Bishop Brian Cole invites you to Grace Point Day, Saturday, August 13, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, a day of fun and food when you can explore the trails, swim, kayak, canoe, and see progress on the Retreat Village. Bishop Brian also invites you to help us finish raising the 1.1 million remaining to complete the Retreat Village.
Three-Year Pledges
Do you want your gift to make a lasting impact on the work of the Retreat Village? You can download a copy of the three-year pledge card, complete the form, and mail it and future checks to:
Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center
300 Chamberlain Cove Road
Kingston, TN 37763
One-Time Gifts
Wish to make a one-time gift to the Grace Point Retreat Village campaign? You may make a one-time donation through the online giving portal.
Should you run into any issues with either our online portal or with the printed pledge card, please email amorehead@dioet.org.
A Tour with Rev. Brad Jones
See inside the retreat center and a few of the cottages as the Rev. Brad Jones takes you on a tour of the Retreat Village.
Transcript of Message
Hi. I’m Bishop Brian. I want to invite you to Grace Point Day, Saturday, August 13th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. for a chance to visit our diocesan camp and retreat center near Kingston, Tennessee. If you’ve never been there, it is a jewel. It is right on the water. It is a wonderful place to renew, to be restored, to have a summer day before the school year begins.
It’s a chance also to celebrate both what we have done and another great summer camp season. For ten years now, Brad Jones has led as our Grace Point director. His wife, Gale, and two children, Addison and Parker, are “all in” in their support of Grace Point. So, we’ve had a strong summer camp program for several years. What we’re building out now is a retreat village to truly embrace the name of Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center.
We are building seven cabins and a retreat center. Altogether, it’s a $3.6 million project. Two and a half million dollars are already either in or pledged. We’re now in a public phase of the campaign to raise $1.1 million to complete this effort successfully. And so, if you come out on Saturday, August 13th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., share in a barbecue lunch we’ll also have veggie options as well.
Have a chance to explore the water to hike, but also to see this construction. It is exciting what we’re building there. And Grace Point is aptly named. It’s a place of welcome. It’s a place of restoration. It’s a place where we gather. All God’s children gather and are restored and renewed. We need places like this in this world, in this time.
As your bishop, I’m committed to this campaign being successful, and I’m committed to Grace Point being a place that gathers us. Just like the the cathedral gathers us in liturgy, Grace Point will gather us in God’s creation and in nature for study, for renewal. The Retreat Village will allow adult groups to gather in a more robust way; both church groups, ecumenical interfaith groups, but also other nonprofits or folks who want to make use of this space.
We as Episcopalians share. We share in ministry. So we will be sharing Grace Point with others. But we also want to support it and nurture it. So at the end of this video, you’ll see a chance for a link to either make a one time gift or to make a multi-year pledge. Join me and Susan in supporting this effort and those who’ve already given and those who are giving now to make a successful campaign.
We already have a strong camp in Grace Point Camp. We just want to finish that phrase Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center to have a place of renewal. A place to go deep. A place to gather. To grow, before we go, go into God’s world as God’s people reconciled and reconciling others in Christ. Thank you.