Greetings Good People of Grace,
All are invited to come to our Sanctuary to worship this week. Our services are 4pm and 8 pm Christmas Eve and 10:30 am Christmas Day.
To access the Sunday Service by Live Stream on our YouTube Channel, links are found at the top of our website at graceavl.com. Click on "YouTube Services" for the service, on "Sunday Service Bulletin" for the bulletin, and on "Sunday Hymns" to sing along during the service. You will also find a link to The Book of Common Prayer under Resources.
Lay Ministers Serving Christmas Eve at 4
Acolyte: Susan Robinson Chalicist: Elaine Potter
Lector: Elaine Potter; Intercessor: Carol Booth
Ushers: Katherine and Todd Kaderabek
Lay Ministers Serving Christmas Eve at 8
Acolyte: Jack Frue Chalicist: Lorie Tola
Lector: Hannah Pennell (OT) Don Lewis (NT) Intercessor: Elise Cassarino
Lay Ministers Serving this Sunday, Christmas Day
Acolyte: James Cannon
Lector: Bill Smith; Intercessor: Cliff Albertson
Greeters: Chris Shaw
CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SCHEDULE
December 24, 4pm Christmas Eve Paper Bag Pageant & Family Service
December 24, 8pm Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist
December 25, 10:30a Christmas Holy Eucharist
January 1, 10:30a Holy Baptism
No Adult Formation at Grace this Sunday
Advent in a Bag
You Still Have Time to Bring Your Food Donations for ABCCM
We have three Christmas services coming up where you can bring your last-minute food items to Grace for our Advent-in-a-Bag Campaign:
December 24, 4pm Christmas Eve Paper Bag Pageant & Family Service
December 24, 8pm Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist
December 25, 10:30am Christmas Holy Eucharist
Every box, can, jar and bag of food you bring to the lobby at church will make a big difference for the homeless, the poor and the hungry.
 Hanging of the Greens
Thank you to all who made our Hanging of the Greens such a delightful time. Thank you to the cooks who made chili, the fixins and desserts! Thank you to the servers and the kitchen crew for getting everything out and cleaning up! What an enjoyable meal!
Thank you to the flower guild, and altar guild for all the behind the scenes set up...and a big thank you to all who climbed ladders or spotted them, hung garlands, wreaths, decorated the trees and set up the crèche. Thank you for making our church beautiful for Christmas!
Annual Meeting
Our Annual Meeting will be held on January 15 following the 10:30 service. Your 2023 Vestry nominations and 2022 Budget Review will be presented. Please make every effort to attend.
Call for Vestry
We encourage you to spend time in prayer concerning our 2023 Vestry and allow God to lay on your heart individuals who might serve the church in these leadership positions. Please contact Rev. Milly with any names you have or if you feel called to serve yourself.
 Christmas Trees
Want to recycle your Christmas Tree? Call or text Ted Blackwood at 828-702-3774. For $25, he will pick up and remove Christmas trees after the holidays and take them to a local farm. Beloved Asheville will receive all donations.
 Medical Advocacy Ministryhas formed at Grace Episcopal
Church to provide resources and education to assist parishioners with later life/end of life healthcare issues and in navigating the healthcare system.
Possible areas of need may include:
1. Health education
2. Aging in place— How to make your home safe for a living in your later years.
3. End of life issues—Advanced directives, Healthcare power of attorney, Palliative and
Hospice Care, Death/Dying
4. Senior support—Home healthcare, Caregiver Resources(including caring for the caregiver)
5. Healthcare provider and facility navigation guidance—resources for locating a physician, healthcare facility, insurance.
Please let us know if we can assist or if you would like to participate as a supporter/ guide in this ministry.
Thank you.
The Grace Church Medical Advocacy Ministry Team
Dodie King, Joseph “Pat” Mahon, Ginny Moser, Jeff Russell, Jennifer Witt
For information, please contact Jeff Russell ( jeffkr46@gmail.com) or Ginny Moser
( ginnymoser@gmail.com)
Feed My Sheep
A reminder that our freezer needs to be stocked in order to provide for those who are ill, recovering from surgery or those who are unable to provide meals for themselves. Soups, stews, chili, lasagna or other foods in freezer bags (labeled with description and date prepared) are welcome. Please contact the church office to make sure someone is there to receive your donation.
 Transportation
We have received requests for rides to church from parishioners who are unable to attend Sunday services. If you are able to offer rides to someone, please email us at Pastoralcare@GraceAVL.com and let us know where you live so that we may match requests with volunteers. Gratefully, your Pastoral Care Committee.
Flu Season is here
The flu is not "just a bad cold". The CDC says the flu is hitting early, hard and fast. Peak flu season is usually December thru January. Get a flu vaccine now to have adequate protection.
Schedule appointments for the vaccine at the following:
CVS: http:// cvs.com/vaccinaations
Health Department: 828-250-5096
Ingles: ingles-markets.com/vaccinations
Walgreens: walgreens.com/vaccinations
Looking ahead to January
January 1- Holy Communion/Baptism
January 8 - Lessons and Carols
January 15 - Annual Meeting
EPISCOPAL AND DIOCESE PROGRAMS:
Sign up for the WNC Diocese Newsletter here.
The EPISCOPAL PUBLIC POLICY NETWORK (EPPN) is a grassroots effort of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations to educate, equip and engage individual Episcopalians in federal public policy advocacy, guided by the resolutions of the General Convention and the Executive Council. To sign up for EPPN Action alerts that come to your personal email AND to receive a unique code to listen in on the fast-paced, 30-minute Zoom call every Thursday at 1 pm (“Congress Weekly”), register here as an EPPN network member.
Here is the latest resource prepared by EPPN for your information and use:
● The EPPN year-in-review posts are up! The top five action alerts in 2022: # 1. Electoral Count Act Reform; # 2. Comprehensive Gun Reform; # 3. Welcome Our
Afghan Allies; # 4. Give DACA Recipients a Pathway to Legal Status; and #5. Respect Marriage Equality Act. For more “year-in-review” stats, check out the EPPN postings on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
● Tell Congress to Fund the Government Congress is ready to pass an omnibus
appropriations bill. Write your lawmakers and call upon them to vote yes on the appropriations bill! Even if the bill is already passed by the time you read this, go to the action alert to learn more about this critical funding bill.
Praying Together
Rev. Milly holds open spiritual direction sessions for individuals or couples weekly by appointment Wednesdays 1-3 pm in the sanctuary. Please email Rev. Milly to schedule your time with her: Milly@graceavl.com
 Weekly Taizé Tuesday evenings at 6pm
These ecumenical services are known for their melodic chants and prayers. Although music forms a central part of the service it is mixed with comforting periods of silence allowing for contemplation. Lighted mostly by candlelight in the sanctuary of Grace Church, the vesper light of approaching evening offers a safe and nurturing space for a well-deserved moment of peace in our hectic lives. Healing prayer is offered throughout the service for oneself or on behalf of someone else.
Women Walking the Way
 Thursday at 8:00 am meet at the Bird Sanctuary parking lot. Women of Grace, please consider joining Rev. Milly for a weekly walk at Beaver Lake. This time together is devoted to deep listening to how we as women walk the way of Jesus, in the world and in our community of Grace. No need to register or even email her, just show up!
Monday Morning Bible Study
Bible Study will continue to meet via Zoom on Mondays until further notice, at 10:30 AM, as we study the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday service. Please join us virtually or by clicking on the button at graceavl.com/.
The Pastoral Care Team at Grace
 Our pastoral care team invites you to reach out to us with any pastoral care needs you, or your family, may have, by emailing the team at pastoralcare@graceavl.com.You can also email, text or call Fr. Mike at 860-771-1656 or Rev. Milly at 828.772.1429, Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless it’s a pastoral emergency.
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Date and Time
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Service or Meeting
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Location
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Sunday, 10:30a
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Holy Eucharist Service*
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Sanctuary & YouTube
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Mondays at 10:30a
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Monday Morning Bible Study
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*Zoom*
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Mondays, 3p
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Pastoral Care Team Meeting
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Zoom
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Tuesdays, 6p
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Taizé Service
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Sanctuary
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Wednesdays, 1-3p
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Praying Together with Rev. Milly
(by appointment)
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Sanctuary
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Wednesdays, 5:30p
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Centering Prayer
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*Zoom*
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Wednesdays, 7-8:30p
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Choir Practice
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Church
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Thursdays, 8a
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Women Walking the Way
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Beaver Lake
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BULLETIN AVAILABLE ONLINE
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SEE THE LINK AT TOP OF HOME PAGE
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graceavl.com
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The church office will be closed December 26-30, Please contact Rev. Milly or Rev. Mike with any pastoral concerns.
 For Parishioners:
Don Hawkins; Michael Jenkins; Daniel and Hannah Johnston; Ginny Moser; Laura and Tsy-yan Snyder; Roger Snyder; Kelly and Sydnor Thompson; Barbara Wilcox...
For Homebound Parishioners and Those in Healthcare Facilities:
Bill Coward; Ed Denison;' Bobbie Eblen; Dorothy Engel; Eunice Ferguson; Cys (Sis) Hay; Marion Mayfield-Johnson; Deb Pegel; Rita Spragg; Shirley; Shirley Turner
For Others: (Names will remain on the list for six weeks unless we hear otherwise.)
Linda Adams; Angela (sister of Steve Booth); Wes Auret; (godson of Elaine Potter; Barney (son of Walt and Joyce Noble); Stephanie and Julia (friends of Janice Orson and Rusty Herman: Lara Brongel and family (daughter of Jackie Schauer); Cathy (friend of Elaine Potter); Porter Claxton (friend of Ginny Moser); Jimmy Cole (lifelong friend of Sonny Rawls); Ann Derwort (Jeanne Sims' sister); Woody Geizentanner (friend of Pat and George Davis); Jackie Haines (sister of Carol Booth); Cherry Howe (friend of Rusty Herman and Janice Orson); Joan (sister in law of Ginny Moser); Molly B (friend of Gary Coffey and family); Lisa Mourant (friend of the Sydnor Thompson family); Pam (neighbor of Mike Reardon); Sharon (friend of Louise Wernicke); Bonnie Strawn (friend of Diane and Tony Wilkey); Glen Thomas (brother in law of Ron Sims); Ron Vince (brother in law of Anne and Cliff); Wilma Wilson (mother of Debbie Jones)
We Grieve and Pray with the families of Joe Devlin; Pete Tola (brother of Lori Tola); Jennifer Hall (friend of Tim Collins).; and, Robin Fulk (niece of Charlotte and Travis Chiott)
For those in service to our Country:
Tommy and Danny Brown (grandsons of Ed and Marla Woeckener); Martha and Matt Cardenas (daughter and son in law of Hannah Pennell); Matthew George (son of Zoe Davis); Jason Marino (son of Lunda McCredie); and Sarah Jane Wilkey (daughter of Diane and Tony Wilkey).
If you are not a member of Grace Church and are interested in joining, please reply with your interest, or let Rev. Milly know by calling or texting her at 828.772.1429. Once you're a member, you'll have access to our directory.
 Information About Your SimpleChurch App! Not only do you have access to the parish directory, but you can also easily change your profile picture, confidentially check the status of your pledge, and give to your favorite ministry through online giving. Sign on to find ways to reach out to and connect with other members of the church. And if you don’t know your log in information or need more instructions, contact Valerie at the office. A link will be sent to you that will make it easy for you to get into SimpleChurch.
Look for the green tree symbol to download the SimpleChurch app from your app store onto your computer or phone. The domain name when requested in the app is graceepiscopalasheville. For your computer you put in the domain name. https://graceepiscopalasheville.simplechurchcrm.com.
Electronic Giving Made Easy!
Look Grace Church receives electronic giving via our website at www.graceavl.com. There is a "Give to Grace" button on the top blue banner of our home page, in the upper right-hand corner. Additional ways to give to our "virtual collection plate" and various fundraising efforts are through the Simple Church app.
Check out the Winter Edition of the Grace Team by visiting GraceAVL.com
In this edition, you'll find:
Message from Rev. Milly and Rev. Mike
Message from our Wardens
Grace Dates
Grace in Action
Budget Review
We are so glad you are with us in our Grace community!
Jill Stevenson | Office Manager
Grace Episcopal Church | 871 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, NC 28804
graceavl.com | 828-254-1086 | facebook.com/grace.church.718689/
Youtube Channel
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00am-3:00pm, and Wednesday 9:00am-12:00pm. |
