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Growing in Faith. Creating an Inclusive Community.
Serving with Compassion. Working for Social Justice.
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September 18
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Eucharist
in person and online
at 10 am
Vimeo link
Service Bulletin Here
Online service can be viewed on our live Vimeo feed.
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Rally Day is this Sunday!
This Sunday, September 18th, we will move our worship services back into the Sanctuary and mark the beginning of our season with a single worship service at 10 am, followed by our annual BBQ outside on Grace Court. All are invited!
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9/11 Observance
on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade
On Sunday, September 11th at 7:15 pm, the Brooklyn Heights Interfaith Clergy Association held a community-wide, interfaith candle-light service on the Promenade in remembrance of the lives lost on that day in 2001. The Guest speaker was Deputy Inspector Adeel S. Rana of the 84th Precinct.
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Grace Church September Movie Night
What: Sister Act (PG) 136 minutes
When: Friday, September 16th at 7 pm
Where: Grace Church Guild Hall
Who: Grace Church parishioners and friends of the parish are invited!
Other: Snacks provided. There is no charge for this event.
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A Note of Thanks from Paul Olson
I would like to thank the following choir members who led us in worship this past summer. Their vocal talents were greatly appreciated.
Mary-Powel Thomas
Alan Bowers
John Colón
Patricia Magnuson
Harriet De Ceunynck
Heidi Engstrom
Patricia Woodard
Peter Farrell
Special thanks to Miriam Daly for her leadership at the piano while Paul Olson was on vacation.
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Sunday School Returns
Children in grades K-5 are invited to participate in Sunday School, which resumes on October 2nd, 2022. Classes meet in the second floor classrooms at 10 am (immediately following the 9:15 family service). Trained volunteers lead children in 45 minute sessions focusing on the week’s Bible readings, using the Storymakers curriculum. Please email Fr. Chris with any questions.
Click here to register.
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A Festival of Ministries
Please join us for a light repast and conversation about the ministries of Grace and how you can become involved in these ministries, as well as creating new ones. This event will held on Sunday, October 2, 2022 after the 9:15 am and the 11am services.
We need you and your ideas -- from our seasoned members to our newest members. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you.
Thank you!
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Multicultural Day Celebration
We're about a month away from our fourth annual Multicultural Day!
Join us on Sunday, October 16th, as we celebrate the international diversity of Grace Church Brooklyn Heights. There will just be one service at 10am. The day will include festive worship with lessons and prayers in various languages, a special speaker, multicultural music, and a celebratory dance performance.
Additionally, we’re bringing back our International Food Festival – potluck-style! – along with educational displays representing various countries, great music, and fun children’s activities.
We look forward to seeing you there!
For more information, please reach out to Allison Robinson ([email protected]) or Denise Young Farrell ([email protected]).
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Social Justice and Reconciliation Fall Reading Group
You’re invited to join the Social Justice and Reconciliation reading group. Our text is Tony Messenger’s Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice; it is available for purchase here. For more information, please email Rev. Leandra Lambert at [email protected].
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Red Hook Farms: Come Volunteer this fall!
On September 10th, over twenty volunteers from across New York City, including several first-timers, descended on the Columbia Street Farm for a beautiful day of urban farming and community connections. To get the “farm” ready for fall, volunteers pulled weeds and “made” compost. Even the chickens got in on the action and became “weed wackers."
The next volunteer date designated for Grace Church is on Saturday, October 8th, from 10 am–1 pm. Join us to help address food insecurity in NYC. Click here to register. For questions, e-mail Cara Dorr, [email protected]. Please register no later than Tuesday, October 4th. If you cannot come out to the farm, but want to give support, check out their farmstand at 560 Columbia Street on Saturdays from 10 am-3 pm. Hope to see you this fall!
And please save the date: Harvest Fest - October 15th at the Columbia Street Farm. There will be food, music, games, contests, face-painting, a pumpkin patch, ponies, goats, and much more!
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Grace Church School Admissions for 2023-2024
Applications for Grace Church School are now available on the school website. The School offers a warm introduction to classroom life for young children. It has a child-centered, play-based curriculum that meets children where they are, ignites their curiosity, and fosters a love of learning. For more information about the school and the admissions process and to apply for the toddler program or the preschool program, please visit www.gracechurchschool.org.
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The Church Club of New York invites you to:
Open House for Members and Prospective Members September 21, 2022
6 pm
St. Paul's Church, Carroll Gardens
199 Carroll Street
The Church Club of New York, founded in 1887, offers the local community of lay Episcopalians and other interested people events that highlight Church history, spiritual formation, social justice, and connections with fellow laypeople. You are invited to the club's annual Open House for members and prospective members, hosted by St. Paul's Church, Carroll Gardens.
Please join us for Evensong with special music, followed by a tour of St. Paul's with the Rector, the Very Rev. Fr. William Ogburn, and a reception in the Library.
St. Paul's is located at 199 Carroll Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, just two blocks from the F train at Carroll Street. The church, built from 1867 to 1884, was designed by Richard Upjohn & Son in the High Victorian Gothic style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
To register, please click here. Address any questions to Kate Hill at [email protected].
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The Quest for Inclusion:
From Bishop John Henry Hobart to Today
Venue: St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral,
157 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Date: Sunday, September 25, 2022
Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Format: In-Person and Livestream
What does an inclusive church look like? How can the Church learn from its imperfect past to set a course for broad inclusivity that honors each of us as beloved children of God? These questions will be considered by expert panelists through the lens of Bishop John Henry Hobart’s legacy on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, on the occasion of the Bicentennial Celebration of the founding of Hobart College.
When Bishop Hobart sought to revive an Episcopal Church without finances, schools, or prestige in the post-Revolutionary War period, he embraced a “High Church theology” – the belief that religion does not demand the sacrifice of knowledge and science, or the pleasures and beauty of the world. These pursuits and joys – which other sects of Christianity were denouncing – were important elements of a vibrant humanity and a responsible citizenry. In short – the grace of God is available to all people, regardless of status, race, or exercise of reason.
His inclusive theology led Hobart to consecrate the first chapel for a Native American congregation and found the first Black church in New York State. However, the bishop neither understood nor valued Native American institutions and he eschewed secular politics and the debate over the abolition of slavery to avoid dividing Episcopalians.
Today, the first Black Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, calls for the cultivation of a Beloved Community, denouncing racism and sexism, and uplifting the diversity of humanity and all creation. Bishop Curry’s vision has the potential to manifest the unfulfilled promises of Bishop Hobart, the founder of his alma mater, Hobart College, as the college celebrates a milestone anniversary.
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry is Honorary Chair of the Hobart College Bicentennial Committee and will deliver opening remarks at the September 25th event by video. The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, renowned church historian and retired Bishop of Western New York; the Rev. Dr. Craig Townsend, Historian-in-Residence for Racial Justice in the Diocese of Long Island; Michael Leroy Oberg, Distinguished Professor of History at SUNY Geneseo; the Rev. Nita Byrd, Chaplain and Dean for Spiritual Engagement at Hobart College; and a Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies at the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, will explore Hobart’s legacy and how his efforts at inclusion fell short, but set a course for cultivating the Beloved Community in the Church, the nation, and beyond.
All are welcome to join in person or via live stream. Refreshments will follow the discussion.
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Taste of Red Hook
Tickets are now on sale for the Taste of Red Hook on Sept. 29, 2022!
Taste of Red Hook is the annual benefit which brings together our Red Hook Initiative friends and neighbors for an evening of celebration. With award-winning restaurants, breweries, wineries, and distilleries from Red Hook and our adjacent neighbors, guests experience a look into what makes this neighborhood and RHI so special. Celebrated at the Liberty Warehouse overlooking the NY harbor, this is a special evening supporting Red Hook's youth that you won't want to miss.
For tickets: https://www.rhicenter.org/taste-of-red-hook/taste-of-redhook/
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The Rector's Discretionary Fund
As the Grace Church community continues to deal with the after-effects and continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to ask parish members to consider making an offering to the Rector's Discretionary Fund.
With this fund, the Rector is able to help those in our community when they need it most.
If you would like to contribute to this important fund, you can do so by check or via our online payment system, Realm. If you prefer to make a donation by check, it should be made out to Grace Church with "Rector's Discretionary Fund" in the memo.
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Sing with Grace Chorale of Brooklyn
GRACE CHORALE OF BROOKLYN wants to add new voices to their chorus. If you’re looking for a choir that mixes classical choral staples and newly commissioned pieces, socially relevant music and seasonal concerts, come sing with us!
Grace Chorale is a proudly diverse group of passionate singers and we love to welcome new members. We are auditioning all voices as we work to grow back to our pre-pandemic
numbers (tenors and basses especially needed). We are working really hard to expand our membership so that it looks more like our Brooklyn community at large, to include more folks from the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.
We have an exciting repertoire this season, that includes participation in a choral festival at Carnegie Hall in the Spring!
Auditions will be held at Grace Church from 6:30 to 7 pm on Wednesday, September 21st. If you want to audition, please contact [email protected]. Rehearsals are held Wednesdays from 7 to 9 pm in the Grace Church Guild Hall.
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EFM Registration Open for Fall 2022
The Education for Ministry (EFM) Seminar program at Grace Church welcomes inquiries from new participants from Grace and other parishes. Registration with Sewanee University opened in July for the Fall season. Currently the seminar group has 4 openings. This course of study over 4 years provides a framework for individuals to connect faith to their daily lives through reading and discussion. Meeting in a group of up to 12, led by mentors trained to facilitate the experience, you will begin to think theologically, reflect faithfully, and speak civilly when confronted by beliefs and principles in opposition to your own. You will learn how to articulate your faith and shape your faith into action. The Grace program meets Wednesday evenings at 6:30 - 8:30 pm September to June, in person and on Zoom, with breaks at holidays. Previous students who didn't complete all 4 years are welcome to return. Register ASAP to allow time to obtain textbooks. The annual fee is $325 plus the cost of textbooks. For more information, https://efm.sewanee.edu/about/ or contact co-mentor Kim Lovejoy, [email protected], (646) 335-5080.
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Internship Program
The Red Hook Initiative, a community-based non-profit serving youth and residents in public housing in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is looking for Grace Church parishioners interested in offering young adults an internship in their places of work.
The young adults, 18 to 24 years old, will first receive 30 hours of job readiness training from RHI’s Employment Program that covers résumés, cover letters, navigating challenging work dynamics, effective communication, and approaching one’s career path from a strength-based perspective. After the completion of training, candidates will be interviewed for internship positions.
These internships, which will begin in the fall, are for 20 hours per week for 12-15 weeks. Interns will be paid $15 an hour by RHI.
RHI seeks to place young people in the following fields: fashion, graphic design, business administration, accounting, sales, non-profit organizations, small businesses, or in entrepreneurial settings.
For further information, contact [email protected] or Mark McIntyre at [email protected].
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Evening Prayer
Grace Church offers Evening Worship every Tuesday - Friday at 5pm online.
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Parish Prayer Concerns & Thanksgivings
At the start of a new church year, we ask for God’s blessing on the clergy, staff and congregation of Grace Church Brooklyn Heights. May we, guided by the Episcopal faith tradition and inspired by the prayers of generations in our historic church, seek to bring our lives and our community into unity with God by growing in faith, creating an inclusive community, serving with compassion, and working for social justice. May our worship be a source of inspiration, consolation and beauty, and always pleasing to God. May this church be a place of prayer and learning; and may the bonds that knit us together be strengthened. May we continue to strive to live by Jesus’ teachings and be guided by the Spirit to do God’s work in the world. That we, who are entrusted with the riches of God's grace, may be faithful in little and in much. That we may be free to give ourselves to God and our neighbor, and never be possessed by our possessions. That we may mourn with Jeremiah and weep with God at the state of our world in which the needy are trampled upon and the land is ruined; and may that sorrow lead us to penitence and amendment of life. For Joe, our president; Kathy, our governor; and Eric, our mayor. That our country’s leaders will refrain from political posturing, and desist from treating as political pawns those who seek asylum in our country; and for substantive discussions and actual progress toward sensible, realistic and compassionate immigration policies. For the people of Ukraine. For the grace and the will to use the gifts of the earth for the greater praise of God, that all may share in the bounty of God's creation. For all who lack the resources to feed and house their families, and those who must make impossible choices in order to do so. For all who live in homeless shelters or in the streets. For those who suffer in heat, wildfires, drought, or flooding. For those who have been commended to our prayers, especially Demetrios; Gwen; Joanne; Doug; Helen; Vivian H.; Noreen K.; Roger; Bill; Mercedes; Mary; Jane O.; Dolores; Theo & family; David; Ron & Betsy; Karl S.; Ginny; Sohee; Richard B.; Jane K.; Richard & Linda F.; Rosemarie; Andrew; all who will be having surgery this week, and their doctors. For those who endure chronic or incurable illnesses, and those who are treated badly because of their illness. For those who care for sick or aging loved ones. For those whose names and needs are known only to God. For those who have died, and those who mourn. Merciful God, hear our prayers.
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Sunday Services
Grace Church holds in-person services at 8 am, 9:15 am, and 11 am each Sunday unless otherwise noted. All are welcome. Masks are no longer required to attend Sunday services. We have child care available for those who need it during the 9:15 am and 11 am services.
Join us for coffee hour! Please join us for coffee and snacks after each service.
The 11 am service will be live-streamed for anyone unable to attend in person.
If you have any questions about our worship schedule, please contact Melissa Kelly, Parish Administrator, at [email protected] or (718) 624-1850 x 10.
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Giving to Grace
We are happy to let you know that you can make a pledge or general offering donations by text!
Please send a text to 73256 with the message "GraceBrooklyn". The first time, you will be prompted to provide your name and address, including your card number. If you save that information for future use, the second offering by text will be immediate. You can also make one-time pledge payments and general offering donations online here.
If you would like to set up a recurring pledge payment on Realm, please contact Melissa Kelly, parish administrator, for an invitation to join.
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In Remembrance or Gratitude...
Altar flowers are a wonderful way to express gratitude for life's blessings or to memorialize a loved one.
If you would like to contribute Altar flowers, please contact Marilyn Grant. An acknowledgment will be included in the service bulletin.
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Weekday Visits to Grace
When you visit, please use the Clergy Door, which is the first door on your right in the Hicks Street courtyard. Please note our summertime office hours: Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Fridays from 9 am to 12 noon.
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Grace Church | 254 Hicks Street | Brooklyn NY 11201 | |
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