February Newsletter
In the midst of winter’s chill, the doors of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ open wide with the warmth of God’s radically inclusive love. That love flows from the hearts of Garden of Grace people who believe we are called to share radical love, dynamic hope, incredible compassion, and extravagant hospitality.
Never place a period where God has placed a comma! We believe in a still speaking, still revealing, and still loving God. United, we seek to be Divine in ‘09. We look forward to an exciting February, a time to rejoice with love. Nothing is more wonderful than to love someone who loves us – and God does! We are each loved by the Creator, the Embodiment of all love.
How does our Garden grow? Radically, Dynamically, incredibly, and extravagantly, and with love!
How Does Our Garden Grow? With January Blessings . . .
For the second consecutive month, average weekly attendance topped 100 souls in January at Garden of Grace. This has never happened before. The body of faith is growing rapidly!
More than 35 blue and white scarves knitted by our Women’s Spirituality Team, our Social Justice Team, and our Outreach/Compassion Team were worn by winter Special Olympians in the Jan. 20 Presidential Inaugural parade.
Two dozen toiletry kits were blessed Jan. 25 for distribution to homeless people. The kits from our Outreach/Compassion Team were decorated by our Children’s Sunday School, newly named “Wee Diggers,” in recognition of our Garden of Grace.
We celebrated the sacred season of Epiphany by remembering the journey of the Magi, Jan. 4, and by remembering our baptism, Jan. 11. Our Drama Team, led by Mike Grello, mgrello@sc.rr.com, presented an original one-act play Jan. 18 as part of our Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend observance.
Our internet ministry expanded with the creation of a FaceBook group, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63699112040&ref=mf. Our internet minister is Richard Kiraly, gardenofgraceucc@yahoo.com.
Thanks to the ministry of our Garden Team, led by John Faulkner, JFaul37010@aol.com, a fence was erected Jan. 23 around two sides of our property, creating a path to new sidewalks for our neighbors.
Ten ministry leaders – Jana DeHoff, John Faulkner, Mike Grello, Patricia Grello, Dan Greshel, Barbara Johnson, Linda Renner, Carol Smith-Dailey, associate pastor Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, and our pastor, Rev. Andy Sidden – gathered for an envisioning forum Jan. 24.
Six people completed membership class Jan. 25, and eight people began a fifth Theology Among the People course. Twenty people gathered Jan. 16 for Men’s Night Out, led by Patrick Parker, parker557@hotmail.com.
A barrel of non-perishable groceries was collected for distribution to hungry people in South Carolina’s Midlands by Harvest Hope Food Bank. This is an on-going ministry of our Social Justice Team, led by Patricia Grello, pgrello@sc.rr.com.
How Does Our Garden Grow? With Worship . . .
We begin a new month with the Rite of Laying-On of Hands for healing as a part of Sunday celebration, Feb. 1. Three people will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Our Celebration Choir will sing, “Hymn of Promise.”
Pastor Andy, pastorandys@msn.com, preaches a four-part series of messages Feb. 1, 8, 15, and March 1, called “Why Bother?” The messages explore our purposes for existing.
The Rite of Membership will be celebrated Feb. 8 for six people, David Bates, Rebecca Causey, Justin Dyson, Skip Jagschitz, Robyn Watkins, and John Wilson. The Rite of Blessing will be celebrated that day for our Adventure Scouts, a progressive group for youth ages 12 and older, led by Barbara Johnson, compmom1@yahoo.com, and John Faulkner.
The Rite of Blessing for couples in loving relationships, regardless of gender, will be celebrated Sunday, Feb. 15.
Our associate pastor, Reverend Candace, revcandace@gogucc.com, brings the Transfiguration Sunday message, Feb. 22.
Our Mardi Gras observance will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24. Our Ash Wednesday observance, marking the beginning of the sacred season of Lent, will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 25.
Jana DeHoff, gr8seahorse@aol.com , leads our Wee Diggers Children’s Ministry Team, which offers Sunday School each week. A diaper-changing table also is available.
Our Celebration Choir, led by Andy Farmer, jandyfarmer@yahoo.com, rehearses at 9:45 a.m. Sundays. Sunday worship is always at 11 a.m.
How Does Our Garden Grow? With Evangelism . . .
“Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians” can be ordered at http://www.bulletproofbook.com. This exciting new book by our associate pastor, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, has received much acclaim.
Pastor Andy shared about Garden of Grace’s ministries during January’s S.C. Gay and Lesbian Business Guild meeting. He’ll represent us again at the Guild’s anniversary celebration March 21.
Reverend Candace and many other Garden of Grace people took part in a January showing of an award-winning documentary about the life of slain openly gay San Francisco official, Harvey Milk. The Nickelodeon theater on Main Street showed the film.
Jan Hogan, janh244@yahoo.com, leads our Women’s Spirituality Group and serves in our bulletin and hospitality ministries. The Women’s Group dines out at 7 p.m. third Wednesdays. Our Men’s Night Out ministry is at 7 p.m. fourth Thursdays. Patrick Parker leads our men’s group.
Our internet ministry offers a MySpace site, which can be reached at http://www.myspace.com/gogucccolumbia. Our web minister Richard Kiraly, gardenofgraceucc@yahoo.com, maintains our web site, www.gogucc.com.
How Does Our Garden Grow? With Service . . .
Our Outreach Team leads Garden of Grace in sponsoring the resettlement of two young Burmese couples who have lived in refugee camps for years before coming to Columbia. This project is a joint effort with Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas. Joy and Carol Smith-Dailey, fotosetc@yahoo.com, coordinate this growing Outreach/Compassion Ministry.
Patricia Grello, pgrello@sc.rr.com, leads a social-justice Care Circle in West Columbia that volunteers with Harvest Hope Food Bank and with sewing projects for infant clothing. A barrel for Harvest Hope’s food drive is at Garden of Grace.
Aluminum cans are collected each Sunday by Trustee Jennifer Spears, jennifervspears@aol.com, and Church Sexton Lois Spears, loistalk1948@aol.com, as an on-going fundraiser.
Lois Spears is church sexton and leads a team that includes Carol and Joy Smith-Dailey and Trustee Jennifer Spears. Christine Walker, The1HumanFamily@aol.com, serves as office assistant.
Coordinated by Kevin Dove, kdove@lander.edu, Garden of Grace offers fairly traded, Equal Exchange coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate for sale. The products are from small, independent farmers.
How Does Our Garden Grow? With Fellowship . . .
Our Garden Team, led by John Faulkner, will hold a work-day at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14. Of special need for this event are hardy men, younger than 50!
Adventure Scouts, a progressive youth troop for boys and girls ages 12 and older, gathers at the church at 7:34 p.m. second and fourth Fridays. Leaders are Barbara Johnson and John Faulkner. The troop plans a trip to Columbia’s Winter Jam contemporary music concert in February. Like all Garden of Grace groups, Adventure Scouts is open to the community.
Our Apron Brigade, led by Joe Matthews, jmatthewssc@bellsouth.net, coordinates Sunday refreshments and greeters and lunches for membership classes. The team has expanded, offering ministry for those who want to help but feel too shy to greet first-time guests. Donations of coffee cups, lids, snacks and much more are being collected. This is a great way to serve “behind the scene.”
Trustee Cora Davis, rbrducky@sc.rr.com, is Archives Ministry leader, collecting photos and other historical records of our faith journey. She is assisted by photographers Leta Horine and Pat Seymour.
Kevin Eisenhour, keinnc@bellsouth.net, is wedding ministry coordinator. Our web site, www.gogucc.com, has been expanded with holy union and holy matrimony information. Sharon Byrd and Tara Hills plan to celebrate Feb. 7 the Rite of Matrimony.
Our minister of the month for February, our newly named Green Thumb, is Randy Wilson, randywilson@bellsouth.net, who oversees our video-surveillance ministry. The recognition gives him privilege to park in our special Green Thumb space.
Garden of Grace members, visitors, and others gather in Care Circles to examine the scriptures through various series of discussions. Care Circles gather twice monthly to share in prayer, devotion, and fellowship. These are great places to find friends and ministries.
Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, lead a Care Circle, which gathers at 6:30 p.m. second and fourth Tuesdays in Lexington to explore “Bible Study for Amateurs.”
Reverend Candace’s Care Circle begins in March a new series of discussions. The circle is on hiatus until then. The circle gathers first and third Mondays at 7 p.m. at Garden of Grace.