Posted: May 18, 2023

News for Sunday, May 21, 2023

Upcoming Events

05/21     10:30 a.m.    Mozart’s Missa Brevis (Modern Language | in memoriam: Elizabeth Martin |Church)
05/21     11:45 a.m.    Reception to mark the Closing of the Program Year (Parish Hall)
05/21      1:30 p.m.    Youth Sunday Funday at Flying Squirrels Baseball Game (The Diamond)
05/21      5:00 p.m.    Final Sunday Evening Service until fall (Chapel)
05/28      5:00 p.m.    End of Program Year | Summer Schedule Begins
05/29      5:00 p.m.    Office Closed for Memorial Day
05/30                          Summer office hours begin, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
06/04                          Children’s Chapel Resumes during 10:30 a.m. Service

Save the Date

06/09       5:00 p.m.    Parents Night Out (Parish Hall | Parents gathering TBD)
07/02     10:30 a.m.    Independence Day Service & Picnic (Church & Monroe Park)
07/09     10:30 a.m.    Hymn Sing During Worship (Church)
07/21      5:00 p.m.    Parents Night Out (Parish Hall | Parents gathering TBD)
07/23      1:30 p.m.    Youth Sunday Funday (Kanawha Pool)
08/06                          School Supply Drive Begins
08/13     12:00 p.m.    Senior Brunch (Following Worship | Parish Hall)
08/18       5:00 p.m.    Parents Night Out (Parish Hall | Parents gathering TBD)
08/20       5:30 p.m.    Sunday Evening Prayer Begins
08/27       4:00 p.m.    Worship, Picnic, & Pool Party with Blessing of the Backpacks (McGuire Home)
08/27                          School Supply Drive Ends
09/10      9:00 a.m.     Parish Forum: TBA
09/10                          Fall Schedule Begins
09/17     11:45 a.m.    Parish Ministry Fair (Following Worship | Parish Hall)
09/23      3:00 p.m.    Ukrainian Benefit Concert (Church)
09/24                          Youth Sunday Funday (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)

Join the 10:30 a.m. service livestream via YouTube.
Sunday Bulletins are posted by Friday at ghtc.org/bulletin.

Highlights

Mozart’s Missa Brevis during the 10:30 a.m. Service
The Parish Choir will present the glorious Missa Brevis in G Major, K. 140, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on Sunday morning at the 10:30 a.m. service. The Choral Service will be presented in loving memory of Elizabeth Martin, who faithfully served as our Assistant Organist for 43 years. The soloists will be Keely Borland, Soprano; Abigail Stinnett, Alto; James Taylor, Tenor, and Chase Peak, Bass. The service will be accompanied by a chamber ensemble, and Sean McDonald, Organist, and conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Melcher Davis. Caroline Whisnant, Soprano, will sing Schubert’s lovely Ave Maria during Communion. There will be a reception following the worship service hosted by the Hospitality Committee.

Thank you to Sean McDonald & The Rev. Steve McGehee
This Sunday, May 21st, following the 10:30 a.m. service, there will be a reception to mark the end of the program year. During the reception, we will honor Assistant Organist and Choirmaster Sean McDonald and Assisting Priest The Rev. Steve McGehee as their ministry to the parish concludes. Sean McDonald, who is also a music teacher at Robious Elementary School, began serving the parish last summer and has done an outstanding job of growing our children’s music programs. The Rev. Steve McGehee began serving the parish in January and has developed and begun to implement a robust model for pastoral care that will address the pastoral needs of parishioners for many years to come. We are grateful for their ministries to the parish, and we wish both of them all of the best. Please come join the reception and offer your thanks to Sean and to Steve. 

Parish Prayer List Now Available in Sunday Worship Bulletin
Thanks to the ministry of the Rev. Steve McGehee, a carefully curated and regularly updated parish prayer list is now being printed in the Sunday morning worship bulletin. In order to keep the Prayer List current and to facilitate the intentionality and mindfulness with which we pray, we print names on the Prayer List for three months or less. If you would like to add a name to the Prayer List, please contact Associate Rector Paul Evans.

Children’s Programming pauses on May 28; Summer Children’s Programming begins June 4
Our Sunday morning Children’s program, including Children’s Breakfast, Children’s Choir, and Children’s Chapel, will pause next Sunday, May 28th. Beginning Sunday, June 4th, the Children’s Breakfast and Children’s Choir remain on pause for the summer months, but Sunday School carries on as Children’s Chapel. Parents and children alike will gather in the church to begin worship together, and then children are invited to head up to Children’s Chapel with their teachers. This summer we will follow a child-led curriculum as we explore the questions they have about the faith. A snack will be provided each morning. We ask that a parent of each Sunday School child come up to the Sunday School room to pick up their child(ren) following the service.

Looking Ahead: Sunday Children and Youth Programming Fall 2023
On Sunday, September 10th, our full model of Sunday morning programming for Children and Youth will resume. Children Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade will continue with a full morning of Children’s Choir, Children’s Breakfast, and Sunday School, led by Mrs. Kate Given and her staff. Students in 5th through 8th grade will have their own Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. in the Library led by parish clergy, Alison Martin, and a team of parent volunteers. This program will follow the Feasting on the Word curriculum, a high-quality curriculum that centers upon the lectionary texts appointed for each Sunday morning. Students in 9th through 12th grade will meet in the first floor education room for a program focused upon lectionary study and local and international mission planning. All programs will conclude in time for children and youth to receive communion with their families in church. Visit our website at ghtc.org/childrenandyouthfall2023 for more information, including how you can sign your child or children up for these formation experiences. For more information, contact Associate Rector Paul Evans.

Worship & Music

New Church Banner
Our new church banner, which debuted May 7th, was commissioned and paid for by a group of parishioners who saw that our old banner was worn out. This banner is used on special Sundays at church and for diocesan gatherings like ordinations. The new banner incorporates the long-used Trinity knot and anchor logo. The colors are the same as in the Episcopal Church flag. A special thank you to the generous donors, to Tyler Brady and Leslie Winn for designing the new banner, and to Leslie Winn and Ivy Austin at The Costume Shop for creating the new banner.

Flowers at the Altar
This Sunday’s altar flowers are given to the glory of God In loving memory of Grace Broaddus by her family. If you would like to remember or honor a loved one by giving the altar flowers, please contact Judy Bowman at (804) 359-5628 x14, with dates and specific requests (such as colors and/or particular flowers). The cost is $100. You may mail a check or handle the cost online at ghtc.org/give.

Parish Life

Youth Summer Camp Care Packages
Do you have a child or grandchild who is attending sleepaway summer camp? The Children & Youth Ministry would love to send your special young person a care package to let them know how loved they are while they are away. These packages will include notes from church staff, GHTC swag, and sweet treats! You can sign up to receive a care package at ghtc.org/youth, or contact Lauren Frazier in the parish office at (804) 359-5628 x23.

Need-Based Scholarships available through GHTC Endowment Fund – Deadline is June 4
Grace & Holy Trinity, through the GHTC Endowment Fund, provides need-based scholarships to active members of the parish. The funds are administered through the Scholarship Committee chaired by Billy McGuire. The deadline for applications is Sunday, June 4th. For additional information or to make a request, please contact Billy McGuire.

Caroling in Monroe Park Planning Committee
Mark your calendars for Caroling in the Park on Sunday, December 3rd, 2023. We are hoping to grow this event and create the feel of a European Christmas Market with vendors selling gifts while enjoying the Christmas caroling in the park. We are looking for volunteers to serve on this committee. If you are interested, please reach out to Meredith McGuire.

Spirited Readers Book Club
You are invited to join the Spirited Readers Book Club, which meets on Monday afternoons once a month at a parishioner’s home. Upcoming books include Demon Cooperhead (Barbara Kingsolver), Hold Still (Sally Mann), This is Happiness (Niall Williams) and Trust (Herman Diaz). For more information, contact Mary Ann Blankenship.

Parents’ Night Out: Summer Series 2023
Mark your calendars: Parents’ Night Out returns, once a month throughout the summer. On June 9th, July 21st, and August 18th, parents are invited to bring their children to church for Friday evening childcare. We provide dinner, activities, fellowship, and Christian education. Look out for more details and sign-up forms coming soon!

Outreach

Red Door Ministry Clothes Closet Seeks Donations of “B” Items During May
Every Friday, the Red Door Ministry serves lunch to approximately 100-150 guests. The ministry also offers clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other items from the Clothes Closet. In order to respond to some shortages in the Clothes Closet, Red Door leaders are designating the month of May as “B” Month. Please bring your donations of Belts, Ball caps, Bras, Books (paperback, crossword, word search), Bath/hand towels, and Backpacks. Items may be used but clean and in good condition, please. Your donation may be left in the box near the kitchen. In-kind receipts are available on the podium next to the box. Please list your donations on the sheet provided as well. (This information is used when preparing grant requests.) If you have questions or would like to discuss a large quantity donation, contact Porsche Pierson.

Save the Date: Ukrainian Benefit Concert – September 23
Our 2023-2024 Concert Series will open with Music for a Cause presenting instrumentalists and singers of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a special Benefit Event at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, September 23rd, 2023. All funds raised at this concert go directly to Ukraine toward meeting needs of the homeless, widows, wounded soldiers, orphaned and needy children, and all who require hope and healing.

GHTC Youth are invited to join St. James’s Summer Mission Trip to Appalachia – July 16 – 22
St. James’s Church has invited GHTC youth to join their 2023 Summer Mission to Hurley, Virginia, in the far western part of the state. The poverty rate in Hurley is high, and flooding has destroyed much of the community in the past two years. The mission team will work with the Hurley Community Development Center to help repair homes in the community, and with the local food bank, which serves people in the Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia corridor. The cost to attend is $300. For more information, contact Associate Rector Paul Evans.

Beware of Phishing and Other Scams
Please beware of any communication (email, phone calls, texts) purporting to be from members of our clergy, staff, or from someone communicating on our behalf. No member of the GHTC clergy or staff will ever contact you asking you “for a favor,” such as purchasing gift cards. These are tactics used by scammers, and they are more common than you might think. Please be cautious and use good judgment.

An Update about Parish Communications
If you have an announcement that you would like to share in our parish communications, please contact Associate Rector Paul Evans by calling the parish office.

Help Us Share Your News

We invite you to share your announcements about ministries of the parish by visiting our website and submitting the communications request form no later than the Monday two weeks before you want your announcement to run in the weekly eNews and the bulletin announcements.

For more information, visit the News page or call (804) 359-5628.