June 2020 The Monthly Newsle er of Grace Episcopal Church • Hutchinson, Kansas
A BOTH-AND, PUSH-PULL CHURCH Recently, I listened to Fr. Jimmy Abbo , the rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Spring, Texas. He was talking about how their church has responded to and been transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. Like Grace, they turned to online worship as sheltering-in-place orders were ins tuted. And like Grace, they have discovered a number of blessings along the way. For example, many more people are coming together to worship online than they dreamed of. Consequently, while they long for a return to in-person worship and other in-person gatherings, they know that their church and the way it carries out its mission will never return to exactly to the way it was before. Fr. Jimmy says that we live in a both-and world, a world that is both inperson and online, much more than it was just three months ago. Likewise, if the church is going to minister and serve and proclaim the gospel in this world, then the church will also need to become a both-and church. In a similar vein, the Rev. Canon David H. Roseberry writes that “most churches are set up on a gathering model. Members and visitors a end the church on a regular basis. The church has a physical presence and a front door.” Consequently, the focus is o en on ge ng people to come through the church doors to par cipate in worship or a program. This is essen ally a pull model of ministry. But again, because of the coronavirus pandemic, churches have had to adapt. They have become more agile and crea ve, and they have done more pushing ministry out than pulling people in. This is what it means to be missional, and it has been an unintended blessing that we want to keep in mind as in-person worship starts to become an op on again. A new future is emerging where we will need to become a push-pull church, a church where we con nue to pull people into loving, transforming rela onships with God and with other others, but where we do that work more and more by pushing into people’s lives and spaces with the good news of Jesus through our words and ac ons. As Canon Roseberry says, “What if we tried to take the ministry and message of the Gospel and push it out to the members and community so that it lands on their kitchen table?” What an interes ng ques on! Blessings, Fr. Ted+
SERVING CHRIST BY MINISTERING TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY & THE PARISH
GRACE FOOD PANTRY The Food Pantry Fund has a balance of $517. Please bring SPAGHETTI SAUCE for our pantry this month. We have given out 99 bags of groceries so far this year.
JUNE BIRTHDAYS 1 2 5 7
12 13 14 16 17 20 21 23 24 27 28 29
Owen Smith Mackenzie Spears Doug Minner Harris Siller Steve Fontaine Louise Ma hews Joe Withrow Will Tobin Barbara Frizell Gary Barber Toni Co rell Melissa Desemo Judy Franklin Rebekah Blakley Trevor Benne John Milner Ann Adams Brandon Long Wesley Spears Jerry Howard Larry McLeland Mary Alexander
JUNE ANNIVERSARIES 5 9 10 12 24 30
William & Michelle Waln Mike & Pa y Wamsley Brad & Leslie Specht Larry & Toni Co rell Steve & Elaine Fontaine Jeremy & Lacy Stauffacher Jim & Jeanne e Richardson
Please call the church office if we have missed your special day.
During this me of COVID-19 and Sheltering in Place, we have closed our Community Clothes Closet, but we are s ll keeping our food pantry open in this me of food insecurity. We are keeping the church doors locked during office hours, but people needing food can ring the doorbell, and we will bring them a bag of groceries. THANK YOU for con nuing to support this vital ministry, which is just one way we serve Christ by ministering to the needs of the community and the parish.
EPISCOPAL SUMMER CAMP HAS BEEN CANCELLED Episcopal Summer Camp has been canceled this year. The Camp Wood YMCA Board of Directors made the decision to cancel all youth camps and made this statement: “The recent state and local regulaons concerning COVID-19, recommenda ons from the CDC, and the American Camp Associa on simply makes it impossible to provide an experience that meets our standard of care, and quite frankly, gives our campers an experience they’d yearn to come back to. Thus, we feel it is an I’m Third decision of pu ng values and faith first, others second and ourselves, third.” We look forward to returning to camp June 6-12, 2021. —4—
2020 SYLVIA MAYER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS When Sylvia Mayer passed away, she bequeathed a third of her estate to Grace Episcopal Church. Her bequest established the Grace Endowment Fund, which has grown over the years and has help Grace carry out its mission. In gra tude for her though ulness and generosity, the Vestry of Grace established a scholarship fund in Sylvia Mayer’s name as a perpetual memorial. The scholarship is designed “to encourage and reward those young members of our parish who have u lized their God-given talents in a responsible manner, and have been faithful in their worship of God in His Holy Church.” This is a one- me-per-student scholarship, a $1,000 per student, with a maximum of $2,000 to be awarded in a given year. The scholarship commi ee of Sharon Hixson, Mary Treaster and Todd Ray are pleased to announce that HAYLEE LONG and SEAMUS WAMSLEY are this year’s recipients of the Sylvia Mayer Scholarship. This fall, Haylee will a end Hutchinson Community College and Seamus will a end the University of Kansas. We send Haylee and Seamus forth with our love and wishes, our blessings and prayers.
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IN-PERSON EVENING PRAYER ON THE LAWN The Vestry and Fr. Ted are finalizing plans for a safe return to in-person worship in the church building. In the mean me, star ng June 3, we will hold in-person Evening Prayer on the Lawn on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm (weather permi ng). In the name of love, we will wear masks and prac ce physical distancing of at least six feet between household units. B.Y.O.C. Bring Your Own Chairs B.Y.O.PB. Bring Your Own Prayer Book B.Y.O.M. Bring Your Own Masks
ONLINE PRAYER & WORSHIP IN THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST Here is a complete list of our weekly online services. We have made a few changes as we move into the summer months. If you are having any trouble connec ng to our services online, please email or call Fr. Ted (620-314-7520; frted.grace@gmail.com). Please note that all of our Live services are recorded and saved. So, if you miss a service, you can always return to our Facebook page and watch it at your convenience. EVERY EVENING Compline Online at Nine • 9:00 to 9:15 p.m. MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS Centering Prayer • 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. SUNDAYS Living Streaming with Prelude Music begins at 10:05 a.m. Liturgy begins at 10:15 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour via Zoom at 11:15 a.m. 1. Go to zoom.com and click, “Join a Mee ng” 2. Enter Mee ng ID: 813-7391-8852 and click “Join.” 3. Enter password: 236533.
Mike Wamsley leading Evening Prayer. In the background, our re-leaded, reinstalled stained-glass window.
To join these services, go to www. .com/gracechurchhutch.