The ministry groups of Grace church are numerous and diverse in character. They include what might be called our “Worship Ministry groups” such as the Altar Guild that sets-up for services, our Choir which is reputed to be the best in Galena, the Chalicists, Lectors and Acolytes who participate in services and our Worship Committee that plans our services. The eight members of the Vestry or church council oversees our finances and property, usher and ring the bell on Sunday and take on other tasks as the need arises. This group has sub-committees dedicated to looking into the expansion of our Resurrection Garden to the south of the church, to long range planning and to the management of our small endowment. Current vestry: Rob Vollkommer (Senior Warden), Alice Maffit (Junior Warden), Jim Berry (Treasurer), Maren Coates, Steve Dowe, Cathie Elsbree, Robert Marsh and Dave Mikelson (Vestry Members Our Christian “Formation and Education Ministries” for children include our Nursery and Worship Center. The Nursery is open at 10:15 every Sunday with a permanent,trained caregiver, Debbie Houy. The Worship Center is conducted during the school year to provide Christian education for young children. Grace is a congregation filled with adults who are attempting to grow spiritually. To assist them on their “inner journey” we have several different options. Each Wednesday morning at 10:30 am Woman’s Study Group gathers for coffee/tea, a discussion and the sharing of a brown bag lunch. An informal Wednesday Morning Group meets every Wednesday morning after the 7:30 am Eucharist at the Victory Cafe on Main St. Discussions range from things theological to parish challenges as well as to matters that are of personal concern to the “regulars.” The Grace Galena EfM group has students in the First, Second and Fourth year, which promises lively discussion of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Contemporary Thought. Central to gathering in community is Theological Reflection – where “God talk” meets everyday life, and where students discover their ministry in the world. While the course of study is four years long, students need only commit to one year at a time. The mentor is Marsha Vollkommer A Contemplative Prayer Group has sprung out of the last Quiet Day. They meet in the chapel at 9:00 am on Friday for an hour of contemplative prayer. Twice annual Quiet Days, the Sunday morning and Wednesday Cursillo sponsored groups that are open to anyone, and occasional After-Service Forums offer other learning opportunities. The availability of a variety of pamphlets at the back of the church, the FORWARD magazine, and Advent and Lenten Daily Devotional booklets are all available free of charge as is a parish house library of devotional classics. The Arts Council is described in the Arts Council section of this website. The Servants Through Prayer pray in an intentional way for individuals on the Grace Prayer List and meet on a quarterly basis. The prayer group is open to anyone in the congregation. The group discusses the ministry of praying for others, their own prayer lives and concerns and how to foster this ministry in the congregation. This group is also given “confidential prayer requests” and keeps such requests in the strictest secrecy. There is a Request for Prayers notebook in the narthex/entry to the church. We currently have AA Groups which meet in our Parish House on Monday at 10:00, Tuesday at 7:00 and on Wednesday at noon. An Al-Anon group meets at the same time as the Tuesday night AA group but in a different location in the building. We regularly give donations of Food to the Galena Food Pantry that is open from 1-4 each Thursday at the Galena State Bank. We have actively supported the Heifer Project and the Galena Combined Care Program and are active in helping to get the Clothes Closet, a clothing outreach of the United Churches of Galena, established. EPISCOPEDLARS - BICYCLING FOR FUN & FELLOWSHIP Updated Summer Schedule: Hello Episcopedlars! These are what we have planned so far- if you have other ideas, please reply to all so we can make necessary changes! September 5,Sunday, 1:00 pm. Bike trip along the river front in Dubuque starting under the Wisconsin Bridge. Karlyn and Tom will be our leaders. Park under the bridge that goes from Dubuque to Wisconsin. September 19, Sunday Location to be decided October 15-16, Friday & Saturday, ROAD TRIP- Overnight to The Root River Trail in Southern Minnesota- Arrive in time for great dinner, ride in AM. About a 3 hour drive. Fall ride, we are in hopes of catching the leaves turning colors Some other path ideas are the Jane Addams path near Freeport, Chicago Lakefront, Fox Valley, Madison, Wis.