Announcements – Grace Congregational UCC, Rutland, VT

Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County looking for its next homeowner

Homeowner Informational Meeting May 10, 2023

Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County is breaking ground on its next home located at 3 Hickory St. Rutland.

Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County is hosting a Homeowner Informational Meeting for anyone interested in learning more about how to become a Habitat homeowner.

Meeting Details:
Date: May 10, 2023
Time: 6:15pm – 7:00pm
Location: 5 Hickory St. Rutland, VT

If you or anyone you know is interested in finding out more about owning a Habitat home please encourage them to attend the Homeowner Informational Meeting. Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County will do a brief overview of the eligibility criteria, application process, sweat-equity responsibilities, and the Habitat affordability and shared equity model. They will be leaving plenty of time for questions and a tour of our newly built home located at 5 Hickory St. and the 3 Hickory St. lot.

Hope to see you there.

Feel free to call me with any questions.

For more information, visit: rutlandhabitat.weebly.com
or call 802-747-7440.

New Church Administrator

Krista Johnston to be our New Church Administrator!

After a long and thorough search process, the Personnel Committee and Council are pleased to announce that our new Church Administrator and Digital Media Manager is Krista Johnston. She will begin on June 1 and have two weeks to work with our current wonderful Church Administrator, Kit Wallace, who is retiring on June 14. Krista has been sharing her talents with Grace as a volunteer for 5 years. Now she will be able to do so full-time (and still share her talents in the choir and bell choir). Congratulations Krista!

COVID-19 Update: September 3, 2021

All are welcome at our worship services.

Those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are encouraged to wear facial coverings. Those who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear the type of protection that makes them feel most comfortable. We continue to social distance and practice good hand hygiene. Please feel free to spread out and utilize the entire Sanctuary during worship. Meeting groups are asked to utilize our larger gathering spaces.

Let’s keep our Grace family safe and healthy!

Dear Grace Church Family:

Hello from the “Open” Group!

Yes, our faithful committee has remained connected to monitor the regional effects of the COVID-19 situation as it pertains to safely meeting at Grace Church. We are working hard to keep our doors open.

We want to remind meeting organizers to contact Kit in the office to choose the largest available meeting space for their sessions. We are encouraging social distancing! Folks who meet in Fellowship Hall are welcome to open windows and request the more comfortable padded chairs for their session. Larger events, such as the Rummage Sale and choir rehearsals, will work with the “Open” Group to create a social distancing layout plan prior to their event. We want to think creatively so events can be held without that “too crowded” feeling.

Our new custodial team will continue to use the sanitizing sprayer throughout the building. We will be welcoming the Little Lambs Academy at Grace soon – so cleanliness is a high priority!

Worship continues in our Sanctuary and will start in the Chapel on September 12th. Sunday morning guests are asked to really spread out and utilize the entire worship space. We are offering individualized communion elements and are foregoing “Passing of the Peace” at this time. We have an array of plexi-glass shields that will be used to separate speakers or musical performers. These shields can also be used throughout the building when hosting meetings.

Special thanks to Greg Ellis, Fred Bates, Marty Barclay, Sue Best, Matt Getty, Laura Zmurko, David O’Brien, Kit Wallace, Alastair Stout, Diane Chartrand, Beth Wolven, and Pastor Alberta for continuing to monitor this situation on behalf of Grace. If you have ideas or thoughts on how to help, please email them to Laura at ljcz4vt@yahoo.com

COVID-19 Update: February 10, 2021

Dear Grace Church Family:

In November, the Grace Church ReOpening Committee and the Council decided to pause in-person worship and large special events due to the COVID19 pandemic. Since that time, we continue to offer PEG-TV (channel 1075) and online worship opportunities via the Grace Church website using YouTube and Facebook.

Please click here for online worship experiences: https://gracechurchvt.org/category/worship/online-worship-service/.

For more information, here is an Introduction to Online Services: https://gracechurchvt.org/2020/12/06/introduction-online-worship/.

We WILL resume in-person worship when it is safer to gather together. As has been the case all along, the Church Office is open Monday – Thursday, 8 am – 3:30 pm. Safety protocols are being carefully followed. On most days, the only exterior door which is open is on the Center Street side (closest to the Rutland Library).

On February 9, 2021 this update came from the ReOpening Committee (please continue reading for more important information).

Please call or email Kit in the office (775-4301; kit@gracechurchvt.org) if your group would like to safely meet inside our building.

Please be well, practice safe habits, and pray for the outcome we all want.

God be with you all.

COVID-19 Update: November 25, 2020

Dear Grace Church Family:

It is with a heavy heart that the Grace Church ReOpening Committee and the Grace Church Council have come to the decision that we must pause our in-person Sunday Worship services and large special events at this time, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We WILL resume when it is safer to gather together.

Each week, Grace Church will continue to offer PEG-TV and online worship opportunities, via this Grace Church website (using YouTube and Facebook Live videos). Please click here for online worship experiences. For more information, here is an Introduction to Online Services. Currently, the Sunday Facebook Live services will air at 10:00 AM instead of 8:30 AM.

Apr. 10 ~ Good Friday Reflections

*In an effort to keep our community safe, Grace Church services and all musical rehearsals are suspended through March 31st, 2020. Please check back here and the Grace Church Facebook page for alternative online worship experiences.

Other church-sponsored meetings are also cancelled through March 31st. AA will continue to meet. Please contact the church office for more details: 802-775-4301.

We gather to reflect on the themes of Good Friday through poetry and discussion.

When: Good Friday, April 10, 7 p.m.

Where: Grace Church Sanctuary

About: In the early first century Christian church, every Friday was a special day of prayer and fasting. Not until the fourth century did the Friday before Easter become a special observance originally called ‘Great Friday’ or ‘Holy Friday’. But why would this sad day on which Jesus was crucified ever be called ‘Good Friday’. In the early church, the Friday before Easter was referred to as ‘God’s Friday’, and over the years, ‘God’s’ was replaced with ‘Good’. But to this day, many Christians do find a transcendent good in the awful realities of Jesus’ crucifixion. His sacrifice on the cross highlights humanity’s inhumanity to each other. The horror of the crucifixion, in grim juxtaposition to Jesus’ innocence and martyrdom, only serves to magnify that inhumanity. This year, we will explore the dramatic themes of Good Friday through poetry and reflection in the candle-lit beauty of Grace Church Sanctuary. Our hope is that the collective conscience of the human race is inspired to never repeat the cruelty, but increase in justice and love.

Apr. 9 ~ Maundy Thursday Service

Other church-sponsored meetings are also cancelled through March 31st. AA will continue to meet. Please contact the church office for more details: 802-775-4301.

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43

When: Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 7 p.m.

Where: Grace Church Sanctuary

About: Maundy Thursday Service of Communion and Tenebrae
The Sanctuary Choir, Grace SSAA choir and Joyful Noise offer a service of Lessons and Carols for Maundy Thursday. The anthems reflect the Seven Last Words of Christ, which this year will be paralleled with the creation story. The wide variety of anthems include music from Estonia, Ireland and Weston Priory (Vermont).

Mar. 19 ~ Discovering Some of the Amazing Women of Rutland

Cancelled

Carolynn Ranftle of Rutland Historical Society presents, Discovering Some of the Amazing Women in Rutland’s Past.

When: March 19, 2020 @ 2 p.m.

Where: Grace Church Chapel and parlor

About: In celebration of Women’s History Month, Fortnightly will be featuring at talk from Rutland Historical Society about the area’s amazing women of the past. Featured pieces will be:

The recipient of the Bronze Star for her heroics in World War II
An educator who made her start in rented space at the Nickwackett Firehouse
An early Physician who practiced medicine for 34 years
The granddaughter of Julia Dorr who made her mark in the Arts and Crafts Movement design world
A woman who devoted her work to the Rutland Community all of her adult life
And finally, two women who kept secret their careers as prolific children’s authors by writing under nom de plumes: Margaret Warde and John Prescott Earl

Grace Church Chapel, 2 PM As always, tea and sweets will be served in the Parlor after the program. All are welcome!

For further information or to arrange transportation, call the Church Office (775.4301)

2020 Lenten Services

Other church-sponsored meetings are also cancelled through March 31st. AA will continue to meet. Please contact the church office for more details: 802-775-4301.

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020
Ash Wednesday Services, 7 AM (Chapel) and 5:30 PM (Sanctuary). Rev. Bob Boutwell officiating. Mark the beginning of Lent with an Ash Wednesday Worship Service as we enter the Lenten discipline through a Service of Prayer and Ashes.

Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020
Women’s Ministries Breakfast and Service of Prayer and Reflection, 8:30 – 10AM, Parlor. Join us as we gather for a time of fellowship and an opportunity for silence, prayer, and preparation as we begin the season of Lent. Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the service to follow. Rev. Linda Kulas will lead us in this service.

Thursday, April 9, 2020
Maundy Thursday Service, 7-8PM

Friday, April 10, 2020
Good Friday Service, 7-8PM, In the early first century Christian church, every Friday was a special day of prayer and fasting. Not until the fourth century did the Friday before Easter become a special observance originally called ‘Great Friday’ or ‘Holy Friday’. But why would this sad day on which Jesus was crucified ever be called ‘Good Friday’. In the early church, the Friday before Easter was referred to as ‘God’s Friday’, and over the years, ‘God’s’ was replaced with ‘Good’. But to this day, many Christians do find a transcendent good in the awful realities of Jesus’ crucifixion. His sacrifice on the cross highlights humanity’s inhumanity to each other. The horror of the crucifixion, in grim juxtaposition to Jesus’ innocence and martyrdom, only serves to magnify that inhumanity. This year, we will explore the dramatic themes of Good Friday through poetry and reflection in the candle-lit beauty of Grace Church Sanctuary. Our hope is that the collective conscience of the human race is inspired to never repeat the cruelty, but increase in justice and love. Thus we are redeemed.

Sunday, April 5, 2020
Palm Sunday, 8:30AM & 10AM

Sunday, April 12, 2020
Easter, 10AM

Mar. 1 ~ Frostiana, Benefit Concert

Help us add to over $10,000 already raised for local charities by the Grace Music Department and Friends!

When: March 1, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Where: Grace Church Sanctuary

About: The choirs of Grace Church, as well as singers and instrumentalists from the region, offer an afternoon of music to raise money for a local charity. Included in the concert will be a special performance of Frostiana by Randall Thompson. Help us add to over $10,000 already raised for local charities by the Grace Music Department and Friends!