Ways To Pray
Ways to Pray - Compline
Join us each Monday during Lent at 6:00pm in the sanctuary to learn about different ways we pray in the Episcopal church. Each one of us has a different relationship with God, so it makes sense that different types of prayer would work for some people and not others. Each week we will learn about the history and spirituality of a different type of prayer and talk through how to do this type of prayer. Then we practice that type of prayer as a group. Afterwards we will reflect on what the experience was like for us. Join for one week or join for all 6, it's a great way to deepen or refresh your prayer life.
3/30 Compline
Healing Service
Join us for a quiet and meditative healing service where we will pray for ourselves, our loved ones, and our world. We will also anoint with oil anyone who is in need of physical, mental, or spiritual healing.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday begins the great Holy Week liturgy that we call the Holy Triduum. It is the night where we remember that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and taught them to serve one another. Our service includes washing each other’s feet along with a celebration of Eucharist. We end the night by stripping the altar bare to prepare for the death of Jesus on Good Friday.
Good Friday - Stations of the Cross
Walk with us through Jesus’s journey to the cross. We will move through each of the stations of the cross and reflect on how Jesus sacrificed himself for us.
Good Friday
This is the second part of the Holy Triduum. On this day we remember the crucifixion and death of our Lord. We do not celebrate the Eucharist because we are in mourning, but we share bread that has been consecrated the day before. We also venerate, or pay special respect, to the cross because through it, we find salvation.
Easter Basket Blessing
The blessings of the Easter Baskets is an Eastern European church tradition. Fr. Bryan’s family is comes from Slovakia, so has always been an important part of his Holy Week observance. This year he wants to share it with all of you. Bring a basket filled with foods you will eat on Easter Sunday and we will bless it with holy water and pray over it.
If you would like to learn more about this tradition, you can visit this link to learn about the symbolism of Easter basket items and check out a few recipes.
https://www.asceticlifeofmotherhood.com/blog/traditionalpaschabasket
Easter Vigil
This is the grand finale of the Triduum! On this holiest night of the year, we begin in darkness while we tell the stories of the history of our salvation. We rejoice that Jesus is risen, renew our baptismal promises and celebrate that Easter is here with a great big Alleluia!
Easter Sunday
Join us for a quiet morning of rejoicing and meditating on the empty tomb. We will celebrate the Eucharist and declare that Christ is risen!
Easter Sunday
This service will be louder and more boisterous! We will sing together, accompanied by piano and organ. Then we will celebrate the Eucharist and declare that Christ is risen! Stick around afterwards for an Easter Egg hunt for the kids.
Mario Kart Tournament
Join us for a Mario Kart tournament in the parish hall! We will project the game on our giant screen and race to find who is the speediest, shell smashing champ. We will have two brackets: an expert bracket and a novice bracket. If you don’t feel like racing, just stop by to hang out and cheer on your friends. We will also have plenty of pizza and drinks for all to enjoy. To help us order the correct amount of pizza, RSVP to Fr. Bryan at bryan@gracenewlenox.org.
Ways To Pray
Ways to Pray - Unscripted Prayer
Join us each Monday during Lent at 6:00pm in the sanctuary to learn about different ways we pray in the Episcopal church. Each one of us has a different relationship with God, so it makes sense that different types of prayer would work for some people and not others. Each week we will learn about the history and spirituality of a different type of prayer and talk through how to do this type of prayer. Then we practice that type of prayer as a group. Afterwards we will reflect on what the experience was like for us. Join for one week or join for all 6, it's a great way to deepen or refresh your prayer life.
3/23 Unscripted Prayer
Ways To Pray
Ways to Pray - Labyrinth Walking
Join us each Monday during Lent at 6:00pm in the sanctuary to learn about different ways we pray in the Episcopal church. Each one of us has a different relationship with God, so it makes sense that different types of prayer would work for some people and not others. Each week we will learn about the history and spirituality of a different type of prayer and talk through how to do this type of prayer. Then we practice that type of prayer as a group. Afterwards we will reflect on what the experience was like for us. Join for one week or join for all 6, it's a great way to deepen or refresh your prayer life.
3/16 Labyrinth Walking
Youth Group - Escape Room in a Box
Youth Group 3/15
The Grace Youth Group will be meeting on Sunday 3/15 from 6-8pm. We will be doing an escape room in a box! We will have an hour to solve a series of puzzles and unlock a secret message. We will also be doing some planning for a Youth Group service project. Anyone in grades 6-12 is welcome to join!
Tutti Voce Collective Pancake Breakfast
The Tutti Voce Collective is a choir based in Joliet with the mission of bringing the arts to undeserved communities. Because of our shared values of radical inclusion and bringing God's beauty to all people, they are partnering with us to hold a fundraising breakfast on March 15th 8:00 am - 12:30 pm in our parish hall. Members of the choir will also be joining us at our 10:30 am service that Sunday to worship together and sing a choir anthem. Tickets for the breakfast are $10 and can be purchased ahead of time on the TVC website or at the door. Proceeds will benefit both TVC and Grace. Anyone who does not wish to pay for the breakfast is still welcome to join us for coffee and company, but we invite you if you are able, to support our two great organizations and invite your friends and family as well.
Ticket Link
Liturgy and Music Committee Meeting
It feels like Lent just started, but it is already time to start planning for Holy Week and the Easter season. Join our Liturgy and Music Committee to help decide where God is leading us in this new season and help select prayers and music to fit that theme. The meeting will be Thursday March 12 at 6:00pm on zoom.
You don't need to be an expert on liturgy to join, you just need to have an interest in diving deeper into what we do here on Sunday mornings. We will open our meeting with prayer and reflection on where this season is leading us in this moment. If you are planning to attend, I invite you to begin thinking about that question ahead of the meeting. You can read the Exsultet on pages 286 and 287 of the Book of Common Prayer for some inspiration.
I will come ready with options for different parts of the services that I can present based on our conversation. Chrissy will also have hymns picked ahead of time and we can discuss if we want to make changes.
Looking forward to planning liturgy with you all!
Ways To Pray
Ways to Pray - Anglican Prayer Beads
Join us each Monday during Lent at 6:00pm in the sanctuary to learn about different ways we pray in the Episcopal church. Each one of us has a different relationship with God, so it makes sense that different types of prayer would work for some people and not others. Each week we will learn about the history and spirituality of a different type of prayer and talk through how to do this type of prayer. Then we practice that type of prayer as a group. Afterwards we will reflect on what the experience was like for us. Join for one week or join for all 6, it's a great way to deepen or refresh your prayer life.
3/9 Anglican Prayer Beads
Ways To Pray
Ways to Pray- Lectio Divina
Join us each Monday during Lent at 6:00pm in the sanctuary to learn about different ways we pray in the Episcopal church. Each one of us has a different relationship with God, so it makes sense that different types of prayer would work for some people and not others. Each week we will learn about the history and spirituality of a different type of prayer and talk through how to do this type of prayer. Then we practice that type of prayer as a group. Afterwards we will reflect on what the experience was like for us. Join for one week or join for all 6, it's a great way to deepen or refresh your prayer life.
3/2 Lectio Divina
Ways To Pray
Ways to Pray- Centering Prayer
Join us each Monday during Lent at 6:00pm in the sanctuary to learn about different ways we pray in the Episcopal church. Each one of us has a different relationship with God, so it makes sense that different types of prayer would work for some people and not others. Each week we will learn about the history and spirituality of a different type of prayer and talk through how to do this type of prayer. Then we practice that type of prayer as a group. Afterwards we will reflect on what the experience was like for us. Join for one week or join for all 6, it's a great way to deepen or refresh your prayer life.
2/23 Centering Prayer
Pancake Supper
Please join us for a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 17 at 6:00pm in the Parish Hall. Let's gather together to indulge before the beginning of Lent. We will also be burning last years palms to make this years ashes at 7pm.
$10 per person
Youth Group
The Grace Youth Group will be meeting 6:00-8:00pm on Sunday, January 25th. We will be playing hide and seek in the dark church and parish hall, with some other large group games thrown in if we have extra time. Anyone in grades 6-12 is welcome to join! The group meets once a month during the school year.
Lenten Supper Groups
This Lent we will be forming group of 8-10 people who will gather for a meal once a week for 5 weeks. This is a great way to get to know familiar faces and welcome newcomers into our congregation. To learn more or sign up for a group, check out the link in the newsletter or contact Lauren at the office. The deadline to sign up is 2/11.
Olympic Opening Ceremony Watch Party
Join us on Friday, February 6th to watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in the parish hall. We will have popcorn and soda, but you are also welcome to bring your own snack and drinks.
Annual Meeting & Potluck
Our Annual Meeting has been rescheduled for February 1st after the 10:30 am service. Please join us as we hear reports from our ministry leaders, approve our budget for the coming year, elect new members to vestry, and look forward to an amazing year in 2026. Our church is only able to keep doing all of the wonderful things we do with the support of our members. Please join this meeting to help keep Grace amazing. We will also have a potluck that Sunday so we can enjoy a meal together during our meeting. You can find the link to sign up online in the newsletter.
Youth Group
The Grace Youth Group will be meeting 6:00-8:00pm on Sunday, January 25th. We will be playing hide and seek in the dark church and parish hall, with some other large group games thrown in if we have extra time. Anyone in grades 6-12 is welcome to join! The group meets once a month during the school year.
Annual Meeting & Potluck
Our Annual Meeting will be January 25th after the 10:30 am service. Please join us as we hear reports from our ministry leaders, approve our budget for the coming year, elect new members to vestry, and look forward to an amazing year in 2026. Our church is only able to keep doing all of the wonderful things we do with the support of our members. Please join this meeting to help keep Grace amazing. We will also have a potluck that Sunday so we can enjoy a meal together during our meeting. You can find the link to sign up online in the newsletter.
First Sunday after Christmas Day
Fr. Bryan will be taking the Sunday off and we will have only 1 Holy Eucharist, Rite II service today at 9:30 am.
Christmas Day Service
Our 9:30am service is a quiet service without music. It is perfect for those who are seeking a more meditative experience that can be a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Christmas Eve Vigil Service
Our 10:00pm service is a more traditional Christmas service. We will gather in the church to sing Christmas carols half an hour before the service begins, then celebrate Eucharist together to welcome the birth of Christ into the world.
Christmas Eve Family Service
Our 4:00pm service centers our younger parishioners and includes a special children's sermon and easy to sing hymns. If your child would like to be involved in the Christmas service in some way, please contact Jackie Mennella at jdmen3@yahoo.com
Introduction to the Book of Common Prayer Wk 4
Have you ever been curious about those red books sitting in the back of the pews? The Book of Common Prayer is at the heart of our Episcopal tradition. It contains a wealth of resources including personal prayers for different times in life, historical documents from the church, explanations of what we believe, and instructions for all of our services from Baptisms to funerals. Join us for a four week introduction to the Book of Common Prayer where we will learn the basics of what is inside and how to navigate it. It doesn't matter if you are a cradle Episcopalian or if you have never heard of this book before, there is always more to learn about this wonderful book.
Week 4: Prayers and Historical Documents
Greening of the Church
Join us on the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 21st, after the 10:30am service to decorate the church for Christmas. We will have Christmas music playing and plenty of snacks to share.
Storytelling Night
Help bring some light into the middle of your week by joining us for prayer, food, and fun this Advent. Each week we will begin in the church with a 15 minute prayer service where we will light candles and reflect on how we find Christ's light in the midst of a complicated world. Then we will move to the parish hall for some fun, food, and fellowship. Dinner will be soup and bread, with vegetarian and gluten free options available and our activity will be different each week.
For centuries, people have gathered around fires in the darkness to tell stories. These days, we will gather around a crockpot of soup instead of fire, but we still have plenty of stories to share. Our gathering this evening will focus on the theme "Light in the Darkness." We invite you to tell a story, read a picture book, or share a poem, anything about 10 minutes or less. You are also welcome to just show up and listen.
Introduction to the Book of Common Prayer Wk 3
Have you ever been curious about those red books sitting in the back of the pews? The Book of Common Prayer is at the heart of our Episcopal tradition. It contains a wealth of resources including personal prayers for different times in life, historical documents from the church, explanations of what we believe, and instructions for all of our services from Baptisms to funerals. Join us for a four week introduction to the Book of Common Prayer where we will learn the basics of what is inside and how to navigate it. It doesn't matter if you are a cradle Episcopalian or if you have never heard of this book before, there is always more to learn about this wonderful book.
Week 3: Pastoral Offices and Ordinations