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By Tootie Kuhn, Trustee for Stewardship

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

— Jeremiah 29:11

This week marks the launch of our 2025 Stewardship Campaign, which is inspired by those words from Jeremiah. During worship services this past Sunday, I expressed our shared hope for Grace’s future and offered a big picture view of how we might collectively meet the challenges before us. You can watch those remarks here.

Over the next six weeks, we will hear and read testimonials in support of our 2025 Stewardship Campaign that answer three questions: 1) What does Grace Church mean to me? 2) What is my hope for Grace’s future? and 3) What am I going to do to help turn that hope into reality? Here are my answers to those questions:

• I have been blessed to find my spiritual home at Grace Episcopal Church. I joined Grace with my husband, Mike Leamon, shortly after arriving from the East Coast in 2018. You, its people, are my primary faith community who both share my joys and support me in my weakness, who challenge me to grow in my faith, and who equip me to share God’s love in the world.
• My hope for Grace is that others who are not yet here will come to experience the same joy I have known in this community. I know there are people in our community searching for a spiritual home, and I believe Grace’s commitment to inclusion, service, discovery, and gratitude provides the perfect welcoming posture to invite them to join us.
• I will help make that hope a reality by offering a personal tithe as my 2025 pledge as well as by volunteering in support of our new evangelism ministry program, “Invite, Welcome, Connect,” so that newcomers will join us and come to know and to share the profound the joy in this community.

You can read more about our 2025 Stewardship Campaign and submit an annual pledge by mail or by visiting gracehere.org/giving/stewardship.

Thank you for your faithful support and please let me know if you have any questions at cgkuhn407@gmail.com.

What's Your Story Writing Group
Continues Monday, October 21, November 4 & 18, December 2
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Spooktacular Sunday!
Sunday, October 27 at the 9:30 a.m. service
Come in costume
Carve a pumpkin at coffee hour

Newcomers’ Lunch
Sunday, November 3 at noon

Men's Group Chili Cook-Off Gathering & Potluck
Wednesday, November 6 from 6:30 – 8:30p.m

A weekend with Steve Garnaas-Holmes
November 16 – 17

The Wednesday Gathering
Wednesdays from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Meditation/Centering Prayer
Thursdays from 5:00 – 6:15 p.m.

Music Circle Rehearsal
Thursdays from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Mom’s Morning Retreat
First and Third Thursdays from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

3rd Saturday Grace Grounds Party
Third Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – noon

Earth & Spirit’s Care for Creation Conversation
First Sundays after the 9:30 a.m. service

When you arrive for the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service, please bring your children with you into the sanctuary; and feel free to sit by the altar near the Children’s Rug so your children can engage with others in quiet activities. After the Children’s Moment, they will be guided by their teachers to two learning spaces: one for younger children with more tactile storytelling and activities, and one for older children. Together, we build community through story, ritual, and fun activities before your children join you again for communion in the sanctuary. Youth are always welcome to join us as helpers for the younger children!

To reserve a pumpkin or sign up for the gutting contest, email Kim at kim@gracehere.org.

Join us after coffee hour on Sunday, November  3 for a newcomers’ lunch.

Contact Liz Powell for details. 

Men of Grace, you are invited to compete in and/or attend the Men’s Group Chili Cook-Off and Potluck Dinner. Your modest donations to the Phinney Fund will support Rev. Eric Mason as he oversees Grace's pastoral ministry. Your contributions of side dishes, desserts, and beverages will round out the meal.

Please use THIS LINK to the Sign Up Genius page to get more information, see what others are bringing, and to sign up. If you have questions or are not comfortable using Sign Up Genius, please contact Eric Matthews at eric@ericEmatthews.com or 206.718.2254 to let him know you are attending and what you plan to bring.

Let’s “shower” the Faith Shower Project hosted by Faith Episcopal Poulsbo, with much needed travel-size toiletries!

Our ministry partner, the Faith Shower Project in Poulsbo, is now providing as many as twenty showers, laundry facilities, and lunch to the unhoused in our community each Monday!

They have requested donations of travel-size toiletry items, including toothpaste, deodorant, razors, and shaving cream. If you have been traveling this summer, the small lotions, soaps, shampoos, etc. from motels/hotels are always welcome.

Please join us in providing these much needed and appreciated items. We will have baskets in the narthex during October and will package the donated items on Service Sunday, October 27th.

Thank you for your generosity!

Grace Donation for Hurricane Relief

On behalf of the Grace faith community, the Outreach ministry has sent a donation of $250 to Episcopal Relief & Development for the victims of the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton.  

Click here to make an individual donation to ERD.

Retreat: Saturday, November 16, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Poetry Reading: Saturday, November 16, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Homily: Sunday, November 17,  at 8:00 & 9:30 a.m. services

Events are free

Suggested donation for retreat lunch: $20

RSVP: kim@gracehere.org

Steve writes: “What if God is not some imperious judge far away in heaven, but an intimate, life-giving presence, walking with you? What if God is not ‘a spirit,’ but Spirit, The Spirit, the living, loving Heart of Being, Love itself, living within you? What if God is an infinite fountain of life, blessing, and healing, and you are a vessel of that energy? And what if God is in conversation with you? God knows you from the inside, calls you by name, calls you to follow, calls you into a particular life, a particular way of living. God has given you gifts, gifts of God’s own being, God’s Spirit, inside you, gifts that are there for you to share. How do we encounter that God, open ourselves to that calling, and get in harmony with that energy? We'll explore that on this retreat.”

April 28 – May 2, 2025

Experience the ancient art of “writing” the Gospel with paint and prayer. Join this five-day, all-inclusive day retreat, led by renowned iconographer, Theresa Harrison. Using JoSonja acrylic paints and 23 carat gold leaf, paint an icon of your choice together in sacred community at Grace Church. 

Join Episcopalians from across western Washington for a full day of education, inspiration, and community-building at Diocesan Convention! The first day of this annual event will feature workshops on topics ranging from creation care to prison ministry; from being Episcopalian in Palestine to artificial intelligence and the church; and from engaging young people to mapping neighborhoods. A midday plenary session with our newly consecrated Bishop, Phil LaBelle, will delve deeply into the Convention theme: Come to Me and I Will Give You Rest.

With 36 different workshop options, featuring over 70 presenters, there is truly something for everyone and all are welcome. To learn more about these amazing workshop offerings, visit the the Convention website. If you're not already registered as a delegate, alternate, or representative, register as a participant, at $10/person.

Bainbridge Island-North Kitsap Interfaith Council’s Climate Circle, in collaboration with Films for Flourishing invite you to this season’s Web of Life event

Friday October 18 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Bethany Lutheran Church • 7968 Finch Rd NE

Please join us for ritual, conversation, and a film based on the work and life of David Korten. All faiths, traditions, spiritual beliefs, and/or worldviews are welcome. Just bring your openhearted concern for our shared Earth as we build support for our collective efforts. RSVP is recommended but not required: climatecirclebinkifc@gmail.com. For more information contact Mike Cox: toxman57@gmail.com.

Friday, October 25, from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

In January, 2022, Grace entered into a Temporary Easement Agreement with the Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation, granting access to the Grace Trails for completion of the Farmland Trail. Now completed, the Farmland Trail provides public trail access from Day Road to Lovgreen Road, with several additional trail spurs.

Join the Bainbridge Island Parks and Trails Foundation, The Island School, Parks and Trails Foundation supporters, local farmers, and Friends of the Farm to celebrate the opening of the new trail. Enjoy cider and cookies, plus a scavenger hunt for young participants, and native fern planting.

The native plantings were made possible to Grace from a generous $1,000 grant from the Parks Foundation.

Please mark your calendars and plan to participate in this fun, multi-generational event.

November 3 and December 1 at Island Center Hall, 8395 Fletcher Bay Rd NE

Please join us on Sunday, October 20 at 6 p.m. as we celebrate St. Teresa of Avila, which is the second in a series of three Vespers services honoring female saints.

Save the date for our Vespers services celebrating St. Margaret of Scotland on November 17.

If you are a treble singer interested in participating, please contact Music Director Sheila Bristow.