The Growing Grace committee was formed in 2024 in response to a felt need by Grace’s leadership to expand our membership while also sustaining our community’s spiritual growth. Our newest iteration of this committee has been strategically and prayerfully grappling with the question, “How may we become more welcoming?”

To that end, we’re making strides toward welcoming our newcomers. We have plans to improve our physical space, such as updating our signage. We’ve also been asking questions about what people are looking for in a spiritual community.

You can help us by inviting a friend or neighbor to church, or to one of our faith formation events, such as Tuesday Lenten evenings. Consider introducing yourself to someone at Grace you haven’t yet met and inviting them to coffee hour. Or get to know our children better by volunteering to help in Sunday School. We are grateful for the way our community looks out for the visitors among us. Together we will continue to build the Kingdom of God, one loving invitation at a time.

And we're seeing new faces at Grace. At our most recent Newcomers Dinner, we had twelve adults and five children. Thanks to Membership Lead Liz Shaw-Powell, and the team of Welcomers, for hosting this lovely event!

Warmly,
Kim Cockroft, for the Growing Grace Committee

Rev. Eric shared this message titled "Grounding Ourselves" on March 21. 

Grounding Ourselves

Dear People of Grace, 

"Do not be afraid."  Jesus said this to his disciples even though there was legitimate cause for concern.  "Don't be afraid. Follow me."  It was a brilliant redirection. When threatened, our amygdala focuses on the danger and the need to fight, flee or freeze. The threat becomes our primary concern, and it captures our attention. That gives the threat a lot of power.  Jesus set his disciples free from that power by inviting them to instead shift their gaze, focus on him and ground themselves in a different way of being.  His desire was their flourishing rather than their domination.  "Follow me."  It is an invitation into freedom.  

Our current moment is one where there is legitimate cause for concern; many are experiencing high levels of anxiety. An incredible amount of change is happening all around us, some of it destructive, some of it potentially good, all of it heightening our vulnerability in the face of forces we cannot control. We benefit from the power of community, not being alone, grounding ourselves in something solid amid the flux. It's a time when we need to draw upon spiritual resources for the courage and strength to get us through.  

So, ground yourselves. Rely on your church and the spiritual resources it offers (click the Spiritual Resources link below). Deepen your prayer and meditation practices. Improve your conscious contact with the Divine. Cultivate spiritual companionship. Follow in the way of Jesus and discover how your gifts and talents can bless the world. Grow in grace.  

And, ultimately, "Love your neighbor."  Jesus taught his disciples that this was the way to their freedom.  It is a paradox, yet core to our spiritual journey. Growing Grace is an initiative to help us step deeper into this paradox. By loving our neighbor and welcoming the stranger into our midst, we grow more deeply into being who we are meant to be. The Growing Grace team is working to help us improve our systems and practices for inviting our neighbors, and welcoming and integrating them into our community.  

In the latest iteration, we will be working on improving our exterior signage. We will designate some guest parking to intentionally create space for visitors. We will redesign our narthex area, develop a newcomer orientation class, and liturgically celebrate new members to Grace.  Rituals are important practices that help solidify a sense of belonging.  

Grace is growing. 13 adults and 5 children attended our last Newcomer's Dinner.  People connected and stepped deeper into community, and it felt good.  As we grow, a need has become increasingly apparent.  We've had several families check Grace out as a potential church, and they have been disappointed to find that we don't have an active ministry for adolescents. They search for a place that will help their teenagers to grow spiritually. This is an area where we have an opportunity to hire a part-time, talented Youth Minister to assist us in developing a youth program. We have many adolescents who are associated with Grace, and Kim Cockroft and several volunteers have done their best to create events like the youth sandwich making for Union Gospel Mission or the monthly Youth Cafe Night at Coquette.  This has created some momentum but building a ministry to adolescents requires a focused and sustained attention that Kim and those volunteers are not able to give.  A part-time Youth Minister would help us do that. I am going to advocate with the Vestry that we find some way to help fund such a position, whether that's through fundraising or using some of our considerable reserves. I invite your feedback.

"I call you friends."  This may be one of the most profound things Jesus said to his followers. It too is an affirmation of our freedom. May it be so. 

Peace, 

Rev. Eric