Grace Episcopal Church Manchester

05/21/2026

05/21/2026

Here at Grace, we have shared some of Bishop Johnson’s prayers. This is being widely shared with the church and we wish to share it with you. Remember for every story shared—there are hundreds that go untold or unnoticed—it is why we need a systemic response to protect sanctuary and due process.

What happened to Bishop Deon Johnson's family was not supposed to happen. A routine green card appointment in Mexico turned into a yearlong separation. His husband, who came to the United States as a young child and had never known another home, was told he could not return. For an entire year, two children grew up without one of their parents present. A Quinceañera was canceled. Ordinary moments that families take for granted simply vanished.

Bishop Johnson did not withdraw. He continued leading the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri while quietly navigating one of the most painful experiences of his life. When his husband finally returned home on Valentine's Day of last year, the bishop chose to speak. Not only about his family, but about the thousands of people across this diocese and this country who face the same uncertainty without the platform to say so.

This week, St. Louis Public Radio sat down with Bishop Johnson for a candid and moving conversation about faith, family, fear, and what it means to live with the constant shadow of a system that can upend a life without warning. It is a story that belongs to all of us.
Click below to read the full article and listen to the interview.

Full article:

The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri shares how immigration policies separated his family for a year.

05/16/2026

The Contemplative Action Network has just launched its page—we encourage Grace parishioners and friends to follow it. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589304450833

Loving our neighbors together.

05/15/2026

Grace is on the move—and we want to hear from all parishioners as to where you believe the Holy Spirit is beckoning us to go. Survey will be released shortly. We will be using Holy Cow’s Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT). The CAT is a customizable assessment instrument that will help Grace:

Measure the level of satisfaction and energy in the congregation.

Identify the critical success factors for improving organizational climate.

Pinpoint the strengths of our congregation’s culture.

Discover where members would like to go in the future.

Gauge readiness for change.

Uncover potential resources we may be missing.

Prepare to call our next Rector.

Holy Cow uses an evidence-based discernment process. They benchmark our data, so it goes beyond just a survey, and looks at the deeper trends in our church compared to other congregations. They can tell us what 60% of our congregation agreeing or not agreeing with something means through this benchmarking. And they have a lot of data, over 6,000 congregations have taken their assessments, that’s 2,900 congregations in the last 7 years. This takes the guesswork out of our results and helps Grace make better decisions.

05/15/2026

Calling all Teens: You’re invited to a one-day diocesan retreat celebrating Pride, faith, and YOU.

Join us for a fun, welcoming day with a community of LGBTQ+ teens and allies from across the diocese as we explore what it means to be made in God’s image. Using the Bible study “God, Gospel, and Gender,” we’ll dive into scripture together, looking at how the Bible uses all kinds of imagery to talk about God, and how God’s love truly includes everybody and every body! Expect real conversations, interactive activities, and space to ask questions, connect and just be yourself.

This event is designed specifically for teens, regardless of identity, to discuss what scripture tells us about God’s love for all humankind. The focus of the event will be on the ways scripture talks about God and God’s love for us and what that means for our own relationship with God.

05/05/2026

Close to 6k diapers were donated by the parish to our first Deacon’s Diaper Drive— 99% went to the “diaper pantry”, which is a non profit located at the YWCA. The adult diapers went to the YW’s hygiene closet, which is open to the unhoused or needy for personal care products. Thank you to the parish for participating and Deacon Kara for organizing—and to CAN for finding us the best community partner.

05/04/2026

On Sunday, May 10, St. John’s will welcome The Reverend Ed Cardoza, Priest-in-Charge of Grace Church Manchester, as the next guest preacher in our Voices of Faith series.

A priest, community leader, and longtime advocate in global health and justice ministries, Ed brings a faith shaped by contemplation, compassion, and engagement with the world.

In a sermon titled “From Infections to Earthquake: A Journey to Theosis,” Ed will explore a compelling question: What does love ask of us in a fractured world? Tracing a surprising path through faith, human solidarity, and lived experience, he will invite us into a vision of God’s love that moves us beyond ourselves and toward one another — with a story of crisis and hope you won’t want to miss.

04/03/2026

The Sacred Triduum is off to a holy and powerful start—a blessed visit with our bishop, a full gathered community, glorious music and the beautiful altar of repose.