Sept. 29 ~ Immigration and Michaelmas

Join us for this event on Immigration sponsored by the Spiritual Growth Committee.  In lieu of our Aug. 18 date, we will be meeting on September 29, 2019.

Immigration and Michaelmas!

When: Sunday, September 29, 2019 after our 10am worship service.

Where: Fellowship Hall

About: What is Michaelmas, and what does it have to do with our immigration work?  It’s an ancient Christian holiday that celebrates the Archangel Michael defeating evil in the world!  Join us for a Potluck luncheon discussion about Grace Church’s next steps with the wider Rutland community – what would it take to sponsor one or more families in Rutland?  During this time, we will also have crafts/card-making to send to our brothers and sisters on the Border.

*A free-will offering will be collected for those working with detainees at the Border.

 

 

 

 

Jan. 31 ~ Spiritual Growth Evening: Immigration

The Spiritual Growth Committee invites YOU to share in an evening of discovery and civil discourse about IMMIGRATION: Mexican Migrants in VT and Central American Asylum Seekers on our Southern Border. 

When: January 31, 2019, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Where: Grace Church Fellowship Hall

We are located on the corner of Court and West.  For parking, enter our lot from
West Street.   Street parking is also available on Court Street.

The handicap entrance may be accessed through the north side portico of Grace Church via the parking lot.  The elevator is located in the central part of the building.

About: The Spiritual Growth Committee invites YOU to share in an evening of discovery and civil discourse about IMMIGRATION: Mexican Migrants in VT and Central American Asylum Seekers on our Southern Border.  Please bring a potluck dish to share at this night of discussion.  Child care is also provided to families who wish to attend.

Questions to think about:

Do Mexican Migrants in VT and Central American Asylum Seekers on our Southern Border have anything in common? What do they have to do with our faith and spiritual growth?

You will also have the opportunity to make a donation to the border ministry.
VT UCC minister, Marjorie MacNeill, will be traveling to border towns of in Arizona.

With the funds, she will be purchasing and donating needed supplies for several programs & churches doing amazing and difficult work with the people who have made their way across the Mexico-US border.

She hopes to also provide help to a network of churches and shelters in Tucson who have been offering welcome and assistance to those families with children released from detention.  With no resources, these families were dropped off at the Tucson bus station.  One of our UCC congregations there recently offered welcome, rest, food, encouragement, support, and needed supplies to over 500 mothers, fathers, and children as they made arrangements to get to families/sponsors across the country.

More assistance is still needed to offer such hospitality and friendship in the city.  She’ll also be visiting and bringing needed supplies to a Presbyterian mission on the border in Douglas, AZ and to the border/food-shelf ministry at The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, AZ near Green Valley.  If you have been wanting to offer direct help for such ministry at the border, they would be grateful for financial donations and would handle them faithfully and carefully.

 

Jan. 6 – Epiphany Sunday

Plan on participating in a day of Epiphany activities
as we Celebrate the Light together!

 

Epiphany Sunday – Communion Sunday
Chapel Service 8:30 AM
Pancake Breakfast 9:00 AM
Sanctuary Service 10:00 AM
Epiphany Hymn Sing 4:00 PM
Epiphany Tree Burning 5:30 PM (North Clarendon)

Epiphany party pancakes

 

Epiphany Party & Pancake Breakfast
9 AM in Fellowship Hall
Join us for pancakes, sausage, and fruit
for an Epiphany party as we unwrap and
sort the white gifts so that they can be
distributed to local organizations.

 

 

Epiphany Hymn SingHymn sing
4 PM in the Sanctuary
Welcome in 2019 with an Epiphany/New Year hymn-sing, where you can sing your favorite seasonal hymns. Alastair will also play the magnificent Aeolian-Skinner organ. The hymn-sing will begin at 4 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Plan to be with us and then continue on to the tree burning!

 

 

Tree burn

Epiphany Tree Burning
5:30 PM in North Clarendon
Un-trim your tree and bring it to the
Ashcroft-Billings farm, 531 Creek
Road in North Clarendon, for a
bonfire and celebration of the Light
that came into the world long ago.
We will sing Epiphany carols and
have a great time. This is an
outdoor event so please dress
warmly!

Dec. 30 – Potluck Breakfast & One Service

When: December 30 – Sunday after Christmas

Where: Parlor for Breakfast; Service in the Sanctuary

About:
Christmas Breakfast 9:00 am followed by one Service 10:00 am

Potluck Breakfast at 9:00 am; One Service at 10 a.m. You are invited to gather in the Parlor for a potluck breakfast prior to worship at 10:00 a.m. If you can’t be with family, come join with your Grace Church family. If you have family visiting, bring them along!

 

 

Christmas Eve Services, Dec. 24

Family Service with Nativity 6:00 PM –

The Children’s Choir and Joyful Noise offer upbeat Christmas anthems. The choirs will help lead the traditional Christmas story told through drama and song! We also welcome local tenor, Raymond White, to offer traditional secular and sacred songs for the prelude and postlude. Arrive early to hear Raymond’s delightful interpretations of seasonal favorites.

Christmas Prelude 10:25 PM –

Later that evening, at 10:30 p.m., the Sanctuary Choir will offer a Musical Prelude and be joined by Nova Wang, violin; Raymond White, tenor; and the Grace TTBB choir to offer beautiful and uplifting music.
 

Candlelight Service 11:00 PM –

The Candlelight Evening Service begins at 11 p.m., and will include the choral classics, O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen, and Candlelight Carol by John Rutter. We will all share in the beauty and comfort of lighting candles and singing “Silent Night” as the wonder and mystery of Christmas unfolds.
 
Rev. John C. Weatherhogg, preaching

2019 Grace Church Composition Competition

Grace Congregational UCC in Rutland, Vermont, is pleased to announce its first Composition Competition to recognize and support a new work for large concert choir and classical chamber orchestra to be performed by the Rutland Area Chorus and orchestra. The 2019 Grace Church Composition Competition Award is made possible by the generous sponsorship of David and Debra Baasch.

The contest is soliciting original unpublished compositions of settings of Advent or Christmas texts for SATB chorus, optional SATB soloists, and chamber orchestra. The pieces should be no longer than 8 minutes. The orchestra comprises three first and three second violins, two violas and two cellos, one double bass, two oboes, one bassoon, two trumpets, timpani, harpsichord and organ. The work must be scored for SATB chorus, but can use any combination of the available soloists and orchestra.

You must have proof of permission to use any text not in the public domain.

The winning work will be awarded $1000.00 (USD) and two performances by the Rutland Area Chorus on December 8th, 2019, at Grace Congregational UCC. The winning composer is encouraged to attend the premiere of the composition. There is no stipend for travel but some housing arrangements may be available.

Read more…

Killington Music Festival Faculty Recital – July 5

When: July 5th, at 7:00 PM

Where: Grace Church Sanctuary

About:
We welcome the internationally renowned faculty of the Killington Music Festival to give a recital in the Grace Church Sanctuary. Guest artist, Simon Ghraichy, piano, Killington Music Festival Artistic Director, Daniel Andai, violin, and Theodore Buchholz, cello, will offer an evening of classical music.

For more information about the Killington Music Festival:
https://www.killingtonmusicfestival.org/

The Transcontinental Piano Duo

Grace Congregational Church presents

The Transcontinental Piano Duo
Elaine Greenfield & Janice Meyer Thompson

When: Thursday, April 26, 7:00 pm

Where: Grace UCC Sanctuary

Elaine & Janice are delighted to share this program of familiar, relaxing, and fun-filled pieces with you. These pieces are some of the most beloved works for piano duet, which promise to be so welcome after our l-o-o-n-g Vermont winter.  Please join us for this concert, destined to leave you whistling out the door.

A bonus…we always include a Q&A period, and really enjoy finding out what you would like to know about the program and our work as a Duo.

Admission by free will offering at the door.