This year, a work of art should be on your Christmas list.

Grace Episcopal Church on Washington Street will hold its fourth Festival of the Arts through Sunday, where among other activities such as the Lanier Chamber Singers concert, visitors can view and purchase art created by church members.

"We have a lot of parishioners in the church who are involved in a lot of different artistic endeavors," said Jennifer Williams, staff member of Grace Episcopal. "There's a wide variety of mediums. I think that they just wanted a chance for those people to showcase what they do."

Buy a gift for someone at the festival and support a cause.

"The artists give 10 percent toward one of two charities that we support, and the artist chooses which one they want their 10 percent to go to," said Bob Burrell, co-chairman of the festival. "One of them is the summer scholarship program at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center; the other one is the Emmaus House Episcopal Mission in Atlanta."

Coinciding with Grace Episcopal's Festival will be the Community Thanksgiving Service the church will hold Sunday. The ecumenical service is held every year and rotates among the Gainesville churches involved: First Baptist, First United Methodist, First Presbyterian, St. Paul United Methodist on Washington Street and Grace Episcopal.

"Dr. Tom Long of Atlanta is the guest preacher for the community Thanksgiving service," Williams said, "Long was voted one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English speaking world by Baylor University."

The church's gallery and boutique will be open during the festival and on evenings of special events such as the Community Thanksgiving Service. Guests are invited to a reception following the Thanksgiving service, Burrell said.