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.

The Loft is a mostly-every-other-month program to encourage community gatherings for educational and cultural events. We usually gather on Fridays at 7 p.m. with some events on other days through the year. There’s almost always good food and drink.

If you want more information or would like to volunteer to help plan and produce Loft events, please contact Patty Turner.

How many Sundays have you marveled at the wonderful music provided by Grace’s small choir? Well, here’s your chance to join that talented group.

“All are welcome in Grace’s music ministry!” says Kenton Kravig, our new Minister of Music. “Grace Church has a long and storied history of great music in worship and in concert. As we continue rebuilding after the pandemic, we invite those with musical talent and a heart for praising to join us in Sunday Worship.”
 
The Chancel Choir is made up of adults of all ages, backgrounds and musical experiences, and it is open to all who’d like to sing. Weekly rehearsals are Wednesdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m. in the choir room downstairs, with easy elevator access.

You don't have to be a “professional” musician or singer to join. The choir is happy to help you develop your talents at every rehearsal in a loving and encouraging environment. If you play an instrument, you might want to join in as a soloist or in an ensemble to accompany the choir and assembly. 

At this time, Grace’s choir is open only to adults. However, we might consider creating a group for children in the future if there is interest. If you are interested in joining Grace’s choir, contact Kenton Kravig for more information.

Food for Thought is a program of Grace United Methodist Church. We provide weekend food for the students at Zaragoza Elementary School who have been identified as living with food insecurity. Because of the generous support of our members and the larger community, we are able to serve the most vulnerable in our neighborhood. We are very proud that we are able to allocate 100% of donations received to the purchase of food for the children. Food bags are donated and volunteers deliver the bags to Zaragoza each week.