Grace Memorial Episcopal Church

Most of the ministries at Grace Memorial take place within the structure of ministry teams called Grace Groups.  Each Grace Group has a coordinator who envisions ministries, gathers people together to do them, and reflects upon the experience.  To join a Grace Group, contact the Grace Group Coordinator and participate in the group’s ministry in the church or the community.  The current Grace Groups are:

Christian Formation
The Christian Formation Grace Group is responsible for all the educational ministries of the church and includes Sunday School teachers, helpers, Vacation Bible School coordinators, youth workers, and adult class leaders.  We have an active and vital group of education leaders in our church. 

Communications
The Communications Grace Group is responsible for helping to get the word about Grace Memorial’s services, church activities, and outreach out to the community. This includes taking photos, writing articles for local newspapers, designing flyers, helping to maintain the church’s online presence, and more. 

Community Life
This ministry team coordinates newcomer ministries, plans fellowship events and receptions, and finds ways to bring us together as a community in ways that will enrich our common life.

Finance
The Finance ministry team is comprised of a group of people with interest in helping the church manage its finances. This group draws up the yearly budget, monitors expenditures, conducts the yearly audit, and performs such other ministries as suggested by the temporal needs of the church.

Inreach
This team is in ministry to those within our church family who are in need of basic pastoral care. Members visit the hospitalized or shut-in, send cards, and are generally attentive to the pastoral needs of the people of the church. 

Music
Grace Memorial has enjoyed a long history of excellent music programs. Currently, our music ministries include a growing and thriving choir which sings at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Eucharist and on other occasions as appointed. We are always interested in instrumental support for our services. A youth choir also sings on special occasions. 

Outreach
The Outreach Grace Group is responsible for ministries to the larger community and participate in projects that serve those beyond the church doors. People with a passion for ministry to the world are encouraged to become a part of this Grace Group. 

Stewardship
This team is responsible for ongoing stewardship teaching and for preparing stewardship programs. People with a passion for communicating the fullness of stewardship who are interested in deepening their own journey in stewardship will want to become a part of this Grace Group. 

Worship
The Worship Grace Group is comprised of people who serve the church in its various worship opportunities. Members of the group include Eucharistic Ministers, readers, acolytes, and Altar Guild members. 

St. Margaret’s Guild is for all ladies who are members of Grace Memorial. They meet the second Tuesday of each month, September through May, at 10:00 a.m. Meetings are usually held in the Parish Hall or one of the member’s homes. The primary focus of St. Margaret’s is as a service guild. For example, coordination and organization of visitations for funerals is one of their functions. They also contribute, both monetarily and/or with physical participation, in various programs which are a part of church activities. There is also usually some sort of fundraiser to finance St. Margaret’s Guild contributions. This year, members of the guild hosted Lunches with Grace. This group welcomes all to join them for spiritual growth, socialization, friendship, and service.

The Laymen’s League is open to all men of the church. There are no membership requirements other than your desire to participate. The annual gumbo supper is the sole fundraiser with the proceeds dedicated to various church needs. The Laymen’s League Brunch has become an annual event and includes our entire church family. The group either hosts or assists with various church events during the year. There are no regularly scheduled meetings. However, periodic social events are held where organization business is discussed.

During the season of Lent (the four weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday), Grace Memorial collects donations and supplies for Grace Baskets. A Grace Basket is a regular plastic laundry basket filled with a specific set of cleaning supplies, including sponges, dishwashing detergent, steel wool pads, and more. The filled baskets are given to the Renew Family Resource Center to distribute to client families in order to address a basic and vital need.

Most of the selected families will be those living in dire poverty who are in danger of having their children removed by the courts because of neglect. An essential component of any remedial plan for such a family is always a major cleaning of the house. However, the needed supplies are relatively expensive, especially in a time of financial crisis. The Grace Baskets are a powerful gift of hope for these struggling families, providing them with the tools they need so they can do what needs to be done for their children.

Grace Memorial members cook and transport meals to Richard Murphy Hospice once a week. These meals feed the hospice’s clients and their extended families. Those interested in volunteering for this outreach can sign up at any St. Margaret’s Guild meeting.

Grace Memorial offers many opportunities to help international students from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. Students need transportation to and from the New Orleans Airport at the beginning and end of each school year. Often students arrive before their meal plans become active, so Grace Memorial stocks nonperishable food items made available to them upon their arrival. Unfurnished apartments are a challenge facing some international students, so donations of used furniture are also appreciated. Grace Memorial occasionally hosts potluck events during the school year to get to know these brave interesting individuals pursuing an education far from home.

In October, the front lawn of Grace Memorial is dominated by pumpkins of all shapes, colors, and sizes, signaling that the church’s annual pumpkin patch is open for business. The pumpkin patch was established in 1997 as a way to raise money for Grace Memorial’s youth programs. In 2003, church members decided to use the money earned from the pumpkin patch as a community outreach project instead.

The pumpkin patch is a fundraiser and community match for government-contracted program the Renew Family Resource Center. Renew helps at-risk, neglected or abused children by assessing each situation where there has been an allegation and help resolve the situation without destroying the family unit. In addition to donating the pumpkin patch’s earnings, each hour of a pumpkin patch volunteer’s time is valued at a dollar, which the state then matches with three dollars specifically for the program. Members of Grace Memorial are welcome to help set up the pumpkin patch when the pumpkins arrive in early October and sell pumpkins throughout the month.

The Tangi Food Pantry is a local volunteer-run non-profit organization that provides free groceries to over 40,000 members of the community every year who are in desperate need of food assistance. Grace Memorial members volunteer the second Thursday of each month from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the food pantry checking in individuals, bagging groceries, and more. New volunteers are always welcome.