Archive for October, 2011

Vestry Nominations for 2012

We are conducting an open call for those interested in serving on Grace
Church’s Vestry. The Vestry is the decision-making body of a parish. Our
Vestry members are elected to three-year terms and meet once a month (usually
on the fourth Monday evening). Any confirmed member of the congregation
(in good standing), who is not closely related to a staff member or ongoing
vestry member, is eligible for nomination. The Vestry Nominating Committee
will present a slate of five nominees for election at our Parish Annual Meeting
on February 12, 2012. If you have further questions or would like to be
considered for nomination, please contact the Rev. Libby Wade or one of the
our outgoing Vestry members, who form the Nominating Committee: Michael
Cochran, Johnette Mends-Cole, Phil Counts, Genie Drossos, and Todd Jones.
A Vestry Job Description can be found on our website:
www.gracepaducah.net/resources-2/vestry/
The deadline for submitting names to the committee is December 1, 2011.

PCM recently challenged Grace Church to give one container of soup per
family per Sunday from October through December! Our 2nd-5th Grade
Sunday School Class has eagerly taken the lead with this project. In January,
the class hopes to make a field trip to Paducah Cooperative Ministry (PCM)
to learn more about how our gift of food will benefit others. Here’s what the
class decided the parish needs to know about this project:

"We can almost taste the love!"

Goal: 515 Containers of Soup by January 1, 2012
Who will we help? The poor.
Why do people need food? To survive and keep from dying.
What are our favorite soups? Chicken Noodle, Chicken & Dumplings,
Clam Chowder, Minestrone, Chili, Beef Stew, Beef Vegetable, Potato,
Broccoli & Cheese, Tomato (does that give you any ideas of what to bring?).
How will we reach our goal? By our whole church working together!
Where do people put the soup they bring? During the week, soup may be
placed in the Food Pantry near the Men’s Restroom in the office hallway. On
Sunday, place soup in one of the bright green storage tubs near the front door
or the Fletcher Hall door of the church.
When? Every family, every Sunday! The Project ends on January 1, 2012.
How will this class help? Make a sign to identify the Food Pantry, write
newsletter articles, make a poster, count the soup each week, present some
of the soup at the offertory in the 9:45 worship service as a symbol of our
food offering.

Remember: “Every Family, Every Sunday!”
–Submitted by: Sarah, Kendall, Kiersten, Sophie, Frannie,
Libby, Jake, Ava, and Alexis.

Stewardship Campaign for 2012

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill

Christian Stewardship is the grateful, joyful and responsible use of God’s gifts to do the work He is calling us to do. Our offering options are “The Three Ts” – time, talent and treasure. In the months before Thanksgiving, appropriately, Grace Church asks us to make a specific and formal financial commitment.

Let’s adopt a GRATEFUL, JOYFUL and positive approach to pledging, rather than an April 15th tax mentality or the end-of-the-year budget “left-overs”. I encourage you to put giving to Grace at the top of your financial priorities and make your pledge an intentional one!

What’s different this year? In addition to our annual pledge, which supports the mission and ministry of the parish, we will be asked to make an extraordinary gift to fund the new organ, and be reminded about the ultimate gift of remembering Grace in our planned giving.

Let’s have some fun! Parish parties will be held on three different Sundays, October 16th, 23rd and 30th after church (“balance the budget brunch”) and early evening (“stewardship supper”). Each member will be invited to attend one event for food, fellowship, and discussions with members of the staff and Vestry. Pledge information packets will be available. Please contact the church office if you have a specific date and time you wish to attend, or if you would like to be a host.

Charting our pledge progress will be done “Day by Day”. Using a 2012 faith-based budget of $450,000, the daily cost of operating Grace Church is $1250. As pledges are returned, we will check off each day that is funded. Celebration Sunday will be on All Saints, November 6th. Our challenge – can we check off all 365 days??!!

Stewardship Campaign for 2012
Juliette Grumley, chairman

Check out our GIVING page for more information about making your 2012 pledge today!