STEWARDSHIP 2023 UPDATE


As we approach Ingathering Sunday, so far 33 families have pledged $111,304 for the fiscal year 2023. 


Remember, by your pledge, the vestry is able to build a budget and plan for the coming year. Your gift and promise will enable Grace to continue to bless our community and live into our call to "Love God and Love our Neighbor". If you have turned in your pledge card, know how GRATEFUL I am. And if you haven't yet, please do. Prayerfully consider how you will give to your spiritual home. 


With much gratitude,


Mother Suzanne+

SUNDAY, December 4, 2022

Ingathering Sunday

Last Sunday After Pentecost

WEEKLY NEWS & UPDATES

IN THIS ISSUE


  • Click Here For The Prayer List
  • Click Here for Church Calendar
  • Jim Reimer's Memorial Service Tomorrow
  • Ingathering Sunday
  • Youth Group Friendsgiving
  • A Message For Ingathering Sunday From Mother Suzanne
  • Advent Book Study Continues Sunday
  • Scouts Corner - A Blanket Drive
  • Sunday, December 4th, Mother Suzanne Leads Rite I Worship

Liturgy Of The Week

  • The Preaching Moment Podcast
  • A Holy Pause
  • Rector's Tuesday Bible Study
  • Wednesday Noonday Prayer Around The World
  • The Mobile Food Pantry - Thursday, December 1st
  • Food Ministry Statistics Update - 496,456 lbs. YTD
  • Share Your Holidays, Saturday, December 10th
  • Christmas Walk-A-Mile - Monday, December 12th
  • Majesty Church Toy Drive - Saturday December 17th
  • Christmas Eve Services
  • Sunday Card Ministry
  • On Generosity...


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.

Jim Reimer's Memorial Service To Be Held

Saturday, December 3rd at 2 PM

On Tuesday night, November 22nd, Jim died peacefully and went to be with Jesus. Jim and Elizabeth Reimer have been decades-long members of Grace and recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary.


Services will be held at Grace Saturday, December 3 at 2:00 PM, with Mother Nan presiding, and reception to follow in the parish hall.

Click Here To Read Jim's Remembrance

Remember To Bring Your Pledge Cards

Paper copy pledge cards will be available this coming Sunday as your enter the church

This Sunday is also the first Sunday of the Month:


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.

A Youth Group Friendsgiving

This Sunday, the Youth Group is having a Friendsgiving Lunch and will be assembling gift boxes of items they have gathered for the Seafarers of The Port of Houston.

Click Here To Submit Your 2023 Pledge

A Message For Ingathering Sunday

From Mother Suzanne

Click on the arrow above to watch this stewardship video by Mother Suzanne

Advent Book Study

Continues This Sunday

As a formation activity, prepare the way by participating in our seasonal Advent Book Study

Journey through Advent and Christmas with the women of Jesus’ family line.


Christmas is about so much more than twinkle lights, sugar cookies, and perfect family photos. It’s about the world-changing, transforming, and sometimes messy reality of “God with us.” As we dive deep into the biblical accounts of Jesus’ female ancestors and reflect on God’s presence in their complicated lives, we can begin to release our expectations of a “perfect Christmas” and instead seek the experience of a holy season.


Through invitational spiritual practices and reflections, this daily devotional centers the stories of five women in Jesus’ genealogy—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary—plus three additional female figures connected to Jesus’ early life in the days leading up to Epiphany. You will also find resources for exploring the lives of these women in worship, small group, and retreat settings. This Advent and Christmas season, step into the true power of the Incarnation as we journey together to the manger and encounter the omnipotent God who has come to us in the vulnerable Christ-child.

Click Here To Purchase Expecting Emmanuel

Scouts Corner

Good evening Mother Suzanne and Ginny,


We heard Grace Episcopal Church collected blankets for the homeless this time of year so Pack 400 did a blanket drive to help. Here is a picture of the boys with all of the blankets we collected. 


Currently they're all in the closet in the parish hall. I can relocate them to wherever you'd like, whenever is convenient for you.


John Kennard

Pack 400 Cubmaster

Sunday, December 4th

Click Here For the Sunday Worship Bulletin
Please help us conserve resources by downloading to your mobile device or printing ahead of time and bringing it along with you to church

Sunday's Schedule



  • Holy Eucharist Rite I - led by Mother Suzanne
  • The services will also be live-streamed via Facebook Live - 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


*If you previously used the Give+ app, your Vanco Mobile login credentials will be the same

Click Here To View Service on Facebook Live
Click Here To Give Online
Click Here To Download Vanco Mobile App From Google Play Store
Click Here To Download Vanco Mobile App From Apple App Store
Listen Now

Or you can find The Preaching Moment on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

A Holy Pause

From Mother Suzanne:


This time together will be between 2-5 minutes. A small touch-point throughout the week to remind Grace and others to whom you belong and that we are together walking the road of faith. 


As well, I think it's a good practice to pause during the day and "look up". 


Please join if you are able on Grace's Facebook or Instagram pages....no particular time...


If you subscribe/like/follow our Instagram and Facebook you'll receive a notification when we go live.

Cows peering into Mother Suzanne's backyard

As Mary Oliver reminds us - "pay attention, be astonished and go tell someone"

Mother Suzanne Has Joined Tik Tok

Check It Out!!!

Facebook  Instagram  TikTok  Twitter  YouTube

The Rectors Tuesday Bible Study

Wednesday Noonday Prayer Around the World
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. 

Third Anniversary

Mobile Food Pantry on

Thursday, December 8th

Check out this past Thursday's Mobile Food Pantry!

Please consider volunteering to extend our

"Grace-ous Hospitality" to our volunteers and the guests who come to receive food. We could use your help. We begin setting up at 7:00 am and distribution ends at 12 Noon.


Here is the schedule through May 4th, 2023:

Your Food Ministry Statistics

Weekly Update

The week of November 17, 2022, we distributed 10,305 pounds of food to 238 families, including 47 homebound deliveries, totaling 862 people. We welcomed 18 new families. This was all made possible by the 45 volunteers (including drivers) who showed up to make it happen.


Monthly Update - November

For the entire month of October, we distributed 28,614 pounds of food to 762 families, including 168 homebound deliveries, totaling 2,414 people. We welcomed 57 new families. This was all made possible by the 230 volunteers (including drivers) who showed up to make it happen.


Year-To-Date

As of October 31st, in 2022, we have distributed 496,456 pounds of Houston Food Bank food to 9,408 families, with 871 new families coming to us for food. We have made a total of 2,943 deliveries. The total number of individuals served is 28,246. It required 2,464 volunteers to pull this off. Thank you Harriet Sturgeon for keeping track of this data and updating us from week to week!!!


In case you haven't been keeping track, that's 236,506 lbs. since August 1st, 2022.

Save The Following Dates...

Kidz Harbor Angel Tree

Please Return Gifts This Sunday

Gifts should be turned in unwrapped using the angel ornament as the name tag. Please consider sharing your Christmas with one of these children. If you have any questions, please contact Kelley at kelley_krenek@msn.com 


Kidz Harbor is a beautiful facility located on six acres in Liverpool, just a stone's throw away from Alvin. The facility serves abused and abandoned children in Texas.  

Saturday, December 10th

10 AM - 1PM

We will be receiving 160 pre-packaged boxes of food to distribute to our neighbors who have called in to reserve a box, or whom we have pre-registered.


Please consider volunteering on Saturday, December 10th between 10 AM and 1 PM to help distribute these boxes.

Christmas Walk-A-Mile

Monday, December 12th, 2022

Treats To Eat Needed

Christmas Walk A Mile begins at New Hope again this year, where treats to eat are provided.


Pastor Howard from New Hope wanted to pass this along...


 "I wanted to make available the chance for any folks that are interested in helping make or bring Christmas yummies to be able to do so. In the past, we’ve had folks from other churches that wanted to participate that way."


Please help to get the word out so lots of yummies will be available to eat. The eating and drinking will happen at the first stop...New Hope.

Our new friends at the Majesty Church (they recently conducted a food drive for us) are collecting toys. They have a drop box at their church, 1622 County Road 145, Alvin, TX.

Generosity
First Sunday of The Month
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.
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.

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)
CLICK HERE - HOW TO SIGN UP
Support Grace on Amazon Smile

Do you shop at Amazon? Grace is recognized as a charitable organization under the AmazonSmile program.
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Grace every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases, made each quarter of the year, to the church.
CLICK HERE - HOW TO SIGN UP
If you are not receiving text messages with important updates from Grace please click here for instructions.
Newcomer to Grace? Click Here

We've expanded our social media presence to Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and now TikTok!

Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Youtube  TikTok
Visit our Website