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The Grace Vine April 2015

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The Grace Vine April 2015 The Grace Vine April 2015 Rector’s Writ After we’ve been to church to rejoice and give thanks to God on Easter, many of us enjoy Easter dinner with the family. The smaller children might get to have yet another Easter egg hunt, we get to have a little more chocolate than we’re used to, and we go home happy. Then Monday’s another day, another week. I like the fact that we Episcopalians celebrate Easter for fifty days; the “Great 50 Days” between Easter and Pentecost. We get to hear in the Sunday readings how Jesus appeared to the women who went to the tomb, and how their report that Jesus wasn’t in the tomb was met with ‘terror & amazement.’ We hear how Jesus appears suddenly, mysteriously and greets his disciples, not with disappointment, but with peace; not with fault finding but with faith building visits; and he breathes the Holy Spirit on them. He tells a doubting Thomas something we remember centuries later: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29) He visits disciples when they’re afraid, uncertain and not sure what to do next. He tries to give them a dose of the ordinary, asking in Luke’s gospel, do you have anything here to eat? It’s good that we have seven weeks to hear how Jesus encountered the disciples and how they came away from fear and locked doors and became changed people. The grace and hope we celebrate at Easter is important because the love of God given us in Christ Jesus STILL has the power to change people. The love of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit can’t be contained to one Sunday story or one season in our Church year. It’s an ongoing story, in our church, in our lives, in our journey of faith. One of the big events for us during this Easter season will be the celebration of Grace Church’s 150th Anniversary. Our Open House will be Saturday, April 25th. We will remember and celebrate God’s kind provision, Christ’s grace, and the Spirit’s guidance…past, present, and future. Please invite your family and friends to attend, to explore, to play, and eat with us. We invite all people to join our celebration of the help, blessings, and faithful members God provides for Grace Church. We ask for our Lord’s continued grace and for the faith we need to worship God, serve one another, and walk with God as we begin these next years of the journey. Easter blessings to you and yours. Carol+ Service and Lay Ministry Schedule If you cannot serve when scheduled, please find a substitute and call the parish office with that person’s name. Thank you for sharing in the liturgical ministry of Grace Church. Sunday, April 5 8:00 &10:00 AM Festive Holy Eucharist Easter Day Celebrant The Rev. Carol Evans st Deacon The Rev. William Snyder 1 Reading Isaiah 25:6-9 Worship 8:00 Bette Brooks Nancy Lundgren Leaders 10:00 Carolyn Englert Greeters Nancy & Fred Lundgren Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Acolyte TBA nd Coffee Hosts 8:00 Joan & Frank Seman 2 Reading Acts 10:34-43 10:00 Steve & Susan Merrill Fred Lundgren Altar Guild Nancy Lundgren & Cindy Hoskins Counters Barb Popiel & Fred Lundgren Gospel Mark 16:1-18 Sunday, April 12 8:00 & 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist 2 Easter Celebrant The Rev. Carol Evans st Deacon The Rev. William Snyder 1 Reading Acts 4:32-35 Worship 8:00 Sally Dier Kathy Summy Leaders 10:00 Nancy Lundgren Greeters Jim & Nancy Ervin Psalm 133 Acolyte Eric Splinter nd Coffee Hosts 8:00 TBA 2 Reading 1 John 1:1—2:2 10:00 John & Mary Jean McDonald Tim Splinter Altar Guild Nancy Lundgren & Cindy Hoskins Counters Barb Popiel & Fred Lundgren Gospel John 20:19-31 Sunday, April 19 8:00 & 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist 3 Easter Celebrant The Rev. Carol Evans st Lay Reader 8:00 Bette Brooks 1 Reading Acts 3:12-19 10:00 Roberta O’Keefe Martha Croll Greeters Jeff & Lisa Marsh Acolyte Kevin Splinter Psalm 4 Coffee Hosts 8:00 Pat Williams nd 10:00 Lisa, Taylor, & Paige Paxton 2 Reading 1 John 3:1-7 Altar Guild Nancy Lundgren & Cindy Hoskins Jeff Croll Counters Barb Popiel & Fred Lundgren Emeritus Bill Snyder Gospel Luke 24:36b-48 Grace Church to Receive Ravens Special History Award from Ravenna Chamber Reba Cook and Jack Chambers recently informed us that in recognition of Grace’s 150th Anniversary, the Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce will be giving our church their Ravens Special History Award. This will take place at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Ravens Award Reception & Dinner, 5:30pm on April 23rd at the Elk’s Club. Dinner tickets can be reserved for $30 per person until April 16th. It would be great to have some of our members present at this event. Many thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for honoring God and Grace Church with this award. Sunday, February 23 8:00 & 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist 7 Epiphany Celebrant The Rev. Carol Evans st Deacon The Rev. William Snyder 1 Reading Acts 4:5-12 Worship 8:00 Sally Dier Tim Splinter Leader s 10:00 Steve Merrill Greeters John & Mary Jean McDonald Psalm 23 Acolyte Jeff Marsh nd Coffee Hosts 8:00 Midge Meyers 2 Reading 1 John 3:16-24 10:00 Carol Marotta & Gail Richards Carolyn Englert Altar Guild Nancy Lundgren & Cindy Hoskins Counters Barb Popiel & Fred Lundgren Gospel John 10:11-18 Sunday, March 2 8:00 & 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist Last Epiphany Celebrant The Rev. Carol Evans st Worship 8:00 Bette Brooks 1 Reading Acts 8:26-40 Leaders 10:00 Carolyn Englert Martha Croll Greeters Steve & Susan Merrill Acolyte David Miller Psalm 22:24-30 Coffee Hosts 8:00 Debbie Shorts & Rick Lashley nd 10:00 Jim & Nancy Ervin 2 Reading 1 John 4:7-21 Altar Guild Nancy Ervin & Barb Popiel Jeff Croll Counters Bette Brooks & Steve Merrill Emeritus Kathy Summy Gospel John 15:1-8 Episcopal Church Woman News The ladies of the E.C.W. met on February 28th. A 9:00 a.m. breakfast was served to the 10 members present by Shirley Johnson, Pat Williams, Mary Jean McDonald and Marsha Snyder. Among the topics of discussion were: Fair Share to the Diocese and the Summit Area Mission Council. We sent $100.00 to the Lillian Vallely Indian School in Idaho. Easter Candy Sale will not take place this year due to time constraints. The “Pamper Me” gift basket for the 150th Anniversary will include all the lovely donated gifts plus a $50.00 gift card from a local salon. A trip to the First Ladies Museum will take place sometime in spring or summer. (When the weather allows.) A suggestion to invite “God Girls on Wheels” program to Grace Church and have a light tea afterwards. We all wish you will join us for our next meeting or activity. Did You Know?... Two of our teenagers are involved in theater Congratulation Julie! … programs. Ravenna High School Junior, Jenna Eric & Tim Splinter spent a weekend in Ada, Summy is taking part in Ravenna Community Ohio at Ohio Northern University checking out Theater’s production of Shrek and has the role of colleges for Eric. They all went down to Case Peter Pan. It’s not the role she wanted but she really Western Reserve University where both Tim and knows how to jump and apparently Peter Pan needs Marcia went to get an official tour there too. to jump (of course he does). But that’s why she got Exciting and scary times… that role. Jenna gave a demonstration of her jumping Kevin Splinter’s HS baseball teams have skills in the parish hall on a Sunday and I must say managed to play 3 out of 7 games dodging the we were impressed. Shrek will take place at Ravenna weather. His JV team lost their opener 13-12 (and High School auditorium on April 10th & 11th at 7:30 only game played so far), but it was a well played p.m. and on April 12th at 2:00 p.m. game with few mistakes for Garfield. Not bad for the And Garfield High School student Eric Splinter first time out on a field for the year. Really, it was is in high school production of The King and I. Eric the first time they were able to get out on an infield and has two songs, and he’s a good singer. The to play!... Grace Church choir knows what a good singer he is Taylor Paxton will graduate from Stow High and just love having Eric and Jenna in our choir – School this year and she’s already enrolled at Akron they add so much to the music and the fun. Try not to University and shadowing at Mercy Hospital and miss any of these production. You can see the The spent time observing operating room and working King and I on Thursday, April 16 & Friday, April 17 with Pediatric Rehabilitation among other things… at 7:00 p.m. or Saturday, April 18th at 2:00 p.m. and Irene & John Machisko loves to play games 7:00 p.m. at Garfield High School theater… but Johnnie’s eye sight isn’t what it used. Their son On some very snowy and cold Wednesday David came from St.
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