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8
Grace
NOTES
,
394 North Haywood Sreet Waynesville, NC 28786
Vol. VI, # 1, January 2013
Office: gracewaynesville@msn.com
Editor: wstecher@mindspring.com
Services of
Holy Eucharist
828-456-6029
Rector: The Rev. Arlene Lukas
Web page: www.gracewaynesville.com
Our Chrismon Tree
“C
hrismon.” The first time I heard this word was shortly after I began my
ministry
here at Grace Church, four and a half years ago. We were preparing to
Sunday
decorate
a very large, exquisitely beautiful tree, freshly cut and delivered from the
8:00 AM...Rite II
McKay tree farm here in town. Peter brought out of storage from downstairs a box
10:30 AM...Rite II
of unusual ornaments, carefully wrapped to preserve the delicate materials of which
with music
they were made. As each one emerged, so did the story of how they came about.
Nursery Care Available
It seems that “way back when,” Florence Thatcher (after whom Thatcher Hall was named) had heard
about an idea taking hold of the imaginations of Lutherans in Danville, Virginia, and she shared it with the
Wednesday
Marthas Guild. So our dear ladies bought a book of patterns and began making chrismons. Even Nasdaq,
12:00 noon
Isabel Harris’ dog, came faithfully week after week as white beads were strung together, gold glitter and
Healing Service
sequins applied to silk-covered boards, and metallic cord glued to carefully traced shapes.
with Communion
Chrismons cannot be store-bought. They must be handmade, and in this day of mass production, the
time and talent that were involved in their creation are gifts beyond measure. The ornaments are also a
************************** unique way for one generation to pass on their Christian faith to all those generations who follow, for
INSIDE THIS ISSUE each ornament is a religious symbol for the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, his ancestral roots, and his
place in the Trinity. A Chrismon Tree is a perfect learning tool for parents to use as they teach their
Our Chrismon Tree............1
children about our Savior. It is the perfect visual aid for our Sunday School teachers and youth group
Wardens, Nursery,
directors to use to explain to their students what Christians believe. It is the perfect place for you to
Finances...........................2
gather around with other churchgoers before or after a worship service, to experience those “ah-ha”
.Correspondence...............3 moments when the “Light of Christ” shines through each ornament on the tree, and you understand in a
Ministries......................4 -7 deeper way what his birth means to you and to the world.
Included on this page are just a few photos of some of the ornaments on our Chrismon Tree. This year
Newcomers.........................4
we put these little works of art on the middle tree in the narthex (the lobby) of our Church, so they can
Adult Ed..............................5
be seen at eye-level, touched, examined, and appreciated. Meanwhile, Alyson Nelson, Carol Lans, and our
Editor................................ ..7 children made brightly colored paper chains and strung popcorn and cranberries to use as decorations for
Rotogravure........................8 the large tree in Thatcher Hall. Traditions are being passed on from former generations to the next,
even as new traditions are evolving.
Calendar...............................9
I join with other members of our wonderful staff, Mary, Peter, Katy and Nancy (soon to be our new
Holiday Schedule..Back Page Nursery Supervisor), to express to you and your family our heartfelt wishes for a very joyful Christmas and
a most blessed new year.
Contributions
Peace,
& Announcements Arlene+
...........................throughout
************************
The DEADLINE
for the next issue is
January 15
WARDENS’ REPORTS
Senior Warden—Bill Stecher
It has been a pleasure and an honor to have served you as your
senior warden this year. In all candor, I was a bit apprehensive about filling
the shoes of my predecessors, but time proved that unnecessary.
Working with a dedicated Vestry and our extraordinary rector has been easy.
Watching the congregation, myself, the Vestry, the young people, and even
Arlene advance in our spiritual journeys has been a real joy. Outstanding in
our growth have been the Sunday Adult Ed forums—kudos to Michael Lodico
and his committee—and to Mary Elizabeth Staiger for Graceful Connections,
which launched Changemakers for Racial Understanding.
May Grace Church in the Mountains always show forth the face of our Lord
Jesus. Blessed 2013 to all of us!
Junior Warden—Dale Yerse
I would like to thank every one who has helped
in making this a very productive year. We as a Church family
came together and made a lot happen in a year’s time, but
with so much more to do. As I go off the Vestry this year I will
always be available to the future junior warden in the
maintenance of our church.
I would encourage every family, if able, to contribute to our
Property Preservation Fund.
Wishing you many blessings and thanks.
Dale
Bill
Hooray—Our Nursery Will Start Up Again!
A
Nancy Evans
fter several weeks’ hiatus, our nursery will begin to function again on December 30. Your personnel committee has interviewed and approved a charming lady who was recommended by Sara Tyburski—
Nancy Evans. She’s a mother and a grandmother, loves children, and has lots of experience taking care of
them. She has accepted the position, passed the required background check, is arranging to take the diocesan
“Safeguarding God’s Children” course, and will be our latest staff member. Her title is “Nursery Supervisor,”
and she will normally be on duty during the second worship service. However, since we only have one service
on her first day on the job, she’ll be here at 9:30 on December 30.
Nancy will be at Church at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 29, to meet with all you parents whose little
ones she will be caring for. There you’ll have the opportunity to meet her and ask her any questions you might
have.
We are still searching for a second nursery employee; if you know of anyone that may be qualified and
interested, or if you feel called to volunteer to help Nancy on a rotation basis, please call the Church office at
456-6029.
Financial Report from your
Vestry for October, 2012
Current Month
Year to Date
as of 10/31/12 Actual
Budget
Operating Income
15,871
1 39,995 160,458
Operating Expense
23,556
163,632
160,458
Surplus/Deficit
-7,685
-23,637
0.00
** Due to the change of the monthly Vestry meeting to the second
Tuesday, reporting will be one month behind.
** Complete financials have been posted in Thatcher Hall or are
available upon request. Contact Sara Tyurski or Alyson Nelson if
you have any questions.
** For questions, please contact Sara Tyburski or Alyson Nelson.
Check Out the Lost & Found!
A
s we enter our new Church year, and the
calendar year winds down, now is a good time to straighten
up the Church reception area. We have several items left
there in the lost and found, including a leather-bound
prayer book, a Handbook to Prayer, two pairs of glasses,
and some earrings. If you think any of these might be yours,
please check the reception counter outside Mary’s office.
A
ll truths are easy to understand
once they are discovered; the point is to
discover them. ...Galileo Galili
Grace Church in the Mountains...A welcoming place...Filled with Grace...Christ our base.
January 2013
Grace NOTES
page two
Correspondence
This is a recent commentary from our bishop:
“Nothing that is worth doing
can be achieved in our lifetime -- therefore we must be saved by hope.”...Rienhold
Niebuhr
Last Thursday I became a grandfather.
Mattis Alexander Taylor was born into
this world to my daughter in law, Stefanie
Taylor, and my son, Arthur. As I looked at
him, I began to think of time. When he’s
10, I’ll be 72. When he’s 20, I’ll be 82. When’s he 30, I’ll be???
Advent is a time to think about time and horizon. It’s a
season of remembering promises God has made and of
looking to the future. Zechariah sees his son, John the Baptist,
and is able to cry, “You, my child shall be called the prophet
of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare
his way.” When the baby Jesus is brought to the Temple, Simeon
sings, “Lord you have set your servant free to go in peace as
you have promised / For these eyes of mine have seen the
Savior.” For Simeon, it’s enough to see the beginning. He
knows he won’t live to see the deeds this child will do, but
seeing him is sufficient for him to go in peace.
I hope to live to see Mattis’ children but all we have is today.
“Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be
glad in it.” We are able to rejoice because the great work of
salvation history is not about one lifetime or one generation
or one century. We rejoice because God’s incarnation means
that it’s not all up to us to fix everything here and now. We
are called to do our part in our time to make the world right,
knowing that there will still be work for Mattis and his generation and his children’s generation and so on until the Lord
comes again. We cannot do everything but we must do what
we are given to do here and now. We offer ourselves to God
to make the crooked ways straight and live in hope.
My prayer is that like Simeon, when it’s my time I can go in
peace because I have witnessed God’s salvation among us,
and I have the hope and the faith that God’s work continues
after me.
+Porter
As a community of unconditional
love, the church at its heart is a hospital for
healing—through a process in which joys and
sorrows are so shared that truth is mirrored
in love, seeing that no one goes away empty.
.
January 2013
..Weavings, Fall, 2012
GOOD NEWS FOR JOYCE AND US!
The following letter was sent by our bishop to
Joyce Brooks Russell, with a copy to our rector. We are pleased to
share it with all of you. Please continue to hold this special lady in your
prayers as she continues in the process toward ordination as a deacon in
Christ’s church.
Dear Joyce,
Upon recommendation of our diocesan Commission on
Ministry and knowing that the canonical credentials in your file are
complete, I am pleased to admit you as a Postulant in this diocese
effective this date, November 20, 2012.
Grace and peace,
+ G. Porter Taylor
Bishop, Diocese of WNC
T
A Few Words of Gratitude
he agonizing, semester-long delay has finally ended!
On January 14, 2013 I’ll begin pursuing my B.A. (in Religious
Studies) at the University of North Carolina at Asheville,
where I’ll finish what remains of my undergraduate education.
Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have been able to reach this
milestone without the unmerited spiritual support and
encouragement I’ve received from this parish; I’m especially
indebted to all of you—to the Vestry, to the clergy, and to all
other members of my “church family”—for the generous
scholarship I’ve been awarded. Even without such gestures,
I’m honored to call Waynesville’s Grace Church my home.
-
Albert J. Manachino III
A
special “thank you” to everyone who assisted in our
Church’s week of serving at the Open Door Soup Kitchen. Thanks to
everyone who cooked and served meals, to our Church Youth group,
to the Graceful Sewing Group for making our shower bags, and to
everyone who donated hygiene items. We served 16 residents each
evening and were thanked profusely for our work. If you unable to
assist us with our service this month please consider volunteering in
April, 2013.
Edwina Costley and Vickey Gribble
Bill and I are so grateful for our Grace Church
Family!! We were overwhelmed by your cards,
phone calls and especially your gifts from the food
angels during my confinement following surgery.
Thanks be to God for my healing. Our Christmas
love to you all. ...Betsy Stecher
Grace NOTES
page three
Ministries
Newcomers’ Corner
...by Susan Williams
Nancy Fergusson
N
ancy is the sister of long-time parishioner Connie
Moore, and she grew up in Asheville, where she was a member
of Grace Church Asheville for over 35 years. Nancy attended Lee
Edwards High in Asheville (now Asheville High School) and then
went to college at Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, majoring in English
education. Nancy taught in Washington, DC, Richmond, Virginia,
and at her alma mater in Asheville. During the rest of her career,
Nancy taught English at Madison High School in Marshall. Nancy
has three grown children and three grandchildren. One of her
sons, David, lives in Charleston, and he is an aspiring musician
who plays the guitar. Nancy’s other son, Donnie, attended the
U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and currently serves in the Navy
in Hawaii. He and his wife have twins. Daughter Sara lives in
Winston-Salem, where she teaches high school English and sponsors the school yearbook. Sara has been battling cancer for two
years, and she has a two-year-old son. “Sara amazes me.
She does so much with her teaching and taking care of their son, while living with cancer.” Nancy’s children all
decided to plan a family trip to Hawaii this summer in honor of her birthday, and to celebrate being together, all the
children and grandchildren, in a very beautiful place.
A horse lover, Nancy keeps her 22-year-old retired horse, Jack, at her sister Connie’s barn. When Nancy retired
from teaching about six years ago, she decided she wanted to spend time riding. In addition to horses, Nancy loves
cats and dogs, and she has five cats and three dogs. She volunteers at Sarge’s and also enjoys gardening. For a
number of years during her retirement, Nancy, who had moved to Waynesville, commuted to Grace Church in
Asheville, where she sang in the choir for many years. She had visited Grace in Waynesville many times, and she said,
“The music drew me in.” Nancy transferred her membership and joined the choir; from Grace to Grace, she has
made her church home, and she is most welcome here.
W
e are told that St. Francis used to spend whole nights praying the same prayer: “Who
are you, God? And who am I?” Evelyn Underhill claims it’s almost the perfect prayer. The abyss of your own
soul and the abyss of the nature of God have opened up, and you are falling into both of them
simultaneously. Now you are in a new realm of mystery and grace, where everything good happens!
Notice how the prayer of Francis is not stating anything but just asking open-ended questions. It is the
humble, seeking, endless horizon prayer of the mystic that is offered out of complete trust. You know that
such a prayer will be answered, because there has already been a previous answering, a previous epiphany,
a previous moment where the ground opened up and you knew you were in touch with infinite mystery and
you knew you were yourself infinite mystery. You only ask such grace-filled questions, or any question for
that matter, when they have already begun to be answered.
January 2013
Grace NOTES
page four
Ministries
M
Share the Warmth—Make a Blanket!
any residents of Haywood County struggle with having enough money to heat their homes during the
winter. Due to lack of funds, some people may make unsafe heating choices that expose their household to an increased risk of fire. Mountain Projects, our local Community Action Agency, has a program called “Share the Warmth”
to assist needy citizens. One part of “Share the Warmth” is the collection of blankets to be distributed to low-income
residents who may lack safe, affordable heat in their home.
Grace Church can help “Share the Warmth” by collecting and making blankets to be given to Mountain Projects for
distribution. Please join us on Sunday, January 13, at 2:00 p.m. as we make no-sew, tie-knot fleece blankets. No sewing
experience required! Men, women, and children ( with scissors supervision), are all invited to participate. You can
make a blanket by yourself, team up with a friend, or work as a family. Just show up on January 13 with a pair of scissors (or come without them—we have extras), and we will help you make a fleece blanket.
This is a fun way to help our neighbors and to enjoy fellowship together with other parishioners. I will also be
collecting new and gently-used clean blankets in a box in Thatcher Hall. A signup sheet for “Share the Warmth” will
be available in Thatcher Hall. Please contact me for any questions.
Vicky Gribble 400-7616
 ECW in ACTION 
L
et’s take a breath and gather after the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Years.
TIME: Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.
PLACE:Linda Miville’s1016 Chad Crawford Road, Balsam
PHONE:828-586-5707
EMAIL: namiville@aol.com
WHAT TO BRING: a heavy appetizer.
RSVP by January 18, 2013. You may want to carpool from Church, and if the 10:30 service gets out early, you can come right from Church
without waiting until 1:00 p.m. If you have girl friends who don’t go to Grace, bring them along too.
We always have lots of laughs together, and I look forward to seeing everyone!
ADULT EDUCATION FORUM
January 6. The Trap-Neuter-Spay Project of Haywood County. The Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) project of
Haywood Spay/Neuter fixed nearly 900 stray cats in 2012 alone. Susan Kumpf, TNR Coordinator and volunteer,
has seen the benefits of this four-year project first-hand, and will help us explore the many dimensions of our
efforts.
January 13. Vestry Roundtable. The vestry will report on its 2013 retreat at Lake Logan, including plans,
projects, and priorities for the coming year.
January 20 & 27. Outreach Programs. We are inviting recipients of our Outreach grants from the annual
Parish Fair to join us to talk to us about their work. Look for details in the January weekly bulletins.
Michael Lodico, Chair & Vestry Liason
January 2013
Grace NOTES
page five
Ministries
Our Active Youth!...by Kathleen Vogt
Allison and Todd Allred, Sophia Bonomo, Tyler Drewnowski, Jackson and Jones Heinz, and
Annika Mahan. Under the loving and steady guidance of Lori and Dale Yerse, these remarkable people are reaching
out to their larger community and the world to bring hope and help to those far less fortunate. Lori and Dale
encourage them to participate fully in choosing the projects that comprise the Grace Youth Ministry, and each of
these “youth ministers” is eager to share his or her thoughts and ideas about how they can have a positive impact on
the world around them.
In early November, Grace Youth Ministers participated enthusiastically in Operation Christmas Child (the Shoebox
Ministry). Toys, hard candies, grooming products, educational items, and other appropriate gifts were collected.
Rather than purchase empty boxes for $1 each, our young people decided they would prefer to collect empty boxes
of the appropriate size and put that dollar toward more items to fill each box. Each Sunday, Lori and Dale, members of
the Youth Group, and helpful siblings and friends spent time assembling and decorating the boxes. Each working
session began with a prayer for the children receiving the boxes. Among the items included in each box were a picture
of the Youth Group, and a letter telling about the group and our Church. See photos on page eight.
In keeping with the spirit of the season and fulfilling their commitment to community outreach, on December 7,
four members of our youth group (Annika, Jackson, Sophia, and Tyler) assisted with preparing and serving dinner at
the Open Door Kitchen. They were joined by fellow parishioner Tiffany Overman who has volunteered regularly at
the Open Door Kitchen this fall. Along with the fellowship and fun, our young people also encountered something
very different this year. They expected to see older adults (men mostly) among the diners. What they didn’t expect
was to see a young homeless family, including two pre-schoolers, come for dinner. This encounter had a profound
and sobering effect, offering them an opportunity to serve not just food, but also hope, to people much closer to their
own ages.
You might think that the Operation Christmas Child project, followed by preparing and serving dinner at the Open
Door Kitchen would be enough projects until January 2013. Not, however, for our young people. As I prepare this
article, they are now excitedly anticipating the opportunity to play a major role in this year’s Christmas Pageant on
Christmas Eve. Jim Moore answered our rector’s prayers and a plea for help by stepping up to take on the task of and
directing the pageant, giving the members of the Youth Group a major role in the production. They are using a beautiful script written by our rector and Susan Williams. I was privileged to sit in on one of the planning and rehearsing
sessions, and there was no hesitation from anyone when it came to volunteering to read the various parts. Each young
person quickly grasped the essence of such a miraculous story, eagerly offering to bring the message of Light, Peace,
Love, and not being afraid to share that message with the world.
I left the room energized and happy to have been a witness to the future of our Church. I reiterate with joy that we
are much blessed here at Grace Church in the Mountains to have such vibrant young people in our midst. If we watch
and listen, they have much to teach us about service to God and community. We are doubly blessed to have Lori and
Dale who bring such Holy-Spirit-driven love and energy to their roles as Youth Leaders. They would be the first to tell
you that they receive much more than they give.
Lori and Dale are actively seeking more interested adults to share leadership with them, and are happy and willing
to work with you to come up with a schedule that is agreeable to everyone. Call the Yerses [734-5238 or 734-5239], or
send an e-mail [yersed@bellsouth.net] if you want to be a part of this important ministry.
I
f we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to
each other....Mother Teresa
January 2013
𝄞•𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥••••••••••••
Grace NOTES
𝄞•𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥••••••••••••
page six
1
ON THE PATH OF A PILGRIM
Ministries
What’s the scariest
verse in the New Testament?
Martha’s Guild
A
...an editorial
fter our holiday hiatus, we will again be
gathering in the Marthas Room on Thursday, January 3
at 10a.m. (bring your lunch so that you can eat with
us, too). And bring all those blanket rectangles, caps,
prayer shawls, etc. that you have crafted in your spare time
over the holidays. Here are the January birthdays.
Send them nice greeting cards:
1/02--Karen Kosec
1/06--Simon Hill
1/09--Carol Taylor
1/10--Michael Hyatt
1/11--Thomas Madison
1/12--Stonewall Strickland
1/13--Dee Werner
1/14--Lauren Sutton and Elizabeth Walt
1/16--Louise Baker and Paul Daniel
1/17--Betsy Stecher and Frank Bonomo
1/19--Gretchen Moyer and Maggie McDevitt
1/23--Edie Mahan
1/24--Mary Guthrie
1/26--James Gibson
1/27--Mary McGauflin
1/29--Pat Goltry, Georgia McManus, & Wally Courtney.
Ann Overbeck,
Contact Person
456-7641 <aoverbeck7641@charter.net>
Editor’s Corner
T
his is YOUR monthly newsletter, reporting how
every ministry is spreading the Good News, and making
for good communication among us all. The deadline for
contributions is the fifteenth of each month. The best way is
to email them; also, there is a mail slot in the office.
We reserve the right to perform minor surgery for the sake
of clarity, and may be reached at any time @
<wstecher@mindspring.com> or 828-456-9925.
You can either read Grace NOTES online or print it. A
limited number of black & white hard copies is available in
the Church narthex. For those who have informed Mary,
our parish administrator, that they have no printing or email
capability, a hard copy will be sent to them.
Grace NOTES is also posted on our website, <www.
gracewaynesville.com>. We strive for accuracy in our email
list. If you haven’t been receiving our newsletter, please let
Mary or me know. Ed.
January 2013
For me, it’s not Jesus’s prediction of the
end times in Luke, or even the
apocalyptic prophecies of John in his
dotage. It’s that little sentence He slips
in after explaining to his lads how they should pray,
by way of emphasizing the only way we can receive
the Father’s forgiveness: “If you do not forgive others,
you won’t be forgiven [see Matthew 6:15]. Now that’s
something to worry about!
Do I harbor a few scraps of unforgiveness in my
heart toward ANYONE? Are there one or two
crumbs of bitterness left after trying to clean my
house of the remains of my past? Guess what? I won’t
be forgiven MY sins! What does that say about my
chances of eternal life? Where does that leave me?
Is it worth the risk? Are we sure our side of the street
is clean? We all know that forgiveness is for the
benefit of the forgiver, not the forgiven—it gets a
monkey off his back.
If we need a push, remember what the One whose
birthday we’re celebrating this season begged for his
torturers—“Forgive them, Father, because they don’t
know what they’re doing.”
Bill Stecher
AN ALTO’S LAMENT
It’s awful being an alto when you’re singing in the choir,
Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire,
The basses boom like big trombones, the tenors shout with glee,
The alto part is on two notes, or if you’re lucky, three.
And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,
The men get all the juicy bits and telling little phrases.
Of course, the trebles sing the tune—they always come off best—
While altos only get three notes and twenty-two bars rest.
It doesn’t matter what we sing, from hymnbooks or from psalter,
The choirmaster looks at us—our voices start to falter;
Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You hold that note too long!
It doesn’t matter what we do, it’s certain to be wrong.
Oh! shed a tear for altos: they’re the martyrs and they know
In ranks of choral singers they’re considered very low.
They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget ‘em:
They’d love to be sopranos, but their vocal chords won’t let ‘em.
And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,
Sopranos, tenors, basses, all will form the heavenly choir.
When they sing Alleluias to celestial flats and sharps,
We altos in the corner will be polishing our harps.
...from a dear friend
Grace NOTES
page seven
Rotogravure
Our Youth Group prepares shoeboxes.
See article on page six.
WORDS ABOUT LOVE, whose
birthday we are celebrating...
In rendering to love its required “work” or effort, it is
important that we seek unity, not happiness. Those who set out
upon the journey of love must strive for that transparency,
that sharing and community of life which is the heart of love.
Would-be lovers must not be constantly taking their temperatures
and counting their pulse beats to keep an up-to-the-minute check
on how well they feel or how happy they are. A sense of well-being
and happiness, as Viktor Frankl so often warns us, can come into a
human life only as a by-product. You have no doubt heard this verse:
Happiness is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it will elude you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It comes and softly sits on your shoulder.
To be truly happy in love, a person must want and seek unity,
oneness, sharing. Sometimes this unity involves many things that are
painful:
..honesty, when you would rather lie a little,
..talking out when you would rather pout,
..admitting embarrassing feelings when you would rather blame
someone,
..standing there when you would rather run,
..admitting doubt when you would rather pretend certainty,
..and confronting when you would rather settle for peace at any
price.
None of these things which are among the just demands of love,
brings immediate peace and happiness; they bring immediate pain
and struggle. Yes, love works if we will work at it. The work of love is
to achieve a total honesty and transparency, and these are very
difficult attainments. So people who run in a direct chase after the
butterfly of happiness in love relationships will be empty-handed
and empty-hearted in the end. Unity not happiness is the stern
condition of success at love.
W
hen we talk about the kind of love with which we
want to be loved, most of us would clearly and emphatically specify
that it be unconditional. I don’t want you to love me for what I can
do for you or because I please your expectations. I don’t want to
have to march to your drums. I want you to love me for better or
for worse, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for
richer or for poorer, with no strings attached. I can’t sell out my
person to buy your love.
However, when we are discussing the kind of love which we are
willing to give, it is not so clear. Most of us want to be more tentative in case things don’t work out. To give my word and promise
my unconditional faithfulness to that word is more than a little
frightening. We want to leave a back door open, an escape hatch.
It is so much easier to be an unencumbered butterfly, flitting from
flower to flower. It is so much harder to take the plunge into an
unconditional commitment. It seems much less frightening to
travel with a tent than to build a permanent home.
. ..from Unconditional Love, ibid
January 2013
𝄞•𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥••••••••••••
Grace NOTES
𝄞•𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥••••••••••••
page eight
January 2013 Grace Church Calendar
Tuesday, January 1
OFFICE CLOSED
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00Overcomers
8:00
AA-Grace Grp
8:00Al-Anon
Wednesday, January 2
Noon Healing Service
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00
ECW Board Meeting
7:00
Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, January 3
10:00 Marthas Guild
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00 Graceful Conversations
6:00 Sisters of Grace, Location TBA
Friday, January 4
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Sat. & Sun., January 5 & 6
Vestry Retreat at Lake Logan
Sunday, January 6
8:00 Holy Eucharist
8:45
Coffee Hour
9:15
Adult Ed/Sunday School
10:30 Holy Eucharist
11:45 Coffee Hour
Monday, January 7
Noon-Deadline for Sunday Bulletin
10:30AA-Women’s
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Tuesday, January 8
Noon AA-Grace Grp
5:30
Daughters of the King
6:00Overcomers
7:15 An-Anon Newcomers
8:00
AA-Grace Grp
8:00Al-Anon
Wednesday, January 9
10:00 Daughters of the King
Noon Healing Service
Noon AA-Grace Grp
4:30
Adult Ed. Committee
Thursday, January 10
10:00 Marthas Guild
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00 Sisters of Grace Location TBA
Friday, January 11
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Saturday, January 12
1:00 Graceful Sew Group
Church Office Hours
Monday & Wednesday,
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, 9 a.m. - Noon
January 2013
Sunday, January 13
8:00 Holy Eucharist
8:45
Coffee Hour
9:15
Adult Ed/Sunday School
10:30 Holy Eucharist
11:45 Coffee Hour
2:00 Outreach Project:: Making Blankets
Monday, January 14
Noon-Deadline for Sunday Bulletin
10:30AA-Women’s
Noon Finance Committee
Noon AA-Grace Grp
5:30
Changemakers for Racial
Understanding at Pigeon Center
Tuesday, January 15
Deadline for Newsletter
Noon AA-Grace Grp
4:00
Signature Winds
6:00Overcomers
8:00
AA-Grace Grp
8:00Al-Anon
Wednesday, January 16
Noon Healing Service
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Thursday, January 17
10:00 Marthas Guild
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00 Graceful Conversations
6:00
Sisters of Grace, Location TBA
Friday, January 18
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Saturday, January 19
10:00 Order of St. Luke
at First United Methodist Church
Sunday, January 20
8:00 Holy Eucharist
8:45
Coffee Hour
9:15
Adult Ed/Sunday School
10:30 Holy Eucharist
11:45 Coffee Hour
12:30 ECW & Friends’ Luncheon
at the Mivilles’ home
Monday, January 21
Noon-Deadline for Sunday Bulletin
10:30AA-Women’s
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00
Songspinners Rehearse
Tuesday, January 22
Noon AA-Grace Grp
4:00
Signature Winds
6:00Overcomers
7:15 Al-Anon Newcomers
8:00
AA-Grace Grp
8:00Al-Anon
Grace NOTES
Wednesday, January 23
Noon Healing Service
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Thursday, January 24
10:00 Marthas Guild
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00
Sisters of Grace, Location TBA
Friday, January 25
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Saturday, January 26
1:00 Graceful Sew Group
Sunday, January 27
8:00 Holy Eucharist
8:45
Coffee Hour
9:15
Adult Ed/Sunday School
10:30 Holy Eucharist
11:45 Coffee Hour
Monday, January 28
Noon-Deadline for Sunday Bulletin
10:30AA-Women’s
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00
Songspinners Rehearse
Tuesday, January 29
Noon AA-Grace Grp
4:00
Signature Winds
6:00Overcomers
8:00
AA-Grace Grp
8:00Al-Anon
Wednesday, January 30
Noon Healing Service
Noon AA-Grace Grp
Thursday, January 31
10:00 Marthas Guild
Noon AA-Grace Grp
6:00
Sisters of Grace, Location TBA
I
n loneliness, in
sickness, in confusion, the
mere knowledge of friendship
makes it possible to endure,
even if the friend is powerless
to help. It is enough to know
that they exist.
Friendship is not
diminished by distance or
by time, by imprisonment or
war, by suffering or silence.
It is in these things that it
roots most deeply. It is from
these things that it flowers.
..by Pam Brown, from the
magazine of Christ Church,
Coseley, UK
page nine
Grace Church in the Mountains
394 North Haywood Street, Waynesville, NC 28786
Grace NOTES
Vol. VI #1
FIRST CLASS
January 2013
Holiday Cookies Needed!
Although families with young children usually go home after our Christmas Eve service (to wait for Santa), many
people come to Tharcher Hall to share fellowship with one another. We invite you to bring Chriatmas cookies to go
with the hot apple cider which we will provide.
Schedule of Worship Services
Sunday, Dec. 23 11:30 a.m. Following the second service on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we will decorate the sanctuary and narthex
(lobby) for Christmas. Gretchen Tope has volunteered to coordinate our efforts. Please come to the Church to help.
Monday, Dec. 24 [Christmas Eve] 5:45 p.m. Pre-service Concert by our Choir
6:00 p.m. Worship service with Christmas pageant by children and youth.
Tuesday, Dec. 25 9:30 a.m. [Christmas Day] ONE WORSHIP SERVICE (with Christmas carols and organ music, but no choir)
Wednesday, Dec. 26 Office Closed. No Healing Service.
Sunday, Dec. 30 9:30 a.m. ONE WORSHIP SERVICE (with Christmas carols and organ music, but no choir). Child Care begins in nursery.
Sunday, January 6 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Celebration of Epiphany