News of the Ministries of Grace Memorial Episcopal Church at 1535 NE 17th Ave at NE Weidler in Portland
SUMMER READING
Here are a few books that I have referred to over the past year in sermons and other presentations. You may wish to consider including them in your summer reading. My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer by Christian Wiman. This young poet with a cancer diagnosis has written the most profound spiritual memoir I have read in years. I am already re-reading it for the sheer beauty of his language and the rare depth of his reflections. Talking with the Bible: Scripture as a Conversation Partner by Donn Morgan. This accessible book asks, “How do we ‘talk’ with the Bible?” Includes material Professor Morgan shared in one of our Grace Lectures. The Lion’s World: A Journey into the Heart of Narnia by Rowan Williams. The former Archbishop of Canterbury has written an engaging and theologically informed new look at the Narnia stories of C.S. Lewis. Pity the Beautiful poems by Dana Gioia. If you haven’t discovered this gifted and deeply Christian poet, this recent collection is a good place to begin. Finally, if you missed our recommended fall 2012 book selection, you should pick up a copy of Richard Rohr’s, Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self. Happy reading. Blessed summer! The Rev. Stephen V. Schneider
Find more information about the stories inside and other Grace events and programs at our website: www.grace-memorial.org June 7, 2013
Grace as a Place Campus Master Plan Report If you ask parishioners or visitors what they think about Grace Memorial as a campus – a collection of buildings and land – you might hear “The church is so beautiful,” or “I love the little courtyard,” or “We need a new kitchen,” or “Parking is so easy” or “It’s so hard to get up and down stairs.” Everyone has a point of view. But this we know: the Grace campus is integral to the life and work of the parish community. It shapes what Grace can do, and how it does it. For over three years, with guidance from the clergy, the campus planning committee has been preparing some options and ideas for making our campus serve Grace’s mission better than ever. At its retreat in March, the vestry spent much of the day digesting their work, and is eager to share this vision with the parish family. We hope you can be present at the 11:30 coffee hour on Sunday June 23rd, to learn more. Here, to whet your appetite, is a quick overview of what we are calling the Grace Memorial Campus Master Plan! This is what we think we know: the campus could serve Grace’s mission better than it does today. We have chosen three words to describe the basic elements of the plan. They are: • Identity: From the street, the campus does not “speak” to passers by. The paint is drab, the west end of the church is a blank wall, and the parking lot – well – is a parking lot! Our campus needs to tell the world that “God lives here.” • Utility: The whole campus needs to be much more accessible to the entire community. And the service areas – e.g. the kitchen – need to be “fit for purpose.” • Stewardship: The whole campus is a scarce and valuable asset. All of it should be put to its best and highest use, in accordance with Grace’s mission and vision. The Campus Planning Committee and the Vestry are recommending that the Parish adopt a comprehensive master planning strategy for Grace Memorial. Our reasons for proposing a “big picture” approach are as follows: • We hope that the parish will appreciate and become inspired by the overall vision. • Having a comprehensive plan reassures donors and funders - including Foundations and external contributors - that their investment will leverage and be leveraged by other funders • Different projects within the whole attract different supporters: there is something for everyone! • A master pan allows considerable scope for flexibility in later-stage planning. We know we can’t do it all at once, but we can fit the pieces together over time, keeping our eyes on the big picture. Continued on page 2
Bishop Michael Hanley Visits Grace on Sunday, June 16, 2013 at 5:00 pm We will welcome Bishop Michael Hanley next Sunday at 5:00 pm for a special service where members of our community will be confirmed, received or reaffirm their faith. Support these fellow parishioners and their sponsors as they take a step forward in faith: Shirley Johnson, Tom Krausse, Eddie Miller, Helen Slack Miller, Marsha Sharpe, Will Sharpe and Lisa Westarp.
NEWS AND NOTES
From page 1 Three strategic initiatives, three core funding strategies
Grace Celebrates our 2013 High School Graduates Metropolitan Learning Center valedictorian Rene Barasch will attend Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Julia Renner will soon be on her way to the Honors College at Northeastern University.
New Member Welcoming Sunday We will be welcoming persons newer to the Grace Community on Sunday morning, June 23, at 10:00 am. If you would like to be welcomed on that Sunday, please call (503-297-0418 x101) or email (
[email protected]) Fr. Stephen Schneider.
Do you have a favorite hymn? Do you have a favorite hymn that you would like to have included in one of our summer worship services? If so, please email Father Stephen at
[email protected] or leave a note in the Church Office with: (1) your name, (2) the name of the hymn and (3) the page number in The Hymnal (if known).
Subscribe We encourage you to stay on top of all Grace news with our weekly Grace E-note. You can subscribe through our website at www.grace-memorial.org under the “Resources” tab as well as look at the current E-note posted each week.
Farewell to Brad Toebben Brad came to Grace from Trinity Cathedral in October of 2012 to do a field education internship with us while he is preparing for priesthood in the Episcopal Church. While he was here, he preached, taught, and served among us. This summer he is doing the Clinical Pastoral Education at Emanuel Medical Center. In August, Brad will leave Portland for a year to attend The General Theological seminary in New York City. We have all been enriched by his ministry among us. He will be missed.
Strategic Initiative Utility: Elevator to basement; kitchen remodel; construct new, flexible community-use area (“grand vestibule”) west of parish hall Identity: New “Livery” for church, with particular focus on exterior west wall; revision of landscaping, including car park; reader board. Stewardship: Redevelopment of houses/land on Halsey/17th to higher, better use. Also, possible reconfiguration of car park area.
Schedule and Funding Strategy Seeking immediate action. Funds sought by Grace Institute/Foundation, not parish. Funded principally by Foundation grants, charitable donations. Second priority: Funding based more on private/parish/community donors, bequests. Requires a fund-raising campaign. Long-term: completion by 2025? Funding through collaborative partnerships, e.g. Community Development Corporations, Church Bonds, etc. Ultimately may be Revenue-generating for Grace.
To help us bring these important projects into better focus, the Vestry has approved two “first steps,” to be funded by designated Memorial Funds and the Grace Foundation, as follows: Utility: The firm of Richard Brown Architects is preparing a schematic design for a new kitchen, elevator and grand vestibule. (This is essential for cost estimating and grant writing/funding purposes.) Identity: Scott Sonniksen, of Radius Design, is preparing an exterior color concept and design for the church building exterior. Together, these two design plans will allow us to refine a biddable development plan, and to raise funds for project implementation. Please join us at 11:30 am on Sunday, June 23rd for a discussion on our campus master plan. This is the beginning of an exciting journey that we will travel together. As a parish family, and as the present stewards of this House of God, we know we are called to leave it even better than when we received it. Paul Parker Vestry Missioner for Planning
A thank-you to our 2012-2013 Church School Team We are grateful for our wonderful Godly Play and Grace Story Works teachers and leaders who shared so generously of their gifts and talents during this past year. Coordinators Alicia Cash, Godly Play Ann Schneider, Grace Story Works \
Artists Jan Rinehart – Fiber Nigel Nicholson - Christmas Pageant Stephen Weeks – Christmas Pageant Ann Heuvel – Sack Lunch Ministry Susan Jensen – Music David Hall – Music Julie Romberg – Prints Nancie Mann – Glass Brandon Stauffer – Books Arts
Assisting Harper Kalin Claudia Frahm Cecilia McGee Riles West Cat Renner Lindsay Schneider
GRACE INSTITUTE
First International Grace Art Camp in Kenya! At the end of 2011’s Grace Art Camp, “Tales of the Serengeti,” Esme Culver, Director of Grace Art Camp, realized that the artwork and letters campers had created to send to the children and families of Chwele Village, Kenya, could either be mailed, or delivered personally. To build a true relationship, Esme believes that: “You need to be face to face with someone. Mailing something says one thing, but to take the time to bring these things from the children of Oregon opens up a whole other dimension within a budding relationship that simply cannot be created by merely mailing something.” The decision was simple: the best way to get the artwork and letters to Kenya was to go there and, while there, to share some particular techniques to interested artists and children, teaching them some of the same creative approaches embraced by campers at Grace Art Camp in Portland. As a result of the decision to deliver the art personally, Esme and Julie Romberg, a Grace Art Camp artist and Grace parishioner, went to Kenya and taught printmaking and t-shirt design to hundreds of villagers and their children. While in Chwele, Esme met with the village leadership who told her that they would really like her to comeback and teach them how to do an art camp as a source of income for the village. This suggestion sparked the idea for a Grace-styled art camp to serve as an economic development project in Chwele Village. As a result, two years later, Grace Institute’s first international Grace Art Camp will be held as part of the celebration of the opening of the new Community Center in Chwele Village, Kenya. In August, 2013, Esme will lead Grace Art Camp’s team of five artists and two counselors, to Chwele to meet with a team of Kenyan artists and young people who will join with them to start Grace Institute’s first international art camp. This is an exciting development for Grace Institute! Grace Institute’s first international art camp moves Grace Art Camp into a long held dream to build relationships around the world based on good values, love, and mutual respect. This dream is to create a new international art camp every two years in the areas of the world which have offered us so much in rich culture and story and are now interested in our assistance in return. Grace Art Camp is about imagination, creativity and joy and has spent almost two decades bringing these and more to families in Portland. Grace Institute now stands poised to spread the same spark of creativity and joy to relationships it develops around the world. Grace parishioners Julie Romberg and Mayowa Laniran will be part of this year’s team working in Kenya.
Grace Art Camp 2013 – Yangtze! Land of Dragons This summer Grace Institute will present its 17th Grace Art Camp. The art camp started as a one-week camp in 1996 founded by parishioners who were concerned about the arts being cut from the school curriculum and inspired by Willowbrook (a summer arts camp in Tualatin). Every year, the art camp has focused on a particular culture from around the world and the camp has continued to grow and evolve, always moving into deeper relationships with its chosen culture. This year, Grace Art Camp’s theme is “Yangtze! Land of Dragons.” The art camp will draw upon the culture of this great river in China, exploring the provinces along its banks. Grace Art Camp 2013 is the largest art camp to date and is trying to accommodate all the children who want to participate. Given the growing interest, the camp will possibly expand to eight weeks in 2014. Grace Art Camp now attracts artists and counselors from across the country who bring fresh ideas and excitement to add to the depth of passion that exists in its seasoned core professional artists and counselors. Campers are now beginning to come from various parts of the world as they hear of the camp from relatives in Portland or have moved away and still wish to attend art camp. This year Grace Art Camp has even attracted a camper from Shanghai, a city on the banks of the Yangtze! Grace Art Camp embraces the values of human dignity and respect, caring and compassion. It creates a magical atmosphere that can transform lives through exposure to creative outlets that reach beyond craft into true art. The art camp allows young people to release creative energy that may not otherwise find an outlet. The art camp holds itself to high standards and that is why it is popular and continues to grow. Grace Institute continues to hone Grace Art Camp, along with two still evolving camps—Spring Break Camp and Bridges to Peace and Understanding Camp. Grace Art Camp thrives here in Portland, Oregon offering campers and their parents the kind of experience that they have come to love and expect from Grace Art Camp.
Grace Memorial Episcopal Church 1535 NE 17th Avenue Portland, OR 97232 www.grace-‐memorial.org
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Grace Major Summer Events Calendar (All are Sunday events unless otherwise noted)
June 16 - Bishop Michael Hanley’s Visitation (5:00 pm) June 23 - Canon Neysa Ellgren’s Visitation (8:00 & 10:00 am) June 23 - Presentation of Campus Master Plan Report (11:30 am) July 7– Courtyard Service (10:00 am) July 28– Grace Family Picnic (4:00 pm) August 4 – Grace Art Camp Sunday August 30 – September 1 (Friday – Sunday) - Grace Family Camp September 8 – Education Recognition Sunday September 15 – Ministry Fair Sunday and Parish Potluck September 28 (Saturday) – Grace Community Center Auction
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