Radical welcome. Faithful worship. Compassionate service. 

October 20, 2019
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

8:00 am Holy Eucharist
9:15 am Holy Eucharist
11:00 am Holy Eucharist with Parish Choir

All services are held in the Sanctuary.
Please join us afterwards in Guild Hall for coffee and fellowship.

Safe Church Training

Grace Church Brooklyn Heights will host a mandatory  Safe Church Training  on Saturday, November 9, from 9:00 am–3:00 pm. Safe Church Training is a class, mandated by the Diocese of Long Island, for all church staff and volunteers that fall under the following categories. 
 
  • Church school teachers. 
  • Children’s or youth choir directors. 
  • All church personnel who regularly work in the nursery. 
  • Lay eucharistic visitors. 
  • All staff, whether volunteer or paid, that works with or may come in contact with children (camp directors and volunteers, Sunday school teachers, choir directors, and organist to name a few).
  • Any person that holds a key to the building.

Safe Church training is required to be repeated every five years.  If you fit one of the categories above and have never taken the training, or it has been more than five years since your last training, please sign up for the November 2, training by registering below.  

For registration, please contact Ms. Takisha Brown at parishoffice@gracebrooklyn.org   or 718-624-1850 x 10. 
Grace Church's 2020 Annual Giving Pledge

Grace Church’s 2020 Annual Giving Pledge campaign is here! As Annual Giving chairs, we hope you will prayerfully consider how you and your family can support the continued growth and strength of our community and Grace’s ministry. Letters and pledge cards have already gone out in the mail, but please feel free to contact either of us ( Jim  or  Seth ) with any questions. You can make a pledge online through your  Realm account by returning the pledge card you receive or by dropping a pledge card in the offering plate. And if you need help signing into that account, please let us know. We’re happy to help!

Every pledge matters – and we hope you will join us and our families in supporting the mission of our Church.

Jim Williamson & Seth Lloyd
The Heights Interfaith Shelter Is Back And
We Need Your Help!

The Shelter opens on Monday, October 21 - just days from now!

The Grace community has responded wonderfully to this opportunity to serve, and nearly all of our cooking opportunities have been filled. But we still need sleepover volunteers for several nights i n the weeks of October 28, November 4, and November 11.

There's no better way to make a difference than to sign up to cook a meal or stay overnight when the Heights Interfaith Shelter is in session. We are proud to offer hospitality in the form of a welcome dinner, and a place to sleep to up to twelve men in need on Monday through Friday nights.

This year, we will host the shelter for four weeks, from October 21 to November 15 , and we need your help! Please sign up to share a meal and spend the night with our guests. Sign-up boards are at the back of the church.

If you have any questions or to volunteer please contact Elizabeth Stong, Charlotte Throp, or Emily Horcher by clicking here .
Reading Christian Art - The Met Cloisters
Saturday, October 19, 10:00 am

Many of Europe’s artistic treasures of the past centuries are ecclesiastical in nature. Have you wanted to learn more about how to interpret and gain a better appreciation for Christian art? Join us Saturday mornings in October for small-group tours of some local museums where we will look at art containing Christian themes, and how different art historical methodologies can be used to understand them. No prior art knowledge is required, and each tour stands on its own. You can go to one or you can go to them all! 

Groups will be capped at ten people to start. Information on the series is available on a flyer on the Welcome Table at the back of the Church. 

The next tour is a group tour of  the Met Cloisters  this  Saturday October 19, 10:00 am (99 Margaret Corbin Drive, New York, NY 10040).  Please contact  Thomas Baldwin  to reserve a space or with further questions. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Multicultural Day Celebration

Dear Grace Family,

We invite you to join us this Sunday, October 20, at 11:00 am as we celebrate the diversity of Grace Church Brooklyn Heights. This event is intended to promote cultural awareness and the diversity in our community.

Immediately following our 11:00 am worship service, there will be a Food Festival in the Guild Hall where you will have the opportunity to sample food from around the world. In the North Room , you'll find displays of the represented countries. Kids will receive a complimentary passport and after engaging the representative, they'll receive a stamp on their passport. We hope to see you there!
Grace Church Holy Land Meeting
Sunday, October 20, at 10:00 am in the Hope Library

We will gather this Sunday, October 20, from 10:15 am to 10:45 am  to discuss pertinent information regarding our trip to the Holy Land (June 12-23, 2020).This meeting is mandatory for all planning to journey to the Holy Land. Additional information will be given at that time. 
 
If you cannot attend the meeting but are interested in going to the Holy Land, please feel free to email me directly at  arobinson@gracebrooklyn.org  or you can email our Parish Administrator, Ms.  Takisha Brown . There is a max limit of 30 pilgrims, so if you are interested (or seriously thinking about it) now is the time to get on the list, as Qumri Pilgrimages, our Guide, is now reserving rooms for our stay in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories.
 
And now is the time to pay the initial deposit of $500.00. You should address the check to Grace Church with “Holy Land Trip Deposit” in the memo line. Please forward your deposit to our Financial Administrator, Ms. Sandra Joseph and she will credit your account accordingly. Please try to have all deposits in no later than Monday, November 30. 
 
Please make sure that your passport is current and that it is still valid at least 6 months from the time we return to the USA.   
 
The trip roster is filling up quickly but there is still room for those who are interested in going to the Holy Land but have yet to make a commitment. Shortly, I will make the remaining space available to others within the Diocese of Long Island, and other friends and family members of parishioners. Again, please mark your calendars and join me for this important meeting.
 
Thanks, 

-- The Reverend Dr. Allen F. Robinson
Stroller Group Halloween Party
Mark your calendar

Join us  Friday, October 25, 5:30-7:30pm for a Halloween party movie night. Stop by for fellowship with other parents of young kids at Grace Church and make a new friend, or three. 
 
Who: Parents with youngsters (generally pre-K and below, though older siblings are welcome to join in on the fun). 

What: A Halloween party. We will screen  Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest , and have a fun craft for the little ones. There will be pizza and snacks for all (and some wine for the grown-ups). Costumes for little ones are encouraged; we will have a small parade around the hall to show them off.

Where: Guild Hall

Why: Because we are blessed to have many wonderful young families and we want to make sure we all have the chance to get to know each other! 

A few reminders:

Potluck + pizza - Please make sure everyone stays fed! We welcome any and all potluck donations you can share. Also, we will be ordering pizzas for the group, a $5 donation per child is suggested. Please sign up here .

RSVP - Please let us know if you’ll be joining us so that we know how many pizzas to order! Please RSVP here:  RSVP .  

Listserve - If you’d like to be added or removed from the Stroller Group listserve, please email Anne .

Schedule of events - please mark your calendar for more Stroller Group fun!
 
-December 8th: Gingerbuild
-February 9th: Valentine's event
-May 3rd: May event

Day of Centering Prayer and Visio Divina
Saturday, October 26

This day of  centering prayer  will begin with a brief review of the practice. We will spend most of our time in centering prayer with a break for lunch in silence. We will enter the centering prayer with guided meditations that help us explore how we are relating to our thoughts. We will also engage in experiences of  visio divina , a form of “divine seeing” in which we prayerfully invite God to speak to our hearts as we look at an image.
 
Recommended for anyone who would like to spend a day in centering prayer practice. We will meet on Saturday, October 26, in Guild Hall at 10:00 am . A $20 donation is requested to cover the cost of a box lunch and to help us sponsor future events, but if you are unable to pay for the lunch, please come anyway!
 
For more information or to RSVP, email Lindsay or call 718-858-4119.
Confirmation Classes

We are pleased to announce that our first confirmation class will be offered Sunday, October 27 , in the North Room after the 11:00 am service.

Confirmation class is available to anyone who is currently in the 6th grade or up. Classes will last approximately 1.5 hours each. Please note - parents are expected to attend this first session to learn about expectations and requirements for students. Participation in the confirmation classes requires a commitment to attend eight sessions, which will take place on October 27, November 17, December 1, January 19, February 9, March 15, April 19, and May 17 . Confirmation will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2020.

Please direct questions to Catherine Wieczorek . We look forward to seeing you all on the 27th. 

This event is brought to you by the LIFT* initiative.  For a more in-depth look at the syllabus please click here .  

Pre-registration is required, To register please click here .

* LIFT  ( L oving  I ntentionally and  F aithfully  T ogether) is a Grace Church initiative aiming to follow Jesus' model of radical welcome of all God's people, especially interracially, in our church and in our lives.

If you are interested in additional events /activities, click here to see the Brooklyn Historical Society offerings .
Men's Book Club

After a successful initial conversation, the Grace Men's Book Club is going to continue into the fall and winter. Please join us for deep conversation as we reflect on the following books, and how they intersect with our lives and our faith. We will meet at 6:30 pm-8:30 pm, in the North Room and each session is independent. Here is the upcoming schedule, continuing to focus on works by women of color:
 
Tues, Oct 29th:  The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obrecht
Tues, Jan 28th:  Americanah by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie
Tues, Mar 31th:  Beloved by Toni Morrison
  
All of these books are available for free on Kindle, and in hard copy from the Brooklyn Public Library. Please e-mail Jim Williamson to RSVP. 
Christmas Pageant

The Christmas Pageant is  December 15, 2019 at 11:00 am (there will not be a 9:15 am service that day). Rehearsals will be held from  9:00 am-11:00 am on Saturdays, November 23, December 7, and December 14,  as well as a shorter rehearsal for more prominent roles on  November 16 . More information and the opportunity to sign up will be provided shortly. Contact Brianna McCarty   in the meantime with questions.
Parish Prayer Concerns

For those we have been asked to remember: Steve; Roger; Bill; Anne, Moe & family; Mercedes; Jean; Sybil; Julian; Mary; Dolores; Theo & family; and Baby Daniel.


Upcoming Parish Events
Please mark your calendars

Sunday, November 17, 5:00 pm
Organ Recital by Paul Olson with a Festive Reception to Follow     

Tuesdays, December 3-17
Organ Recitals                                    

Sunday, December 8, 10:15 am
Stroller Group Brunch - Gingerbread House Build   

Sunday, December 15, 11:00 am
Christmas Pageant, there will not be a 9:15 am service

Sunday, December 22, 5:00 pm
Lessons & Carols                                             
Upcoming Baptismal Dates

At Grace, we baptize up to seven candidates at a service, usually during the 11:00 am Sunday service of Holy Eucharist. For further information, or to obtain a Baptism application, please contact the Parish Office.
2019

November 17 - 3 slots available

2020 (All open)

February 23
April 11 (Easter Eve)
May 31 (Pentecost Sunday)
September 27
November 22
Announcement Deadline
If you would like to submit an announcement for Grace Notes and/or our Parish News, please send all information to the Parish Office no later than 5:00 pm on Wednesday of each week. Please be aware that submissions that do not meet the deadline will be published the following week. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Office Hours 
The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday (except for holidays) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm but closed for lunch between 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm . If you would like to work in the office on any project or activity, please contact Parish Administrator Ms. Takisha Brown to arrange a time. Takisha is available by phone at 718-624-1850 x 10 or by email . Thank you.
Grace Church | 254 Hicks Street | Brooklyn NY 11201