Thank you, Guilmets, for your service to our Nation! | |
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The Twenty-Fifth Sunday Of Ordinary Time
November 10, 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE
- Alvin ISD Serves - Bel Sanchez Elementary Returned To The Mobile Food Pantry This Week
- Men's Prayer Breakfast - Saturday, November 9
- One Grace Family's Perspective On Stewardship
- Jo Nell Parker's New Address
- Alvin Senior Center Thanksgiving Luncheon - November 28
- From The Brothers At SSJE - Participate
- Blanket Drive
- Mother Suzanne's Advent Book Study Selection
- Beware of Phishing Scams
- Altar Flower Dedications - The Hall Family
Liturgy Of The Week
- Holy Eucharist Rite II - Livestreaming Via YouTube
- The Preaching Moment Podcast - Celebrating 2,078 Downloads
- Rector's Tuesday Bible Study
- Wednesday Noonday Prayer Around The World
- Wednesday Evening Sanctuary Choir Practice
- The Mobile Food Pantry - Thursday, November 14 - Hasse Elementary Will Be Joining Us - Be Sure To Check Out Our Statistics
- Friday Get Clean Mobile Shower Ministry
- Friday Morning Panera Bread Doughnation Bagging By Waymakers
- On Generosity...
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Click Here For The Prayer List
- Click Here For The Church Calendar
- Click Here For The Server Schedule
- Click Here For The A/V Guild Schedule
- Click Here For Parish Directory
Keep Scrolling to Learn More...
If you know of a brother or sister with no computer or internet access - would you please print off this email and drop it off to that person? We don't have many, but there are some. Let's help all of our Grace Family stay connected.
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60 Bel Sanchez Elementary 5th Graders Volunteered At Mobile Food Pantry
This Week
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With their help, 250 familes were served on Thursday. Bel Sanchez herself came to visit her "kiddos"! 105 coming from Hasse Elementary next week. | |
One Grace Family's Perspective On Stewardship | |
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Our family is invested in Grace Church and has been for many years. It's not a question for us as to whether we will pledge each year. Knowing that the stewardship campaign takes place each fall, we review our anticipated income as early as possible.
For us it's a fairly simple process - we want to give back to God as much as possible from our first fruits. We filled our cards out and put them in the offering plate last week as our way of sending a message to Mother Suzanne, our treasurer, and vestry. You may count on us.
We know that if our situation changes, a pledge may be changed. Since our desire is to give from our first fruits, our goal is to pay our pledge before anything else. When we do this, we have never run out of money before paying our bills.
It's part of what Mother Suzanne calls "the economy of God". With our mobile food pantry, everything that comes in is given away. And God provides us with more than we ever imagined. In our personal finances, when we take care of God first, He has blessed us with more than we ever imagined.
Randy & Mary Smith
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Jo Nell Parker Has A New Address And She Would Love To Hear From You! | |
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3033 Pearland Parkway
Apt. #502
Pearland, TX 77581
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Donations of Thanksgiving desserts are requested. These donations can be dropped off to Anna Arendell the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at the Alvin Senior Center. | |
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Participate
Kingdom life requires participation. To not act is just as bad as overtly to do something wrong. What we do or don’t do matters.
Br. Luke Ditewig, Society of Saint John the Evangelist
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Blanket Drive:
Share Warmth with Our Community
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Dear Grace Family,
As we anticipate the colder months ahead, we invite you to join us in a meaningful outreach to those experiencing homelessness in our community. We are collecting warm blankets to provide comfort and support during this challenging time.
Your generous donations can make a significant difference in the lives of those in need. Please bring your new or gently used blankets to the church on Sundays. Together, we can share warmth and love with our neighbors. Thank you for your kindness and support!
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Advent Book Study
Begins Sunday, December 1st
With Mother Suzanne
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Advent
The first season of the church year, beginning with the fourth Sunday before Christmas (December 1) and continuing through the day before Christmas. The name is derived from a Latin word for “coming.” The season is a time of preparation and expectation for the coming celebration of our Lord's nativity, and for the final coming of Christ “in power and glory.”
As a formation activity, prepare the way by participating in our seasonal Advent Book Study
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Anyone interested in Bell Ringing at Walmart this holiday season, please contact Kelley Krenek. You can find her contact information in the Parish Directory, accessible via the link in the table of contents above. | |
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Beware of “Phishing” Scams
Look Closely At The Email Or Text Messages
| One of a miriad of examples of what a phishing scam email might look like: | |
Or a text message like this: | |
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Please rest assured that neither Mother Suzanne, any vestry member, nor the Episcopal Diocese of Texas will ever solicit money or make such a request via trext or email for any reason. Any such requests are fraudulent and should be ignored and deleted.
There has been a recent rise in “phishing” scams, or fake texts and emails attempting to secure your personal or financial information.
Churches are a particular target. Typically, scammers create a fake email or text messages similar to that of your priest, vestry member, or bishop, and then send out a request to a broad range of people in the church or diocese. It might not be a request for money, but instead more information, such as a copy of the church directory.
Always ensure that text message or email is from the named person before you share any information or make any purchases. Look closely at the email. Is it really from the stated person? Call the person to make sure. Mother Suzanne will only email from her Grace email address (rev.suzanne@gracechurchalvin.org) and if it’s not from that address, it’s not official.
Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns, and thank you for your patience and for making us aware that Grace has been the target of a phishing scam.
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Sunday's Altar Flowers Given To The Glory of God
In Thanksgiving For Margaret’s Birthday
By Ron Hall
The Altar Flower Dedications Book is located in the Narthex, for those of you who would like to make flower dedications. Once you sign up you can drop a check in the collection plate with "Altar Flowers" in the memo line, or in the blue mailbox to the left of the parish office entrance. The dedications will be $45.
The Altar Guild
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Please help us conserve resources by downloading to your mobile device or printing ahead of time and bringing it along with you to church | |
- Holy Eucharist Rite II, Led by Mother Suzanne
- The service will also be live-streamed via YouTube - a musical prelude will begin at 8:50 a.m.
- 3 ways to Give today: Text the word ¨Fund¨ to 844-943-0932 to give via text, download and use the Vanco Mobile* app from the Google or Apple App Store, or visit the link below. Alternatively, you can mail a check to the church office at 112 W. Lang, Alvin TX 77511
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The coffee hour hosts sign up sheet will be available in the parish hall kitchen every Sunday. You can also contact Anna Arendell at anamerican1@yahoo.com. | |
Or you can find The Preaching Moment on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. | |
Mother Suzanne teaches an interactive and engaging class. We have just begun a study of the book of Revelation. All are welcome, regardless of your knowledge of the Bible. | |
Noonday Prayer Around the World | |
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This Wednesday, let's pause together as we join our prayers with brothers and sisters around the world via Zoom and Facebook Live.
Beginning at 11:55 you can log in to Zoom here (passcode 032547) to join us as an active participant in the prayers. Or if you prefer, just follow along via Facebook Live beginning promptly at 12:00 PM this coming Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer beginning on page 103, which you can download ahead of time here.
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Sanctuary Choir Practice
Wednesdays, 7 PM
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The Grace Sanctuary Choir rehearses Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 pm and sings each Sunday at the 9:00 am Sunday Worship Service and on some Holy Days (the choir meets 30 minutes before each of these services).
This group is open. Contact our Organist and Music Director, Paul Humphrey to meet and learn more about our choir - gphumphrey@yahoo.com
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Church in the Streets
Alvin ISD Serves
Mobile Food Pantry
Thursday, November 14
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Click on the arrow above to watch our
Thursday Mobile Food Pantry story
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Please consider volunteering, even if just for an hour - we could use your help. We begin setting up at 7:00 am and distribution ends at 12 Noon. Clean-up follows that. We especially need volunteers for deliveries to the homebound and to help with tear down and clean up starting at around 11:30. | |
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Thursday Mobile Food Pantry Schedule
If its Thursday, we have a Mobile Food pantry, come rain or shine!
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Your Food Ministry Statistics
From Harriet Sturgeon
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Weekly Update
The week of October 31, 2024, we distributed 12,043 pounds (6 tons) of food to 211 families (rain made it difficult to get an accurate count), including 75 homebound deliveries, totaling 522 people. We welcomed 6 new families. This was all made possible by the 54 volunteers (including drivers) who showed up to make it happen.
Monthly Update - October
For the entire month of October, we distributed 87,874 pounds of food to 1,311 families, including 296 homebound deliveries, totaling 3,668 people. We welcomed 74 new families. This was all made possible by the 279 volunteers (including drivers) who showed up to make it happen.
Year-To-Date
As of the end of October, in 2024, we have distributed 719,727 pounds of food (the equivalent of nearly 55 adult male African elephants) from the Houston Food Bank to 11,265 families, with 544 new families coming to us for food. We have made a total of 2,683 deliveries. The total number of individuals served is 28,959. It required 2,372 volunteers to pull this off!
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Catholic Daughters of St. John The Baptist Catholic Church
Fill-A-Bowl Ministry
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Seven hundred sixty-nine delicious meals were delivered to Grace in October, bringing the total for the year to 7,890. | |
Volunteers Needed From 9 AM - 1 PM | |
Have you noticed the cards on the table as you enter the church on Sunday? Well, one of our parishioners sets these cards out for us to sign and send a greeting to someone we may not have seen in a while, or someone who is ill.
Please take a minute as you come in, or before you leave to sign the cards and maybe write a brief note.
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MISSION & OUTREACH AT GRACE
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BCP - Prayers and Thanksgivings #35
Grace is committed to helping those in need, including vulnerable children, the unhoused, and those experiencing food insecurity. To learn how you can get involved, check our website or send us an email edcarrette@gracechurchalvin.org
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1st Sunday
Did you know that the loose plate offering on the first Sunday of each month goes to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund? This fund is used, at the Rector’s discretion, to assist the poor and indigent and to further the ministries of the church, not covered in the church budget. One of the main uses of this fund, at Grace, is to fund our Blessing Box and Blessing Refrigerator.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
You are invited to make a financial offering in honor of your birthday or anniversary. These offerings go to the Herrington fund, which provides scholarships to church conferences and camps for members of our church. Your offering may be placed in this little basket beside the piano as you approach the Chancel steps.
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Kroger Community Rewards
You can help support Grace by simply linking your Kroger Rewards Customer number to Grace. You only need to sign up once and you will earn rewards for the church with every shopping trip! You can enroll at any time, so please try to get your family and friends to sign up as well! Every time you make a Kroger purchase, Kroger will make a donation to Grace. (And you still receive your reward points)
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Matching your gift is a great way to make a bigger impact. Many companies match cash gifts from employees to qualified non-profits. Some even match gifts from retirees or spouses. To find out if your company will match gifts to Grace, visit your Human Resources Department. The Parish Office can provide you with a copy of our IRS Letter of Determination and W9 should you need it. | |
If you are not receiving text messages with important updates from Grace please click here for instructions.
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In case you hadn't noticed, we've expanded our social media presence to Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube | | | | |
