We are excited to return to in person worship on September 13, and it is important to note that the Sunday morning experience is different than it was March 8, the last time we were here. For four weeks, Sunday School is at 9 am, and worship at 10 am. Sunday School is in these locations:

• Room 106/Nursery – Infants – 2 years old
• Room 101 – Children ages 3 – 1^st Grade
• Room 206 (Excavation Station) – Children ages 2^nd – 6 Grade
• Teen Center (Basement) – Youth ages 7^th – 12^th Grace
• Fellowship Hall – Adults
• Room 208 (Steamers) – Adults

The following guidelines apply to all Sundays moving forward.

• The main doors to the church will be open – no one needs to touch door handles.
• You may be asked to give your name as you come in. This list is internal only and allows us to contact worshipers if we learn that someone who was present tests positive for Covid-19.
• You’ll find hand sanitizer and masks at each entry. Please bring your own mask if you have one. The expectation is that all wear masks unless prevented from doing so by a medical condition.
• The coffee bar is closed.
• We will have a place to give offering after the service, but no offering plates or bags will be used in worship.
• There is no passing of the peace.
• Windows will be open to help with air circulation.
• Ushers will seat and dismiss the congregation.
• The seating is socially distanced so limited by space.
• A custodian is on duty to clean surfaces throughout the morning.

We encourage those of you in high risk categories to remain at home for online worship. Please stay home if you have any symptoms of illness.

Your Board of Trustees wants to thank you for your financial support for Grace during this time when we haven’t been able to meet in person. Your contributions allowed the church to continue to minister to our community. Let us fill you in on the many activities conducted at Grace over the past five months. We would also like to highlight the ongoing need for consistent, pledged giving to our Operations, Mission and Capital Campaign.  Additionally, we would like to hear from you concerning any health or unemployment issues you may have, or know of, as a result of this pandemic.

During the Covid 19 enforced shutdown of Sunday Services your church has continued to operate daily:

• Pre-school (Jacob’s Learning Ladder) has held classes daily with a smaller enrollment.
• The Office is staffed daily.
• Extensive planning each week for streaming Sunday Services with continuous improvements in presentation.
• Ongoing cleaning and maintenance.
• Conducting monthly virtual meetings of Session, Trustees, Deacons, and other Boards.
• Distribution of Mission funds.
• Maintaining all staff, teachers and other employees during this difficult period.
• Preparing for and upgrading facilities for the return of the Congregation.

• A list of facility improvements is attached.

As we move through this very unusual period and work towards a resumption of “church as normal” we need your continued financial support. To help level overall giving and to make it easier for all of you…we suggest an automated Giving Plan:

• By using the online giving portal of Grace Church, which can be accessed by going to “mygpc.org” where you will find this giving app on the front page of our website. You can contact Martin with any questions.
• Set up a monthly distribution from your bank or financial institution.

Finally, as we have not been meeting regularly on Sunday, it is difficult to stay in contact with many of you. Therefore, we hope you will let us know if you, or anyone in the congregation is hurting because of the Covid virus or an unanticipated layoff. Please contact either Catherine or Martin with this information.

Best wishes and thanks as we work together to further His Kingdom.

Yours in Christ,

The Trustees of Grace Presbyterian Church

Facilities improvements and upgrades completed and in progress:

• Retrofit all fluorescent fixtures in the basement and first floor with LEDs.
• Repaired fencing on both south and west parking lots.
• Completed renovation of the Parlor and Kitchenette.
• Repaired the ceiling in the upstairs Bell Room (Room 202).
• Finished major additions and upgrades to the Jacob’s Learning Ladder facilities and significantly modified one room to handle an increase in 4 year old children.
• Made preparations for, and selected vendor to replace all carpet on the downstairs hallways.
• Scheduled upgrade of one of the downstairs bathrooms to accommodate family use.

Dear Grace Community,

            I cannot think of a better place for me to have grown and shared in community over the last ten years. Truly, I struggle to comprehend that I’ve been in Wichita and a part of the Grace community for that long. When my friends and family ask me about my church, I get to regale them with stories of a body of Christ that is present in the lives of one another, works to serve the community around the church, and embraces people from many different walks of life. Of course I also tell them of the wonderful music ministry in which I have been so fortunate to participate and lead. When Kirk Anderson told me to contact Donna Hetrick about the choir accompanist position at Grace Presbyterian Church, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, and in fact I waited five months before Kirk marched me over to a phone and made me call Donna with him standing over my shoulder. I had no idea what journey that instant would initiate, and I’m forever grateful for how it all turned out.

            My gratitude for you all knows no limit. Thank you for taking the time to know me and encourage me as I worked my way through college, as I grieved the loss of my grandmother, and as I navigated various roles within the music ministry. The support you have shown me over the last two years as the Director of Music Ministries, and specifically recently as I’ve prepared to move to Illinois, leaves me at a loss for words. Know that I leave Wichita with a real bittersweet taste. Grace Presbyterian Church at 5002 East Douglas Avenue will always be a home for me. I will miss you all, and this beloved church, so dearly. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Sean Foster

Links

• OJ Watson Park September 20
• Good Neighbor Experiment
• Yellow Bag Sundays
• Music Task Force
• Sunday Morning Schedule

Nominating Team
Even in a pandemic the work of the church continues.  Do you know someone called to leadership in the church?  If so, nominate them!  We’re looking for elders, deacons, trustees, and Jacob’s Learning Ladder board members.  Please send nominations to the nominating team chair, Darcy Eads deads@cox.net

Worship and Connection Opportunities:

Sunday Morning Worship:

• Sunday, September 6 at 10 am
• Worship via Facebook Live at 10 am or watch our services at mygpc.org.
• You do not need a Facebook account to watch.  Go here >
• Geoff Snook preaches.
• Sermon Scripture: Joshua 6:8-14, Acts 16:25-29
• Sermon Title: God’s WiFi
• Download Bulletin >
• We celebrate the Lord’s Supper in worship. To participate, please prepare something to eat and something to drink.

Memorial Services

• A memorial service for June Parson is Friday, September 11 at 2 pm at Grace.
• A memorial service for Gale Meek is Monday, September 14 at 10 am at Grace.

This month we receive non-perishable food items for our yellow bag offering.  You may drop food off at the church during business hours.  In September our contributions go to the Covenant Presbyterian Food Pantry.  Covenant is a PCUSA congregation in west Wichita.