fill out a form on the GSP web site:

https://www.gsptucson.org/donations

If you want to SET UP a one-time or recurring DONATIONS throughout the year, use this QR code or web site link:

https://app.easytithe.com/App/Giving/grac2331196

If you want to fill out a Giving and Receiving 2026 brochure to place in the

offering or mail to the church, please pick one up in the Narthex (lobby).

You can also reach these links on GSP’s website at gsptucson.org.

We are called to a be a compassionate community who welcomes all. Whether you have been directly impacted by immigration or have been relatively untouched personally, this is without a doubt one of the most burning issues facing our country at present.

MIGRATION MONDAYS AT GRACE ST. PAUL'S

1ST AND 3RD Mondays 2:00 P.M. Bloom Room Migration Ministry
in-person meeting for worship, advocacy and other immigrant support.

2ND AND 4TH Mondays 2:00 P.M. Bloom Room Informal discussion of ways GSP members can support immigrants and others suffering from the draconian policies of our current government.

NEW BOOK AND EDUCATIONAL GROUP
Meetings will be held in the Bloom Room. We will begin at 9:15am.

The GSP Migrant Ministry invites you to join us as we explore the personal stories of individuals in our community and grow our awareness of the bigger picture through prayerful consideration, reviewing documentaries and books and other local resources to increase our knowledge.

Meeting Dates: February 22, March 8, and April 12.

On February 22, we will be discussing the memoir by Dora Rodriguez,
Dora: a daughter of unforgiving terrain

The book is available in local book stores, the library, and on Amazon.

Thomas Bray was an Anglican priest and abolitionist who helped establish the Church of England in Maryland and the founder of both the SPG and the SPCK.

Dr. Chuck Dickson gives a short history of this busy church man:

https://bit.ly/4ajDlt2

Bishop Thomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and the author of the famous doxology "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow...".

Read more about him in Dr. Chuck Dickson's Virtual Education Class: https://bit.ly/4aVgWCl

Episcopal 101 Continues:
Sunday February 22nd at 12:00pm in the Sanctuary

This very popular six-week class is specifically designed for those who are relatively new to this tradition or to GSP and also for folks considering being officially Received into the church. This year, Bishop Reddall will make her formal visit to GSP on April 19, and that is the day she will confirm, receive, and ceremonially welcome new members to the parish. In addition, many folks at GSP and beyond take this class as a refresher, to increase their knowledge in specific areas, or to hear the Rector’s take on the history, liturgy, sacramental tradition and theology of the church.

EPISCOPAL 101 CLASS SCHEDULE

February 15 (Completed) - Church History to the Protestant Reformation

February 22 - Church History from the Henry VIII thing, to the George III thing, and in the United States

March 8 - The Book of Common Prayer and the Liturgy

March 15 - The Sacramental Tradition

March 22 - American Church Polity and what else happened in Philadelphia in 1789

March 29 - A comparison of Christian denominations, present day challenges in T.E.C. and the Anglican Communion. Come join the discussions and the fun.

Come One, Come All!

The kitchen drawers and cupboards are in need of a CLEAN & amp; a purge and Connie is asking you to call or email her at 520-490-6230 in the hope that you might be available to help.

We are looking for 10 to 15 people to gather in the kitchen on

Wednesday, February 25 at 12 noon

Food will be provided - Let’s break bread together and label those drawers!

(If you left any of your belongings in the kitchen, please let Connie know ASAP.

There is a 13x9 dish and a 9x9 left from the Annual Meeting.)

With enough help, two hours should be sufficient – Please join us.

Selling Gently Used Kitchen Items

Parish Hall, Sunday March 1st – proceeds going to Joseph’s Pantry

Upcoming OPBB Concerts – Free and Open to the Public:

Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) at 7:00 PM | A reprise of the March 6 “Euro Boom” concert at Rincon Country East RV Resort, 8989 E Escalante Rd, Tucson, AZ 85730

Sunday, April 26 at 7:00 PM | "Home Again" with American music and music of the American Southwest at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 1431 W Magee Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704

Saturday, May 2 at 7:00 PM | “Home Again” at the Laszlo Veres Amphitheater in Morris K Udall Park

Old Pueblo Brass Band is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is dependent upon charitable contributions to fulfill its mission. For more information about the band or to make a donation, please visit our website: www.oldpueblobrassband.org.

Old Pueblo Brass Band’s 2025-2026 season, titled “Destinations”, features travel and music from various parts of the world. On March 6 "Euro Boom" includes music from all over Europe.

After three pieces that will be familiar to all, the first half of the concert focuses on a brand-new work by Samantha Hogan that was commissioned by a consortium of brass bands around the United States entitled Oboe, Brass Band and Dragons, Oh My! Comprised of four movements, it features oboe soloist Mateo Mendez.

The second half of the concert will be a performance of all seven movements of Philip Sparke’s Hymn of the Highlands. Commissioned by the Yorkshire Building Society Band for first performance at the 2002 European Brass Band Championships Gala Concert in Brussels, each movement is named after a location in the Scottish Highlands. Four of the movements have been adapted for concert band (which includes woodwinds) but you need to attend a brass band performance to hear all seven.

-Thursday, February 26th, 5pm, in McBride Hall,
Communion service led by Father Allen.

We’ve heard from church members that they’d like a smaller venue – Spirit Now’s answering that call … our services are held in the Chancel, in McBride Hall, or on Zoom, and are building blocks for the larger church to get together and share faith practices in smaller groups. It’s a more intimate place to read and reflect about our thoughts, our church, our communities, and our world.

If you’d like to receive announcements regarding Spirit Now’s services direct to your email, please contact Kim at moanatucson@gmail.com

Every Friday from 12:15pm - 1:30pm in the Bloom Room

Our Centering Prayer group continues to meet every Friday at 12:15 in the Bloom Room for the shared practice of Centering Prayer. Our membership includes people from other faith traditions as well as many GSP parishioners.

The practice of Centering Prayer can be done alone by anyone anywhere, but our members find that being together (even in silence) really makes a difference. Our group is open to all who are in need of some quiet, dedicated time to rest in the presence of God in this busy and uneasy world.

Blessings,

Sara Heitshu scheitshu@gmail.com