GIVE:  HISTORIC PARADISE FOUNDATION BACK-TO-SCHOOL ANGEL SHOPPING Grace has adopted all four angels for HPF! Thanks to Joyful Noise, Grace Notes, -ISH and the Thursday study group! Also thanks to those that have donated funds! In addition, several members adopted angels on their own! Fantastic! A reminder that all items are due back at Grace by July 28th. Please mark items with the angel number. They can be left in the church office If you need more time, have questions or still want to make a donation, contact Annmarie. GIVE:  PILGRIMS' INN CHRISTMAS IN JULY  We would like to provide “Christmas in July” again for Pilgrim’s Inn. Pilgrims' Inn has been in Rock Hill for over 40 years, striving to end homelessness and hunger in the lives of our community’s most vulnerable people.  Please click here for more information. In addition to a food pantry, they provide a homeless shelter and subsidized apartments for those with special needs. One thing that is often overlooked in our donations is cleaning supplies. For the month of July we will be collecting these items in a basket at the back of the church: Disinfectant Wipes Disinfectant Sprays All-Purpose Cleaners & Degreasers Glass Cleaners Toilet & Bathroom Cleaners Laundry Detergents Dish Soap & Detergents Cleaning Clothes & Rags Sponges and Cleaning Brushes These items will make a very tangible difference to people working to get back on their feet. Please contact Mary Louise Connor with additional questions. Thank you so much!  Please remember the last day to turn in the supplies is Sunday, July 28th. GATHER:  HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH POOL PARTY Sunday, July 28, 6:00-10:30 All High School Youth are invited to swim, eat hotdogs and burgers, and watch a movie at the Eckhardt's home on Sunday, July 28, 6-10:30pm. This includes our new rising 9th graders. Please join us for an evening of fun together! Sign-up or text Jason  (803-517-3827) so we know how much food to have on hand. GATHER:  SUMMER BOOK CLUB August 7th, 7pm: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Happy Reading!! LEARN:  SUMMERTIME FAMILY FAITH Families of children are encouraged to pick up the summer calendars by Traci Smith*.  They will be on the table outside of the conference room or you can access it from this link. Summer is a great time to build faith habits. Every day has a different theme! Do your best to complete as many activities as you can for the month. For each activity you complete, put a star on the calendar! Don’t worry if you miss a day or if the activity doesn’t work for you. Just pick it back up again the next day. Feel free to modify the activities to best suit your family. Have fun! Share your progress with Grace on Facebook or Instagram. At the end of the summer, we will recognize the families who participated in the Summertime Family Faith. * Smith is the author of several Faithful Families books, a mother and a PC(USA)-ordained pastor. Her passion is trying to help busy families create a safe space at home through faith-based practices. SERVE:  THORNWELL LAKE DAY August 17th, 2024 This is a favorite event for many Grace members as well as children, youth, and adults from Thornwell Home for Children. What exactly is Thornwell Lake Day? A few of the adults from Thornwell will bring three cottages (approximately 23 teens and 6 adults) from the Home to Grace for a day on the lake. They begin the day at Pitcairn Park with a lunch consisting of grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, desserts, etc. Then various church members host guests from Thornwell on their boats and other water toys out on Lake Wylie. The day ends with everyone returning to Grace for dinner, dessert, and a game of bingo. As you have probably been able to gather, this takes a lot of people to put on an event like this. If you would like to help this year, please contact Lisa Fairclough.  Her e is a link to the sign-up which has all of the ways you can help make this happen! SERVE:  GRACE YARD SALE August 24th, 7:00am-11:30am Grace Presbyterian Church ANNUAL YARD SALE is happening Saturday, August 24th (rain or shine)! Helpers needed for the entire week starting Monday, August 19th. We will start accepting donations on Monday, August 19th at 9am. Save Your Treasures and Spread the Word! Donations are also accepted from non-Grace members.  MEGA YARD SALE!! The following items sell well so we are especially looking for: holiday wreaths, small trees, holiday decorations, yarn, ornaments, bikes, gently used kid’s sports gear/shoes, fishing and camping equipment, luggage, golf clubs, bed sheet sets and comforters, video games, laptop computers, musical instruments, cordless tools (blowers, hedge shears, weed eaters, etc.), lawn mowers, garden tools, ceramic flower pots, outdoor furniture, ladders, small kitchen appliances, dishes, pots, pans, kids clothes, baby items, jewelry, kid toys, puzzles, games, exercise equipment. Items for sale must be cleaned or washed, including furniture. Items must be assembled. The following items did not sell well: artificial flowers, sewing items, stereos and computer peripherals, corded yard tools (blowers, hedge shears, weed eaters, etc.), cheap plastic pots, light fixtures, lamps, glasses and coffee mugs. The following items are not accepted: Broken items or items in disrepair. Junk or trash. Box TVs--we accept flat screens only. Pianos, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers or encyclopedias. If you have any questions, please contact Wanda Turpin. To volunteer during the week and/or at the Yard Sale, OR IF YOU HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED to a yard-sale related volunteer opportunity, please sign-up  on the appropriate sheet/time-slot so that others can also see where more help is needed. The sign-up sheet can be accessed by clicking here. Temple Solel is overseeing the "bake-sale" again at this year's Yard Sale. If you would like to contribute by providing baked goods, here is another Sign-Up Genius requesting bakers! Thank you for all of your help--this couldn't happen without EVERYONE!

LEARN: WEEKLY STUDY GROUPS

• Tuesday (10am on Zoom) The group will reconvene August 13, reading The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, by Marcus Borg and NT Wright.
• Wednesday Study Group will reconvene August 14, reading Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith, by Bruce Reyes-Chow.  E-mail Joanne for more information about either of these groups.

*The Thursday morning Study Group is on summer hiatus.
*Sam's Breakfast and Bible Study Group will resume in September.

SUNDAY SCHOOL 
Please look over the list of classes and we hope that you and your family will join us.
Nursery and Toddlers (Infants through 2 year olds) – Room 8
Early Childhood (3 year old - 5k) – Room 9
Primary Class (1st & 5th grades) – Room 5
Youth (6th-12th grades) - Youth Room
Kairos Class – Room 15
The Walk Class – Room 7

CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF VBS 2024

HERE IS A LINK TO THE VBS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING  THE CLOSING MUSIC PROGRAM

SAVE THE DATE:  
Ladies, mark your calendars! The 2025 Grace Women’s Retreat will be held April 4-6, 2025 at The Coastal Retreat Center in Isle of Palms, SC.

GATHERING AT GRACE  :  What opportunities for fun are available at Grace? Where do I belong? 
Our (sort of) age related gatherings are for anyone who wants to come and have fun with others. No ID checked! If you want to hang out with folks, no one will turn you away.

• GRACE FAMILY FIRST NIGHTS - We meet on the first Sunday of each month for food and fellowship. Following our meal, one of our awesome musical groups will sing and we usually end the night with a mission project to support one of the many groups we serve.  Sarah Childers coordinates this group.
• -ISH GROUP - people who are the age of the parents of our littles and elementary school kids gather for food and fun. Dre Manoni coordinates this group. 
• GAP GROUP - We don’t need babysitters (or we do and get them) and can still drive at night. We gather the 3rd Friday night of each month for food and shenanigans. Sometimes we’re at the home of a member, sometimes we can be found at a local pub or restaurant, but we can always be found laughing and having fun. (What’s in the name? It was the group in the gap between our young adults and seniors…that’s not really true anymore, but the name stuck.) Ray Scott is our coordinator.
• DAYTRIPPERS - We go on field trips during the day. From spider lilies to Hello Dolly to Fort Mill History Museum and more. Watch for the monthly adventure. Annmarie Clark coordinates this group. All are welcome!
• VINTAGE GRACE - This group of Seniors gathers annually for a Christmas lunch and gift swap.
• YOUTH - 6th through 12th graders gather weekly for faith-building, service and fun. More details here.

ASSISTIVE LISTENING - DEVICES AND APP
If you have trouble hearing the message and other speaking in the sanctuary, please let the people in the sound booth know. We have three assistive listening devices. It is recommended that you bring your own headphones that can be plugged into the device.
We now have an app available that streams the service. Please check the website for details on how to download and use it.

PARKING ON SUNDAYS AT GRACE
On Sunday mornings, please reserve all of the parking spots in the circle for those with limited mobility unless you hold the monthly Space of Grace.

NAMETAGS
Please remember to wear your nametags on Sunday mornings. We have had quite a few guests attending worship, so it's helpful if we are wearing our nametags. If you are missing your name tag, let Ami know.

SOFT PLASTIC RECYCLING
Great job on continuing your collections! We have received several benches with half going to the Historic Paradise Foundation. Have you ever wondered where the plastic goes after we collect it? The following 2 videos will provide those  answers:
Recycling program
Trex factory  

HUG ME DOLLS
Do you know someone who needs a hug? Melissa has been making some hug-me dolls and is ready to make some more. They come in a wide variety, with each one just waiting to be hugged. They are $10 with all proceeds going to Thornwell Home for Children and Teenagers.

INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP WITH TEMPLE SOLEL
Presbyterian Church & Jewish Temple Partner – Sharing Lessons of Hospitality: CN2 News article