Graceapostleapril2015

The Apostle monthly newsletter for

Grace Episcopal Church 105 S Madison Street, Whiteville, NC, 28472 www.gracechrist.com T: 910.642.4784

including the Lutherans of Christ the King

April 2015

Easter Sunday, the most important PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS: Carol and Jacob Brack, The Deans Family, Peggy Blackmon, Ruth & Johnnie B. Glass, Shirley Jo and Seth Smith Sr., Harold & Marie Hughes, Jack & Alice Babb, Lisa Richey’s mother (Edna Bearnes), Elsie Campbell’s niece (Brenda), Jerry Jupina’s brother (Michael), the Jupina’s daughter (Vicki Di Muzio), Margaret Palmer’s father (Shep), Peggy Blackmon’s sister-in-law (Jennifer Yoder), Kay Horne’s uncle (Jack Terrell), Jacqui Lye’s husband (Michael Newton), Alice Murphy’s brother (Tony), Amy Strickland’s nephew (Wesley), all in war’s way, the unemployed, underemployed, and those in financial crises. A complete list of prayer requests is located in the on the bulletin board by the rector’s office.

We express Christian sympathy to Betty Hackney on the death of her step-father, and to the family and friends of Brantley Elliott on his passing.

May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, rest in peace. Amen.

celebration of the church year, commemorates Jesus’ resurrection. At Grace & Christ the King it includes a solemn sung Eucharist, the ringing of bells at the Gloria, and the flowering of the Easter cross. Everyone is encouraged to bring a bell to ring, and flowers to decorate the cross as you enter the church.

COMMUNITY WORSHIP EVENTS Community Services of Worship on the Wednesdays of Lent, Whiteville United Methodist Church Worship at 12:00 Noon followed by lunch at 12:30 P.M. in the Fellowship Hall.

April 1 - Wednesday of Holy Week Rev. Bob Hankins (ret.)

Whiteville United Methodist Church

A big THANK YOU to all the cooks who made super soups for the Lenten Suppers and Irish goodies for the St. Paddy’s Day Party.

Yummy!

Family Night is April 15. Details TBA!

Holy Week Monday, March 30 8:30 AM Morning Prayer Tuesday, March 31 8:30 AM Morning Prayer Wednesday, April 1 6:00 PM Holy Eucharist Rite II with Healing Maundy Thursday, April 2 6:00 PM Agape Meal & Communion, Stripping of Altar, Prayer Vigil Good Friday, April 3 Noon - 3 PM Good Friday Liturgy, Stations of the Cross,Labyrinth Walk & Meditation Easter Sunday, April 5: Feast of the Resurrection 9:30 AM Festival Holy Eucharist (Episcopal Rite II)

Dearly Beloved – a study of marriage.

We invite your participation in a conversation about the history of marriage, the biblical and theological dimensions of marriage, and the trends and changing norms of marriage. In 2012, The General Convention of The Episcopal Church created a Task Force for the Study of Marriage. Members of this Task Force have developed a resource for engaging as many people as possible in a conversation about the subject of marriage. We are holding three 35 minute sessions on Wednesdays, April 8, 22 and 29. Fellowship meal begins at 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall followed by the

presentation and discussion. Please join in the conversation about this important subject. Let Mother Anne know if you are available to participate so we can plan for food.

Who won the Golden Halo? Who was the bracket Buster?

Check the large Lent Madness bracket poster located on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall to find the answers.

We Started With Twelve: Strengthen, Empower, Sustain. A Small Church Conference will be held at Trinity Center, April 19-21. Designed to help leaders of congregations with less than 50 people in attendance on an average Sunday, the aims to provide a way wardens/vestry persons can effectively mobilize God’s gifts for mission. The key note speaker will be The Rt. Rev’d Rob Skirving. Workshops include: TechnologyWebsite Design and Facebook Pages; Liturgy and Music in Small Churches; Intergenerational Christian Formation; Outreach-Realities and Possibilities. Our representatives at the conference will be Mother Anne, Dr. Ray Thigpen, and Mrs. Connie Ghent.

Bids have been gathered for repair of the rotted fascia board at Grace Hoise. A contractor has been selected and work will begin soon.

A big THANK YOU to Kay and Bill Horne for cutting the grass and cleaning up the church lawns. Regular lawn care is scheduled to begin before Easter.

Clean Water Project: As part of the Millennium Development Goals, efforts ensuring environmental stability are being sponsored through Episcopal Development and Relief. Funds are being collected throughout the season of Lent to support clean water projects. Please make a donation in the large plastic bucket in the Parish Hall. Information on water conservation also is available

in the Parish Hall. Make checks payable to Grace Church and note on the memo line “water project”. Please be generous in your response.

Food Pantry: We need EVERYTHING: canned fish and meats (Vienna Sausages, Treat & Spam) , canned pastas; hearty soups, stew, and chili; spaghetti sauce with meat; bags of white rice, dried pasta and lima beans; canned fruits (especially in Lite or no syrup); green beans and tomatoes; coffee and tea; jelly; grits, cereal; powdered milk; snacks; dish soap, laundry detergent, toilet tissue, tooth paste and hygiene items; cooking supplies such as oil, sugar, and flour.

Shoe Boxes: Don’t wait for Christmas; start working on your contribution to our centennial project of a100 filled shoe boxes for the Christmas Child Project (Samaritan’s Purse). Start NOW! See the following note from Kay Horne for instructions: Last week at church I noticed something great: Shoe boxes have arrived!!! It is the start of our 100 shoe box goal. Now would be a good time to start a shoebox.

Walmart and Dollar Tree have a supply of boxes and Easter season is a good time to get those small stuffed animals that fit in boxes so well. There are brochures at church that have instructions and labels but here is a reminder. Gear your box for a boy or a girl, age groups 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14. Fill with small toys such as dolls, trucks, musical items, jump rope, and balls. NO items that are militaristic or could be seen as a weapon. School supplies, coloring books, pencil sharpeners are welcome.

Hygiene items are needed too, but not anything liquid or in a tube. Don’t forget t-shirts, ball caps, socks, or watches. If you pack anything that requires batteries stick in a few extra batteries. NO used items, liquids, medications, glass containers or aerosol cans. Each box needs seven dollars for shipping. This can be given to the church and will be kept in a separate account with one check written when the boxes are turned in, in November, or you can look in the brochure and see how to pay on line. If you do that they will give you information so that you can track your box. Sounds interesting. Put the brochure label on the box with a note on how you paid the shipping fee. Can’t wait to see the stack of boxes grow!

Thank you, Kay Horne

Harvest for Hospitality: Share with Farmworker Ministry during the Fifty Days of Easter.

Harvest for Hospitality is a campaign working to ensure the long-term viability of the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry and its

mission. The Episcopal Farmworker Ministry started in 1982 with a single outreach worker who provided transportation to service agencies, assisted with translation, offered English classes and organized recreational activities to the then-mostly Haitian migrant workers. From the start, the goal was to provide comfort and assistance to those toiling under severely challenging conditions, yet whose efforts contributed significantly both to the state’s economy and its residents. Working primarily in the Harnett, Johnston and Sampson County areas, Episcopal Farmworker Ministry focuses on responding to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of farmworkers in three principal ways: 

 

direct services, such as clothing, food and transportation to medical care and church services developing and supporting programs that work toward the empowerment of farmworkers encouraging leadership development, advocacy and education aimed toward a systematic change of agricultural policy at local and state levels.

The people EFwM serve are not invisible transients; they are real people, with identities and families, hopes and dreams, fears and worries. They are us, because we are all God’s children. We cannot turn our back on our brothers and sisters in need. They do so much for us; it’s time for us to reciprocate. Please fill the GREEN mite boxes located in the Parish Hall.

African Team Ministries – African Team Ministries is a Christian ministry group working as an intermediary between African and American churches. With help from Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and

Anglican denominations, they provide funding for orphan and refugee relief missions and evangelism in East Africa. The support received is sent directly to partnering Bishops to provide school fees, tuition, books, and uniforms. This support ensures that the children receive an education and a measure of stability needed to rebuild their minds. Churches extend the mission outreach though the sale of crafts, jewelry, and soapstone carvings from East Africa. A display will be at Grace Church from April 19-22. Please make a purchase.

Blessings in a Bottle: Looking ahead  The annual Blessing in a Bottle campaign will be held April -May. Bottles will arrive soon. Please fill your bottle with loose change - no pennies please! - or a check made out to Grace Episcopal Church (memo line: Blessings in a Bottle). Monies collected are used to assist women with crisis pregnancies.

Dates to save: Founders’ Day – May 3, 2015; Centennial Celebration – July 19, 2015 Please remember to submit your Grace and Christ the King Story and pictures.

The committee is proud to announce that the Rev’d Dr. James Taylor, former rector of Grace and Christ the King, will be the preacher at our Centennial Celebration on July 19, 2015. Jimmy and his wife will be our guests for the day. Fr. Taylor has served as rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in North Charleston, SC since 2003.

OUR MARCH STEWARDSHP DATE ATTENDANCE 03/01/15 33 03/08/15 36 03/15/15 32 03/22/15 35 03/29/15 39

03/24/15

Salel of 141.489 shares of BB&T

OFFERING $ 4,194.00 $ 1,327.00 $ 2,210.00 $ 409.00 $ 2,460.00 $10,600.00

SPECIAL GIFTS______ Families First Cash $ 20.00 Help Mission $ 30.00 Food Pantry $ 190.00 Water Project $ 238.34 Flowers $ 247.00 Fellowship $ 20.00

$ 5,650.94

Total

$16,250.94

Our weekly Ministry needs are $ 2,487.29 are $ 2,487.29

$12,436.45 Budget needs YTD $ 32,334.77 3,814.49 Over Income YTD $ 30,773.94 1,076.16 Short Income YTD $ 14,523.00

SERVICE SCHEDULE Day/Service

Acolytes

Lectors

April and the first Sunday in May

Usher/Greeter

Altar Guild

Fellowship of the day Lisa R

Vestry People

April 5 Ray T© John D Lynn C Ray T Easter Lisa R Donna T Dulcie B Jerry J HE II 9:30 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ April 12 Gary B© Bill H Margaret P Elsie C Kay H Easter 2 `` volunteer Kay H Susan W Paula B H.E. 9:30 Lutheran _ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ April 19 same as Easter 3 Connie G Lisa R © Jerome W above Alice M John D HE I 9:30 Alice M Connie G _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ April 26 same as Easter 4 volunteer Gary B © Willie W above Jamie F Jerry J HE II 9:30 Kay H Alice M May 3 Donna T© John D Lynn C Paula B Ray T Easter 5 volunteer Ray T Dulcie B Connie G HE II 9:30 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________

THANKS FOR FINDING A REPLACEMENT (and letting Anne & Connie know) IF YOU CANNOT SERVE YOUR SCHEDULED TIME.

Grace Episcopal Church 105 S Madison Street Whiteville NC 28472

April 2015 Sunday

Monday March 30 Holy Week 8:30 Morning Prayer

5 Easter Sunday 9:00 choir 9:30 Episcopal HE II

He is Risen!

12 Easter 2 9:00 choir 9:30 Lutheran HE

19 Easter 3 9:30 Episcopal HE I No music African Team Min. Small Church Conf. @ Trinity Center 26 Easter 4 9:00 choir 9:30 Episcopal HE II African Team Min.

6 Office closed Easter Monday

Tuesday March 31 Holy Week 8:30 Morning Prayer

7

7 PM Compassionate Friends Meeting 20 office closed Small Church Conf. @ Trinity Center

Thursday

1Holy Week Noon Lenten Svc @ Whiteville UMC 6 PM HE no bible study or fellowship meal

2 Maundy Thursday 5 PM Choir rehearsal

8

Lay Eucharistic Ministers License Renewal due

13 10 Centennial Comm.

Wednesday

14 noon Clericus @ St. Philip’s, Southport

21 office closed Small Church Conf. @ Trinity Center

6 PM Agape Supper, Stripping of 9 the Altar

6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

5 PM Choir rehearsal

15

16 10AM – 3PM Commission on Ministry Mtg, Kinston

6 PM HE II 6:30 Family Night

22 6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

5 PM Choir rehearsal 23 5 PM Choir rehearsal

6:30 Vestry Mtg 27

28 10 Centennial Comm.

29 6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

30 5 PM Choir rehearsal

Friday

Saturday

3 office closed Good Friday Noon Service followed by the Stations of the Cross

4

10 office closed

11Small Church Conf. Planning Mtg 10:30 Kinston

17 office closed

24 office closed Rector in VA

18 7 PM Bishop Skirving speaks at St. James, Wilmington

25 Rector in VA