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Haga clic aquí para ver el mensaje de esta semana en español de nuestro misionero latino, Luis Valencia.
From the Rector
The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, SCP
Dear <<First Name>>
This Sunday is going to be a fabulous celebration.
A team of over a dozen members have come together over the past several weeks to put together the first Pride Worship Service that Grand Haven has ever seen. At last count, we've taken in nearly $5,500 in donations to sponsor the $7,000 in event costs that will ensure this worship service is of the highest quality, with professional audio and visual, and with professional camera and streaming to our YouTube Channel. Thank you to all the sponsors thus far—and to those who I know will continue to give.
That's right, even if you cannot celebrate in person, you can watch it online here.
Over the past few weeks, as we continue to observe Pride Month, I have been using my weekly Christian Mythbusters podcast and radio spot on WGHN to talk about the relationship between Christianity and the LGBTQIA+ community. It's sometimes easy to forget, being in an affirming and welcoming church, the other messages that Christians give to LGBTQIA+ persons, messages of condemnation... or even just distancing. No matter what, the messages hurt and wound and leave scars that last.
This Sunday, as we gather at Waterfront Stadium, our congregation will give a very different message to our LGBTQIA+ siblings. We will give a message of love, of celebration, one that honors how God created them and expresses joy in being in relationship with them and celebrating their gifts.
I hope you'll be able to join us.
The service is at 10am this Sunday, but you might want to come early to ensure you can find a spot to park and have time to walk there. There is a stellar prelude that will kick us off at 9:55am, with Soprano Diane Penning—you won't want to miss it.
And then, after the service, we have two food trucks that will be in the parking lot next to the stadium selling food for lunch! You can eat from either Abeshi Ghanian Cuisine or Whipped, A Brunch Truck. You can even eat from both! We're there to celebrate after all! The Food Trucks will have to start shutting down around 12:30pm in order to vacate the lot by 1pm for the next event at the stadium, so please do head there after the service and support these business who are coming out to support us and our LGBTQIA+ siblings!
If you'd like to help with the event, we could still use people to help setup, to serve as greeters at the welcome tent from 9am-10am, to staff the tent during worship, to serve as greeters at the tent after the event, and to help cleanup and teardown. Contact Cindi to let her know how you'd like to help.
And dress comfortably! We're hoping the rain will stay away and we'll have a lovely day, with many of you sporting the SJE Pride T-Shirts that arrived in the office today. (If you ordered one already, it is on the pew outside Cindi's office and you can pick it up there or at the event itself. If you didn't order one, you can buy one at the event.) If we wind up with inclement weather or rain, we will post on the event Facebook Page and move the service to the church itself.
We'll still have an 8:30am service in English and 12:45pm service in Spanish at the church this Sunday, as well, just so you know.
Thanks for everyone who has helped so far—and those who will help this weekend. It will be a great day to celebrate all of God's beloved children!
Warmly,
PS~ Click here to find out more about my summer Rector's Book Club! Tonight at 6:30pm (after the 6pm Eucharist for the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist) we're discussing The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope, by Munther Isaac. Next month, on July 29 at 6pm, we'll be discussing Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible by Daniel Carroll. This accessible book provides biblical and ethical guidance for readers who are looking for a Christian perspective on the immigration issue. As both a Guatemalan and an American, the author has immersed himself in this issue and is uniquely qualified to write about it. Drawing on key biblical ideas, he speaks to both the immigrant culture and the host culture, arguing that both sides have much to learn about the debate. Join us!
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Help SJE Welcome
As we continue to reopen, there are two ministry positions where we could use some help.
• We need more ushers at both the 8:30am and 10am liturgy. Your job is pretty simple, get there about 20 minutes early, be super friendly and check people off as they arrive (or ask them to share their name and contact info on the sheet), carry forward the offerings at the Offertory, put the money in a tamper-proof bag and drop it in the safe at the end. More details online here.
• We also need more coffee hour hosts for the 10am liturgy. Once again, pretty simple job. Get there early to make coffee and lemonade. After you take communion, slip out of the service early and use a cart to bring the coffee and lemonade outside. Then, bring everything back in when the fellowship winds down. Currently, there is no food at Coffee Hour, but when that resumes, then the host either buys or makes some kind of snack food (it varies a lot!) to set-out. If the cost of buying coffee hour snacks is difficult for you, hosts can always submit receipts to Cindi for reimbursement from the Hospitality Fund. More details online here.
If you'd be interested in joining either of these important ministries of welcome, please email Fr. Jared.
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