GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH111 Church Street

P. O. Box 123Yorktown, Virginia 23690

Church Office 898-3261Day School 898-7250

Fax 890-2602www.gracechurchyorktown.orgCheck us out on Facebook

Staff and Adjunct Staff Members

Organist/Choir Director – Suzanne Daniel

Director for Children & Youth Ministries – Cornelia Taylor

Parish Administrator – Courtney Kelley

Parish Secretary – Denise Wash

Financial Director/Treasurer – Bob Frady

Sexton – Kevin James

Resident Spiritual Director – Elsa Bakkum

Nursery Supervisor – Diane Garrison

Nursery Attendant – Joanna Taylor-Wilson

Day School Director – Jean Grinnell

Parish Nurse – Nancy Sullivan

Archivist – Brenda Moore

The Rev. Carleton Bakkum, Rector

The Rev. Dr. Connie Jones, Associate Rector

Our Mission Statement“For generations to come, Grace Church will be a beacon on the peninsula of the GOOD NEWS of

Jesus Christ, celebrating the wholeness within and redeeming what is broken”

Altar set for Easter

Christian FormationOutreach

Parish Life Stewardship

WorshipEvangelism & Communication

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

The Vestry Commission System

The Commission System supports Grace Church’s Mission and offers considerable opportunity for personal contributions by parishioners. The principal areas of parish activity are assigned to separate Commissions – as seen above. Each Commission is chaired by a vestry member and is composed of committee chairpersons or a designated representative. Through this system, it is the vestry’s intention to involve as many people as possible in the planning and work of the church. Vestry Commission elections are held in September and anyone age sixteen or older can hold one of these leadership positions.

2016 Vestry

Art Boyce, Senior Warden Vance Field, Junior Warden Bob Frady, Treasurer Financial Director* Denise Wash, Register*

Commissions Stewardship – Jim Noel & Ed Everett Evangelism & Communication – Pam

Mason & Hugh Brownlee Outreach – Gerry Smelt & Marilyn

Staton Parish Life – Merle Burgess & Virgie

Twigg Christian Formation – Elizabeth O’Brien Worship – Brenda Moore

*Ex Officio,with no voting right

Vestry Leadership

If you are looking for a quiet peaceful church that wants just to remember how early American life was and how people worshiped then, keep on going because Grace Church isn’t about just remembering, we are about doing.

Remember love is an action not a thing. You will read all about activities and projects started and completed by people of Grace throughout this annual report, but several can’t go without my mentioning. In no particular order, there was the Capital Campaign for Riverview Revitalization, the Riverview plans development, the Riverview plan adjustments for comments from review groups, the Board hearing for Riverview approvals, the church interior renewal of walls, floors, ceiling, even some “harvesting” of boards for front platform rebuilding and many more enhancements spearheaded by the Grace Historical Church Preservation Foundation.

But it was not just all about the buildings. We started and completed the review of the Dioceses’ same-gender marriage ceremony, listened to feedback on the subject, and conducted a “sample” ceremony to see and feel what the liturgy would be like. Excitement in the village grew around the repainting of the Read Street wall bringing together many different community groups. And then there was the making and displaying of the delightful prayer flags. I could go on but I will let others tell more.

Grace continues to be a strong refuge where God is worshiped, individuals invest in themselves by learning, and love is focused outward on the community. At first these three areas may look separate but they are intertwined and every experience develops understanding in all three. A program like Stop Hunger Now certainly results in completed food packets for needy people as outreach, but it also prompts our remembering the miracle of God’s creation, changing sunlight into food, reminds us not to take for granted the stocked pantries in our own homes, and then adds our hands being the hands of Christ to assemble the food packets and feed the crowds - I get goosebumps every time I think of it. And this is just one example.

Grace continues its legacy by being a place where a person can pray and envision how to be Christ to others and their fellow church members are there to support and join in. This place is so much more than a spiritual Sunday morning recharging vehicle and more and more are discovering it each year.

One of my favorite times during the worship service is when people can voice their thanksgivings to each other and to God. Many include healing, family, sport teams, but over and over again Grace Church is added. I think this is the recognition of open-heartedness, desire to welcome all and willingness to join others. This did not happen by accident but the continued joint effort of the clergy and lay members. May we continue working together to make God’s kingdom come here in Yorktown, Virginia.

Art Boyce,Senior Warden

From the Junior Warden

The year just past, 2016, was a very busy year for everyone involved in supporting the facilities and grounds at Grace Church. The two forefront projects have been the planning and fundraising for Riverview renovation and the completion of the historical church restoration. Many folks have been involved in both of these projects and their help has been invaluable and we are all grateful for the significant help. I would be remiss if didn’t acknowledge the leadership brought to these two projects by David Grimsley and David Miller, respectively. Thank you gentlemen.

The completion of the historic church building restoration, which has been in progress for nearly 10 years, was celebrated on October 16, 2016 with a well-attended re-dedication service and reception. Kudos go out to the Grace Church Historic Church Preservation Foundation for overseeing the work and hosting the culminating celebration. Details of the restoration are discussed in the Preservation Foundation section of this report.

This year the Riverview renovation project has successfully moved from the initial planning stages into detailed design phase with hopes to solicit County Building permit approval and contactor bids in early 2017. The project has been burdened with a rough road while seeking project approval from the York County Board of Supervisors (BoS). Concern with our proposed design from a few vocal Village residents. This caused us to expend significant financial and manpower resources on redesign and legal counsel while marching through the required York County commission bodies toward a final solution.

Our sexton, Kevin James, has along with a large number of routine cleaning and ongoing weekly tasks, coordinated and executed the following significant activities this year:

Church renovations which have included a boat load of painting, rug removal and floor resurfacing/refinishing, and installation of cork flooring in the sacristy.

General grounds maintenance to include cleanup of overgrown vegetation, grass cutting, weed eating, hedge trimming, leaf raking and mulch placement

Overseen a new fire alarm system installation Ongoing Parish Hall window restoration Troubleshot and repair of various plumbing and electrical system failures, as well as

repair furniture Various mechanical system inspections for insurance and county certification purposes Riverview screen porch restoration; it was a mess Set up and break down of chairs and tables for a large number of Grace Church events

Vance FieldJunior Warden

Worship

:

The Worship Commission/Committee Members for 2016: Carleton Bakkum, RectorConstance Jones, Associate RectorSuzanne Daniel, Organist/Choir DirectorBrenda Moore, ChairpersonRose Field, Altar GuildLynn Grimsley & Tom Richmond, Lay Eucharistic MinistersDiana Mason-Smelt, Acolytes

The Worship Committee has worked diligently throughout 2016 to coordinate the various aspects of the many and diverse worship experiences at Grace. By exploring new possibilities, refining traditional practices, and facilitating communication and cooperation between the Clergy, Altar Guild, Acolytes, Eucharistic Ministers, and the Music Ministry, we have facilitated a variety of services; some that have been deeply spiritual, some that have generated meaningful opportunities for fun and fellowship, as well as special events involving the community at large and churches outside our diocese.

Sunday Services have continued to benefit from our gifted clergy and outstanding organist/choir director. The Acolytes, under the guidance of Diana Mason-Smelt, have ongoing training and are a vital part of our services. The Eucharistic Ministers continue in their role at each service and Eucharistic visitors bring communion to the housebound. This year, Tom Richmond became the head of that group as Lynn Grimsley stepped down after many years of faithful service. The Altar Guild and its chair person, Rose Field, have worked to create a beautiful space for worship at every service. We are truly blessed at Grace to have such a large contingent of talented and faithful people!

In an effort to make worship services easier for those who have issues with managing a prayer book, hymnal and bulletin, we have been including the music and readings in the bulletin. However, the bulletin’s small print was difficult for some to read so, this year, after much discussion and cost analysis, we opted to move to a larger format. The larger size has been well received and is now our standard form.

Funerals have been a very special and meaningful part of Grace Church’s worship ministry this year. The careful attention to detail and the generosity of the people of Grace in providing food and service at the receptions following the funerals has touched the families and friends of the departed. The efforts of Parish Life, Daughters of the King, and other volunteers are much appreciated in this effort.

Palm Sunday in the church

Worship (continued)

Special Services have been a big focus of the worship committee this year.

Lenten Sunday services, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday were differentiated by no flowers on the altar and a silent processional. Stations of the Cross through the village was well attended and the Labyrinth in the Parish Hall was beautifully laid out. Easter Vigil was conducted in cooperation with Abingdon and Kingston parishes. This year, they took the lead and Grace provided the reception. Easter was an indoor service due to weather but our Parade of Crosses and Banners was a real highlight of both services. The overflow of the Easter congregation to the Parish Hall and the similar issues with some funerals has generated interest in streaming video of the church service to the Parish Hall. Suzanne and Carleton are exploring our options. Low Sunday’s Doubting Thomas Drama as an alternative to reading the Gospel was a great success. Pentecost, May 15th, was celebrated outside with paper doves on poles and colorful steamers as well as a brass ensemble. It was a beautiful service. Morning Prayer, a service dear the hearts of several of our members, was celebrated on July 10, and October 16. Blessing of the Animals was a beautiful outdoor service on 10/2/16. As with Easter, the picnic and Pentecost, this service requires the renting of chairs and the accompanying logistics of delivery, setup, breakdown, and pickup. The cost is substantial and we are exploring the option of purchasing chairs.

Dedication Service - October 16, 2016: The celebration and dedication of the renovated church was beautiful and successful event that included the history of the building and its impact on the community. The Grace Historical Church Preservation Foundation speakers, David Miller and Lois Winter, shared information and photos of the long process. VIPs, craftsmen who worked on the restoration, and friends of the parish attended the event and a reception was held in the church yard. All Saints Sunday, Nov. 6th was held in the church with special choir music and the reading of the names of the dead. No Thanksgiving Service - Instead, Dinner was served at St. Paul's Newport News. Advent- all services were held in the church with The Lord’s Prayer (the modern version) to be sung as a monotone chant. Prayer Flag Project -Flags painted by parishioners, friends and day school children are hung from trees in the churchyard and at Riverview. It is a beautifully symbolic statement of the vibrant prayers of the people of Grace.

CHRISTMAS- Christmas Eve services were at 4:30, 7:00 and 10:30, with special music at all services. Christmas Day had one service at 11:00 am.

CELTIC SERVICES- November 13th, December 11th, (2016), and January 15th, and February 12th (2017). These very special services are being held in the dark of winter for dramatic contrast with the light that we celebrate.

WEATHER ISSUES- The Revels, Easter, and the Picnic were all impacted by weather conditions this year. Hurricane Matthew caused a power outage but the services on 10/9/16 and Ethel Gouger’s funeral proceeded with flexibility and imagination. While the weather is not under our control, we may want to define coping strategies and options that have worked well in the past or explore other options for the future.

Moving into 2017 we hope to expand our worship offerings in ways that will be interesting and meaningful, and to be good stewards of the many gifts and blessings we have at Grace Church.

Respectfully submitted, Brenda Moore

Christian Formation

Nursery

Christian Formation opportunities are offered to parishioners from nursery-age to adults. On Sunday mornings we have Children’s Chapel during the liturgy of the word and Sunday School from 10:30-11:15. The Journey to Adulthood curriculum is used for youth, and the J2A class sponsored the Silent Auction in December to raise money for their upcoming pilgrimage. Young people also sponsored the breakfast on Easter morning and oversaw the Easter Egg hunt for younger children. This year four youth participated in a life-changing J2A pilgrimage led by Belinda Willis and Kevin James.

The senior EYC is led by Pam Mason and Christine Mahan. They made soups to be taken to the sick; wrote the Prayers of the People on one occasion, went bowling, hosted a coffee hour, did yard work at Riverview, and helped with the food ministry at St. Paul’s, Newport News, and the annual Thanksgiving Day dinner.

A second youth group open to junior and senior high students was begun this year. It is ecumenical, and joins with Crooks and Zion Methodist churches. Various activities were undertaken.A record number of young people from Grace attended Camp Chanco in the summer of 2016, and one parishioner attended Happening. There was a New Year’s Eve lock-in, Super Bowl hot-wing sale, a youth Sunday, and one chancel drama. Two graduating seniors preached at the annual service and picnic at the old church on the Coast Guard Training Center property.

The Parents’ Group had classes on Sunday mornings for the parents and hosted a variety of intergenerational special events for families, including the annual Christmas party, a Game Night, and a summer cook-out.

Sunday School hour also features “Grace for Everybody” events such as the Talent Show, Advent wreath-making, and the Big Bible Quiz. There was a special program on Suicide Awareness for youth. Young people also participated in the Easter Vigil and Stop Hunger Now.

We again joined with Crooks UMC for Vacation Bible School in July, and in the summer enjoyed movies on the cemetery lawn. Youth presented a video of Camp Chanco at the Annual Meeting.

There continue to be a host of small groups for adults throughout the year. There are men’s groups and a women’s group, knitters, Monday night readers, three classes of Education for Ministry, an Enneagram group, writers’ classes, a newcomer’s class, Transitions, and a parlor group for Bible and other study during Sunday School hour. Myrna Hirv, for example, presented a video and information on Thistle Farms. A group called gRACEful conversations has had several sessions for reading and conversation on the subject of race relations, led by Cheryl Clark and Connie Jones. “Summer Lites” offered by the three women clergy invited people into parishioners’ homes for dinner and learning on summer evenings.

The Christian Formation Commission makes a year-round effort at providing opportunities for all parishioners to grow deeper in their faith and as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Grace Church Day School

This is the 61st year of operation for Grace Episcopal Day School, making us the oldest preschool/kindergarten in York County. The school has 31 students enrolled for the 2016-17 school year. This year we do not have a Kindergarten class, but have two 4 year old classes, one 3 year old class, and one 2 year old class. This is the smallest group that we have had for some years. Annually parents make food donations to the York County Food Closet as part of the school’s Thanksgiving celebration. We also help with various church related activities such as making Advent Flags and cards for the homeless at Thanksgiving. Although we are a little school we are a thriving school with great parent support. The Santa Shop sponsored by the Parish Book and Gift Shop continues to be a huge success bringing more money than in years past.

Youth Groups at Grace

Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) EYC-high school group- activities were Freezer Ministry, Airfield 4-H Center Retreat (April 22th to 24th) with a guest speaker on bullying, made and distributed Valentine’s cards to the congregation, hosted a coffee hour, held a school-yea-end celebration picnic to honor graduating seniors graciously hosted by Elizabeth and Tom Wash, had a fall Ben and Jerry’s ice cream kick-off, baked and delivered (or mailed) cookies for EYCers in college, participated in the painting rehabilitation of the mural on Read Street in Yorktown, helped with Thanksgiving meal at St. Paul’s, served breakfast to the homeless at St. Paul’s- led by Pam Mason and Christine Mahan.

Ecumenical Youth Group – A new youth group has been established this year. This group met for the first time in September. It is an ecumenical youth group with Crooks Memorial UMC of Yorktown and Zion UMC of Seaford. They meet on the 1st and 3rd

Sundays of each month at 4:00 pm. Activities that this group has participated in include: kickoff cookout, beach party and Eucharist, collecting supplies and making pet toys and treats that were donated to the Gloucester Mathews ASPCA, decorating the survival bags for the guests of the St. Paul’s Thanksgiving Dinner, helped set up, serve and clean up for the Thanksgiving meal at St. Paul’s, made toy donations to Toys for Tots and had a holiday party. This group is led by adults from all three churches. Leaders from Grace Church are Nancy and Stuart Pendleton and Cornelia Taylor.

Diocesan Youth InvolvementIn 2016 Grace youth were involved at the diocesan level more than ever before. Eight of Grace's young people attended Camp Chancoand other Diocesan youth retreats. Scholarships to camp remain available from the Shirley Bailesscholarship fund.

Outreach

Continued next page

During calendar 2016, due to the generosity of its members, Grace Church has been able to continue a wide variety of new, energetic, and engaging opportunities through its Outreach Ministry. These opportunities reflected a commitment to share our gifts and talents to those in need within the boundaries of our parish community, Virginia, nationally, and internationally. The following are highlights of Grace Church’s 2016 Outreach efforts:

Thanksgiving Basket donations provided assistance to:

GraceInside Prison Ministry York County Food Closet Natasha House Meals on Wheels Lackey Clinic Holy Cross Anglican School, San Pedro, Belize Episcopal Relief and Development Jackson-Feild Homes Stop Hunger Now Mattaponi Indian Reservation Refugio, Quito, Ecuador

As a result of our budgetary process, Outreach was able to increase the amount contributed to each of the above.

Grace’s Outreach efforts extend well beyond the distribution of the generous Thanksgiving Basket donations to include:

The donation of 28 units of blood during the annual Red Cross blood drive. The preparation of 10,152 meals for Stop Hunger Now. Providing school supplies to the Salvation Army for distribution to children in need. Providing over-the-counter medicines and personal care items for distribution of residents of the

Mattaponi Indian Reservation in Virginia. Providing additional funds to Lackey Clinic and Holy Cross School during their period of fiscal

need. Providing $1,000 to support Water Missions International’s efforts to provide clean water

systems for refugee camps in Tanzania. Providing shelter and accommodations at Riverview for the transcontinental bicyclists.

Stop Hunger Now

Episcopal Church Women (ECW)/Naomi Dozier President, Roselyn Washburn; Treasurer, Terry Randolph; Secretary, Noel EstridgeOur fall meeting and luncheon had Master Deputy Russell with the York County Sheriff’s Office speak about crime prevention.

United Thank Offering (UTO)The simple purpose of UTO has always remained constant: giving in thankfulness for everyday blessings of life so that we an provide blessings for others in need. Forty-one people attended our breakfast and donated almost $419! A big thank you to our chef, Jim Giesken, and all who helped.

The Mitten TreeEach November, the Episcopal Church Women ask you to donate mittens and scarves. We collect them weekly and mail them to The New River Community Action in Floyd, Virginia during December. Their mission is to promote and support the well-being and self-reliance of individuals, families and communities.

Two large boxes of mittens, hats, scarves and socks were mailed this month. 237 pairs of mittens 78 hats 19 scarves 47 pairs of socks 2 jackets

Jackson-Feild HomeOur parish also donated toiletries for the boys and girls at the Jackson-Feild Home. Thanks to Sue Gorski and Sue Kidd for packing up and mailing all the mittens and toiletries!

Outreach (continued)A special thank you goes out to those parishioners and groups that organize, contribute to, and support the following Outreach efforts: Backpack Ministry Christmas is Everyday (Mailed 619 care packages and 36 boxes of Girl

Scout cookies) PORT Thanksgiving Eve dinner for the homeless at St. Paul’s, Newport News St. Paul’s Breakfast Ministry St. Francis Project Providing lunches to cancer patients receiving infusion treatment by the

Daughters of the King Angel Tree Mitten TreeA special thank you must also go out to the Disabled American Veterans Victory Chapter 13 and VFW Post 824 Grafton, Yorktown, for their generous contributions to Christmas is Everyday.

Cyclist Hospitality MinistryThis has truly been a banner year for hosting cyclists at Riverview; not only in terms of

total numbers, or the number of cyclists from outside the U.S., but also in terms of the “unique” individuals we had the opportunity and pleasure of hosting. We hosted over one hundred cyclists this year from March 31 to November 6. This does not include the 11 cyclists from the Adventure Cycling Association that we hosted in May for a luncheon before they started their guided TransAm tour. We hosted 22 cyclists from nine different countries outside the United States, most from Europe, but we had one cyclist from the Philippines and one from Israel.

The cyclists ranged in age from 15 to 78 years old, and yes, the 78-year-old did all + 4400 miles. We had three cyclists that were totally deaf, which made communications interesting; we wrote a lot of notes back and forth. And the York County Sheriff Department is now aware of our hosting program since two eventually made it to us after checking in with Sheriff’s Office. We had one cyclist that was a double amputee resulting from service in Iraq/Afghanistan. He along with his fiancée and an ADA service dog arrived just before the October hurricane and spent four days holed up in Riverview before continuing their journey to Florida. They initially started on foot in Connecticut on the Appalachian Trail, but became concerned after about a thousand miles that it was too much for their dog, so they switched to a tandem bike with small trailer. And then there was the wife of a teacher who told her husband “you have the three kids for the summer, I am going cycling across the U.S.” One of the last couples to arrive from the Oregon in late October was from England and they were on an around the world cycling tour. Thus far they had been on the road for 801 days and cycled through 46 countries. They traveled from here to Washington D.C. and then flew on to Portugal, hoping to arrive back in England by Christmas.

With the planned remodeling of Riverview, 2017 may be a bit of a challenge for our cyclist ministry. Our intent is to continue hosting cyclists, but we will be looking for some additional members in the village, or nearby, willing to assist in hosting cyclists overnight. If you think you might be interested, please contact John Oppenhuizen at 988-1006 or oppenhuizenj@cox.net. We are always looking for some additional people to assist with this ministry even if you unable to host cyclists overnight. In May 2017, we will most likely host another group from Adventure Cycling for a luncheon. We (me, John) have also committed the church to host a group of 25 cyclists from Canada that are on a fundraising ride across America for several charities on July 19. We plan on putting them up overnight in the Parish Hall, provide them with access to a hot shower and an evening meal. If you can assist us, please contact me.

Here are several “thankful” comments from our 2016 cyclists:“First Day! Feels like April Fools! I never dreamed my First Night on my Epic Adventure would include a beach house to myself and fabulous hosts. Say thanks to the Thursday night Men’s Group for letting me sit in, helped get past the beginner’s jitters. So here goes! TransAm, eventually to Seattle! God Bless! “JimHerron, Estill Springs, TN. April 1, 2016“What a superb place to stay after a long and tough cycle ride across an amazing country. I’d like to thank the Church and specifically John for making my stay so relaxing and comfortable. The view of the Atlantic Ocean/York River out of the house windows is brilliant. Thanks to the whole community of Yorktown and the numerous Americans I met along the route for making this such a great experience.” Alan Potter, Abington, England - Astoria, OR to Yorktown, VA.“……. I breathed Trans-America76. I have gone through all climates, yes even snow, hail, excessive heat, smelled the dispense of diesel fuel, skunk odor, and more. So, I smelled everything about/in this country! Thank you very much for this “B&B” hospitality. God bless this house and you all! Howard Virnig, St. Paul, MN – Pacific City. OR to Yorktown, VA. (one of our deaf cyclists)“I have no card to leave, no blog to refer you to. You won’t find me on social media, and I’m currently without gainful employment. Some may question whether or not I actually exist. On our bike ride across America I discovered the true meaning of existence, of spontaneously experiencing every day, every hour, every moment. We ride through awe-inspiring landscapes to discover the soul of this country – and what we found was good. Thank you, John for being part of the collective good. We found respite here when we needed it and the opportunity to connect with our pedaling friends. With all my heart, thank you! To all you cyclists – you rock! Genevieve Morgan, Silver City, NM – Astoria, OR to Yorktown, VA.

St. Francis Project

This initiative collects pet food, new leashes and bowls to support the Peninsula Pet Pantry. The Pet Pantry provides pet food and related pet care items to people in need that may otherwise have to give up their pets due to financial hardship. Topical Pet care reminders for our parishioners are published in the monthly newsletter, such as disaster prep for pets, holiday/cold & hot weather tips that are obtained from the SPCA, veterinarians and other sources.

Grace Church continued to be one of the top supporters of the York County Food Closet which serves neighbors in need in both York County and Poquoson. The activity is housed at Saint Luke's Methodist Church in Grafton and is under the auspices of Church Women United of York County. Each week donations of nonperishable food and paper products that are deposited in the "Red Ball Express" Wagon in the Parish Hall are taken to the Food Closet for distribution. This year several special collection events were held (Backpack Ministry & PORT) ) Monetary donations are also collected and one month the Sunday "Thanksgiving Offerings" were collected to allow the Food Closet to procure additional needed food. Clients can be served 8 times per year with three large bags of groceries in addition to a grocery store gift card for access to perishables that the Food Closet cannot provide.

York County Food Closet

Teri Hodson fills backpacks for the Backpack Ministry, which provides food over the

weekend for students in Yorktown schools identified by the schools as likely to go hungry

on the weekends.

Education for Ministry (EfM) is a college level course for lay persons. There are no tests, but there is reading,homework and once-a-week seminar group participation. Education for Ministry continues to be a source ofeducation, theology, and individual development for numerous persons in the diocese. Some graduates havecontinued into ordination paths, but many more find their ministry developed for service within theirchurches and communities. It has been described by some as ‘just another Bible study,’ but those who takepart in the four-year study – one year at a time – know EfM to be much more than that. There is Bible study,indeed. The first two years consist of study of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Then in Years 3 and4 ‘Church History’ and ‘Theological Choices’ are covered. Along with the reading and discussion, theologicalreflection takes place, and for most, this becomes the most important part of the session each week. Here atGrace Church, we have three thriving EfM groups that meet weekly. The timing of EfM continues to followclosely the school year, with an added “kick-off” meeting in August that is open to anyone interested inlearning more. Please contact John Hoppe at jchoppe@cox.net or Janet Stephens at stephens313@cox.netfor information or Melinda Reed at ozarklady60@cox.net.

Gardening at GraceThe grounds and gardens of Grace Church are cared for by quite a number of people. Kevin takes the full time load of mowing, trimming, etc. Mary Lynn and family tend to our water garden in front of the church. I try to keep up with flower beds as well as our raised gardens.

Many people help out when they can. For all of this, we are grateful. The latest garden plan includes a pet cemetery so things are always moving on.

Jean Kirkham

Spiritual Direction and the Enneagram GroupReflecting back over more than 10 years serving as a Spiritual Director, I have had the privilege of

journeying with people who are celebrating new glimpses of God in their lives, finding new acceptance and empowerment for their flawed yet cherished selves, accepting permission to grieve, sorting out new calls to ministry and coping with major changes in identity. What a joy to see the Spirit in each and every one of these folks, gay/straight, male/female/transgender, clergy/lay, and to reflect their beauty back to them!

During 2016 I met with 23 individuals and couples multiple times for Spiritual Direction. The Enneagram Group continues to meet most every month on Monday evenings.

Elsa Bakkum

Parish Book & Gift Shop

This marks the 48th year the Grace Church Book Store has been in operation. It has been a successful year and sales exceeded 2015. The board voted to become a retailer for Thistle Farm products and also sponsor a cookbook to be published in the spring of 2017. Our outreach donations are as follows:Grace Church Memorial Fund $ 100.00York County Food Closet. 750.00Rev. Carleton Bakkum, Disc. Fund 100.00Rev. Connie Jones, Disc. Fund 100.00Grace Church Day School. 1,000.00American Red Cross. 200.00Grace Church (ST. Vincent) 100..00TOTAL $2,350.00Serving on the bookstore board are: Jean Liberati, Nancy Henry, Terry Randolph, Vivian Yerby, Merle Burgess, Myrna Hirv, Karin Herdey, and Peggy Bruce.

The Grace Church Knitters gather weekly, September-May, for prayer, socializing, an occasional dinner “out,” and of course knitting. On-going projects include prayer shawls (distributed by Grace), baby caps (distributed by Mary Immaculate Hospital), hats (distributed by St. Paul’s), scarves in warm colors (reds, oranges, pinks, etc.) for teens who have “aged out” of foster care programs, and fancy scarves and candies for Natasha House residents on Valentine’s Day. Knitters also work on their own projects sometimes.

Stewardship

2016 Pledge Campaign: The Financial Director and the Finance Committee, in conjunction with the Stewardship Commission, established a pledge goal of $550,000 for 2016. This figure was partially based on actual giving amounts from the previous year.

The pledge goal for 2016 was not met, resulting in some significant changes being made involving our budget.

2017 Pledge Campaign: The Financial Director and the Finance Committee along with the Vestry, approved a $580,000 pledge goal for 2017.

The 2017 Pledge Campaign kicked off on Sept. 18, 2016, with announcements in the bulletin and two posters being displayed outside the church and the parish hall. Pledge cards started going out on October 1st, followed by a write-up in the newsletter about stewardship. Sermons from our clergy, and continued focus on year-round stewardship, has kept this campaign moving forward in a positive way.

As of Dec. 28, 2016, we are $30,000 from our campaign goal of $580,000. We are confident that our budgeted goal will be met for 2017 with God’s help.

The Stewardship Commission also plans to establish an online giving program, as well as a youth stewardship program. Planned Giving and Endowment Fund informational meetings are also planned for the coming year.

0

5

10

15

20

2013 2014 2015 2016

WeddingsFuneralsBaptismsConfirmation

Sacraments

Attendance

180 200 220

Average

201620152014

Average Sunday Attendance

Parish Life

Parish Life has had many opportunities to serve during the 2016 year. Some events were traditional at Grace and some were new. As always at Grace we had amazing participation by the Vestry members, the parishioners and by the many small groups at work in our parish. Without the help of each of you Parish life could not function and we are truly grateful for your cooperation and support.

Our year began on January 3 with a ‘Burning of the Greens’ ceremony adjacent to the church. This was followed by a ‘Pot Luck’ supper in the Parish Hall; a well-attended and festive occasion.

There were two funeral receptions to follow; the first, on January 11 was for June Tharpe and on January 13 we celebrated the life of Betty Lauterbach. We provided food, punch, and coffee for each of the receptions.

February ushered in the Lenten season and on February 9 we celebrated Mardi Gras. We estimated the attendance at about 100. The hall was lavishly decorated with many colored balloons, beads and even a few feathers. The food included Gumbo, shrimp, rice, salad, cupcakes, Cajun deviled eggs, chocolate cake, and a King cake baked by Aleyne Hamers. Beer and wine were also served. Rose field did the table flowers and a small band provided the jazzy music.

A funeral reception was held on February 20 for Wythe Davis. This was a lighter fare than usual since there was a subsequent lunch-type reception at another location.

On February 21, a small reception was held for Connie’s Graceful Conversations special event. Although not technically a Parish Life function; it was a request from Connie and we were happy to do it. About 55 people were in attendance. A light repast of cookies, cheese and fruit, brownies and punch was served.

On Thursday of Holy Week; as has become a tradition at Grace, an Agape Meal was presented. There were about 80-85 attendees who enjoyed a meal of Lentil soup, hummus, dates, figs, nuts, cheeses, crackers, pita bread and Irish soda bread. Red and white wine and sparkling grape juice were served with baklava for dessert. It was a meaningful celebration of a “love meal” with special readings, footwashing and music before the traditional Eucharistic service in the church.

On Easter Sunday, Parish Life was responsible for a reception to be held in the parish Hall (or outside if no rain) after the Easter breakfast and coinciding with the children’s Easter Egg Hunt. It was to be a simple reception so we served cookies and cupcakes, nuts, fruit and cheese and crackers. We used the glass punch bowl to serve lemonade. At one point the food seemed to be running low; but fortunately, Darla Krupski had brought all the food left over from Saturday night’s Vigil on the beach; so, we tapped into that and consumed every morsel. Because of the rain, a second Easter Service was held simultaneously in the parish Hall. This service was led by Connie and the reception had to be quietly set up during that service. It was amazing!

April, May, and June each brought a funeral reception: the first on April was for John Sim; May 24 a reception for James Adams and June 3 a reception for Betty Terrell.

On Sunday, June 5th the Annual picnic was held, but due to inclement weather the picnic was in the Parish Hall instead of our usual location at the Coast Guard Training Center. Merle and Virgie were determined to make the Parish Hall festive with lots of colored tablecloths, flowers, and balloons. We served the usual chicken along with an outstanding potluck buffet. Cornelia provided games for the children.

Parish Life (cont’d)

Amidst all of that, Don Washburn, one of our well-loved and long-time members passed away after a lengthy illness. So, Parish Life offered up our services with love and provided a reception for him on June 7. There was an abundance of food thanks to the response from the congregation; and as always, the Daughters of the King. Approximately 135 people were in attendance.

After a busy month of June for Parish Life and oppressively hot weather, July and August followed in kind. There were 5 funerals with funeral receptions: three in July and two in August. On July 6th, Kathryn “Kat” Sage; On July 8th, Jane Laswell; On July 20th, James William “Bill” Speegle; long-time parishioner and well-known figure in Yorktown and Hampton Roads. In attendance were 200 people. Since the capacity of the Sanctuary is about 135 it was necessary to provide overflow in the Parish Hall. A television connection was implemented so that everyone could witness the service in ‘real’ time.

Sadly, fourteen days later on August 3rd, a service of burial followed by a reception was held for Kathryn Speegle, wife of William Speegle. There were perhaps 70 people present.

On August 28th, Theresa Robertson’s life was celebrated with a funeral and reception. Theresa bravely battled her cancer and remission and ultimate return of her cancer. Her valiant fight was an inspiration to many.

September was a relatively quiet month for Parish Life and thankfully, there were no funerals this month. The big event was the Congregational breakfast which was held on Sunday, September the 25th at 8:30 a.m. The Vestry provided egg casseroles and helped with serving and clean-up. Parish Life also served sausage, tater tots, scrambled eggs, fruit, and cheese, Danish and cookies.

On Sunday, October 9th, Parish Life provided a reception following the funeral for Ethel Gouger. Ethel was active in the church and many people were in attendance.

The following Sunday, October 16th, Grace Church held a ceremony in celebration of the rededication of the Sanctuary, and Parish Life provided a reception following the service. The reception was held outdoors on the lawn with festive food, punch, candles, and balloons. A celebratory cake featuring the latest picture of the church was also served. Although difficult to estimate an exact number; approximately 100 people were in attendance.

November was a reasonably quiet month for Parish Life. We provided a Funeral Reception for Bettye Landman on Saturday, November 12, 2016. In addition, we used the down time to work on cleaning and organizing the kitchen; including cleaning the coffee cups which seem to discolor at a fast rate. Coffee Hour is one of the responsibilities of Parish Life and we are called upon to fill in when someone cancels or on a Sunday when no sponsor has signed up. This happened on two occasions in November. We have passed around the sign-up sheet and have gotten a good response for the next few weeks.

Faithfully Submitted, Merle Burgess and Virgie Twigg

Mardi Gras 2016

Grace Historical Church Preservation Foundation

Archives and Restoration of the Church

In 2009, junior warden David Miller and sexton Daryl Douglas began to work on restoring our historic sanctuary. This was just the latest restoration in a continuing effort for a building that was officially built in 1697 and survived 2 wars and a fire. This project, now just about finished, is the most complete restoration since W.A.R. Goodwin helped rebuild the interior in the 1920’s.

David and Daryl began by restoring and refurbishing the front doors, and exterior trim, including eaves and fascia. In 2010 and 2011, Kevin James joined them as they restored the windows both interior and exterior and painted the stucco. In 2012 the new slate roof and the steeple was restored under the guidance of junior warden Cathy Miller and with the diligence and supervision of Daryl Douglas. In 2013, the ceiling of the church was restored by Kevin.

From 2014 to 2016, the interior restoration was completed by Sharon Stack, Kevin James and David Miller. This involved sanding and restoring all of the woodwork, stripping and refinishing the flooring, and staining the banister. The narthex was restored including reframing and preserving historic pictures telling the story of Grace. The Sacristy restoration included new cork flooring, and painting of the walls and cabinetry and molding. The last part of the restoration has involved the recent painting of the exterior of the Church and the exterior windows, and painting and restoring the stucco.

Many hours of time and effort were donated over the past 7 years to restore our historic sanctuary. The Grace Historical Church Preservation Foundation is especially grateful to Daryl Douglas, David Miller, and Kevin James for their expertise and commitment to this project. We can all feel proud that the church in which our founding fathers worshipped in the 18th century, has been beautifully recreated in 2016, and can serve as a reminder of the continuity and contribution of our parish to our nation and community. Lois Winter has had a crucial role throughout this restoration project and has launched a special “dedicated” website for our historic sanctuary. www.preservegracechurch1697.com.

2016 Archives Annual Report

Special ProjectsOur major project in 2016 was working in conjunction with the Grace Historic Church Preservation

Foundation to create a website. This site allows visitors to access our history by using their smartphones and acts as a digital docent. This cooperative venture occupied a significant of our time and energies this year. Many thanks to Lois Winter and the members of the Foundation.

This year, I was a honored to be a presenter at the Tri History Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There, I presented a paper on Alexander Whitaker, the 17th century priest who baptized Pocahontas. My presentation was a bit different in that it focused on the perspective of the first people as well as on the intent of the Anglican mission in the New World. Many thanks to Dianne Garrison for sharing her special personal resources and introducing me to the people of the Mattaponi Reservation in New Kent County.

While at the conference, I attended a workshop on digitization where I met Sarah Woodford, the archivist at St Thomas Moore Chapel at Yale University. She generously offered to help me with this process and, in 2017, I intend to begin the process for digitizing our archival holdings.

Other ongoing projects in the archives include cataloging documents, photographs and resources, assisting with historical and genealogy inquiries and sharing our story with individuals and tour groups.

As always, I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve this parish as your archivist and am excited about the new projects for 2017.

Respectfully submitted,Brenda Moore, Archivist

GRACE CHURCH CEMETERY

The following were interred in 2016

Betty LauterbachElizabeth Hicks Terrell

John E. SimDonald Washburn

Elizabeth Shield ScatesJames William Speegle

Katherine Ann Colbe SpeegleTheresa Jones Robertson

MEMBERS Sandy Swift, Chairperson, David Miller, Laura Etheridge, Lisa Heuvel, Frank Edwards, Jerry Thompson.

Many hands go into maintaining the Grace Church Cemetery as a beautiful and living place where many come to visit with their loved ones, sit quietly and reflect on the beauty of the grounds, or watch the children hunt Easter eggs. I would like to acknowledge those who have helped me this past year with their gifts of grace and talent.

First, I would have to acknowledge Kevin James who contributes so much effort to keeping the grounds immaculate and is my right hand when it comes to funerals. David Miller has put many hours into seeing that the grounds are kept up and tends to floral displays gone past their prime. Landscape expert Jean Kirkham and her assistants add so much with their artistic endeavors, and Al Crane continues to bless us with recognition of the Veterans buried at Grace. Each year Al organizes memorial services on special holidays and maintains records of the service histories of our United States Veterans. We greatly miss the participation of Don Washburn in the memorial services this year. With his passing, Grace Cemetery Committee lost a member whose love for our sacred space was shown in his dedication and faithfulness.

This year bronze flag holders were added to the Veterans graves. They add to the beauty of the American flags which they hold and help to anchor during inclement weather.

Currently all burial spaces are committed. However there are spaces available for inurnments in the Columbarium. Contact a member of your Cemetery Committee for more information.

Evangelism and Communications

Evangelism and Communications had a good year. We have had a bumper crop of visitors to our church this year. More than 30 visitors were welcomed to Grace by parishioners, the clergy and a welcome package that was personally delivered.

A successful newcomer social was given by the vestry and clergy and was hosted at Hornsby House Inn in the Village.

Our newsletter is produced monthly and is delivered in paper and/or electronic form. We averaged about 225 newsletters each month.

Our website was recently updated this fall and updates to it are ongoing with a passworded member area in the works.

Grace’s Facebook page continues to be a popular site and we look forward to further engagement by parishioners and guests alike.

A new parish directory was produced in house this year and was a big effort for a number of dedicated parishioners.

Several pamphlets and brochures are stocked and replenished weekly by Al Crane in displays located in the narthex of the Church and outside the Parish Book Shop in the Parish Hall for sharing information with parishioners, guests, and visitors on the church and activities in Historic Yorktown. Brochures on our Church history, Yorktown Events, Yorktown Tourist information, Shopping & Dining in Yorktown were supplemented with pamphlets on the Historic Triangle (Williamsburg-Jamestown-Yorktown), and special commemorative publications on the Historic Triangle and the Civil War. The Church funded the Grace Church brochure, the other publications were obtained at no cost from York County Tourism/York Hall, and the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance.

Hugh Brownlee and Pam Stoecker

Special Thank YouThe staff of Grace Church want to express their deep appreciation to Chip and Mary Fenno for the many hours of personal time given to updating and repairing our sometimes cranky computer system with unfailing good spirit, speed and competence. They cheerfully take our frantic calls and respond immediately to save the day and we are so very grateful for their expertise, friendship and caring.

This past year included the culmination of several years of discussion and preliminary planning in regard to what we've called the Riverview Revitalization Project. The scope of this project has been to remodel this remarkable facility -- the small cottage between our parish hall and the Yorktown Pub that Grace was fortunate to acquire some 15 years ago. We are seeking to expand the meeting space, upgrade elements such as the electrical system and kitchen and provide better access.

David Grimsley is chair of our Architectural Committee that also includes Gary Harvey, Jerry Twigg, Melinda Reed, Bonnie Baffer, Hugh Brownlee and Ron Nixon. David, Gary and Jerry have been the point people with Mike Henry, our architect, and the interface with York County that has been extensive.

Melinda Reed was chair of our Capital Campaign that set a goal of $350,000 for the campaign and utilized the Rev. David Davenport as a very part-time consultant. Her committee also included Bill Taylor, Ed Everett, Belinda Willis and Sandy Armstrong. Other chairpersons of different facets of the campaign were Elizabeth Wash, Laura Etheridge and Jim Giesken.

Ann Hankins and Betsy Taylor chaired a wonderful "Kick-off Brunch" on Sunday, May 8. Along with a number of others that made visits and calls to other parishioners, the Committee was more than successful! The campaign has garnered pledges of $366,000 thus far with $146,000 already "paid in." It was truly a group effort and once again, the people of Grace came through.

That's the good news. The unfortunate news is that one of our neighbors has taken exception to certain elements of our plans and has made challenges within the Planning Commission, to the Board of Supervisors and now through the courts. We are simply having to wait out the time until a court hearing now scheduled for January, 2017.

Meantime, issues of final permits from York County are being held up by the unresolved legal matters and of course getting financing for our bank loan for the project and soliciting bids are contingent on some of those moving pieces. In short, this will get done! We are simply having to "work the process" and handle each obstacle as it presents itself. We have high hopes of being able to break ground in the early spring.

A very large bucket of appreciation goes to the many who have been working on this substantial project for several years now. And to the members and participants in the Capital Campaign whose offerings were more concentrated but have been pivotal. And, finally, to every person who has shown interest and been supportive and especially to those who have pledged some of their "treasure" to make this important upgrade possible and those who showed up at hearings at York Hall to support the project. This stunning piece of real estate will soon be a more central gathering place for all manner of events and groups at Grace -- both indoors and out, and for all participants, including those with disabilities.

Riverview Revitalization

Ecumenical Youth Group Enjoying the Meditation Garden at Riverview