The Mission of Grace Episcopal Church is to restore all people
to unity with God and each other in Christ.
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To accomplish this Mission, we the people who are Grace Episcopal Church, believe we are called by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to:
• Proclaim the Gospel; • Promote justice, peace and love; • Join in prayer and worship; and • Minister to each other and to others by word and example. EXPLANATION We witness to Christ, our Lord and Savior, in our lives within the Church community and in the community and world at large. All we do and say, all our witness and service, is a response to God’s gift to us of life and grace and love. Our sense of blessedness is reflected in our mission. We seek to act in response to our Lord in worship, in praise, in song, in thanksgiving, in confession, in teaching, at work and at play, in service and outreach, in care and maintenance of our buildings, and in growth. We were indissolubly bound to our mission at our baptism. It is our enduring commitment to the covenant made at baptism that marks our journey with the Christ. In doubt, in sadness, in joy, in searching, we ask together where our mission ought to take us and how best to serve Jesus and others. As a Church, we organize as Rector, Vestry, officers, choir, committees and members to build a practical structure for our mission. Our goal, our immediate mission, is to create a living body of the faithful who gather to gain the knowledge, understanding, strength, and courage to love our God and Lord and to serve ourselves and others with gladness and singleness of heart, through Christ our Lord. |
Perhaps because Grace Church consists of a modest-sized congregation with an average attendance of about 70, its sense of community and air of welcome are well known in Vineyard Haven and, indeed, on the entire island of Martha’s Vineyard. We have endured and risen above the sudden, unexpected death of our beloved Priest-in-Charge, Brian Murdoch on October 15, 2016 followed barely a week later by a flood of our kitchen and pre-school rooms. The flood and resulting water damage threatened our major fund-raising initiative of our popular summer lobster roll program. Still, somehow, the congregation of Grace Church pulled together and found a way to operate the pre-school in restricted space and launch the lobster rolls as soon as reconstruction of the kitchen made it possible. The volunteer efforts and hours involved were really quite remarkable.
Hospitality takes on a special meaning at Grace Church. We were one of the first two island churches to begin soup suppers in the early 1990s. From January until Easter we welcome dozens of Islanders each Friday for a hearty meal prepared and served by parishioners, with warm fellowship for cold evenings. Whenever possible we send to-go containers home with them.
Every Christmas, Grace Church parishioners prepare and host a free Community Christmas Dinner, a festive traditional meal with turkey, ham, plenty of side dishes, desserts and good will.
We support the Island Food Pantry with regular food collections and have held winter coat drives to be distributed by Clothes To Go, a local church-based program offering free clothing to all.
Grace Church has a strong presence at the annual Church World Service CROP Walk, inspired by retired clergyman Fr. Alden Besse who organized the first walks in 1991 and coordinated the Walk until he relinquished the job at age 90. Now two Grace Church members continue on the organizing committee and parishioners of all ages pledge and walk each year to help feed the hungry.
Our Sunday coffee hours reflect our definition of Hospitality - feeding and welcoming everyone. Far beyond traditional coffee and cake receptions after services, parishioners prepare and serve a light lunch buffet. Many worshippers, guests and drop-ins linger long after church, savoring food and fellowship — Grace Church style!
Grace Church, though small, contains a congregation with a large heart, demonstrating caring not only for each other but also for the Island Community and the needy wherever they may be found.
Hospitality takes on a special meaning at Grace Church. We were one of the first two island churches to begin soup suppers in the early 1990s. From January until Easter we welcome dozens of Islanders each Friday for a hearty meal prepared and served by parishioners, with warm fellowship for cold evenings. Whenever possible we send to-go containers home with them.
Every Christmas, Grace Church parishioners prepare and host a free Community Christmas Dinner, a festive traditional meal with turkey, ham, plenty of side dishes, desserts and good will.
We support the Island Food Pantry with regular food collections and have held winter coat drives to be distributed by Clothes To Go, a local church-based program offering free clothing to all.
Grace Church has a strong presence at the annual Church World Service CROP Walk, inspired by retired clergyman Fr. Alden Besse who organized the first walks in 1991 and coordinated the Walk until he relinquished the job at age 90. Now two Grace Church members continue on the organizing committee and parishioners of all ages pledge and walk each year to help feed the hungry.
Our Sunday coffee hours reflect our definition of Hospitality - feeding and welcoming everyone. Far beyond traditional coffee and cake receptions after services, parishioners prepare and serve a light lunch buffet. Many worshippers, guests and drop-ins linger long after church, savoring food and fellowship — Grace Church style!
Grace Church, though small, contains a congregation with a large heart, demonstrating caring not only for each other but also for the Island Community and the needy wherever they may be found.