​At Emmanuel, we offer a variety of opportunities for children to connect and get involved that enrich their learning and understanding of the Bible, from Sunday School classes, to Youth Sunday Service Helpers, Hosting Sunday Coffee Fellowship Hour, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas Eve Pageant, and other special events (Fellowship Hours, Waffle Sale, and Victorian Christmas Faire).

Emmanuel Church Sunday School is available every Sunday from 10 am to around 10:40 am with a Bible story/lesson and program for ages 3 years to 10 yrs. We invite children, visiting grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and others to participate in the Sunday School time, which is held in Buck Hall (downstairs). The children return to the Sunday Church service at the "Passing of the Peace" to join their parents, grandparents, etc.  Sunday School operates all year round. In addition, Sunday School Teachers and Helpers are always welcome; you can contact Tara Kellermann, Gloryanne Bryant, or the Church Office if you’d like to learn more.

During the Easter Sunday service, the children help celebrate by placing a flower on a wooden cross during the 10 am Service. Following that service, there is an annual Easter Egg Hunt on the lawn area in front of the Church for children. Members of the congregation have filled plastic eggs with treats, goodies, and trinkets for the children to enjoy.

The Christmas Eve Pageant is held on December 24th, and Children partake in the story of Christ’s birth through a mini-play or pageant. Children of all ages are welcome to be a part of this special event. Then on Christmas morning, December 25th, the service invites Children to come in their pajamas and bring one of the Christmas gifts they received, and it will be part of the service Sermon that is preached.

Sunday Worship Helpers: On the 5th Sunday of the month (depending on the calendar), children are asked to be helpers with the 10:00 Sunday Service; being greeters, ushers, and readers. This is truly an enriching time for our children to learn more about the structure of the Worship Service as well as being engaged with the Congregation itself.

In addition, we ask that our Children and their Families help with the 10 am service, Coffee Fellowship Hour, preparing and serving food, snacks, and beverages. This is held in Buck Hall following the completion of the worship service. The schedule of dates is provided to the families in advance. The annual Waffle Sale and Victorian Christmas Faire are also opportunities for young people to volunteer to help with kitchen and serving duties.

At Emmanuel, ALL CHILDREN are very welcome to attend the Sunday Church Services (8am and 10am), and there are small books, activity sheets, and crayons available for their use if needed, just ask one of the Ushers.

by Gloryanne Bryant
​#EmmanuelChurch,#EmmanuelEpiscopal,#ChildrensMinistry,#SundaySchool,#FamilyFaith,#ChristianEducation

In the last 61 years, Leslie and Bob Stutz lived in Tennessee, Missouri, Oregon, and California.  In 1995, when visiting friends in Grass Valley, they fell in love with the foothills. 

Leslie spotted Emmanuel during an early visit.  She loved its Carpenter Gothic edifice. She told herself that someday she would worship at this church.  In 1997, they purchased a home in Lake Wildwood and completely remodeled it.  In 1999, they moved in and started attending Emmanuel. 

Leslie was raised Episcopalian, and Bob was a Lutheran.  For the first 35 years of marriage, they worshipped at Lutheran churches. Their three children were baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran tradition. Now it was time for Leslie to return to her Episcopalian faith. Bob agreed. They were both willing to volunteer time to Emmanuel.

Leslie's background running a nursery for newborns to two-year-olds at a high school for pregnant and parenting teenagers did nothing to prepare her to serve on Emmanuel's Vestry four times.  She served from 2007 to 2009, 2012 to 2014, 2017 to 2019, and 2022 to 2024.  

She served three times as junior warden. She had no idea how to effectively serve, but with the Lord's help, things fell into place.  The first time, her major responsibility was worship, the time when Emmanuel ordered and used name tags. Her favorite project was overseeing the remodeling of Emmanuel's building at 240 Mill Street, currently rented to the Helping Hands Nurturing Center. The most demanding responsibilities were the emergencies, such as ceiling leaks, falling ceiling tiles in the sanctuary, and broken water main pipes.

Currently, she is taking a hiatus from St. Catherine's Guild.  In the past, she served as president, vice president, and treasurer.  She now serves at the Victorian Faire, taking lunch orders for two days. Bob contributes both days, cutting pies, running the dishwasher, and microwaving.  

Leslie pointed out that many women play vital roles at Emmanuel, including as Vestry board members, Eucharistic ministers, and members of St. Catherine's Guild and the Altar Guild, to name a few.

In the past, Leslie's hobbies were crewel embroidery and crafts. Today, she is a voracious reader.  Bob enjoys projects around the house and plays golf three days a week, weather permitting. He has contributed to many projects over the years at Emmanuel. He attends the monthly Men's Group breakfast meetings and the men's quarterly Zoom meetings. They both attend Bible study. 

Since their children and eight grandchildren live in northern San Diego County, Redondo Beach, and Vermont, they occasionally share major holidays and frequent fellowship with their Emmanuel family. Leslie describes church members as very kind, caring, friendly, loving, and available.

Moreover, she says that Father Seth is one-of-a-kind, relating to people of all ages.  He is kind, caring, friendly, loving, and available. He loves the Lord, serves the Lord, and helps to show the way to love and serve. 

Leslie's vision for Emmanuel is that once again, after Covid, many younger families join Emmanuel, and lots of children attend Sunday school. There is no doubt that Leslie and Bob's dedication to Emmanuel has helped to sustain and grow it.  The pews are beginning to fill with younger families.

Leslie and Bob are among the dedicated members of Team Emmanuel. 

Contributed by Sandra Spargo

#EmmanuelEpiscopal, #GrassValley, #FaithInAction, #ChurchCommunity, #EpiscopalChurch, #ChristianCommunity

A story of Longevity

Since the 1850’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been located in Grass Valley, California. There have been several different “guilds” over the years. The patron Saint of Emmanuel’s Women’s Guild is Saint Catherine of Siena, Italy (25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380).  Similar to Saint Catherine’s own outreach, the Emmanuel Women’s Guild gives to those in need throughout the community.

For more than a century, Emmanuel Church has invited everyone from across the community to its Shrove Tuesday Waffle Sale (proceeding the season of Lent) that is held at the Church Buck Hall. “Shrove” is the past tense of shrive, whose definition is to hear confessions, assign penance and absolve sin, leading up to Easter Sunday. The first “all-you-can-eat” waffle sale was held in 1916. Rector Dr. Bert Foster told the women of St. Catherine’s Guild about the pancake sales held in England on Shrove Tuesday. He proposed that the Guild organize something similar. Back then, the parish hall had no functioning kitchen. However, there was an old wood stove. One of the members said that she had a waffle iron, which could be used over the wood stove. Its two handles were attached to the waffle iron, allowing it to be turned over to cook both sides. In place of the traditional pancakes, eight ladies gathered together on Shrove Tuesday to enjoy a waffle dinner, followed by a game of cards. The community Waffle Sale was launched. Today’s menu includes ham and eggs in addition to the famous “All-you-can-eat” waffles.

Another major event that is sponsored and coordinated by the St. Catherine’s Guild is the annual Victorian Christmas Faire which has been held for over 120 years. The Faire is held in Buck Hall (next to Emmanuel Church) on the first full weekend in November, on Friday and Saturday during the day (10am to 4pm).  The Victorian Faire is open to families and the public and features many selling tables of new and used local merchandise. These include several homemade items for purchase, such as jams/jellies, quilts, hats/scarves, old and new jewelry, and lovely holiday decorations … this is a real shopping experience. In addition, there is wonderful edibles to purchase like breads, pies, cakes, fudge and cookies. The Faire also hosts a luncheon (Café) which includes soup, chili, salad, corn bread and pie (plus refreshments) all are available for purchase. Proceeds from the Faire support more than 10 community non-profit organizations.

Over the years both the Waffle Sale and the Victorian Faire have raised thousands of dollars for charitable organizations in Nevada County, this includes: Hospitality House, Interfaith Food Ministry, National Alliance for Mental Illness, Salvation Army/Booth Family House, Bright Futures for Youth, Habitat for Humanity, Helping Hands Nurturing Center, Foothills Compassionate Care, Community Beyond Violence, and Welcome Home Vets.
In addition to holding regular Guild meetings and luncheons for the ladies of the Church, the Guild also gives a high school graduation gift to those from the congregation who are graduating.

For those women of the Church who are not mobile, the Guild delivers a Christmas Poinsettias to their home/residence in early December as a thoughtful and cheerful gesture.

The ladies of St Catherine’s are also honored to provide Memorial Receptions for family and friends of those who have passed on. Volunteers from the guild organize, prepare, serve, and clean up for these receptions, which are requested throughout the year.

Back in 1914, the women’s Guild sponsored the “Peace” circular stained-glass window, often referred to as the “Rose” window which is located at the top of the Church entrance, paying for its creation and installation. Currently, the window is in need of some repairs, and this is something the Guild continues to provide input and interest on.

All ladies are welcome to be a part of St. Catherine’s and their long dedicated history and longevity of giving to others that unites the women of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in a program of worship, service, and philanthropy. Information about meetings, luncheons, and events is posted in the monthly Messenger (newsletter), the weekly email bulletin, and the Sunday service bulletin. Visit the Emmanuel Episcopal website at https://www.emmanuelgv.org/

There are lots of volunteer opportunities (including Coffee & Fellowship Hour several times a year) and a lot of warm, friendly fellowship within the St Catherine’s Guild!

​By Gloryanne Bryant

​#EmmanuelChurch, #StCatherinesGuild, #ChurchHistory, #FaithInAction
#CommunityService, #GrassValleyCA

     I just finished watching another depressing video about the dangers of AI chatbots (artificial intelligence modules that engage in conversations with you). This video touches on another video I watched, which spoke of the rising number of people, especially men, who have no friends. This, of course, is not new news. We have known of the growing problem of loneliness for decades, but it has recently become more acute as some of those AI chatbots are leading people into destructive behaviors. What does Christianity have to say in this moment?

     We can begin in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden, when Adam is alone. Genesis 2:18 tells us, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.’” Now, this section of Scripture is foundational to the rite of marriage, but we can read it in a less specific way, that we need other people in our lives. We need friends to walk with us on the journey and help us flourish. God then provides that need for Adam in the form of Eve, who is taken from his side, which reveals that companionship costs something. It asks something of us. Then we move to Jesus, where He prays for His disciples in John 17:20-21 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The will of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is that we may be one. That we may be in relationship with one another as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are. This theme is expressed in another way by Paul, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Cor 12:27). There is this expectation that we are all working together as a body. This implies that we are in relationship with one another, not amputated from the body like Thing, the hand in the Addams Family. We are called to connection and love. This united body is the vision of the Church in the New Testament. Our culture seems set on a path of disconnection and isolation, the Bible challenges us to seek out relationship with others. This demands that the lonely look for how to connect with others and that everyone pay attention to who might be in need of a relationship so that we can be unified. Friendship asks a great deal of us. We ought to know this more than others because we have seen what it cost Jesus to make us friends with God. Let us love one another faithfully and thus reveal our love for God.

In Christ, Father Seth Kellermann

#NotMeantToBeAlone, #ChristianCommunity, #FaithAndConnection, #EndLoneliness
#BodyOfChrist