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Seventeenth Sunday
after Pentecost
Proper 20A
September 18, 2026
7:45 & 10 a.m.
Celebrant:
The Rev. Steve Keplinger
Sermon Title:
Hey, that's not fair!
View as Webpage
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A beloved member of the Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church community was recently detained by ICE and is now being held in immigration detention, with deportation looking increasingly likely. Like many people in immigration detention, he has no criminal record. He has lived in Tucson for many decades, working full time, faithfully supporting his family and contributing to our community.
During this painful and uncertain time, Grace St.Paul's Episcopal Church is coming together to surround this family with love and financial support. Every donation, no matter the amount, will go directly toward helping them meet their basic needs while they navigate this crisis.
If you are able, please consider making a gift and sharing this fundraiser with others. Your generosity will provide not only financial relief but also hope, reminding this family that they are not alone.
Thank you for your compassion, your prayers, and your support.
| | Wondering about the status of the New Rector Search?
You can now read regular updates — posted approximately every two weeks — directly on the GSP website. You can find this link on the GSP website homepage by simply scrolling down and looking for the 'Rector Search Committee Update' box on the right (pictured above) | |
Update from 9/4/26:
Following consultation between The Rev. Canon Robert Phillips and our Treasurer, Paul Hetland, a salary and compensation package was agreed upon for the position description. That posting went live on Vocation Hub on September 1.
The Senior Warden has a copy of the Parish Profile and is free to share it with the Vestry. Once the Vestry has reviewed it, the profile will be posted on our website and we can begin advertising the position more widely.
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YOU’RE INVITED!
PLEASE JOIN US
What: GSP Craft Fair 2.0
Where: McBride Hall
When: Sunday, November 15th. We will open immediately following the 10:00 a.m. service, wrapping up at 2:00 p.m.
Who: EVERYONE is welcome!
Feel free to bring neighbors, family, friends, coworkers…!!
Still Needed: Homemade baked goods and a few volunteers to act as cashiers & help clean up after the fair.
We’re very excited to announce that we have many new artistic donations for you to enjoy this year along with some returning favorites and we have a couple of surprises for you as well (hint: even our youth are getting involved this year)!!! We can’t wait for you to see what everyone has been busily creating for your consideration and purchase.
Please remember, 100% of the proceeds of the fair will go directly to the GSP General Fund to help us continue our mission and presence in our beloved Tucson.
We still have room for more! If you’ve been considering donating something(s) you have created or will create to sell at the fair, we would love to hear from you! For any of our talented bakers, we sure could use some baked goods. We will also need a few volunteers to help the day of the fair acting as cashiers and helping to clean up afterwards.
If you have any questions; if you would like to make a donation; or if you’d like to volunteer to help out, please contact:
Debbie Fricke frickedeb2@gmail.com or
Anne Sunderland asunder11@gmail.com
Please join us for a celebration of creativity and community or just come and have some fun (whether you purchase anything or not).
We look forward to seeing you there!!
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The prayer shawl ministry will meet this Saturday, September 19th, from 11:00am - 1:00pm in the Bloom Room.
Come to knit, crochet. Or just to visit.
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Vestry Clerk Needed!
Grace St. Paul’s Vestry is looking for a new clerk.
The Vestry Clerk’s responsibilities include:
- Taking minutes of all regular and special Vestry meetings and Executive Committee meetings and emailing them to the Senior Warden.
- Taking minutes of Annual Parish meetings.
- Signing legal documents that require the clerk’s signature (e.g., candidacy forms).
Meeting schedule:
Please keep in mind that sometimes Vestry and Executive Committee
meetings run past the 8:30PM estimate.
- Executive Committee: the second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- Vestry: meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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Annual Parish meeting: meets each year on the last Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February.
If you are interested in being our new clerk, please contact Senior Warden Phil Johnson at pjohnsongsp@gmail.com
| As a Faith Liason, you would be responsible for maintaining the relationship between Grace St. Paul's and TIHAN. This includes ensuring TIHAN events are communicated to the Parish Administrator to be put in the bulletin/e-blast, attending quarterly meetings (either in person at the TIHAN office or via Zoom), organizing TIHAN speakers to visit GSP as needed, and most importantly... helping to plan Poz Cafe once a year! This is coordinated with 2-3 other faith communities each time and involves Zoom planning meetings leading up to the event, collecting donations for the Care Packages, as well as gathering volunteers and leading your group the day of the event. There are plenty of other volunteer opportunities throughout the year, but that is the bulk of what is necessary.
Grace St. Paul's typically does Poz Cafe in November each year, so I would like to find a new Faith Liason as soon as possible in order to make sure they're comfortable in the entire process start to finish.
If you think you may be called to this or would like more information, please reach out to Ricky Salas at parishadmin@grace-stpauls.org | |
Scripture. Tradition. Intellect/Reason.
These are the three pillars of the Episcopal church. We engage all of these during Bible Study. We will be using lectio divina and other tools to open us up to our own reactions, reflections, and reasoning about one book of the Bible at a time. Come explore and share in a safe and non-judgmental space as we expand our awareness of the relevance of our sacred texts to our lives today. This is an open group. You will get more out of it by attending as often as possible; however, there are no restrictions and you are welcome to join or leave as suits you.
We will meet once per month in-person, the second Tuesday of each month from 1-3 pm in the Bloom Room. We will also meet once per month online, the fourth Wednesday of every month beginning at 5 pm. You are not required to attend both. If you can only attend online, fine. If you can only attend in-person, great. If you can attend both, awesome. Our online meeting for September is Wednesday, the 30th at 5 pm. The link to the meeting: ttps://calendar.app.google/GjzF5aKFHfGuePRt6
You may also email me and I will send you the link.
Please bring a Bible and perhaps a notebook.
We are reading and reflecting upon the Book of Acts.
I look forward to seeing you there. If you have questions or wish further information, please contact Rev. Dr. Kym Kennedy at tucsonkym@gmail.com
| It's that time again!
Join us on Sunday, October 4th from 11:15am-1:00pm for GSP's vaccine clinic.
IMPORTANT: Please bring your health insurance information. | |
Grace St. Paul's is hosting it's first Red Cross Blood Drive!
Saturday, October 31st
9:00am - 2:00pm in McBride Hall
You can sign up to donate online or by calling 1-800-733-2767
Please reach out to Ricky Salas in the office if you have any questions about the donation process itself or need any assistance signing up.
If you know are ineligible to donate (please call the above number if you are unsure, as some requirements have changed in the past couple of years) but would still like to help out on the day of the event, please email
parishadmin@grace-stpauls.org
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One of Grace St. Paul’s deep commitments is Migrant Ministry;
welcoming and supporting migrants, and advocating for their human and civil rights. We are called to be a compassionate and welcoming faith community. Through education, advocacy, prayer, collaboration with community groups, and by direct support, we promote social justice in our border region.
Our regular meetings will be held weekly on
Mondays at 2:00 pm in the Bloom Room.
| | Friday, October 2, 6pm in McBride Hall:
This event will publicize Mike Wilson's new movie Who's Land? Tohono O'Odham Land! and help to raise funds to support the completion and distribution of this work. Mike will present a brief trailer and talk about the movie. We will provide shopping opportunities and all proceeds will go to this important work. | |
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The mission of GSP Faith in Action is to offer personal and spiritual support for those of us who are struggling in the current political climate and to encourage faith-filled and appropriate actions as individuals and in collaboration with other groups. We meet in the Bloom Room on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 11:45-12:45; please plan to arrive and settle in at 11:40 as we begin with prayer and a period of silence.
You are most welcome to join us and/or ask to be placed on our email list. For more information, contact Elizabeth Jaeger, elizabethjaeger56@gmail.com
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September 2026:
-Thursday, September 24th, 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
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Resolution Copper threatens to destroy Oak Flat, a sacred site cared for by the Western Apache from time immemorial. Resolution Copper’s current mining plan for Oak Flat relies on access to Arizona state trust land. This puts Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs in a position to stop it.
If you cherish Oak Flat, Indigenous religious freedom, and the well being of all living things both within and beyond the state -- this is our ask:
PRAY for Governor Hobbs, that she might find strength and courage to say NO to Resolution Copper’s plans to dump a mountain of toxic waste on state trust lands in Dripping Springs Valley at Skunk Camp.
CALL Governor Hobbs @ 602-542-4331 and ask her to say NO to Resolution Copper’s plans to dump a mountain of toxic waste on state trust lands in Dripping Springs Valley at Skunk Camp.
SIGN A LETTER: If you live IN Arizona, sign here: bit.ly/3SIOCNq
If you live OUTSIDE of Arizona, sign here: bit.ly/4wK3c5p
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They freed the dogs.
Now 51 of them face felony charges.
Several of you have asked me how you can financially assist with the legal defense of those who rescued beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Wisconsin including my spouse Jean as I preached about on July 26, 2026 on the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. Here is the link to that donation site with a little more information.
Thanks to all of you for your support and your continued actions of
social justice for all of God’s Creation.
Steve+
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Tucson Premier of “Ways of Knowing”, Free Screening
Thurs. October 8, 2026, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, doors 6:15 pm.
First Christian Church (on the SW corner of Euclid/Speedway)
740 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85719
Ways of Knowing is an immersive short documentary about Navajo resilience to protect health, tradition, and land after enduring extensive uranium mining by the United States, leaving abandoned mines and other nuclear legacy sites containing toxic waste. This film challenges us to think differently about our relationship with land, and illuminates a path towards hope and healing.
Sunny Dooley, Diné storytelling artist, environmental activist and film producer, will be joining Arizona Interfaith Power & Light for the screening of the film “Ways of Knowing". She will be available for a Q&A after the film.
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The following is an up-to-date list of all services and classes currently offered.
Click on the Zoom link at the appropriate time to join any service or class.
Descriptions of some services and classes are available.
Click on the red here under each title.
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Grace St Paul's Episcopal Church
2331 E. Adams St., Tucson, AZ 85719
Parish Office: 520-327-6857
Streaming Live on Facebook and YouTube
Choose a platform on the upper right at our website
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