Click on the date to open a new window with
the lectionary readings.
March 7
Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 63:1-8 (Page 670, BCP)
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
March 14
Joshua 5:9-12
Psalm 32 (Page 624, BCP)
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
March 21
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126 (Page 782, BCP)
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
March 28
Luke 19:28-40
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 (Page 760, BCP)
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16 (Page 623, BCP)
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 22:14-23:56
or Luke 23:1-49
"Be the change you want to see in the
world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Grace Church is deeply connected to our
neighborhoods, our communities, and our
people. We know that we have been called by
God to "bring good news to the oppressed"
and to "repair the. . . cities." (Isaiah
61:1 and 4)
A
workshop will be held on Saturday, April
17th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM to learn
the skills and the steps to organize Grace
Church for effective action within the
church and the wider Plainfield community.
The session will be presented by Mike Gecan,
the creator of the Nehemiah Homes Project.
This is an exciting opportunity to learn
from an expert as well as from our sister
churches seeking lasting, meaningful
involvement in their communities.
The cost of the workshop is $20. There are
three scholarships available as well as free
transportation for up to three people.
Anyone interested in attending (with or
without the scholarship) should please
contact Kristen Claire Foley at
kristenclairefoley@gmail.com.
Jane Wilson, President of the Board of
Directors
Plainfield Community Outreach
As
you know, we have been serving meals to
hungry people in Plainfield since 1994. At
this time of year we conduct our only fund
raising campaign, the Feinstein Challenge.
Through this generous program $1 million is
shared each year among agencies which, like
Grace’s Kitchen, raise money during March
and April. Please open your heart and give
as generously as you can.
With the down turn our economy is facing, we
anticipate cutbacks in funding for programs
for the needy. We are blessed with friends
like you who care enough about feeding
hungry people in our area to do something
about it. This year it will cost
approximately $32,000 for the approximately
9,000 meals we will serve at Grace’s
Kitchen. To better serve our guests we have
made connections with local social service
agencies to provide information and help to
our clients. In addition, the PCO Board of
Directors is pursuing funding for an
accessible restroom for the use of Grace’s
Kitchen guests and volunteers.
This is the first step in our plan to make
the whole facility accessible to those with
mobility problems.
All donations must be received during the
months of March and April to be eligible for
the Feinstein challenge matching program.
Please make your check out to Grace’s
Kitchen and mail it to Grace's Kitchen,
600 Cleveland Ave., Plainfield, NJ 07060.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Plainfield Community Outreach, Coordinator
Mary Jo Buck and the staff and clients of
Grace’s Kitchen, THANK YOU for all
the time and treasure you contribute through
your donation!
Vice President: Jason Algeo
Secretary: Robert Wilson
Treasurer: Dave Magee
Chaplain: Frank Walcott
During the month of January, the Men's Guild
celebrated its 7th Anniversary since being
formed and commissioned on January 15, 2003.
Three members of the Church, Jim Coppock,
John Hartman and Frank Walcott put their
heads together, drew up some by-laws along
with a Mission Statement which reads as
follows:
To work in the service of God and to
pursue a commitment as good stewardship
To use our God given talents for the
good and spiritual welfare of Grace
Church
To express brotherly love and
appreciation to our fellowman in our
Community
To labor in God's vineyard by inviting
others to join and serve in this special
ministry.
The Guild is open to all male members of the
church from age 18, and meetings are held
every 3rd Sunday of the month.
Since its inception, the Guild has completed
many tasks, the initial one was to refurbish
the tile floor in Knickle Hall, erect a
fence at the Rectory, retile the hallway
from the sacristy to the ladies' room,
landscape the garden, and most recently
complete the ramp on Cleveland Avenue. This
ramp was constructed through painstaking
efforts, through rain and cold weather. It
was spearheaded by Robert Wilson, John
Eklund, Jason Algeo, Dennis Bazzy, Tim Mann,
Bob Carlson, Trevor King, Frank Walcott and
Barbara Nichols, who sought out to secure
the necessary permits to have it erected.
Now, weather permitting, the ramp will be
stained and weatherproofed. Thanks also to
Jim Spears who oversaw the pouring of the
concrete slab at the entrance.
The Guild has taken on and completed other
projects too numerous to mention, so much so
that our “to-do list” seems endless. In any
event, we have extended our service to
include doing light handy work for senior
citizens in the congregation. We will,
however, spend more time keeping the gardens
and Grounds tidy this year. Please let us
know that we are happy to oblige.
"No good thing will God withhold from those
who walk with integrity." - Psalm 84:11
Integrity, a national organization seeking
the inclusion of all the baptized in all the
sacraments, is beginning a circle at Grace
Church. Integrity began in the mid-1970s as
a place for support for gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender Episcopalians.
Encouraged by Mother Carolyn, a small group
of parishioners gathered in All Saints'
Chapel on a chilly winter evening for a
planning session.
In the course of our conversation, we
decided that there are three areas of
interest for the Integrity Circle at Grace
Church: prayer, community outreach, and
education.
While we hope that Grace members and friends
will attend these events, it is also our
sincere desire that members of the wider
Plainfield community feel welcome as well. A
second planning and brainstorming session
will be held in All Saints' Chapel on
Tuesday, February 23rd at 7:30 PM.
It is important for as many people as
possible to share their ideas and input with
this budding new ministry. Grace Church's
Integrity Circle's first event will be a
Lenten Evening Prayer on Thursday, March
18th at 7 PM. We will gather for a
simple supper of soup and bread and then
worship together as a faithful community.
All are welcome.
One of the first of the many special Black
History Month events at Grace Church this
year was a fascinating dramatic reading of
the drama Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize
prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage.
The play takes place at the turn of the 20th
century in New York City. The main
character, Esther, is a seamstress who lives
in a boardinghouse owned by Mrs. Dickson, a
widow who mothers the young women who board
in her house. For 18 years, Esther, 35, has
earned a living by making beautiful
undergarments. She makes the same items for
Mrs. Van Buren, rich socialite, as she does
for her good friend Mayme, a prostitute.
Esther has a romance by mail with George, a
man from Barbados who is working on the
Panama Canal and whom she has never met. At
the same time, a platonic relationship that
has the capacity for love - a love that can
never be - grows between Esther and Mr.
Marks, a Jewish salesman who sells fabric.
Esther eventually marries George, is
betrayed by him and eventually ends up back
in Mrs. Dickson's rooming house.
The dramatic reading of Intimate Apparel in
Grace Hall on January 30 was superbly
directed by Carrie Hayes, who did an expert
job helping the actors interpret the
characters. The cast consisted of three
professional actors and two amateurs. Their
performances were delivered with such
passion and enthusiasm that it was easy to
forget that the lines were being read and
were not fully dramatized.
The two amateur actors in the cast were
Mother Carolyn Eklund, who portrayed Mrs.
Van Buren, and Karen Moore, who enacted Mrs.
Dickson. Kudos to both of them for their
excellent performances.
The intimate setting of drama, which was
performed on the stage of Grace Hall, added
to the enjoyment of the evening. I hope
Carrie is already at work planning the next
drama for the stage at Grace Church.
The purpose of the census is to help
determine how $400 billion of Federal Aid to
U.S. cities will be distributed. It only
happens every 10 years. The Postal Service
will start delivering the questionnaires in
mid March.
There are about 10 questions that need to be
answered such as, name, sex, age, date of
birth, race, household relationships,
whether you own or rent, and where you live.
You will not be ask to give your social
security number legal status information.
You will be given a postage paid envelope to
send back the completed form. Stand up and
be counted!!
If you're looking for part time work, they
need workers. Call 1-866-861-2010 or go on
their website at
www.2010.census.gov.
As
you know, we have been serving meals to
hungry people in Plainfield since 1994. At
this time of year we conduct our only fund
raising campaign, the Feinstein Challenge.
Through this generous program $1 million is
shared each year among agencies which, like
Grace’s Kitchen, raise money during March
and April. Please open your heart and give
as generously as you can. 