July 2020 The Monthly Newsle er of Grace Episcopal Church • Hutchinson, Kansas
1500 VIEWS On Tuesday, February 10, our beloved Steven Hawkins passed away. On Saturday that same week, 292 people packed into Grace Episcopal Church to pay their respects. Of those 292 mourners, 87 were gathered together in Parish Hall. They watched and listened to the funeral on the big screen television, which was being streamed via Facebook Live because the sound system from the church to the parish hall was not working. So, in addi on to those in parish hall, there were many others who were able join the service online. Steven’s funeral was the first-ever live-streamed service from Grace. Now there were some minor technical difficul es, and the picture and sound quality wasn’t always great. Some mes the video was blurry, and the sound from the sanctuary to parish hall was on a 30- to 45-second delay. But we got it to work, and people appreciated the effort to include them as best as we could. The video of Steven’s funeral remains on our Facebook page, and as of July 2, there have been 1,509 views. As someone said, Steven is s ll drawing people to Grace. A er his funeral, a few people began asking some ques ons. What could we do to make this be er in the future? What equipment do we need, and what would it cost? Li le did we know then, that on March 15, just one month later, we would discon nue in-person worship and start live-streaming our services, which we have now been doing for nearly four months—including Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. Of course, we would never have chosen to do this on purpose, but we have adapted to the challenges that COVID-19 presents. And in the process, many unexpected blessings that have come our way. For example, because we are now streaming online, we have parishioners—both current and former—joining us from different parts of the country. We have new people joining us from places as far away as Wales and Ireland. We have several parishioners who have been confined to their care facili es these past four months. Yet, they are able to join and par cipate in worship. And I know of at least one member of the parish who, because of ongoing health issues, has not been able to a end regular worship for years, but who now enjoys si ng with their spouse on Sunday mornings as they worship together week a er week, either in the comfort of their living room or in the beauty of crea on as they watch from their pa o. We want these things to connue, and we want to make them be er.
SERVING CHRIST BY MINISTERING TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY & THE PARISH
CHECKS PAYABLE TO: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH MEMO LINE: 1500 VIEWS VIDEO CAMPAIGN
Photo and Streaming by Toni Co rell
So during these past few months, the Vestry has not only been working to establishing procedures to make in-person worship as safe as possible, we have also been inves ga ng technological upgrades that would give us the ability to significantly enhance the efficiency and quality of our online worship and also allow us to do things that we have never done before, both onsite and online. A er seeking professional input, the Vestry has approved a proposal from McClelland Sound in Wichita, who installed our current sound system years ago. Their proposal includes upgrades to both the sanctuary and parish hall. IN OUR SANCTUARY, we will install two cameras with zooming and rota ng capabili es and a switchbox. This setup will allow us to switch between wide-angle views and close ups on the pulpit, the lectern, and the altar. We can also hook up a laptop or a third camera. All of this will be ed into our exis ng sound system, and we will be able to live stream and record any of our worship services, including bap sms, weddings, funerals, and even Christmas musicals! IN PARISH HALL, we will install a camera, a wireless sound system, and new speakers in the ceiling. This will greatly improve our sound quality for large parish gatherings. We will also be able to live stream and record Sunday School, special events, or all parish mee ngs. In addi on, live audio and video feeds will come into parish hall so that when we stream a service from the sanctuary, the audio and video will be high quality and without any me delay. The total cost for this capacity-building ministry upgrade is $22,750. This includes all the equipment, all the installa on, as well as training for anyone who wants to join the Video/Streaming Team. There has already been significant interest in funding this project. One donor came forward months ago and pledged $3,500, and Christopher Bri on has given us his blessing to use $3,400 from Stephen’s Memorial Fund. So, with $6,900 already commi ed, we are nearly a third of the way to our goal. In this coronavirus pandemic, we have a sense that God is nudging Grace to be a both-and, push-pull church: a church that is both in-person and online; a church that is invi ng people into a vital rela onship with God both by pulling them into our community and also by pushing the gospel into their lives right where they are. This pushing isn’t pushy, just lovingly proacve. Of course, this new technology will not do the work for us, but it will make it possible for us to do the work. Therefore, we are invi ng you to join us in our joy and excitement as we seek—even in this season of coronavirus—to expand our mission of serving Christ by ministering to the needs of the community and the parish. We need just $15,850 in funding. So please take me to think about this project and to pray and seek God’s guidance regarding what you can give. If you are moved to join this effort, make your inten ons known by sending a check to the church (or placing it in the offering basket) or sending in a pledge with details regarding how you intend to pay the pledge. You may also call the church office with your pledge or email it to grace.hutch@sbcglobal.net. If you have any ques ons, please contact me (620-314-7520; frted.grace@gmail.com). Blessings, Fr. Ted+
We are excited to bring you virtual Vaca on Bible School this summer, July 20-24 at 6:30 p.m. each evening via Zoom. The theme will be Compassion: for others, for ourselves, and for the world. Interac ve video presenta ons will introduce a new idea each day, and there will be opportuni es for art, cra s, mission, and other ac vi es using a few simple supplies, and more! Children ages 4-12 are invited. This event is FREE, and we would love for you to join us, wherever you are! To register, complete this survey monkey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LSN2M97. Once you register, you will receive email instruc ons to log into Zoom. Other content will be emailed as Compassion Camp approaches. .
IT’S POTATO TIME AT GRACE Episcopal Potatoes to Support Episcopal Youth Support our Grace Youth as they raise funds for their March 2021 pilgrimage to England! These delicious, quality red potatoes will be delivered around the middle of July. Each 15- to 20-pound bag is $30. Half bags are available for $15. You may place your order by calling or emailing the church office, by filling out an order form and pu ng it in the offering plate, or you may order online at nyurl.com/GraceSpuds. Please make your check payable to Grace Episcopal Church (memo line: potatoes). Place it in the offering plate, mail it in, or drop it off at the church office. And thank you for suppor ng the Youth of Grace! Potatoes will be delivered mid-July .
GRACE FOOD PANTRY The Food Pantry Fund has a balance of $442. Please bring CANNED VEGETABLES for our pantry this month.
JULY BIRTHDAYS 2
3 6 8 9 10 12 15 16 21 22 25 26 27 28
Lil Braden Kent Longnecker Lorene Shaffer Rob Kline Warren Hixson Susan Smith Brad Specht Karen Frizell Lucy Steen Susie Ray Clarice McGraw Valerie Hederstedt Ben Nuest Virginia Rayl Stephen Armstrong Mary Weston Charlo e Summers Max Graber Shane Schneider
During this me of COVID-19, 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.
JULY ANNIVERSARIES 14 14 29
Jan & Julie Steen Larry & Diane Steadman Mike & Gin Torrence
Please call the church office if we have missed your special day.
Thank you, Kathy Milliken!
CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED The church office will be closed Monday, July 6th in observance of Independence Day.
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