November 30, 2025
The First Sunday of Advent

Click below to access bulletins, Livestream and Zoom links, or to make an offering

The Rt. Rev. Philip N. LaBelle (Bishop Phil) will be preaching and presiding at the 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. services and will join the Vestry and PMC in conversation afterwards.

Sunday, November 30th at 11:00 a.m.
Advent Wreath Making

Saturday, December 6th, 2:00-7:00 p.m.
Volunteer at the KIAC Christmas Party in Bremerton.
Contact Melissa Meyers to sign up.

December 7, 9:30 a.m.
St. Nicholas Sunday
Wear a Christmas sweater to church & leave your shoes in the Narthex to be filled by St. Nicholas.

Tuesday, December 9th
Soup Dinner & Candlelit Night: Abide with Us
Come for a cozy community dinner and then stay for a candlelit meditation of poetry and music around Mary, mother of Jesus.

Saturday, December 13th at 10:00 a.m.
Advent Pageant Dress Rehearsal with Music Circle

Sunday, December 14th at 9:30 a.m.
Advent Pageant

Tuesday, December 17th, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Soup Dinner & Candlelit Night: Abide with Us
Come for a cozy community dinner and then stay for poetry and Holden evening prayer, a beautiful canonical liturgy sung around the world. 

Wednesday, December 24th | Christmas Eve
Family Service at 4:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve Service at 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 25th | Christmas Day
Service at 9:30 a.m.

During this season, we remember and celebrate loved ones with the gift of flowers and greens, and a special dedication in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bulletins.

To contribute to the Advent & Christmas Flower Fund and list names in the bulletin:

1. Fill out a printed form located in the narthex.
2. Make your check payable to Grace Church, with “Seasonal flowers” in the memo line. 
3. Return the form and check to the Grace office.

Click on the button below to submit names and make your gift online.

Deadline:
5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17th.

With deep gratitude, we celebrate the $653,648 raised toward our $750,000 Annual Stewardship Campaign Goal.

This remarkable milestone was made possible through the dedication of parishioners who contributed in so many ways, helping set campaign goals, designing and assembling the brochure, preparing mailings, offering quotes and testimonies, sending personal cards of thanks, and celebrating with Martinelli’s sparkling non-alcoholic cider!

If you have yet to pledge, this is a graceful “nudge towards action” to make a pledge, helping us achieve our goal to raise the remaining $96,352.  Click the button below to make your pledge.

Wendy Tyner and Julie Shryock, Co-chairs

The Southie's Home Group will once again host the 3rd Annual Caroling to Grace parishioners Dec 3, 4, 5 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to homes and assisted care homes. The priority will be to sing to those in hospice, receiving palliative care, who are ailing or just aging and want to have carolers offer some holiday cheer. 

If you want to be part of the Grace Church Caroling Ministry to sing or to be sung to, please contact Wendy Tyner.

The Giving Tree is set up on the round table in the narthex, where you’re invited to sign up to purchase a $25 giving card from any of the following: Safeway, Starbucks, Amazon, Ace Hardware, or Eagle Harbor Books. The cards will be given to seniors in our community by Helpline House. 

Please return the envelope and gift card to Grace by Sunday, December 7.

Thank you for participating in this annual Advent outreach project, a simple, lovely tradition that our Island seniors so appreciate. 

Sunday, December 7th

The Conversation for Creation Care will meet midway through the coffee hour. Please join us in listening and sharing with each other, as we consider the issue of sacred resistance. How can we, as Christians, make a positive impact in a world that seems negative and out of line with Jesus’ teachings?

Sunday, December 7th at 11:30 a.m.

If you are new to Grace, you are invited to the Newcomers lunch. Rev. Eric Mason and other parish leaders will be there to answer questions and welcome you to our community. If you missed any of the former Newcomer gatherings and would like to attend, please come.

• You do not need to bring anything. 
• Childcare will be provided, if needed — please let Liz know.
• RSVPs are very helpful
• We hope you can make this meal!

Please RSVP to Liz Shaw Powell. 

We will gather at the home of Proctor and Deborah Schenk at 6:30 on Friday, December 12th. Proctor and Deborah will provide a festive main dish of Miso Chicken. Please sign up to bring an appetizer, side dish, dessert, or beverage. A donation to the Phinney Fund is always welcome.

Please click below and sign up by Sunday, December 7th. If you have questions or want to sign up by phone or email, contact Eric Matthews at eric@ericEmatthews.com or 206.718.2254.

February 6-8, 2026

Students in grades 6–12 are invited to hit the slopes with us at Mt. Baker! Ski, snowboard, hang out with friends, and make memories. 

Registration is full, but you can sign up for the wait list.

Discover a Tale Well-Told

Join us for a week-long, half-day retreat with Joanne Epply-Schmidt.

February 2-6, 2026 | 9 a.m. – 12 noon each day

O, the difference between memorizing a story
and giving voice to it,
between acting out a story and embodying it,
between reciting a story and truly telling it!

Find your voice in this oral tradition and learn how you can breathe life into a story with confidence, ease, wit, and wonder.

Rev. Joanne has delighted children, youth, and adults with storytelling, preaching, and ministry for over twenty-five years in the eastern United States and Canada. As a member of “Storytelling Arts of New Jersey,” she worked for ten years as a Storyteller and Teaching Artist in the Juvenile Justice system and Young Adult residential programs in New Jersey.

Before retirement, she served as Associate Rector of Trinity Church Princeton for six years.

The annual benefit concert featuring Stephanie Reese and friends will be held on December 19 at 7 p.m. This special evening supports Feed2Succeed, helping provide meals and education for children in the Philippines.

We’re excited to welcome back Bishop Charles Lyles, joined by his daughter international soul singer Dorrey Lyles, Matt Gervais from The Head and the Heart, and of course, Stephanie Reese and more!

The show is free, with a suggested $20 donation. Click below to reserve your seat or make a donation. To reserve a free seat, use code Stizzr at checkout.

Those wishing to volunteer, perform, or become an advertising sponsor may contact Stephanie at (206) 604-1604. Bishop Lyles has shared music for those interested in joining the gospel chorus to learn ahead! Text Stephanie to participate!

KIAC (Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center) is hosting another day of community and fun for our clients and their families.

There will be activities for children, including face painting, holiday crafts, a photo booth, pictures with Santa, a book corner, and lots of delicious food! We expect approximately 300 families in attendance.

Families will go home with a Holiday bag filled with a gift card to local small businesses, hygiene supplies, holiday treats, and more! Plus, every family will be signed up to receive toys from one of our local partners (listed below).

Ways to Give

Donate blankets and hygiene items. We are particularly low on blankets.

Donate Spanish-language children’s books at Ballast Book Co., Eagle Harbor Book Co., Salmonberry, Saltwater.

Donate toys to Salvation Army Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, Hope 360, or KidVantage.

In addition to item donations, we also welcome financial contributions that help us purchase what we can't source through in-kind donations. Click here to make a financial contribution.

Donation drop-off at our office is accepted Mon-Thurs, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Ordering online? Donations may be delivered to: KIAC, 3627 Wheaton Way, Suite 106, Bremerton, WA 98310.

Questions: Contact Jazmin at KIAC.

Although SNAP payments have resumed, our ministry partners are asking us to help replenish their shelves for the upcoming holidays. 

Most needed items

canned meat (tuna, spam,chicken) • jam and jelly • canned chili, stews, soup • diapers-all sizes* • baby wipes*

Bring donations to Grace (basket in Narthex) during weekday office hours (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.), or on Sundays.

Drop off at Helpline House Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

901 Hildebrand Lane, Bainbridge Island

Fishline Helps Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

19705 Viking Way, Poulsbo

*Fishline only

Suquamish Elementary School Holiday Shoppe

Suquamish Elementary School is running a Holiday Shoppe, December 8-10, where students can “shop” at the school for up to three family members at no cost. For the next two weeks, we are collecting donated gifts (such as new or gently used mugs/household items, books, puzzles, games, toys, and crafts (no clothing, used stuffed animals, or furniture)). We are also collecting gift wrapping supplies (gift bags, gift tags, tissue paper). We could use volunteers to sort donations, set up the shop, and help wrap gifts for students during the week of Dec. 8. Please contact Renee Ziemann to find out more or to volunteer. Thank you!

Coffee & a Psalm
Mondays from 10:00–11:00 a.m.

The Wednesday Gathering
Wednesdays from 10:00–11:30 a.m.

Knitting Into the Mystery
Third Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. 

Meditation/Centering Prayer
Thursdays from 5:00–6:15 p.m.
No gathering on Thanksgiving,
Meets at an alternate location on Thursday, December 4.
Please email the Grace office for details.

Middle School Classroom Open
First Sundays during the 9:30 a.m. service

Queer Craft Nights
Third Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. at little island crafts

Music Circle Rehearsal
Thursdays from 7:00–8:30 p.m.

Mom’s Morning Retreat
First and Third Thursdays from 9:30–11:00 a.m

Conversations to Care for Creation
First Sundays in the sanctuary during coffee hour

3rd Saturday Grace Grounds Party
Third Saturdays from 9:00 a.m.–noon

The weekly deadline for submissions is Tuesday at noon.

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