The

Gregorian

Chant

Hello all!

I have some bittersweet news to share with you all. 

I have accepted the position of Director of Faith Formation and Ministry for Families at St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Atlanta and my last Sunday at St Gregory the Great will be June 28th. 



St Gregory the Great is my home. I was baptised here, Abi and I were married here, I received my calling here, and this is where a large part of our community is. It will be difficult not to be here to worship, learn, and just spend time with all of you on Sunday mornings, but at the same time I am excited to take everything that you have taught me to another community. Any good I manage to do, any success I have going forward is because of St Gregory the Great, the experiences I've had here, and the wonderful, warm, and very quirky people who worship here. 

That being said, this is not truly a goodbye. As some of you know I have been in discernment for the priesthood for a few years now and, for the time being at least, St Greg's will continue serving as my sponsoring parish for ordination. As a part of that process I will continue serving this parish as the chair of the Worship Committee. I am very happy and grateful that I will be able to continue playing a role in this community, giving back to a parish that continues to give me so much. 

There is more good news. 

The Youth program and the Blindspot will not have to go without leadership following the end of my time in this role. Mother Nikki and I have discussed the needs of both programs going forward and I am thrilled to say that Jeff Ballance will be stepping into the role of Youth/Blindspot Minister for St Gregory the Great!

If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Jeff yet, please make sure to find him on Sunday morning. He is a lovely human being and he and his wife Lillian have quickly become dear friends. Jeff is not only an active member of the Blindspot, he has already started getting to know our Youth members as well. He trained and supervised our Youth wait staff at the Valentine's Dinner this past February, has served as a cabin parent at the diocesan middle school retreat, New Beginnings, and has served as a chaperone for EYC events. I will let him share more about his experiences as well as his plans and vision with all of you in his own time but rest assured that the Youth program and the Blindspot could not be in better hands.  

I look forward to the next two Sundays with all of you, to helping Jeff get prepared so that he has the strongest start possible, and to the part that I and St Gregory the Great still have to play in each other's lives going forward.

-Wade

Dear parishioners: Sam the Concrete Man started repairs on our walkways Monday, June 15. Their schedule has been to remove the slabs that need replacing on the 15th and 16th. They will replace them--we hope--on Monday, June 22. The delay is mostly due to the weather forecast--they need a dry day to pour the concrete.

In between removal and replacement, several areas will be blocked off with safety cones.

Anyone coming to church on Saturday or Sunday, June 20 & 21 who parks in the Montessori lot or the St. Greg's lot adjacent to the school, should access the sanctuary by walking through the Christian Education Building and then through the Parish Hall, reaching the sanctuary by the sidewalk in the main parking lot.

A few days after the concrete is poured, Sam will grind down the remaining high edges. Everything should be done by the end of next week if the weather cooperates.

Thanks, everyone! Hopefully, our walkways will be safer soon!

Thanks for the great response you had to the needs of Family Promise! Still helpful would be: 



1) Granola bars and bottled water to give families in need who drop by their office. 

2) The week of June 21 has no hosting churches so the two shelter families will need dinners June 23, 24, or 25. Text or call Annette at 706-255-5839 if you are interested and she will sign you up and tell you how and when to drop off those meals.

 Thank you!

You may remember Don Downie, who sang tenor in the choir for several years. He died in September, and we are hosting a Community Sing in his memory on Saturday, June 20 at 2PM in the Sanctuary. While there will be a few solo/ensemble pieces, most of the music will be sung by everyone present (who wants to sing--some may just want to listen). Although someone in the Downie/Court family will give a welcome, there will be no speeches, no eulogies--just singing. We will sing old hymns Don grew up with, spirituals he loved, the Navy Hymn (of course!), and some of his favorite Irish and Scottish folk songs (who doesn't want to go to a "Danny Boy" singalong?). This event is free and open to the public, and we hear there will be cookies at the end. Any donations made will go to the St. Gregory Organ Fund.

Come join us on Saturday June 20 @ 7PM or Sunday June 21 @ 3PM for an awesome journey through American music history! From classic tunes to modern beats, experience how music has shaped the culture over the years. It's a fun way to connect with the sounds that define America. Don’t miss out on this musical adventure celebrating the spirit and diversity of American tunes through the ages!

And come check out the newly renovated Bishop Community Center!

The event is free but we do ask that you register for tickets ahead of time.

Click here for tickets.

🕊️You are invited to a Youth/Parent Dinner and Game Night next TUESDAY (not Wednesday) 6/23, 7pm in the Parish Hall.🕊️

Please join us to:

• Eat a catered meal (I am working on securing Rashe's, as I have heard is tradition!)
• Offer our love, gratitude, and congratulations to Wade!
• Meet me and chat about this wonderful ministry
• Discuss our remaining plans for the Summer
• Play games, perhaps a tomfoolery or two ✨
• 
  

Please let me know if you and your youth plan on attending so that I can get a head count for our catering.

I apologize for rescheduling it from Wednesday, but I am excited that it means Mo. Nikki can join us. We will also discuss moving our planned Beach trip and one other game night in July since the dates conflict with prior commitments of mine. I'll reach back out about those after our dinner next week. Thank you so much for your flexibility and generosity in this transition. 

Also, thank you, thank you, thank you to Wade - no tribute I could make could capture the dedication, intellect, wisdom, and love he has brought to these ministries and will continue to bring to St. Greg's and now to his new role at St. Bart's. He has already spent a lot of time in preparation with me, and we have more time together planned. Thank you Wade!

Jeff Ballance

Adult Sunday School

Adult Discussion Group: (Parish Hall)  The Adult Spiritual Formation Sunday morning Bible study is currently discussing of the book of Genesis. This class welcomes anyone seeking a thoughtful investigation of the book of Genesis and will include time for discussion of our personal responses to the Bible and how it applies to our life of faith. We will meet in the Parish Hall at 9:15am.

Lectionary Class: (Office #1) The lectionary class meets in Office #1 (next to Kendall's office) at 9:15AM. We study the assigned readings for each Sunday. Please contact Les House at 478-733-2939 or via email if you have any questions. 

Spiritual Self Discovery (Library) This discussion group focuses on lived experiences, exploration of faith, and theological fundamentals. The class aims to offer an accessible space for both new and longtime members that are seeking a space to explore personal faith and the stories and practices of others. Grab a warm beverage and a snack, get comfortable, share your story, and learn from someone else's. We will meet in the library.

beloved all

in summertime

with supper done

at evening tide

we would have fun

playing a game

of hide and seek

with small and big

and bold and meek

first running from

then running to

returning home

the final coup

when we become

all neighbor friends

our world will be

as god intends

alice mohor

Instructions for Live Streaming

• Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church YouTube Homepage

• Near the time for service, underneath our channel logo, you will see our video for that day, with the word ‘live’ on it. The page will look like this:

• If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it.  

• When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it. 

Welcome to worship!