Dear People of Grace,
 

• Rummage Sale Drop-Off Day, Tomorrow, Saturday, March 29, 9 - 11 a.m. SH
• Vestry Meeting, Sunday, March 1 at 12 Noon, LI
• Monday Morning Bible Study, Mondays, 10:30 a.m., PH
• Early Birds Men’s Group, Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m., LI
• Outreach Meeting, Tuesday, March 3, 5:30 p.m. LI
• Episcopal 101 Class, Tuesday, March 3, 6 p.m. PH
• Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing, Wednesday, March 4, 12:15 p.m., CH
• YMCA Mobile Market, Wednesday, March 4, 5 p.m., Parking Lot
• Centering Prayer, Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., CR
• Bells Rehearsal, Wednesdays, 6 p.m., Choir Room
• Choir Rehearsal, Wednesdays, 7:15 p.m., CH
• EfM Class, Thursdays, 6 p.m., PH
• OSL Class Continues, Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m. PH
• Newcomers Ministry Meeting, Sunday, March 8, 9:15 a.m., LI
• PubSing, Sunday, March 8, 3 p.m. Off-Site

Note: CH=Church Sanctuary; LI=library; PH=parish hall; CR=lower level conference room, SH=storage house, OF=Office
 

1.  Lenten Journey:  On Tuesdays, March 17, 24 & 31 from  6 - 8 p.m., explore the Lenten readings as we creatively engage the Scriptures through the practice of Lectio Divina. We will use chalk pastels and collage to visually represent a “fresh word from God” received by each individual in the hearing of the Scriptures. What will the art look like? It is a mystery how God uniquely comes to each person in the hearing of the Word and in the creative process. The creations may not look like something that represents our notion of Lent. That is the way God surprises us—by appearing in ordinary ways. Jesus the King was born in a stable—not as people expected. As our hands busy themselves with chalk and paper, we do not know where we will go—it’s an adventure with God. Prepare to be surprised. See a sample in the parish workroom. Join Fr. Gary Butterworth and Katie Warren on this creative journey. Register on the bulletin board in the foyer. If you want to know more, contact Katie Warren at 828-275-3971. A $10 supply fee covers all materials.
2.   A Spring in the Desert: On Sundays, at 9:25 in the parish hall, during Lent, come with us to the desert through a video program. It is that place of silence, solitude, and quiet surrender where we look for God’s transforming power. Our guides are Frank and Victoria Logue who use scripture, ancient wisdom, imagery, and personal insight to deepen our faith. Our desert journey examines the 7 Christian virtues of purity, moderation, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility.
3.   Monday Morning Bible Study:   Mondays at 10:30 a.m. in the parish hall, Fr. Bob will lead a Bible study that takes on a Lenten theme from the Gospel of Matthew.

 

pwalterspa66@icloud.com (706) 231-3644.
 
  Produce Truck at Grace: On Wednesday, March 4^th at 5:00 p.m.: Grace has teamed up with the "Y" to have a Produce Truck, distributing free fresh produce on the first Wednesday of every month from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. in our parking lot.  If the weather is bad, we will use the foyer of the church.  We need four to five volunteers for each time for less than one and half hours.  Larry and Lucy Bowen are coordinating with Grace and the "Y" and will be there monthly.  If you would like to volunteer, contact lucyabowen@yahoo.com, 229-224-5891, 229-224-5899.

 Second Sunday Prelude Sing-a Long: In response to parishioners concerns regarding the loss of certain elements in the former 9 a.m. service, continuing March 8^th and then every second Sunday of the month, our prelude music will be a sing-a-long of older hymns, selections from Songs of Grace and other selections chosen by the musicians as well as parishioners. Monty Wooten, Jim Cassarino, Ben Scales and others will guide this endeavor. We hope this fulfills some of the needs and desires that have been shared.

 March 8th Youth Event: 

  PubSing: Sunday, March 8th, come join us for our PubSing, an informal gathering on the second Sunday of each month to sing hymns, old-time gospel, and Americana inspirational music.  We’ll meet at the Cork & Keg Bar at the Weinhaus, 86 Patton Ave., Asheville from 3:00-5:00 p.m.  For more information contact Monty Wooten at montywooten@bellsouth.net or 828-254-1114. 

 Early Bird’s Men’s Group: meets on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. in the library. They are currently studying the book Why Faith Matters by David J. Wolpe. Contact Walt Nobles at wnoble44@gmail.com or 727-542-5959 for more information. All men are welcome.
  Who Is Serving This Sunday and Next:  We appreciate that you have stepped forward to serve in our Lay Ministry. If you are scheduled to serve and can't make it, we cannot stress enough the importance of finding a replacement and contacting the Verger for that service (Chip Coon: 336-301-7114; James Cannon: 658-0641; Lorie Tola: 404-312-9345).

Serving as Lay Ministers on Sunday, March 1:

8:00 a.m. Service:

 Breakfast on Sunday, from 8:45 until 10:00 a.m. in the parish hall. Come to enjoy some great discussion and fellowship, as you enjoy breakfast. And during this period, we're watching "The Way of Love" videos! The menu is always a bit different, and generally includes Sausage, Biscuits, Scrambled Eggs, French Toast, Muffins,  Fruit, Yogurt, Cereal, Coffee, Hot Tea, Water, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, and Milk.

 Coffee and Conversation on Sunday:  On Sundays come to the parish hall following the 10:30 service. In order to make this as welcoming as possible, we would  love to have different families sign up in the foyer to "host" the coffee each Sunday. On Sunday, March 8th, the Brownie Girls who meet in our church will be serving cookies during the coffee hour, as a way to thank our parish for all we do for them. Let's turn our coffee hour into a time to socialize and connect following worship. Sally Withers has details.

 A Special Request: For those of us who do not have mobility issues, please consider parking in the Upper Parking Lot so those who have difficulty going up and down the hill can park near the church. Thank You!
 
Go to our website graceavl.com and click on THE GRACE NEWSLETTERS in the upper right corner, anytime, to get these newsletters and more articles in our monthly newsletter, the Grace TEAM. The archives of these newsletters are also available there. All of our Ministry Leaders are listed on the "Grace Ministries in Action" page, which is on page 4 in the March Grace TEAM, so feel free to contact them if you'd  like to get more involved. 

Curious about what is happening on a specific day at Grace. Go to the "Parish Life" tab on our website, and click on our Events Calendar. Our Communications team did a great job at making our website more user friendly, so be sure to go there regularly, and give us your feedback if you see something we need to update or change. And if you happened to miss a Homily, or you want to hear it again and share it with others, you can hear it on our Sermons page of the website, which you'll find under the "Spiritual Growth" tab.

Many Blessings,
~Valerie