Through the fall, Grace UMC will be emphasizing a range of ways in which you can support the church’s missions, community outreach and care for our beautiful church home.
Below is a list of our weekly spotlights:
Pastor’s Bible Study
On Wednesday mornings at 10:45, a group gathers in the conference room at Grace to discuss the text of Scriptures for the upcoming Sunday, led by Pastors Valarie Englert and/or Hyung Seop Kim. It’s a chance to think about texts you haven’t considered before and wrestle with some of the more challenging parts of the Bible in a safe, supportive environment.
“I come to it ‘fresh,’ just like everyone else in the group. I don’t study beforehand,” Pastor Valarie says. “We read the text out loud, often hearing it more than once in different translations. We then dive in with our questions and wonderings, often taking a look at the more challenging and/or difficult aspects first.” She occasionally notes from the pulpit that her sermon that week was influenced by the group’s discussions the previous Wednesday.
The Pastor’s Bible Study is a venerable tradition at Grace, with roots back at least a few decades. Anyone who wants to join can show up on Wednesday morning or contact Senior Pastor Valarie Englert or Associate Pastor Hyung Seop Kim for more information.
Bonhoeffer Bible Study
This Bible study group meets on Mondays at 6:30 in the Grace Conference Room to share a full hot meal – including dessert – and discuss teachings of the Bible from different perspectives.
The mission is “to feed – physically and spiritually – those in need – and, in our opinion, we are all in need!” says Alice Montgomery, who co-leads the sessions with her husband Chris Hauge. “We sing, we pray together, study a short scripture, read and discuss a meditation from The Upper Room, and talk together about how God shows up in our lives.”
The sessions are open to anyone from Grace and the surrounding community, including people who are unhoused. All the food is provided; participants just need to bring a willingness to join the discussion and respect the privacy of other participants.
Like the Pastor’s Bible Study, the Bonhoeffer group has a rich history, having met for more than 11 years. For more information, please contact Alice Montgomery.
Swahili language service
The Swahili-language worship service originated a few years ago when a group approached Pastor Valarie about providing space. It now provides a church home for a small, but growing, group of people each Sunday afternoon at Grace. This Sunday, six worshipers at the Swahili service will join Grace as new members.
The weekly service includes a sermon with scripture, prayer for the world and the community, a sharing of personal witness (by whomever wishes to share), and lots of music & drumming. It is open to anyone who wants to attend. In addition, every Wednesday morning, a group from the Swahili service comes to the church to pray and sing in the sanctuary. They pray for the church, the community, for the world and for peace.
Learn more about the vitality of the Swahili-language community and worship service when Nunda Kalondji speaks during Grace’s 10:50 worship service this Sunday morning (October 27).
This week, learn about two opportunities to engage more deeply with our neighbors. Both are good ways to meet new people and raise Grace’s profile in the community.
Juliette Fowler Worship Service
On the first Sunday of every month a team from Grace heads to the Juliette Fowler retirement community in East Dallas to lead a worship service. Residents come to pray, sing hymns, hear a sermon and Bible readings, and take communion together. Blessed with pretty stained-glass windows, the chapel is a quiet place that invites reflection and soft conversation.
Eric Markinson leads the service with help from a regular group of Grace volunteers – Steve Hines, Alice Montgomery and Chris Hauge. Their roles include reading scripture, leading prayers and helping with communion. Volunteers with this ongoing mission know the joy of bringing the Word of God to older folks who may not be able to attend their own churches anymore. An added bonus is that the residents who gather on Sundays often include Grace Church friends you may not have seen in a while.
If you want to volunteer or would like more information, please contact Eric. The next service is on November 3 from 2:30 to 3:30.
Neighborhood Events
Grace is lucky to be located in an area with strong neighborhood associations, including ones serving Junius Heights, Munger Place, Peak’s Addition and Swiss Avenue. These groups are very active, holding events like home tours through the year to bring neighbors together and introduce others to their historic neighborhoods.
Grace has a history of participating in some of these events, which afford a fun way to meet neighbors, tell them about Grace, provide drinks and goodies and, sometimes, tour awesome historic houses. For example, on October 1, Grace had a table at the East Dallas National Night Out, where volunteers handed out cold bottles of water and snacks.
This Saturday, October 19, there’s another fun volunteer opportunity – the East Dallas Games, in which children and adults compete in games for a trophy. Grace UMC has had a table at this event every year since it started in 2022. So on October 19 come help with the event and cheer for Grace youth as they show their mettle in sack races, spoon relays, water balloon tosses and the like.
The games are at Buckner Park, near Zaragoza Elementary School, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
If you want to volunteer to help at the East Dallas Games or get on a list to volunteer for future events, please contact Associate Pastor Hyung Seop Kimor Patty Turner.
Every Sunday at 9:30 am, up to a dozen children gather for a fun adventure that includes dedicated play time, a lesson and snacks before heading to the 10:10 am worship service. The lessons are from Godly Play, a curriculum that presents Bible stories in ways that engage children’s attention fully.
Storytellers use miniature scenes and figures to make the stories and characters more relatable. They also ask frequent questions to pull children into the narrative. Grace children have responded enthusiastically!
Four people currently anchor the Children’s Sunday school team: Steve Hines, Eric Markinson, Alice Montgomery and Sonia Ramirez. They work in pairs, with each pair serving two Sundays a month. More volunteers are welcome! No specific training or experience with elementary education is needed. Written scripts and online videos are excellent guides for learning the Godly Play lessons.
”Involvement with the Children’s Ministry at Grace gives interested adults the opportunity to know our children well. They are a creative, artistic and enthusiastic bunch,” says Steve Hines. “We’re hoping for more open-minded, full-hearted volunteers to join us in Children’s Ministry initiatives.” Reach out to Steve, Eric, Alice or Sonia if you are interested in joining this rewarding teaching opportunity.
Grace also offers a children’s message during worship each Sunday. The message dovetails with the morning’s sermon and scriptural readings and ends with a simple prayer. The regulars for presenting children’s messages include Alice Montgomery, Amy Gill, Rick Ware, Eric Markinson and Steve Hines. They would welcome others on the team. Contact Associate Pastor Hyung Stop Kim if you would like to serve our children in this way.
Grace is, among other things, a place of learning. We’re blessed with members well-qualified to teach different aspects of Christian formation. Consider the adult education opportunities that are underway or scheduled or on the drawing board.
> The Sunday School class “Introduction to the Scriptures” continues through Oct. 27. Don Dillard leads the wide-ranging discussions, taking participants through the Bible in eight short weeks. Everyone is welcome. Sundays from 9:30-10:20 a.m. in the conference room.
> Next month, Eric Markinson and Evelyn Glass will lead “Introduction to Lay Servant Ministries” to prepare folks to become Local Lay Servants in the UMC. This two-day, 10-hour course is a refresher on our Methodist roots, a reflection on our spiritual gifts, and a renewal of the ministries to which we are called as persons baptized into the life, death and rising of Jesus Christ. The course will be held on Saturday- Sunday, November 16 &17. See the item below or reach out to Eric for more information.
> Grace’s Education Team has discussed many options for offering adult education, including Sunday mornings in person and evenings on Zoom. The group also has fielded several ideas for possible adult education topics, including:
o Introduction to Methodism, including changes approved by the 2024 General Conference
o Understanding the Enneagram
o Richard Rohr’s “Falling Upward”
o Advent study
o Cross-cultural/cross-racial classes on how we can learn about and from one another
If you have additional ideas or if any of these ideas appeal as topics for multi-session classes, and if you have preferences for times, days and in-person vs. online attendance, please contact Education Committee chair, Alice Montgomery.
If you are going through a hard time, you might consider reaching out to Grace’s Stephen Ministry for help and support. Stephen Ministers provide one-to-one lay caring ministry to those who are experiencing difficult times. It takes place in a caring, confidential setting.
A Stephen Minister is…
A lay person who has received training in providing emotional and spiritual care
Someone who will walk beside you when you are hurting
A caring, Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports and encourages you for as long as there is need.
A Stephen Minister typically works with one person at a time and meets with that person once a week. Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life, and they all share a passion for bringing Christ’s love and care to people during a time of need.
If you need a Stephen Minister or would like to investigate being trained to provide this service, contact Stephen Leader Chris Osley or any Stephen Minister or reach out to Senior Pastor Valarie Englert or Associate Pastor Hyung Seop Kim by calling the church office at (214) 824-2533.
For more than 150 years, Methodist women have joined together to provide money and leadership to improve the lives of women, children and youth around the world and in their local communities. (Until recently the organization was known as United Methodist Women. And, despite its name, Grace’s chapter is open to all interested folks, not just women.)
UWF’s stated mission is to connect and nurture women through Christian spiritual formation, leadership development, creative fellowship and education so that they can inspire, influence and impact global communities.
Grace UMC has had an active local chapter for years. Under the leadership of the current president, Sonia Ramirez, the group has had a busy year. This summer they cleared out and beautified the church nursery and have committed to keeping it clean and organized going forward. They also are collecting items to help clients of Abide Women’s Health Services, a South Dallas nonprofit dedicated to improving maternal health and birth outcomes in communities with low-quality care. UWF members also will be considering ways they can contribute to Grace’s new Feed the Fridge project.
Grace’s UWF chapter meets once every other month to discuss social and spiritual issues and decide the most useful ways to use their time and talents. For more information, contact Sonia Ramirez.
When you ask members of Grace UMC what they love most about their church, they usually exclaim “the people!” or “our beautiful sanctuary!” Or both. That’s why Grace Gatherings, after-church potlucks and Grace workdays are so popular.
Participating in these activities – or helping to plan and execute them – are great ways to show your love for Grace. Other ways are by volunteering to be an usher or lay reader during worship or helping to decorate the sanctuary for special occasions. Or you might help tend our gardens and grounds.
You could also consider joining the Worship Committee, which helps to plan special occasion and holiday services, organize weekly communion preparation and discuss ways to reflect Grace’s progressive values in our traditional worship style. Or you might want to represent Grace UMC at events organized by our community partners in Junius Heights and Peak’s Addition.
All of these activities happen because volunteers step up to help. If your talents lie with preparing potluck dishes, helping plan and set up events or reading parts of the service aloud, this may be your chance to give back.
For more information about workdays, potlucks and other special events, please contact: Ed Leveille-Bonner or Janan Ott. To learn about the Worship Committee, contact Senior Pastor Valarie Englert at the church office (214-824-2533).
To learn about events with community partners, contact Associate Pastor Hyung Seop Kim, also through the church office.
What’s a fun way to expand your cultural horizons while catching up with friends? The Loft at Grace UMC, of course!
We’re already lining up exciting events for the 2024-25 Loft Season and having conversations about additional possibilities.
September 22 – A talk on “The Spirituality of the Inner Child,” led by Rev. Caroline Noll, an ordained Deacon who has worked with children and families throughout her career. We will meet immediately after worship in Fellowship Hall for the talk and a potluck lunch with dishes provided by church members.
November TBD – A discussion of The Women, by Kristin Hannah, led by Mary McLaud, a Grace member and recently retired nurse practitioner. The novel celebrates the heroism and personal strength of nurses who served in field hospitals during the Vietnam War.
January 25 – A concert by Voices of Change, a well-regarded chamber music ensemble playing contemporary music. The Saturday afternoon concert will be in Grace’s lovely Parlor. The ensemble has promised ticket discounts for members of Grace and nearby neighborhood associations.
March TBD - An evening with author Amy Martin, naturalist and journalist, who will discuss her book Wild DFW: Explore the Amazing Nature Around Dallas-Fort Worth, an exploration of the nature of North Texas from ancient history to the present.
Spring TBD – A discussion of The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan. Sam Hodges and Kit Lively will lead the discussion and share some of Sam’s popular bird photography.
May TBD – another concert by Voices of Change.
