St. Gregory’s is offering a Guided Labyrinth Walk from 6:30-8:00 pm on Palm Sunday in the Parish Hall. Special meditative music will be provided by Dr. Grace Huang on piano.

The cloth labyrinth will also be out in Parish Hall from Saturday, March 23 through Maundy Thursday, March 28. Please come and walk the labyrinth at your leisure, when other events are not going on in Parish Hall, during Holy Week.

To Those for Whom Christmas Hurts:

You are not alone. You are invited to our Blue Christmas Healing Eucharist, on Wednesday, December 20 at 6PM, a special holiday service of worship designed for those for whom the holidays might be difficult. This Eucharist will include laying on of hands and anointing for those who wish to receive this particular sacrament. And wherever you are in your faith journey, all are welcome to receive communion. If you have undergone a painful loss, transition, life change, or if life has simply been hard for a while, the church cares about you and invites you to a special time for healing and peace.

Conversations on Grieving: While many Gregorians experience the holidays with joy, others find the holidays a time of challenge, struggle, and sadness. Come join us as we learn more about the grieving process and ways to respond to it in ourselves and others, with Mother Nikki, Gina Defalco, and Rhonda Packer facilitating. This session will also be interpreted for the deaf, and lunch is provided. Sunday, Dec. 3 from 12:30-2:30PM.

If you need childcare, please let the church office know no later than Friday, Dec. 1 at 12 noon.

The flower guild will be meeting to green the church for Advent on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 10AM. All are invited to join us and to bring evergreen branches!

Our beloved deacon Doug Adkins will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 24 at 2:00 p.m. at The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. If you are unable to attend in person, please join us via the livestream link provided by the Diocese at https://episcopalatlanta.org/event/ordination/ and hold Doug and his fellow ordinands in your prayers.

We always said, “Some church will be lucky to have Doug as their priest.” Well, that lucky church is US! Doug will return to St. Gregory’s as Associate Rector, and there will be a celebratory reception after the 10:30 service on July 2,

The Easter Celebration continues with the Trey Clegg Singers rockin’ God’s House with a gospel music service the Sunday following Easter Sunday…that’s April 16, at our ONE service that Sunday 10am. April 16, 10am. Come get your holy groove on, and let’s raise the roof!

The Right Rev. Porter Taylor (retired) will be here at the 9:15AM adult discussion group in the parish hall on Palm Sunday to do a reading and book signing for his new book, Are You Persuaded? In and Out of Being a Bishop. 

This Lent, LeeAnne Krause will be reprising the "Seven Deadly Sins in Media" class that was so rudely interrupted by COVID in 2020. Reflection and repentance are cornerstone disciplines during the holy season of Lent, but how do we accomplish this? How do we identify shortcomings in our own behavior? The ancient grouping of objectionable sins into the "Seven Deadly Sins" is a useful framework to begin this practice. We will be discussing the sins themselves, defining them and identifying common manifestations. Then we will watch video clips from feature films, TV, YouTube, and even cartoons, discussing the behaviors of the characters, identifying which, if any, sins they are committing. Examining the behaviors of fictitious characters is more objective and friendly than criticizing each other in the first or second person. Don't worry, we won't be watching anything very racy or violent! If you have any questions, contact LeeAnne Krause, Ellen Richardson, or Ron Balthazor.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need childcare, you must let the office (Kendall) know by the Monday prior to the Wednesday you are attending the class.

This Lent, LeeAnne Krause will be reprising the "Seven Deadly Sins in Media" class that was so rudely interrupted by COVID in 2020. Reflection and repentance are cornerstone disciplines during the holy season of Lent, but how do we accomplish this? How do we identify shortcomings in our own behavior? The ancient grouping of objectionable sins into the "Seven Deadly Sins" is a useful framework to begin this practice. We will be discussing the sins themselves, defining them and identifying common manifestations. Then we will watch video clips from feature films, TV, YouTube, and even cartoons, discussing the behaviors of the characters, identifying which, if any, sins they are committing. Examining the behaviors of fictitious characters is more objective and friendly than criticizing each other in the first or second person. Don't worry, we won't be watching anything very racy or violent! If you have any questions, contact LeeAnne Krause, Ellen Richardson, or Ron Balthazor.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need childcare, you must let the office (Kendall) know by the Monday prior to the Wednesday you are attending the class, or just let her know by February 27.

This Lent, LeeAnne Krause will be reprising the "Seven Deadly Sins in Media" class that was so rudely interrupted by COVID in 2020. Reflection and repentance are cornerstone disciplines during the holy season of Lent, but how do we accomplish this? How do we identify shortcomings in our own behavior? The ancient grouping of objectionable sins into the "Seven Deadly Sins" is a useful framework to begin this practice. We will be discussing the sins themselves, defining them and identifying common manifestations. Then we will watch video clips from feature films, TV, YouTube, and even cartoons, discussing the behaviors of the characters, identifying which, if any, sins they are committing. Examining the behaviors of fictitious characters is more objective and friendly than criticizing each other in the first or second person. Don't worry, we won't be watching anything very racy or violent! If you have any questions, contact LeeAnne Krause, Ellen Richardson, or Ron Balthazor.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need childcare, you must let the office (Kendall) know by the Monday prior to the Wednesday you are attending the class.

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and the Jeannette Rankin Foundation will host a community conversation on Saturday, March 11 at the University of Georgia’s Special Collections Library. This community conversation is sparked by artist Alice Woodruff’s recent exhibition Warrior Women: From Invisible to Formidable One Hundred Strong depicting the stories and experiences of one hundred formidable women. 

At the event, a selection of the sculptures from the Warrior Women exhibition will be on display starting at 1PM. After a brief lecture by Woodruff at 2PM, a panel featuring Patricia Richards, Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies and director of UGA’S Institute for Women's; Joan Prittie, Executive Director of Project Safe Domestic Violence Center and Instructor in UGA’s Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership and the Masters in Public Administration program; and Tracy Brown, the subject of one of Woodruff’s Warrior Women sculptures and Shelter Coordinator for the Athens Area Homeless Shelter (AAHS), will explore themes from the exhibition.

Woodruff began her professional artistic career as a production potter. After twenty-four years, she switched gears and became a nurse practitioner specializing in neurosurgery and spine rehabilitation. In the 1990s, she returned to her love of clay, with an emphasis on sculpture. Her work reflects personal challenges as well as the historical and current traumas, trials and successes experienced by women worldwide.

“This is a unique opportunity to explore issues facing women through the lens of sculpture,” said Sheryl Vogt, director of the Russell Library. “We are honored and excited to host this important community event during Women’s History Month.”

The warrior women community conversation will be held Saturday, March 11 from 1 – 4PM at the Richard B. Russell Building, Special Collections Libraries, University of Georgia 300 South Hull Street, Athens, GA. The artist and panelists will participate in a Q&A with the audience. A light reception will follow.

This Lent, LeeAnne Krause will be reprising the "Seven Deadly Sins in Media" class that was so rudely interrupted by COVID in 2020. Reflection and repentance are cornerstone disciplines during the holy season of Lent, but how do we accomplish this? How do we identify shortcomings in our own behavior? The ancient grouping of objectionable sins into the "Seven Deadly Sins" is a useful framework to begin this practice. We will be discussing the sins themselves, defining them and identifying common manifestations. Then we will watch video clips from feature films, TV, YouTube, and even cartoons, discussing the behaviors of the characters, identifying which, if any, sins they are committing. Examining the behaviors of fictitious characters is more objective and friendly than criticizing each other in the first or second person. Don't worry, we won't be watching anything very racy or violent! If you have any questions, contact LeeAnne Krause, Ellen Richardson, or Ron Balthazor.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need childcare, you must let the office (Kendall) know by the Monday prior to the Wednesday you are attending the class.

This Lent, LeeAnne Krause will be reprising the "Seven Deadly Sins in Media" class that was so rudely interrupted by COVID in 2020. Reflection and repentance are cornerstone disciplines during the holy season of Lent, but how do we accomplish this? How do we identify shortcomings in our own behavior? The ancient grouping of objectionable sins into the "Seven Deadly Sins" is a useful framework to begin this practice. We will be discussing the sins themselves, defining them and identifying common manifestations. Then we will watch video clips from feature films, TV, YouTube, and even cartoons, discussing the behaviors of the characters, identifying which, if any, sins they are committing. Examining the behaviors of fictitious characters is more objective and friendly than criticizing each other in the first or second person. Don't worry, we won't be watching anything very racy or violent! If you have any questions, contact LeeAnne Krause, Ellen Richardson, or Ron Balthazor.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need childcare, you must let the office (Kendall) know by the Monday prior to the Wednesday you are attending the class, or just let her know by February 27 if you know you will need childcare for all five Wednesdays.

To Those for Whom Christmas Hurts:  You are not alone. You are invited to our Blue Christmas Healing Eucharist. St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church invites you to a special holiday service of worship designed for those for whom the holidays might be difficult. This Eucharist will include laying on of hands and anointing for those who wish to receive this particular sacrament. And wherever you are in your faith journey, all are welcome to receive communion. If you have undergone a painful loss, transition, life change, or if life has simply been hard for a while, the church cares about you and invites you to a special time for healing and peace, on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 6PM. 

The St. Gregory’s family - all ages - are invited to join us for a Halloween-themed fellowship. We will gather Sunday, October 30, 5:00-7:30.  Details will be shared in future newsletters. Among the fun will be:

• Trunk-or-Treat around the church parking lot

• Supper

• Halloween Storytelling and Singing

• Making S’Mores in the courtyard

Mark your calendar and plan on joining us!

The Blessing of the Animals will take place this year at 4PM on Sunday, October 9 on the patio between Parish Hall and the Christian Ed building. Please have your furry, feathered, or scaly friends properly crated or leashed. Beloved stuffed animals and pictures of shy pets will also be blessed!

Thursday, Sept 29, the Blindspot (those in their 20-30s) Small Group will continue their program entitled "The Way of Love." There will be no prep work needed, so just grab a friend and show up! Whether you've been attending St. Gregory's for years or you've never even been to a service, all are welcome! Dinner will be provided, so please text Wade, or send a message in the group chat, with any dietary restrictions. We'll sit down to eat at 6:30pm in the education building and begin the session at 7pm. If you have any questions just send them in the group chat or text Wade. 770-624-4837

All youth (6th-12th grade) are invited to participate in a workshop on walking the labyrinth, led by our own Lane Norton. The labyrinth provides a unique prayer experience, and is great for those that find it easier to focus while up on their feet and moving. The workshop will be held in the parish hall on April 8th at 6PM. Pizza will be provided afterward. Please RSVP and send any questions by emailing Wade McGlamery at wwmcglamery@gmail.com, so that we can get an accurate count of attendees.

Now that it has become sound and safe to meet in person, all are welcome to attend a gathering for a follow-up conversation with those who have completed the Sacred Ground course, the book group for The Warmth of Other Suns, or both. Our call to address our histories, attitudes and learnings about racism as God’s Beloved Community is becoming increasingly important as our legislative bodies seek to suppress conversation about race at every institutional level. The call to see and address racism in our own lives and community is real.

Our initial meeting will be at 12:30 to 2PM on Sunday March 27 in the Parish Hall, giving those who attend church at 10:30 a chance to pick up some lunch (or bring a sack lunch from home) and return. Having attended one of the above programs is NOT a prerequisite for coming to the meeting. There could be future Sacred Ground or book groups started depending on interest. The following links provide some background information and food for thought: Sacred Ground and Becoming Beloved Community.

St. Gregory's invites you to join in the keeping of a holy Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday on March 2. Services are at 8:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. The 6:00 p.m. service will have music and will be livestreamed, with child care provided for those who attend in person. All are welcome to journey with us as we embark on this season of reflection, repentance, and renewal.

For those who will be observing Ash Wednesday through worship online at our Ash Wednesday 6PM service, please know that you can still receive ashes for use away from church. Ashes will be on a small table in front of the church office doors this afternoon and all day tomorrow in small metal containers. Each container contains enough ashes for 2-4 persons.

To make use of the ashes, simply worship with us at 6PM online on our YouTube channel. At the Imposition of Ashes in the service, simply dip your thumb lightly in a small amount of oil (such as olive or an essential oil). Then press your thumb into the ashes, before applying them on the skin of your forehead (and that of others, if applicable) in the shape of a cross.

Save the Date!

A Welcome Back, Welcome Home party with special activities for children is planned for August 15th, right after the 10:30AM service.

Lunch will be provided, and everyone is invited. Please sign up here !!

** Please note when signing up that there is a space to add any special dietary preferences or restrictions.