Happenings and Messages from Grace Lutheran Church! | |
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This is a quick weekly reminder of what is happening at Grace
in worship and in ways to connect and serve.
Sunday Worship
8:30am (Traditional) and 10:15am (Contemporary)
5:30pm Bible Study and 6:30pm Worship
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Church Office Closed
In honor of Memorial Day, the Church Office will be closed on Monday, May 27th. Have a blessed, safe and say a prayer for those soldiers who have fallen to protect our country holiday weekend.
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Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices Summer of Listening: Neighborhood Listening Project
This past weekend, Grace's Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices attended a learning retreat with the Minneapolis Area Synod. This retreat solidified many of our learnings so far and invited us into a Summer of Listening with our Neighborhood Listening Project. This is an invitation not just for our team but for our entire congregation. How do we listen to God? How do we listen to one another? How do we listen to our neighbors?
This summer we are committed to continuing our daily spiritual prayer practices. I wonder if any of you might try a prayer practice this summer? Remembering this can look like any time spent God-ward. Also, that new habits and practices stick when they are obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying. So, can you combine your prayer time with your morning coffee routine that is obvious, easy and satisfying? Or maybe reflecting how you experienced God in your day while turning down your bed and brushing your teeth? Spend this time listening to and for God.
We are also committed to listening to each other and our neighbors through our Neighborhood Listening Project. Join us for neighborhood walks and community events throughout the summer and our Grand Opening this fall (details to come soon). Our goal, wherever we show up, is to listen. Introduce yourself to someone new. Ask them what brought them to the event? How long they have lived in the community? What brought them to the community? What do they love? What changes have they seen? What excites them? Take note of what you hear and give thanks for the encounter. What we hear will help us be better neighbors!
Check out the Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices Calendar of Events Poster in the Narthex for new dates and ways to get involved. Our first summer neighborhood walk is Sunday, June 9 after worship (11:30 am). Our first summer neighborhood event is a show up and spend event attending the Farmer's Market now at Riverdale Church June 4th at 2:00pm meet at Grace and we will go down together!
Blessings,
Pastor Maria Markman
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Neighboring Practices
Ann Weikle, FPNP Team Member
Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it…
We have lived in our house for nearly 22 years and have been members of Grace almost that long. I can’t even begin to count how many trips to church I have made in the last 2 decades. Here’s a thing about those many trips I have made, 100% of them have been made in our cars, either driving myself or riding along. (A few bike trips are in the total.) Too many of the trips have been rushed, trying to get there just in time for something, feeling frustrated when I get a red left turn arrow! Most of the time, I quickly park my car and head into church at my quickest pace. I wonder if anyone else ever squeals into the parking lot and rushes into the building. Click Here to Read More.
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Grace Quilters 1 Updates
Grace Quilters 1 will not be meeting on Monday, May 27th due to Memorial Day. We will be quilting every Monday morning from 9am to 12pm at the Jackson home beginning June 3rd until there are bathrooms available for us and a place for us to quilt at church. Our home is at 1026 90th Lane NE, Blaine, MN. Anyone who wishes to quilt is welcome every Monday morning at Joe's and Low's home.
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Vacation Bible School NEEDS YOU! Yes,YOU!
Deadline is May 30th!
Did you know that over 150 kids from Grace, Lord of Life and the community have signed up for VBS this year. It is going to be a fun and exciting 2024 VBS! That is why VBS needs YOU!
Our theme this year is SCUBA- diving into friendship with God! We need half-day and full-day volunteers. Volunteers, young and old alike, act much like shepherds and are responsible for connecting with the kids in your group and leading them to and from their different classrooms.
- Half day volunteers help 9am-12pm (VBS programming only).
- Full day volunteers help 9am-3pm (VBS programming plus afternoon scuba, movie, juggler, magicians etc.).
Volunteers must also attend one of our two trainings offered. Sunday, June 2nd at 1:00pm or Tuesday, June 4th at 6:30pm. If you cannot attend one of these trainings, please let Pastor Maria Markman know so we can find a time to connect!
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Ruth Circle Off Site on
Monday, June 3rd
Ruth Circle will meet at Pappy's Cafe and Tavern, 13827 Round Lake Blvd NW in Andover for our June 3rd bible study. You may order some food and beverage there. Why are we doing this? There will not be bathrooms available other than in the sacristy or portables and the classrooms will need to be used for offices and the food shelf while the hallway is torn apart. The narthex will also be impacted in this phase of construction. Please mark your calendars and join us at Pappy's on June 3rd at 12:30 PM.
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Grace 4 Rakai Letters
Ann Hill, President of African Children Today (ACT) is taking a group to Rakai in June. Although no one from Grace will be making this trip, they will be bringing quilts made by our Grace Quilters and also carrying cards and letters to our sponsored students. Write a personal letter, pick up a greeting card (the musical ones are fun), print off a few photos from a family gathering or vacation, and put them in an envelope. Be sure put your name, along with the name of your sponsored child and their "UGR" number on the outside. Your sponsored student will be so excited to hear from you! There will be a box in the Church Office at Grace where you can drop off your envelope. Deadline for delivering your envelope to Grace is Sunday June 2nd.
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Hope 4 Youth Birthday Bags
Hope 4 Youth has requested the following items to help the homeless youth in the shelter receive a Birthday Bag. There will be a bin in the Narthex for the next couple of Sundays to drop your items in. For Gift Card Donations please, drop them off in the Church Office. If you would like to donate online, please make your donation under Miscellaneous Giving and make a notation of "Hope4Youth Birthday Bags". If you have any further questions, please contact Lynda Wilde at lrwilde99@gmail.com.
Top Requested Items:
- Perfume or Cologne
- Card Games
- Football or Basketball
- Coconut or Shea Butter Lotions
- Men - Plain Black Baseball Hats
- Women - silk bonnet, lip gloss, mascara, hair scrunchies (No facials, etc)
- Paint & Paper
- Candy:
- Movie Theatre Boxes
- Chocolate bars
- Sweet Trail Mixes
- Cookies
- Fruit Roll-ups
- Gift Cards (Any Amount up to $20.00)
- Gas Station
- Fast Food
- Coffee Shops
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For the Week of
May 13th to May 17th
The Big News of the Week - The sanctuary is back in use! There are bits and pieces that are not done but we can now sit in there and relish in the brightness from the new windows, the improved lighting, and the brightened paint scheme. Currently, the promised valances are being installed along with the uplighting within them. The choir area is experiencing a transformation too; new risers and a backing wall are underway.
The day care addition has all new flooring and ceilings. Two critical elements to be completed are final plumbing to the sinks in the rooms and doors. They are all expected to be installed right after the holiday weekend. It is anticipated that this whole area will be complete by the first of the month.
The entry is moving along at the pace allowed by the weather. The exterior will soon have the finish color painted as it is completely insulated. Interior wallboard has been completed in the new restrooms. Windows and the entry doors are scheduled for installation after the holiday weekend.
Electrical service has been continuing in the entry and into the new reception and food pantry area. Wireless internet boosters are being installed throughout the building for improved capacities for all users.
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Prayers of the Church
Please pray especially for: especially Jack Dick, Shane Catton, Michelle Busitzky, Jack Ritt, Dean Keller, Cindy Terhaar, Kim Mueller, Curtis Breyette, Nancy Anderson, Jon Brooks, Alden Riley, Pam Malmgren, Laila Simmer, Adam Howard, Kathy Noel, Carly Hawkinson-Sohm, John Malecha, Lois Vadner, and Jim & Cathy. And all those in need of long-term prayers: Alex Bombard, Wayne Welle, Tara Swedberg, Dan Husak, Ann Lange, Rick & Linda Breyette, Judi Wold, Clint Trousil, Diane Rosky, Juleen Klawiter, Linda Christensen, Ralph & Colleen Wernimont.
Pray for those who are mourning: Wendy McCarty & family grieving the death of her father, George Kovich.
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