You are invited to celebrate with us!
1020 Atlas Road, Columbia, SC 29209
803-695-9664, www.gogucc.com
How does our Garden grow?
4 p.m. Friday, May 1, and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2, Baseball Concession ministry. Dozens of Garden of Grace people are operating the third-base stand at the baseball arena on Blossom Street to raise money for a mission trip in September to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Please contact Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, or Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, for more information.
9:45 a.m. Sunday, May 3, Choir Practice, led by Andy Farmer, jandyfarmer@yahoo.com
11 a.m. Sunday, May 3, Worship Celebration. Our pastor, Rev. Andy Sidden, pastorandys@msn.com, brings the message, "A Shepherd's Love" based on 1 John 3:16-24 and John 10:11-18. The Rite of Laying-on of Hands for Healing will be celebrated. So will the Sacrament of Holy Baptism for five individuals, Ben Brooks, Nikki Davis, Danny Fennell, Kathy Fennell, and Jerry Trowell. In-care licensing student, Will Nunley, will@willnunley.com, will offer a testimony about his ministry to Tennessee tornado victims.
How does our Garden grow?
7:34 p.m. Friday, May 8, Adventure Scouts, a youth group for boys and girls ages 10 and older, gathers at the church. Counselors are Barbara Johnson, compmom1@yahoo.com, and John Faulkner, JFaul37010@aol.com. Like all Garden of Grace groups, Adventure Scouts is open to the community. The group gathers second and fourth Fridays of each month.
11 a.m. Sunday, May 10, the Rev. Kathy Clark of Atlanta, kclark@secucc.org, UCC associate conference minister, will bring the message. Certificates also will recognize Garden of Grace Theology Among the People students. Coordinator is Jennifer Spears, jennifervspears@aol.com. Photos also are being collected for a special Mothers' Day tribute. They may be sent by e-mail to pastorandys@msn.com or brought to church by May 3.
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, lead a Care Circle in Lexington, exploring "Bible Study for Amateurs."
7 p.m. Monday, May 18, our associate pastor, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, revtheodyke@gmail.com, leads series of Care Circle lessons at church. At Garden of Grace we believe that God is still speaking. God can speak to us in many ways – through the Bible, nature, and even through song. We'll explore how God speaks to us through the songs of the Irish rock band U2. As a new album comes out from the group, we'll delve into past songs that reveal God as justice, lover, absent, and present. The circle gathers first and third Mondays at 7 p.m. to explore how God is still speaking through U2.
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, Our Women's Group dines out. Jan Hogan, janh244@yahoo.com, is the leader. This is great fellowship
7 p.m. Thursday, May 28, Our Men's Night Out gathers for dinner. Brendon Jones, bjones51@sc.rr.com, and Rickey Belton, rbelton4@sc.rr.com, are leaders.
Also, How Our Garden Grows!
"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.
Please feel free to phone or email any prayer requests during the week or please write the requests in our prayer book in our entryway on Sundays.
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.
Plans are under way for a Labor Day week mission trip to help build homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, are organizing this trip.
Also, Upcoming in Our Community
7 p.m. Sunday, May 3, SCLBG hosts the Carolinas' only engagement of "Del Shores – The Storyteller". Shores is author of "Sordid Lives" and "Southern Baptist Sissies". Special guest appearance by Jason Dottley (Ty from the Sordid Lives TV series) is planned. Tickets are $25 each and are available at shop.scpride.org or by calling the Guild hotline, 803.771.0411.
7:15 Saturday, June 20, Garden of Grace hosts S.C. Black Gay Pride "Free Mass Commitment Ceremony" for couples regardless of gender. Registration is May 4-June 12. The ceremony will offer a blessing of relationships, legal advice, and more. Keeping God 1st Ministries is sponsoring the event. Registration forms are at Garden of Grace.
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