Summer 2024 Messenger

The Messenger Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Volume 71, No. 2

June–August | Summer 2024

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Summer Sunday Schedule Messages from the Clergy Recreation Update Wellness Events School News

MICAH News Memorials & Honoraria Membership News Stewardship Update and more...

Togetherness and Spiritual Care This summer, the GSL family is privileged to have weekly and occasional ways to be together for worship, community, and connection, which ultimately can benefit spiritual care. From May 26 through August 4, the Summer Sunday Schedule is one 10 a.m.

Holy Eucharist with a sermon and the choir and a 5 p.m. Holy Eucharist in a contemplative setting enhanced by a wide range of guest musicians and without a sermon. (No 5 p.m. service will be offered on May 26.) In addition to worship, Sunday fellowship and an array of large and small group offerings will be announced. Watch the eNews, service leaflet, website, and social media for notices!

While summertime life for many is often slower and allows for more flexibility, the season also creates space for parishioners to spend more time involved in congregational life events. The clergy, staff, and vestry learned from the successful Lenten Community Groups that community and connection can be lifegiving and encouraging. Several ideas are being considered for ways to offer regular and seasonal chances for folks to gather in homes and elsewhere including on campus. Likewise, “community and connection” was a popular theme in last summer’s survey and is reflected in the GSL 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. Stay tuned for important updates about “plan” work already done and in preparation for fall 2024 in life at GSL. Uniquely, summer 2024 also includes planning August 30 to November 30 when I will be away for sabbatical leave and our reunion on December 1, the First Sunday of Advent. Thanks to the efforts of a Sabbatical Programming Committee, meaningful offerings will be outlined for the congregation to take sacred time to reflect on selfcare, lay ministry, and customs that support partnerships between lay and ordained ministers. All individual gifts to the parish sabbatical assistance fund (tinyurl.com/ GSLSabbaticalAssistance) provide honoraria and other expense support for occasional supply and visiting clergy, resources for special congregational programs and events,

and offset expenses associated with some of my travel and continuing education.

I believe that spiritual journeys of followers of Jesus are enriched whenever Christians pray for one another, serve together, and assemble to celebrate and collaborate on the faith that lives in and binds us together. The regular practice of togetherness is bound to encourage us.

Grace-St. Luke’s vision is to be a thriving community of hope, belonging, and healing through worship, parish life, and service, and who rejoices in the love of Jesus to transform the world.

I look forward to focusing on our vision in the coming months and years!

Faithfully and in peace, Ollie+ The Rev. Ollie V. Rencher, Rector 901-252-6320 | orencher@gracestlukes.org

Inside this Issue Altar Flowers & Eucharistic Supplies-------------------------- 10 GSL School News----------------------------------------------- 8-9 Kindness-------------------------------------------------------------3 Music Update-------------------------------------------------------6 Membership News------------------------------------------------ 10 Memorials/Honoraria-------------------------------------------- 10 MICAH--------------------------------------------------------------7 Pastoral Care Opportunities---------------------------------------4 Political Parenting Skill One: Listening -------------------------4 Preparing for Sunday--------------------------------------------- 10 Privacy Policy------------------------------------------------------ 11 Realm Information----------------------------------------------- 11 Recreation & Wellness---------------------------------------------5 Stewardship-------------------------------------------------------- 12 Subscribe to the eNews------------------------------------------ 11 Togetherness and Spiritual Care----------------------------------2 Vision Statement----------------------------------------------------2

Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church Vision Statement

Our Vision is to be a thriving community of hope, belonging, and healing through worship, parish life, and service, and who rejoices in the love of Jesus to transform the world.

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Kindness As we move into summer rhythms, may we be encouraged to know kindness and share kindness to one another. As poet Naomi Shihab Nye says so beautifully, “…it is only kindness that makes sense anymore.”

“Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth.

What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness.

How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop, the passengers eating maize and chicken will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho lies dead by the side of the road.

You must see how this could be you, how he too was someone who journeyed through the night with plans and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

You must speak to it till your voice catches the thread of all sorrows and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore, only kindness that ties your shoes and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread, only kindness that raises its head from the crowd of the world to say It is I you have been looking for, and then goes with you everywhere like a shadow or a friend.

From Words Under the Words: Selected Poems Peace, Laura+ The Rev. Laura F. Gettys Associate Rector for Community Engagement 901-252-6329 | lgettys@gracestlukes.org May 26 through August 4 provides an opportunity to deepen community and connection. Join us for one of our two Sunday offerings (10 a.m., 5 p.m.), as well as 9:15-9:45 Breakfast by the Crossmen & Fellowship. All are invited to stay a while after the 10 a.m. service for Fellowship & Refreshments.

Summertime at GSL will offer these and occasional offerings to celebrate our life of faith together.

Visit gracestlukes.org/summer.

Explore this issue for other important dates and subscribe to our weekly eNews (gracestlukes.org/subscribe) for updates including additional offerings and news.

The Messenger | Summer 2024 | 3

Pastoral Care Opportunities

Political Parenting Skill One: Listening

Greetings friends,

“Listening is a creative force.

Something quite wonderful occurs when we are listened to fully. We expand, ideas come to life and grow, we remember who we are. Some speak of this force as a creative fountain within us that springs forth; others call it the inner spirit, intelligence, true self. Whatever this force is called, it shrivels up when we are not listened to and it thrives when we are.” –Kay Lindahl

Lately, the clergy, staff and vestry at GSL have been reviewing strategic plans and goals for the next few years. One of those goals involves increasing pastoral care to our members, something close to my heart. I thought it might be helpful to reflect on some of the ways we already offer pastoral care, as well as to suggest some other opportunities that you may not be as familiar with.

Currently we have three pastoral care teams, with a team meeting every other week. At these meetings we share a list of pastoral care contacts, including those who are elderly or have mobility challenges and cannot make it to church regularly, those who have had a surgery or given birth to a child, and those who have had a death in the family. The members on our teams then take on a few contacts to reach out to by phone, email, personal visit, or handwritten card over the following week. We also deliver meals to help those who are dealing with a surgery, a recent death, or a newborn.

Clergy make calls and visits to folks also, and we’re happy to meet with and pray with people before and after a surgery. And, we’re happy to meet just to have conversation about life, spirituality, and faith.

We also have a team of trained Eucharistic Visitors, who take Communion monthly to those members, usually older parishioners, who can’t make it to church regularly. And, it’s not uncommon for clergy to make a pastoral visit and take Communion to those who have missed church recently because of a surgery or illness. Clergy are also happy to anoint people with holy oil with prayers for healing and strength whenever you’re facing a health issue, preparing for surgery, or recovering from an injury. In past times, Communion visits and anointing with oil were mistakenly assumed to be just for those who were dying, but since the 1979 Prayer Book, the Church has been clear that these are helpful sacramental practices throughout the Christian life, not just at the end of it.

And, here are some other opportunities you might not have thought of: a blessing for a new home, blessing of a pregnancy, blessing of a newborn or recently adopted child, prayers for a newly adopted pet or a pet preparing for surgery, and prayers for the burial of a pet. There are others, but those are some pastoral moments close to my heart from my own ministry over the past 16 years.

If you could use some pastoral care, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Blessings, Jesse+ The Rev. Dr. Jesse W. Abell, Associate Rector for Pastoral Care 901-252-6330 | jesse.abell@gracestlukes.org

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“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

–Simone Weil One of the biggest struggles I have as an educator, minister, leader, and parent is to quiet my heart and mind enough to truly listen. And the word “truly” is important. I learned to scan read effectively through Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book, and overall, the ability to scan read books is a vital skill.

And, when you scan, or worse, skim, we inevitably miss things.

Dr. Ellen Davis, a Hebrew Bible/Old Testament professor at Duke Divinity School, has written and lectured on the need “to read slowly, to read carefully, spiritually and thoughtfully.”

As a practice, Dr. Davis lectures directly from the Hebrew text, making her translate on the go. Often, she makes notes as she lectures, noting when she has expanded the meaning range of a word or word order. This is all in response to a careful, attentive reading of the text, with the hope of transformation.

When I think of the ways we, as followers of Jesus, some of whom have children, can have an impact on our parish, Midtown community, and beyond, is simply to become attentive listeners, always eager to hear and learn. And attentiveness means a willingness to ask hard questions about beliefs and private & public policies untrue, harmful, or wicked. Listening, the ability to quiet the inner noise and ego (often the same) to receive the language of another, through spoken and bodily communications, allows us to live wisely in our world. Dr. Davis translated Genesis 1:26, not as translators who have followed the trajectory of the King James Version, as let us make humans and “give them dominion…” “Let them rule over…” “Let them reign over.” Rather, Davis translates, “Let us make the humans in our image and likeness and let them exercise wise and discerning stewardship” and collaboration with the creation. The difference between tender care and domination is massive East and West.

Yet, it is only through close, careful, slow reading and listening that we can move below the surface of a Bible text or a person.

(Read full article online at gracestlukes.org/news/posts/politicalparenting-skill-one-listening.)

Anthony Calzia, Director of Children and Family Ministry 901-252-6321 | acalzia@gracestlukes.org

Recreation & Wellness

gracestlukes.org/recreation-and-wellness

Recreation Fall Soccer & Flag Football What to Expect

A player on Coach King’s soccer team (his son) COMPLETELY focused as the goalkeeper. Look at that form and grit! I would say this is a perfect picture of a player “giving it his heart and soul!”

To learn more, visit gracestlukes.org/ youthsoccerandfootball.

At the beginning of the season Coach Shipley, the 3rd/4th girls’ soccer coach, told his players that they had some opportunities to earn points for listening, making good passes and shots, and overall playing the game to the best of their ability. The girls said if they reach 100 points they wanted the coach to wear a cow costume and he agreed! Well, apparently, the girls reached their 100-point goal! THEN the girls said they were going for 200 points, AND you know what that means?! Coach Shipley better get ready to wear the cow costume again!

Coach Lowe’s 3rd/4th boys’ baseball team posed for a group picture at one of their practices. It’s ALWAYS a GREAT day for baseball.

They are having a BLAST!

Wellness Kayak Trip in June. Join us on Saturday, June 8, for an afternoon of kayaking with the Blue City Kayaking Company. We’ll have our own Bluff City Kayaking Tour Guide to show us around some super cool parts of the Wolf River and kayaks will be provided. We’ll dock on the river for lunch, take a swim, and relax during our lunch break. This is a family-friendly (good for beginners) activity and we encourage all to join us. Please look in upcoming announcements for sign-up details and more.

Eco-Friendly Waterwise Gardening Seminar with Urban Earth Gardens and Nursery in July. Master Gardener, Teacher, and Instructor Extraordinaire Lauren Gentry from Urban Earth Gardens and Nursery will demonstrate how to garden in drier areas without excessive supplemental watering, and how to navigate areas that maintain more water and moisture. She’ll discuss container gardening options for people who travel or simply don’t want to water every day. There will also be a hands-on portion with planting your own pot with succulents, etc. All will leave with their own handmade pot project! The class is approximately 2 hours.

Please look in upcoming announcements for sign-up details and more.

Christi Authement Recreation and Wellness Director 901-252-6325 | cauthement@gracestlukes.org

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Music

gracestlukes.org/music

GSL Music Update Join Summer Choir! Come try the Grace-St. Luke’s Choir for the summer. We sing each summer Sunday at the 10 a.m. Eucharist and rehearse before at 9:15 a.m. If you can match pitch and have a basic knowledge of music, let us do the rest! Our liturgies at GSL are, in part, beautiful because of the music offered by the choir—but we always need new members! Please be in contact with either me or Debbie Smith for more information. We’d love to have you!

Summer Sunday Contemplative Communion at 5 p.m. In addition to our weekly 10 a.m. choral services, we’ll continue the 5 p.m. Contemplative Communion service. It’s a perfect opportunity to have a more intimate service, often with music and sometimes just a simple spoken service. It’s a great opportunity if you’ve just arrived back into town from a weekend trip and would like to partake in the Holy Eucharist. Our summer schedule of guest musicians includes Estefan Perez, cello; Benjamin Minden-Birkenmaier, guitar; Stephen Lee, jazz piano; and Jeanne Simmons, flute.

The schedule is available here: gracestlukes.org/music.

Dunwoody United Methodist Church Youth Choir, June 27, at 7 p.m. The Youth Choir from Dunwoody UMC (Atlanta, GA) will spend a week in Memphis at the end of June doing service-learning projects and partnering with Memphis organizations to help those in need. We’re lucky to host them in concert as a part of that tour on June 27 at 7 p.m. As a product of youth choir tours, it means so much to students to have an audience for their concerts. Please plan to attend and show your support of these young people spending a week doing good work in our beautiful city!

The 18th annual Belvedere Chamber Music Festival will be held at GraceSt. Luke’s June 19-22. Concerts are each evening Wednesday through Saturday at 7 and on Friday and Saturday afternoons at 3. The Belvedere Festival is produced by Luna Nova Music (www.lunanova.org) for the purpose of featuring masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries as well as new works by young, aspiring composers. It features twenty performers from Memphis and around the country. Some of the composers included in this year’s festival are Bach, Bartok, Britten, Barber, as well as a number of others. Concerts last approximately an hour with no intermission. All are free and open to the public. There will be an opening reception in Trezevant Hall after the concert on Wednesday night. The Belvedere Festival is designed to appeal to chamber music lovers everywhere. Additional details are here: gracestlukes.org/events/event/belvedere-chamber-music-festival-2024.

Dr. Patrick A. Scott, Director of Music and Organist| 901-252-6323 | pscott@gracestlukes.org Artistic Director, Memphis Boy & Girl Choir | memphisboyandgirlchoir.org

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Justice

gracestlukes.org/justice

MICAH Update There is a parable that tells the story of some villagers walking by a river when they see bodies floating down it. The people start grabbing the bodies to save them, while one person runs upstream. Someone asks, “Where are you going? We have to save the bodies.”

The other person replies, “I’m going to see why the bodies are falling in the river.” (This parable is credited to Desmund Tutu, but I heard it from the Rev. Laura Gettys.)

While it is important to save the bodies (meet the immediate needs), it’s equally important to seek change so that the bodies don’t fall in the river (policy reform and systemic changes).

MICAH seeks policy reform for long-term, sustainable change.

There are now 93 organizations that are part of the MICAH (Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope) community. These groups are primarily local churches, but there are also sororities and healthcare and justice organizations that have come together to affect change in our community. MICAH has three pillars of focus: Education Equity; Economic Equity; and Race and Class Equity in the Justice System with task forces working on specific actions in each area.

This summer we will continue to focus on the “Get Out the Vote” campaign by hosting a postcard party at GSL Sunday, June 23, after the 10 a.m. service. There will be time for fellowship and lunch as we fill out postcards to be mailed to voters reminding them to vote in this critical election for school board members. Additionally, there are other voter engagement activities such as door to door canvassing, phone banks, and poll worker training. We need you!

If you’d like to receive more information, please sign up for MICAH Core Group in Realm (onrealm.org/ gracestlukes) and / or MICAHmemphis.org. You will get MICAH updates so that you are in the know and can plug in where you’re interested. We will pause for the summer our second Wednesday of the month meetings, but our justice work continues through the summer!

Contact Barb Frazer, Murray McKay, or the Rev. Laura Gettys via Realm (onrealm.org/gracestlukes) for more information.

–Submitted by Barb Frazer

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Grace-St. Luke's School www.gslschool.org

News from GSL School We enjoyed so many fun activities at GSL this spring! Third Graders did a fantastic job helping the school prepare for Easter with their annual Stations of the Cross presentation.

We all learned more about the traits of good citizenship from our fourth graders—and Bishop Phoebe Roaf, our special guest speaker—at the annual Fourth Grade Citizenship Breakfast. The parent community (including some grandparents, faculty, and alumni) celebrated their love for GSL by supporting, sponsoring, and attending the annual Anchor Auction. And from Preschool’s annual Gardening Day to Lower & Middle School’s first-ever Earth Day Palooza, the entire school joined forces to celebrate Earth Day, beautify our campus, and reflect on ways we can better protect and care for our planet.

In May, we recognized students and selected faculty at two special year-end ceremonies—Honors Chapel and 8th Grade Graduation. We extend a huge thank-you as always to the GSL clergy and staff for the important role they play in these academic ceremonies that celebrate our outstanding students. We are always happy to be able to welcome families and guests to Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church for our two most important springtime events.

In admissions news, at the time of this writing we have already enrolled 450+ students. With continued high interest in GSL, we expect that number to keep moving up over the summer. Spots in selected grades are still available. If you know someone looking at schools for this fall (or for the future), please encourage them to call us. We have a phenomenal academic and extracurricular program to offer! For more information, contact Head of School Andy Surber or Director of Enrollment Shelly McGuire at 901-278-0200, or visit gslschool.org/admissions. Happy summer!

Father Ollie Rencher, Bishop Phoebe Roaf, Head of Lower School Marti McCloud and Head of School Andy Surber at the annual Fourth Grade Citizenship Breakfast

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Grace-St. Luke's School

www.gslschool.org

Upcoming School Events May 28-31:

Bridge Week Care; Summer Office Hours Begin: 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

June 3-August 2: SummerFest Camps Begin (open to boys and girls in Grades JK–8, regardless of school affiliation; scan QR code for more information!)

July 1-5: School Office Closed; No SummerFest August 1: Regular Office Hours Resume: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Admin & New Faculty Report to Campus August 5: All Faculty Return Class of 2020 College Sendoff Lunch August 6: Opening Faculty Meeting and Eucharist August 9: New Student Orientation Sessions August 12: First Day of School August 16: Dress Uniform Day; Opening Convocation August 18: Episcopal School Sunday August 22: Back-to-School Night

Scan here for SummerFest 2024!

Third graders acted out the Stations of the Cross for the GSL school community during Holy Week.

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Altar Flowers, Eucharistic Supplies During Worship Grace-St. Luke’s provides two meaningful ways to remember loved ones during worship services: altar flowers and Eucharistic supplies given in their memory or honor. Flowers are $215 per Sunday, which one or more persons may share in giving, and Eucharistic supplies (wafers, wine, candle oil) are $25 per week. To explore and make payments to reserve available dates, including dates that may hold significance and have been reserved by you in the past, contact Communications Associate Lucy Owens (901-252-6333, lowens@gracestlukes. org. Your request must be made no later than two weeks in advance of the desired Sunday; further in advance may show more available dates. Once the date is confirmed, please issue payment for the appropriate fee either online or mail a check to the parish office. Your donation must be received for the reservation to be considered complete, and for the acknowledgement to be printed in the Sunday leaflet.

Baptisms at Grace-St. Luke’s The sacrament of Holy Baptism will be administered in public worship at Grace-St. Luke’s on November 3 (All Saints’ Sunday). For more information on scheduling a baptism, contact Membership and Stewardship Associate Chapman Morrow (901-252-6328, cmorrow@gracestlukes.org).

Memorials and Honoraria Honorarium (through May 8, 2024)

• Nedra Wick by Rebecca Locke

Memorials (through May 8, 2024)

• Brian Llewellen Davies by Candice & Marty Carr, Ginger & Dabney Collier, Ruthie Lentz (for MTAM), Elizabeth & James Horner, Judy Douglass, Paula & Cliff Barnes, Millicent Stillwell, Ebet & Clayton Peeples, Penelope Register, Ann & Dan Eason • Robert Bonner Norcross by Brenda & Rick Puloma, Patti Newsom Lewis, Paula & Cliff Barnes, Rachael & Chilton Simmons, Candice & Marty Carr, Tina & Michael Niclosi, Leigh Ann & Dennis Elrod, Anne Craig & Kirk Bobo, Alice & Charles Crawford, Connie Wooten, Scott Fleming, Kim & Joel Johnson, Mary & Bob Loeb, Becky Boone, Sue & George Beley, Ruthie Lentz (for MTAM), Ginger & Dabney Collier, Sharon & Kelly Truitt, Jackie & Keith Kays, Michael Malone, LRK, Inc., Mrs. W. Neely Mallory Jr., Pete Shearon, Wight Boggs • Carolyn Teel Gardiner by Chapman Morrow, Mary Linda & Lee Wardlaw, Ebet Carrière Peeples, Paula & Cliff Barnes, Patti Newsom Lewis, Candice & Marty Carr, Debbie & Larry Whitlock, Judy & Harold Berner, Lucy Owens • James Richard Briscoe by Joshua K. Fowler • Robbie Walker McQuiston by Cynthia & Andrew Saatkamp • Jim Surber by Jenn & Ryan Gibbs • Iver Arnold by Leigh Ann Blakely, Chapman Morrow • Hammond Cole by Jane & Mackie Gober • Sandra Garner Ireland by Lee Nix, Ruth Lentz, The Hartney Family, Jimpsie Ayres, Chapman Morrow, Barney Rolfes, Lucy Owens • John Harvey Viser III by Patti Newsom Lewis, Chapman Morrow, Denise Taylor, Candice & Marty Carr, Lucy Owens

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Preparing for Sunday Follow this link (gracestlukes.org/discover/this-sundays-texts) for access to Sunday lectionary readings online where you may reflect and pray with them at any time. You can view and print the current Sunday’s readings as well as last Sunday’s and next Sunday’s. Readings automatically update each Monday morning. Also offered are an overview, scripture backgrounds, a reflection, and prayer starters to enhance your worship experience.

Membership News Transfer In (through April 30)

• Sue Wells • Sally Klarr Aldrich from St. Andrew’s Episcopal/Second Presbyterian, Memphis • Bill Tappan from St. John’s, Helena, Arkansas, and Abby Tappan

Transfer Out (through April 30)

• Ann Finch to Christ the King, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida • Ellen Wills Ball and Charlie Ball to First Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa, Alabama • Rachel Smith and Hannah Smith Antinozzi to St. George’s, Germantown • Amzie Williams to Holy Communion, Memphis • Bill Pichette to St. Peter’s, Chattanooga • Avie Hamilton and Stella Hamilton to St. John’s, Memphis

Holy Baptism (3/31/24)

• John Clark Meagle, son of Natalie and Kevin Meagle • Bradford Hamilton Larson, son of Kirkland Bible and Sisco Larson

Births (through April 30)

• McGowin “Mac” Raines Hendry, son of Ashlee & Bryce Hendry, grandson of Ellen & Ian Hendry, and great-grandson of Florence McGowin (4/30/24)

Confirmations, Receptions, Reaffirmation (4/21/24)

• Malle Carrasco-Harris, Anna Chiozza, Oliver Cobb, IV, Paul Cowan, Melanie French, Jaron Kloap, Katy Kloap, Lynn Petry, Wright Prather, Jeffrey Rice (St. Philip’s), Will Ross, Erim Sarinoglu, Garner Smythe, Semmes Vaughn, Stewart Vaughn, Sue Wells, and Jana Larson

Burials, Committals, & Deaths (through May 7) • Nancy Manley Perrine (Died 1/28/24; Service 2/23/24) • Preston Sanford Czupryk (Died 2/25/24; Burial 3/2/24) • Dan Milton Phillips (Died 3/8/24; Service 4/20/24) • Sandra Garner Ireland (Died 4/9/24) • John Harvey Viser III (Died 4/21/24; Service 5/2/24) • Francis Hammond Cole III (Died 2/14/24; Burial 3/22/24)

On the Cover

Worship & Formation

gracestlukes.org/worship | gracestlukes.org/discover SUNDAYS May 26–August 4 *Nursery for infants through three-year-olds, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

9:15–9:45 a.m. Breakfast by the Crossmen & Fellowship 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Sermon and Choir, Livestreamed includes Children’s Chapel and return to families at the Peace 11 a.m. Fellowship & Refreshments 4–4:50 p.m. More Than A Meal Outreach, Trezevant Hall 5 p.m. Contemplative Holy Eucharist No 5 p.m. on May 26

Parish Office Hours

Summer Hours: Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Friday: During the summer, the Clergy-Staff Team works remotely.

Office Hours beginning August 5: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

901-272-7425 | 901-252-6334 Pastoral Emergencies

Parish Clergy & Staff

www.gracestlukes.org/welcome/clergy-and-staff The Rev. Ollie V. Rencher, Rector The Rev. Laura F. Gettys, Associate Rector The Rev. Dr. Jesse W. Abell, Associate Rector The Rev. Anne S. Carrière, Priest Associate The Rev. Jessica T. Abell, Deacon Christi Authement, Recreation and Wellness Director John Barnum, Director of Finance and Operations Anthony Calzia, Director of Children and Family Ministry Patricia Gray, Lead Volunteer Receptionist Abby Huber, Congregational Life Associate and Assistant to the Rector Chapman Morrow, Membership and Stewardship Associate Lucy Owens, Communications Associate Dr. Patrick A. Scott, Director of Music and Organist Debbie Smith, Assistant Organist-Choirmaster Jess Steenbergen, Youth Formation Associate Chris Swenson, Facilities Manager Darling “D” Thomas, Lead Facilities Assistant Dianna Wright, Facilities Assistant

2024 Vestry

www.gracestlukes.org/vestry 2024: Bill Abernathy, Karen Clark, Beth Perkins, Hallie Peyton (Senior Warden), Rudy Williams 2025: Jennifer Gibbs (Clerk), Ruthie Lentz, Price Peacock, Matt Sights (Junior Warden), and Hal Wright 2026: Dawn Currica, Jerry Hudson, Jim McCall, Terry Trojan, Susanna Weston Treasurer: Phil Ashford; Parish Chancellor: Steven King

Pastoral Care

Sharing and Responding to Concerns. To alert the clergy of a pastoral matter concerning yourself or a member, including any medical procedures, contact the clergy confidentially via 901-252-6330 or pastoralcare@gracestlukes.org. For hospitalizations or emergencies concerning a member, contact the 24/7 Clergy-on-Call phone line at 901-252-6334. This is the best way to communicate pastoral needs and ensure a prompt response from a member of the clergy or pastoral care team. Lay Pastoral Care Coordinators: Natalie Davis and Beth Perkins.

A picture from Easter Day taken by parishioner Holley McGehee.

More pictures of life at GSL at flickr.com/gracestlukes.

Look for GRACESTLUKES in Cyberspace.

Church website:- gracestlukes.org Facebook: - - - - facebook.com/gracestlukes X.com: - - - - - - x.com/gracestlukes Instagram: - - - - instagram.com/gracestlukes Vimeo: - - - - - - vimeo.com/gracestlukes Pinterest: - - - - - pinterest.com/gracestlukes Flickr: - - - - - - - flickr.com/gracestlukes YouTube: - - - - youtube.com/gracestlukes

Realm Connect for GSL Realm is a GREAT WAY to connect to other parishioners. Rather than print members’ emails and phone numbers in our publications on the internet, we encourage connecting through Realm. Realm is the church’s ministry platform through which you can update your own profile, keep in touch with others, learn about upcoming events, stay involved in groups, and more. Text START to 901-676-9013 to Opt In to Receive One-Way Texts from GSL. In addition to replying to opt-in email requests, the simplest way to opt in to receive One-Way Texts from GSL via Realm is to text START to 901-676-9013. Your mobile number must be added to your Realm profile for this to work.

If you’re not certain that we have your mobile number, please contact Communications Associate Lucy Owens. For questions or more information, visit gracestlukes.org/realm or reach out to Abby Huber (ahuber@gracestlukes.org, 901-252-6336) or Lucy Owens (lowens@ gracestlukes.org, 901-252-6333).

GSL eNews Missing your weekly eNews? Check your spam folders! We have switched to an email service, MailChimp, to send out our eblasts. If you are not getting eNews emails, they are most likely going to your spam or junk folder. Be sure to add gsl@gracestlukes.org to your address book. Need help getting them to NOT go in your spam folder?

Contact Lucy Owens, 901-252-6333 or lowens@gracestlukes.org.

Privacy Policy & Photo Opt-Out Form Grace-St. Luke’s privacy policy and photo opt-out form may be found on the GSL website at www.gracestlukes.org/privacy-policy.

Support Groups at GSL AA meetings: Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous: Sundays, 7 p.m.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: Saturdays at noon Contact: Lucy Owens lowens@gracestlukes.org or 901-252-6333

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Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church 1720 Peabody Avenue Memphis, Tennessee 38104-6124 901-272-7425, 901-272-9833 (fax)

gsl@gracestlukes.org, www.gracestlukes.org

The Messenger of Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church (USPS 778-900)-published quarterly by Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1720 Peabody Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38104. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: send address changes to GraceSt. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1720 Peabody Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, (901) 272-7425, email gsl@gracestlukes.org. Lucy Owens, Editor.

Grace-St. Luke's Church benefits from financial gifts to support our life and ministries: visit www.gracestlukes.org/onlinegiving.

POSTMASTER: Please do not hold. Dated Material.

Stewardship

gracestlukes.org/give Thanks to all who’ve made generous commitments of time, treasure, and talent to our parish for 2024! Your gifts directly support the mission and many essential ministries of Grace-St. Luke’s. When you give of your time and talent to pastoral care, cooking teams, or children & family ministries, for example, you are directly enriching the lives of our church family through your cards, meals, and fellowship. When you give of your treasure, you are making our amazing ministries possible. Your dollars become cans on the shelves of the food pantry, meals for guests at More Than A Meal, welcoming facilities, and paychecks for our dedicated staff and clergy.

Our community is strongest when everyone contributes to its support: every parishioner can make a difference, and every pledge counts. Thus far for 2024, we’ve received 247 pledges totaling $1,355,637.

By pledging your support, you help ensure that Grace-St. Luke’s continues to offer hope, hospitality, and healing to our community and world. If you’ve not already done so, please prayerfully consider how you might invest in life at GraceSt. Luke’s and make your pledge for 2024 by returning a Pledge Form to the church office, placing it in the alms basin (offering plate), or pledging online at gracestlukes.org/pledge.

Thank you for your generosity!

Chapman Morrow Membership and Stewardship Associate 901-252-6328 | cmorrow@gracestlukes.org