A Pastoral Care Line is now active for parishioners experiencing a pastoral emergency when the church office is closed. The on-call number is (804) 322-3758. Please save this number to your phone's contact list. Voice and text messages can be left at this number. The pastoral care team is comprised of our clergy and two staff members. We want to make sure we can connect to support our parishioners in any time of need.

The Lessons & Carols, 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day offerings are in support of the The Hill Brown Music Scholars Fund. The fund was created to perpetually pay tribute to the Reverend Hill Brown’s beloved legacy at Grace & Holy Trinity where he spent his entire ministry. This position is for current college students who major in music either as singers or instrumentalists. Music Scholars will provide musical leadership and support to the Parish Choir at Grace & Holy Trinity through their musical gifts, singing, and positive involvement.



The Christmas Pageant Offering is in support of the Belize Summer Camp 2026 Mission Trip on July 11th–July 18th, 2026. This will be a summer day camp for up to 100 Belizean children ages 6–10. Grace & Holy Trinity youth (age 14 and up) and their adult mentors will plan and lead daily camp activities, with the help of two bilingual Belizean teachers. We hope you will consider supporting the 30 church participants making plans to go in July. Click here to learn more.



You may also give securely through our website by visiting ghtc.org/give, selecting “Give Now,” and choosing a fund for your special Christmas offering. Thank you for your generosity!

This worship service, presented by the Parish Choir, accompanied by Luke Brennan, Assistant Choirmaster & Organist, and brass quintet, will include music by Biebl, Clausen, Handel, Holst, and Stopford conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Melcher Davis, Choirmaster & Organist. There will be a reception following the worship service hosted by the Hospitality Committee. Visitors can use the VCU West Main Street Parking Deck for complimentary parking by using the provided QR Code at the back of the bulletin. There will be no 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning worship service or livestream.

The 4:00 p.m.Christmas Eve worship service will include the Children's Pageant, musical offerings by the Children’s and Parish Choirs, youth instrumentalists, and flute and harp duo. If your kids are in the Christmas Pageant, we'd love for them to bring a friend along to participate! We have plenty of extra sheep and angel costumes for anyone who wants to jump in. Just come to the Church at 2:30 p.m. and we'll have a costume ready for them. The prelude music will begin at 3:30 p.m. Visitors can use the VCU West Main Street Parking Deck for complimentary parking and VCU will have the exit gates open. A big thank you to Madeleine Preston, Director of Formation, and all the pageant participants!

The 11:00 p.m. traditional Christmas Eve worship service will include musical offerings by the Parish Choir soloists, and flute and harp duo. The prelude music will begin at 10:30 p.m. Visitors can use the VCU West Main Street Parking Deck for complimentary parking and VCU will have the exit gates open.

The 10:00 a.m. Christmas Day worship service will include musical offerings and be held in the Chapel. Come celebrate on Christmas Day with us. Visitors can use the VCU West Main Street Parking Deck for complimentary parking and VCU will have the exit gates open.

All are invited to the rescheduled Westminster Canterbury Happy Hour on its new date of Tuesday, January 6th at 4:00 p.m. in the Courtyard 5th Floor Lounge. Bring your own drinks and food to share. Please register by calling the Parish Office at (804) 359-5628 x23 and speaking with Lauren Frazier.

Our community will be offering a full course dinner before the Richmond Forum events in 2026. Sylvia May, a parishioner, choir member, and chef, along with Father Brent have planned this community building idea for utilizing our proximity to Altria Theatre. The four-course dinner will be in the Parish Hall on forum nights beginning on January 17th, 2016. The cost is $110 per person, which will include parking, drinks, and a four-course meal. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. Richmond Forum doors open at 7:00 p.m., so dinner will end by 7:15 p.m. This could also be a great holiday gift to consider. Click here to make your reservations.

The Vestry and clergy create a shared vision for the life of Grace & Holy Trinity Church. The Vestry Nominating Committee is now accepting nominations of members to serve a three-year term on the Vestry. All nominations must be submitted no later than January 18th, 2026. Elections will be held at the Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, February 8th, with terms to begin immediately after the election. The new members of the Vestry will be elected by secret ballot, with the five candidates receiving the most votes being elected from among at least eight nominees. To submit the name of a member for consideration, please contact Jane Carlson, Nominating Committee Chair by visiting ghtc.org/contact and selecting “Nominating Committee Chair” from the drop-down menu or call (804) 358-4369.

Everyone is invited to the Holy Strollers Holiday Lights Walk. Meet at 4:30 p.m., sharp, Monday, December 22nd, on the sidewalk in front of Whole Foods grocery, 2024 W. Broad Street, for the short walk over to Monument Avenue. After admiring the beautifully decorated homes, we will stop at Chicken Fiesta for something to eat and drink. Susan will be in the parking lot at Grace & Holy Trinity at 4:00 p.m., if you would like to park there and can take six people in her car. We'll leave for Whole Foods at 4:15 p.m. As always, dress for the weather, and a flashlight is a good idea, too.

If you’d like to join please call or text Susan Hankins at (804) 938-8440, or visit ghtc.org/contact and select “Holy Strollers” from the form’s drop-down menu.

Last year's Festival of Lessons & Carols was professionally recorded and GHTC has released the full album on SoundCloud. Listen here to Lessons & Carols all season long in preparation for this year's Christmas worship. Thank you to our musicians for putting this beautiful album together.

Intinction (dipping the wafer in wine) during communion now takes place behind both communion rails. This change began on Sunday, November 30th. After you receive the wafer, simply pinch the wafer between your thumb and index finger and hold it up near your face. This will signal for the intinction cup to be brought to you. You will dip the wafer yourself and then receive. Please refrain from intincting in the regular chalice (common cup). A regular communion station will be located in the rear of the Church for your convenience. We hope this change is meaningful.

Hope is at the heart of our life together. It steadies us in uncertain times, guides our worship, and empowers our service to the world. This year, as Stewards of Hope, we’re invited to anchor our giving in that same steady hope. Our 2026 goal is $800,000, which will support the four pillars of our shared ministry — Worship, Education, Parish Life, and Mission. Though we have celebrated Commitment Sunday already, we still invite you to prayerfully consider your gift and return your pledge by mail or through online giving. After Sunday, December 14th our total amount pledged is $702,450.80 and our total number of those pledged is 132.

Middle and high school students are invited to go snow skiing and tubing on Saturday, January 31st at Massanutten Ski Resort. We will leave from the church at 7:00 a.m. and return by 6:00 p.m. The cost to attend is $50/person, and one friend is permitted per GHTC youth. Please register your child here by Monday, January 26th.

The staff prays Morning Prayer together on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45 a.m. to 9:05 a.m. in the Chapel and all are invited. Morning Prayer is a simple and reflective service which is part of the Daily Office. There will not be Morning Prayer on December 25th, December 30th, and January 1st. It will resume January 6th.

Bible Study on Wednesdays from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in the Library is on Christmas Break and will resume on January 7th. This is a no homework or prior Biblical knowledge type of study. You can bring a Bible or borrow one. This Bible Study is designed to listen to how scripture touches our lives and what God might be calling us to be or do. An added bonus is the option to stay for A Service of Holy Eucharist with Healing at 11:00 a.m., two doors down in the Chapel.

Sunday, December 21, 2025

8:00 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite One* (Chapel)

*There is no 10:30 a.m. worship service or livestream.

9:00 a.m. | Parish Breakfast** (Parish Hall)

9:30 a.m. | Lectionary Group (Library)

10:00 a.m. | Children's Pageant Rehearsal (Church)

4:00 p.m. | Festival of Lessons & Carols

(Livestream Available | Church)

5:00 p.m. | Lessons & Carols Reception (Parish Hall)

*Nursery services will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each Sunday.

The nursery is located on the second floor.

**There will be no Parish Breakfast on Sundays, December 28th, 2025 and January 4th, 2026. Breakfast will return to its regular schedule on Sunday, January 11th.

Upcoming Events

Sunday 12/21 | 10:00 a.m.

Children's Pageant Rehearsal*

(Church)

*No 10:30 a.m. worship, 8:00 a.m. worship is regularly scheduled.

Sunday 12/21 | 4:00 p.m.

Festival of Christmas Lessons & Carols*

(Livestream Available | Church)

Sunday 12/21 | 5:00 p.m.

Lessons & Carols Reception

(Following 4:00 p.m. Worship | Parish Hall)

Monday 12/22 | 4:30 p.m.

Holy Strollers Holiday Lights Walk

(Meet at Whole Foods Parking Lot, 2024 W. Broad Street)

Wednesday 12/24 | 4:00 p.m.

Children's Pageant with Holy Eucharist, Rite Two

(Livestream Available | Church)

*Prelude Music Begins at 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday 12/24 | 11:00 p.m.

Christmas Eve Worship*

(Livestream Available | Church)

*Prelude Music Begins at 10:30 p.m.

Thursday 12/25 | 10:00 a.m.

Christmas Day Worship*

(Chapel)

*No Bible Study at 9:45 a.m. or Holy Eucharist with Healing at 11:00 a.m.

Thursday 12/25 at 12:00 p.m.–Thursday 01/01

Parish Office & Church Closed in Observance of Christmas & New Year's*

(Livestream Available | Church)



*No Morning Prayer on Tuesday, December 30th or on Thursday, January 1st. No Bible Study or Holy Eucharist with Healing on Wednesday, December 31st. Parish Breakfast will pause on December 28th and January 4th, and return Sunday, January 11th.

Monday 01/05 | 2:00 p.m.

The Celebration of the Life of John Henry Wick III

(Church)

Tuesday 01/06 | 4:00 p.m.

Westminster Canterbury Happy Hour & Caroling

(Courtyard 5th Floor Lounge)