Our Ministries
Time, Talent, Caring
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And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.
The ministries of Grace Church have flourished, even as we revitalize our parish through its transition. Ministries are important to our success and our spiritual journey. We are proud of the many committees who keep the spirit of Grace Church alive by using their time and talents to minister to each other.
We are a warm and welcoming church, and someone has suggested that our slogan should be “stop by Grace when you need a hug!”.
Administration:
Maureen Merigold, our parish administrator, is also our community liaison. She works closely with the Priest and Vestry to coordinate all activities and functions that come under the umbrella of Grace Church. In addition, we are part of the National Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Massachusetts, and our bylaws ensure that we operate within the protocols of both.
Altar Guild:
The Altar Guild is responsible for preparing the altar, the flowers, and the linens needed for all the services of the church.
Baptisms:
Any person(s) interested in being baptized or having a child baptized should contact the Priest. Instruction will be provided.
Building and Grounds
Building and Grounds are under the direction of Bill Carlson. They are assisted by Richard Hart, Allan Fournier, as well as the many volunteers who tend the grounds throughout the summer.
Christian Formation:
There are seasonal Adult Programs. Staff instructors are CORI’d and Sori’d, and are Safe Church certified.
Choir
The adult choir meets the first and third Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for rehearsals.
Communication
Good communication is essential! It means that everyone in the parish knows what is going on. To this end we have a very comprehensive monthly newsletter to keep everyone informed. Along with the Bulletin, these are our major forms of communication. A team consisting of Juliana Hart (chair), Barbara Hanson, and Maureen Merigold are committed to keeping parishioners up to date.
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Diocesan
Parishioners are chosen at Annual Meeting to fill the positions of Convention Representative and Deanery representatives.
Fundraising
This committee is vital to our financial well-being and bring our parish closer to the community. Led by Maureen Merigold, the committee includes many volunteers to create and implement events throughout the year.
Liturgical and Music
The worship committee meets regularly to plan for every aspect of our worship. Committee members include the director of music, the head of Altar Guild, and Lay Eucharistic Ministers, and they work closely with the supply priest to ensure consistency. We use the Book of Common Prayer as our guide, but we also use Enriching our Worship. Grace Church boasts a most gifted organist and choir director, Dr. Robert Lambe, and multi-talented choir. Our music varies from traditional hymns to Blue Grass to the more contemporary, and we have been known to incorporate flutes, banjos, violins and drums. Lectors, Lay readers and Chalice Bearers are worship assistants who are a vital piece of our Worship.
Marriage
Any persons interested in being married at Grace Church should contact the Priest.
Ministry in the Community
Our parishioners are kind and generous, and they respond whenever there is a need.
Over the past few years we have supported various programs in nearby Providence, including needy families at E-Cubed Academy and Brother Raymond’s ministries. A “Pennies from Heaven jar” sits in the rear of the Sanctuary, providing additional funds used to purchase gift cards for those in need.
Locally we support Our Open Umbrella & Lenore’s Food Pantry. We have designated the third Sunday of the month as “Pantry Sunday” and many bags of donated food are received and distributed.
We are excited to be the recipients of a large Bristol Case Grant, and plan to use this money to help local families with food, clothing, and with informative community gatherings. We also support our local veterans’ agency in North Attleboro.
See the Grace Cares page.
Pastoral Care
This important committee is commissioned with the role of caring for the people of our parish. Members visit shut-ins, make hospital visits, oversee our card ministry and our prayer shawl ministry, and coordinate Communion visits to shut ins. A Prayer Circle meets on the first Saturday of the month to pray for the church, the parish, and the world, and a prayer chain prays for parishioners, family, and friends. We are a family caring for one another.
Stewardship Committee
Stewardship is about people offering back to God their time, talent and treasure to do the work we were commissioned to do at our Baptism. It is about generosity; about connecting with people, helping each other find our gifts for ministry, and finding ways to offer those gifts to the community.
Youth Group
Seeking youth to gather together to learn, grow and have fun.