Climate Action@Grace Getting ready for upcoming holidays and celebrations? You can drop in on Sunday, November 16 in the Parish Hall for a facilitated discussion on sustainably celebrating the next few weeks. Bring your own tried-and-true ideas and hear new ones from others. Carol Dick will guide this conversation beginning at 12:15 after the coffee hour.
Annie Cheatham Reading Southern Stories On Wednesday, November 19, Annie Cheatham will be at Grace Church to read from her new book, The Baby’s Gotta Have Somethin’: Glimpses of a Southern Childhood. The event will be at 2 pm in the Connector. All are welcome.
Adopt-A-Family For Christmas For many years Grace Church members have enjoyed buying or making gifts for a family that is struggling. Wish lists for some 40 families will be available on Sundays starting Nov 9th after both services. The deadline is Dec 14th. AFTER the St Nicholas Bazaar the gifts may be brought to the undercroft on Sunday mornings. If you are interested in adopting a family, please contact Mary Hocken. 413-537-0251.
The Stewardship campaign is beginning with the mailing of pledge materials, which you should receive this week. Please read these materials carefully and prayerfully reflect on your contribution. If you do not receive the mailing, copies will be on the table at the entry to the church. We need the participation of all members if we are to maintain our programs, meet unexpected expenditures and continue to provide support for others in our community. The annual In-gathering will be Sunday, Nov. 23rd at both services. Please bring your pledge card then as they will be received at the altar during the service. The Feast of Grace potluck luncheon will follow the 10:30 service. If you are away on the 23rd, we will gladly receive your pledge earlier. Thank you.
Please Support Those Affected by Hurricane Melissa Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with partners to support people affected by Hurricane Melissa. The Hurricane Relief Fund is an important tool for responding to immediate needs and supporting long-term recovery. Please contribute to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Hurricane Relief Fund to support these efforts.
Coffee Hour Coffee hour is a lovely tradition and we hope to see you there after the 10:30 service. The hospitality committee keeps a small supply of treats on hand but this often is not enough. Won’t you please be so kind as to donate a baked good for all to enjoy? Coffee cakes, quick breads, muffins, or bagels are always appreciated as well as other baked goods. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. Please see Sarah Chadwick if you have questions or want to help out further.
Thanksgiving Collection for the Amherst Survival Center Help “Stuff” the Church with Bread Stuffing For Thanksgiving, the Amherst Survival Center has asked us to collect 500 boxes of bread stuffing, which the Survival Center will distribute throughout November. They would like as many boxes as possible by November 23rd. If everyone brought 2 boxes of stuffing, we can achieve this goal. To Date: 365 collected; 135 to go. Thank you for your help.
The Flower Guild at Grace is inviting new members. If you enjoy seeing flowers on the chancel, perhaps you would like to join our team. We need you and you might like it! You can try it out by partnering with someone on the guild. EMAIL US. Maria Dye or Lou Currin
You are welcome! We want you to know that you are welcome here. If you are new to Grace Church please reach out, because we are here to invite, embrace, and welcome you into our community. Whether you are:
- New to the area
- New to our church (and perhaps new to the Episcopal faith)
- A longtime resident in search of connection and community
- Part or the LGBTQ community and are looking for a spiritual home where you are welcomed and affirmed
- A New Student, looking for a place of safety and comfort during your time studying here
- A Mom or Dad of a student and want a place that will support your child while they live and study here
We are here for you. Please fill out a blue Card, and reach out to someone wearing a WELCOME badge and come back AGAIN !
The Survival Center Needs Our Help With the expected shut down of SNAP benefits, along with ongoing inflation, the need for food assistance is growing. We’ve been asked to collect:
- peanut butter
- tuna fish
- soup
- pasta
- pasta sauce
You can bring your donations to the church and add them to our ongoing collection. Thank you for any help you can provide.
Fourth Sunday Outreach Collection, November 26 The Outreach Commission has designated Grace Church’s fourth Sunday offering go to help the UMass students affected by the devastating fire at Olympia Place Apartments on Nov 7th. Thankfully there were no known injuries to students or first responders, but over 200 students lost everything they had in the fire. UMass has created the Student Care and Emergency Response Fund to help the impacted students meet their immediate needs as well as help during the coming weeks and months. Your offerings will be donated to that fund. We hope you join in helping these students in our community get through this terrible disaster. If you write a check, please make it payable to Grace Church and add “outreach” on the memo line. Thank you for any gift you are able to give.
Olympia Drive Fire Response – Additional Ways to Help We are collecting the following essential items:
- New, packaged underwear and socks
- Large plastic totes
- Toiletries
We are still collecting the following items for the Campus Pantry:
- Packages of Instant Noodles
- Granola Bars
- Minute Rice
- Food items that come with pop top cans (i.e. cans that can be opened without a can opener)
You can drop items off at the church during regular business hours or bring them with you to church on Sunday.
UMass New2U Thrift Store is looking for thrift store volunteers! New2U needs help with processing donations, setting up the store, and helping customers! Come help us out and be part of the coolest crew on campus! Plus score some extra great deals on awesome stuff! Go to https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/4632926420111/false#/invitation to sign up for a time slot.
Vestry Meeting Minutes Minutes of the most recent Vestry meeting are posted on the bulletin board in the Connector just to the left of the door into the Church. If you wish to see past meeting minutes, please go to our website at https://www.gracechurchamherst.org/our-church/parish-staff/
The Bazaar is 3 weeks away on Dec. 6! Here’s how to help
Sign up! – sign-up sheets are in the Connector. We need help with set-up Thursday and Friday (Dec. 4 & 5), and sales and clean-up Saturday Dec. 6. Please indicate times you are available. Many hands make light work!
Lawn signs and flyers! – also in the Connector – please take and distribute around town!
Donations! Antiques and Collectibles, Fine jewelry, Sports, and Toys and Games are still needed. Please bring clean items in good condition to the undercroft by November 17 for sorting and pricing.
Divine Delights at the St. Nicholas Bazaar Your contributions are needed: Cookies!! Any kind, especially “Christmassy” ones!, Lemon squares , Brownies, Shortbread Any kind of sweet bars, Small loaves of bread or cake (individually wrapped) Any quantity is welcome – it all adds up! Please bring cookies and bars in a single container (not pre-packaged) and include a list of ingredients and your name. Leave squares, brownies, etc. uncut in pans. Bring donations to the Parish Hall on Friday, Dec. 5. (“day of” goodies by 8:30, please!) Thank you for all your support! Contact Joan with questions.
The Gifts from Grace table at the Bazaar welcomes your creative endeavors. Handmade gifts and art are welcomed. Please contact Gillian Duda with any questions.
Save the Date
Joy of Living Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m., 2nd and 4th Mondays This group combines meditation, practices integrated in the flow of life, and discussion. Next meeting, in the Connector: November 24, 2025.
Advent Book Series: The Book of Joy His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams, Sundays at 9:15am November 30th – December 21st In April 2015, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama’s home in Dharamsala, India to celebrate His Holiness’s eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their lives to answer a question: How do we find joy in the face of suffering? By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our times and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. These two inspirational people survived more than fifty years of exile and soul-crushing violence of oppression. And yet despite their hardships – or, as they said, because of them – they considered themselves two of the most joyful people on the planet.
A Special Service of Advent Lessons & Carols – A Celebration of Bishop Doug Fisher, Sunday, December 14th at 4:00 pm One of the loveliest services of the church year, it is comprised of scripture readings interspersed with a variety of choral anthems and hymns, modeled after the traditional Anglican format. Bishop Doug is our guest of honor. The service is dedicated to him in thanksgiving for his ministry as our Bishop. A reception will be held following the service. All are welcome!