December 8, 2024

Click below to access bulletins, Livestream and Zoom links, and make an offering.

This Sunday, December 8th, we will mark St. Nicholas Day at the 9:30 a.m. service. Leave your shoes under the tree in the narthex when you arrive at church and you may find a surprise when you leave!

We are collecting donations for Fishline! Please drop non-perishable holiday food items in the box by the tree.

THANK YOU for your generous support of the Helpline Senior Advent Giving!

Please return your “Snowflakes” gift cards on or before this Sunday, December 8th. There is a collection basket in the narthex. Blessings!

Mom’s Morning Retreat, a supportive community group for moms, is in need of a regular childcare worker to help watch over children ages five and under, in the Grace nursery during meetings. Meetings take place on the first and third Thursday mornings of every month, beginning December 5. This is a paid position. For more information or to apply, please email Heidi Watson at heidihoo@mac.com.

Saturday, December 7, 2:00 – 7:00 p.m.*
KIAC Christmas Celebration
*note time change

Sunday, December 8th at the 9:30 a.m. service
St. Nicholas Day

Tuesday, December 10, 6 – 8:15 p.m.
Family-Friendly Advent Evening
Potluck dinner followed by Stories, Song, & Compline

December 10 – 12, 11 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
You’re invited to go caroling
to families in our Home Groups.

Sunday, December 15, 9:30 a.m.
Advent Pageant

Tuesday, December 17, 6 – 8:15 p.m.
Family-Friendly Advent Evening
Potluck dinner followed by Stories, Song, & Compline

Sunday, December 22, 10:30 a.m.
Youth White Elephant & Christingles Party

Tuesday, December 24, 5:00
Christmas Eve Family Service
(in person only; childcare provided)

Tuesday, December 24, 9:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
(livestream and in person, no childcare)

Wednesday, December 25, 9:30 a.m.
Christmas Day Service
(in person only)

We need your help this Advent in a variety of joyful roles, from bringing a dish to an Advent dinner to helping a child “on stage” at just the right time for our pageant, to sticking gummy worms into a clementine to create our traditional Christingles! To volunteer for these and a myriad of other beautiful ways to build community this season, please click here.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

As the darkness deepens, we need light. We long for hope. Join us for food, conversation, story, and prayer as we experience God in our midst. 

Come and go as you need: Dinner 6:00 – 7:00; Program 7:00 – 8:15. Families are very welcome! We will be telling stories and experiencing art together. Childcare is available during the program. Bring a dish to share. Please invite friends, family, and neighbors.

The chart below reflects our progress as of this past Tuesday, December 3. We are thankful that 144 households have responded and hopeful that we will continue to receive as many as 65 additional pledges, 22 from current Grace pledging households and another 43 from new pledging households.

Campaign Goal: $750,000
Progress to date    

Households Pledging: 144
Total Amount Pledged: $670,158
Total Match Earned: $22,000
Grand Total to Date: $692,158
Balance Still Needed : $57,842

The Vestry and Finance Committee will be meeting on December 11 to finalize a budget for Grace’s operations in the year to come, so we hope to have all pledges in by then to inform our decisions.

Pledge packets continue to be available in the narthex and pledges can be submitted submitted online or by returning a paper pledge card by mail or in the Sunday collection baskets. If you have questions, please contact Tootie Kuhn, Trustee for Stewardship.

I am asking for your help. As you may recall, Grace is operating this year with a deficit budget. We will manage that deficit by drawing funds from an operations reserve that is invested at Vanguard, a fund on which we earn a return. The longer I can wait to withdraw those funds, the more we earn. If you pledged for 2024 and have paid your pledge already, thank you! If you have not paid your 2024 pledge, it would be an enormous help if you could pay it before year end. That way, we can use those funds to pay December expenses and not have to draw on the reserves until later. By pledging, you have made a gift to Grace, and if you pay before year end, you will be making a second gift by helping us manage our cash flow. If you have questions, contact Deborah Schenk at treasurer@gracehere.org.

This Saturday, December 7, KIAC families will gather at the Bremerton Community Gym for some holiday cheer. There will be activities for kids like face painting, holiday crafts, balloon animals, pictures with Santa, a book corner and lots of delicious food! 

Help make the holidays brighter for our immigrant neighbors by becoming a Holiday Celebration volunteer.

Click here to learn more and sign up.

You may also donate children's books in Spanish, dish soap, or laundry soap. Drop off your donations at KIAC's Bremerton office (lower entrance) before Monday, December 2nd. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Each year during Advent and the Christmas season, we remember and celebrate those we love with gifts of floral arrangements to decorate Grace.

You may contribute to our Seasonal Greens & Flowers Fund by doing any of the following:

• Return a signup form to the office with a check payable to Grace Church and “Seasonal Flowers” in the memo line. Forms are available in the narthex.
• Email your info to office@gracehere.org. Lindsay will follow up for payment info.
• Sign up and pay online at gracehere.org/flowers.

Any donation amount is welcome. Dedications will be listed in our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bulletins.

Deadline to submit names is Sunday, December 15.

Thank you!

Bishop LaBelle shares his thoughts and reflections for this Advent season. “So, I encourage you this Advent to... find new ways to worship or to spend less, to give more, to love all.”

Click the link below to watch his message.

You’re invited to go caroling to families in our Home Groups.

Wednesday, December 10th, Thursday the 11th, and/or Friday the 12th, from 11 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

You can be one of the carolers, or you can enjoy being caroled to. If interested, please contact Wendy Tyner at tynerassociates@aol.com or 206.669.3931.

We will gather at the home of Proctor and Deborah Schenk. A festive main dish of salmon will be provided by Proctor and will be served with your supporting appetizers/side dishes/desserts AND/OR beverages. A donation to the Phinney Fund is encouraged.

Please sign up here by Tuesday, December 10th. If you have questions or want to sign up by phone or email, contact Eric Matthews at eric@ericEmatthews.com or 206.718.2254.

Volunteers are needed to help run the sound system during the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service. No previous experience with sound systems is necessary, and training will be provided. The commitment is once a month. Contact Kim Thompson for more information.

Tuesday, January 14, from 6:30-8:00 pm

Grace is hosting a cohort of 10 to 12 individuals in The Episcopal Church’s new program “Love God, Love God’s World,” which was developed by the Creation Care Ministry. “Love God, Love God’s World” is a nine-session course, each lasting 60 to 75 minutes, patterned upon “Sacred Ground.” The first session to be held at Grace on Tuesday, January 14, from 6:30-8:00 pm. The following sessions will be held via Zoom every two weeks. The sessions will be held in the evening, at a time most convenient to the members of the cohort. As was the case for “Sacred Ground” there will be about 1.5 to 2 hours of material to be reviewed prior to each session. This will include both written and video material.

We invite you to review the curriculum at this link.

Our facilitators for the program are:

Marcy Lagerloef, John Kydd, and Scott Deasy

Please feel free to reach out to Scott at: jscottdeasy@gmail.com or 928.606.2098

Mom’s Morning Retreat, a supportive community group for moms, is in need of a regular childcare worker to help watch over children ages five and under in the Grace nursery during meetings. Meetings take place the first and third Thursday mornings of every month, beginning December 5. This is a paid position. For more information or to apply, please email Heidi Watson.