Advent Meditation

It might not seem like it, but Advent is around the corner.  In order to assist you in this holy time of year, we have ordered a special meditation guide produced by the Wellness Compass called Living Well Through Advent 2021: Practicing Patience with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind.  It is available for pick up at Church on Sundays, the Church office on Wednesdays or you can sign-up for daily emails as well at https://shop.livingcompass.org/collections/advent-and-lent-resources.

Save the Date! Christmas in a Barn

Ever wondered what the first Christmas
might have been like, with the animals
lo-ing around Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and all
the rest?
 
On Sunday, December 19 at 4 pm join Grace Church for a special “Christmas in a Barn” service – an opportunity to experience the sights,
sounds, and smells of the Christmas story in a whole new way – in a barn, with live animals!
This service provides the opportunity to re-enact the Nativity – Grace Church is looking for young actors (and the young-at-heart!) to participate in this playful retelling. If you, or a child or youth in your life are interested, contact Jessica for details (Enable JavaScript to view protected content.).

Barn location:  3 Springs Alpacas Farm, 548 Rte 394, Kennedy

Sunday School Update:  New Time, New Curriculum (and New Donation Opportunity!)

 
Sunday School at Grace Church has begun.  We will start at a new time (11:15 am-noon), using a new curriculum, called “Building Faith, Brick by Brick.”  This hands-on Sunday School is a “one-room schoolhouse” and available to all children pre-K through 5th grade. 
 
Children explore the Bible with their imagination and build LEGO tableaus of Scripture stories.  Sunday school teachers draw children into deeper engagement through a series of "wondering questions."  The combination of creativity and God's grace meld together in new ways as children of all ages reach into the stories of God while digging deep into enormous bins of little plastic building bricks and miniature people.
 
In that vein, Grace Church is accepting LEGO donations:  This is a great way to give extra LEGOs around the house a second life, as the next generation explores and engages the sacred story of faith at Grace.

“Full STEAM Ahead,” a NEW community after school program on Wednesday afternoons.  Students in grades 3-6 will gather in the parish hall for interactive activities exploring faith through science and the arts.  The parish hall will be open with snacks available for students beginning at 2:45, with structured programming to run from 3:15-4:15 pm on Wednesdays.  Please register children in advance by calling 716-358-6124, at    https://bit.ly/3gsZ31n or
email  Jessica Frederick (Enable JavaScript to view protected content.) for more info.

Partnership Youth Group Fall Kick Off

Our partnership with St. Luke’s creates opportunities for connection and expanded programming.  All youth (5th through 12th grades) are welcome to participate in SLY PYG, a youth group organized in consort with First Presbyterian Church in Jamestown.  Youth group kicks off this year on September 19th  with a special “Messy Escape Room” event from 6-7:30 pm at First Presbyterian Church (509 Prendergast Ave).  SLY PYG meets weekly on Sunday evenings (6-7:30 pm) throughout the school year.  Location alternates monthly between St. Luke’s and First Presbyterian churches.  The September gathering will be at First Presbyterian Church.  SLY PYG comes from the combined acronyms of the two churches: St. Luke’s Youth (SLY) and Presbyterian Youth Group (PYG).  Our mission is to provide a safe community where youth feel unconditionally loved while empowering youth to embody Jesus’ teachings in their lives.  The youth group offers a variety of ways to connect with God and each other through weekly meetings and special events. At SLY PYG, youth learn experientially:  through play, service, worship, and leadership throughout the year.  Contact Jessica Frederick (Enable JavaScript to view protected content.) for more info.

Grace Partners with Randolph Melioristic Theatre

Alumni from the Randolph Melioristic Theatre, including our own Kalan & Stephanie Brown and Dan & Sara Yarrington, are creating a series of webisodes that will be shared through various social media platforms and will provide viewers around the world the opportunity to donate to “Randolph Melioristic Theatre’s Young Artists’ Fund.” This fund will provide financial support that will allow youth ages 6-21, living in the Randolph area, to actively take part in the arts. https://www.facebook.com/RandolphMelioristic/