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)
Wednesday Nights
5:30pm Bible Study and 6:30pm Worship
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Patience and Love
I do not pray for patience; at least not for myself. I have learned the hard way that when you pray for something like patience, you will get a hard lesson in how to develop patience. Clearly, I still have some learning and growing to do. I have enough hard lessons in my life, patience doesn't need to be amplified. But even without the prayers, I think God is trying to teach me patience. Patience while waiting for my computer to boot up. Patience while trying to get a website to load. Patience with the building project when things don't go exactly as planned. Patience in not reacting to a situation, but still addressing it.
I am reminded of the words that Paul used about patience in 1 Corinthians 13, "Love is patient." I don't feel a lot of love when I am having to wait. And I wonder if that might be something to do when I am feeling impatient. Instead of allowing anger and irritation to build, could I focus on love. Could I pray for the person before me in line at the grocery store? Or the cashier as he slowly puts my items in the bag. Could my posture of love lead me in my impatience and might that lead to a needed transformation? I hope so.
I read recently that love and suffering are what opens us up to a greater understanding of God. Love and suffering is what leads us in new ways to transform. It breaks us open. On the one hand, love and suffering makes us more vulnerable, and on the other hand it also fills us. I wonder, if my impatience is often me being closed. I do not use the space that is given to me in the waiting. But perhaps God is inviting me in these moments to let go, to pause, to ground myself in love.
I am curious- what lesson do you try not to learn? How might God be teaching and leading you? Could you dare to encounter that hard thing with love and recognize God's grace within?
Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
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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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Sign Up for Summer Stretch! | |
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High School Bonfire
We will having a high school bonfire on Wednesday, June 12th at 7:30pm. We will be at the Grace parking lot. All high schoolers are welcome, including incoming 9th graders. Come and enjoy s'mores, snacks, games, and community!
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Volleyball Tournament
Calling all high schoolers! (this includes incoming 9th grade students). We have been invited to the second annual summer kick-off event on June 19th at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Ramsey. The event starts at 4:00pm. There will be a volleyball tournament, and the winner takes home a travelling trophy. There will also be lots of other games, activities, and food. Chick-fil-a will be catered. There will be a guest speaker as well, possibly Mike Koster of the Minnesota Gophers Hockey team. Please reach out to Will Weikle at willw@graceandover.org if you have any questions, would like to join the Grace volleyball team, or are interested in just coming along to the event!
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Family Table
Family Table will be serving meals on Sunday, June 16th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. If you would like to donate, serve or for more information, please contact Lynda Wilde at lrwilde99@gmail.com
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Empty Nester Gathering
Empty Nesters will be gathering on June 17th at Willy McCoy's in Andover at 6pm. All are welcome!
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For the Week of
May 27th to May 31st
The sanctuary has been completed as of Thursday, June 6th. As mentioned in last week's update, the high south windows are complete, the coves are all installed, and the lights are functional. Additionally, the wall and choir risers that Harold Zupon built are complete. And a nice piece of work it is. He reclaimed the wood from the corner that it came from and installed it in reverence to Dean Keller, the originator of the panels.
The day care addition has been reviewed by all authorizing parties with the exception of the State Fire Marshal. That visit is expected this Friday thereby allowing the toddlers an infants to occupy the spaces. The drive and parking areas have been victimized by the consistent rains. Hopefully relief from the rain is on the way.
Temporary walls have been installed in the hallway that will interfere with passage between the narthex/sanctuary and the office/fellowship hall area. It is difficult to explain what is going on behind those walls as so many different facets of the remodeling are taking place behind them. The floor has been removed and a lot of dirt excavated making room for the large ducts that bring air to the sanctuary and narthex from their new connection on the roof. Old hallway walls are being removed from what had been restrooms, a janitor's closet, and food pantry so support beams can be introduced allowing for the wider entrance and hallway. The old restrooms will likely be the most missed with both closed. Follow the signage to restrooms or ask a service usher. As well, if you wish to visit the office during the week, follow the signage. We understand these measures are not ideal, but the new restrooms should be available in about a month.
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To All the Grace Sponsors:
THANK YOU to all of the sponsors who dropped off cards and letters to their sponsored students over in Rakai! The children will be so excited to receive a “real” card and message from their sponsor at Grace! There are 40+ cards and letters that will be leaving Minnesota next week for Rakai, with Ann Hill, Beth Johnson and a large group from African Children Today. The group will also be bringing a large number of quilts lovingly produced by our Grace Quilters to be used by studens in new school dormitories at the ACT schools in Rakai. The Grace congregation continues to support the vulnerable women and children in Rakai in so may ways! Please stay tuned for further updates in the coming weeks!
Blessings,
Scott Christensen
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Prayers of the Church
Please pray especially for: Colleen Wernimont, Lois Brandt, Ron Wagenknecht, Larry Heltemes, Alden Riley, Ann Lange, Coni Winterfeld, Lexci Wuorenma, Jack Dick, Michelle Busitzky, Jack Ritt, Cindy Terhaar, Kim Mueller, Curtis Breyette, Nancy Anderson, Jon Brooks, Alden Riley, Pam Malmgren, Laila Simmer, John Malecha, and Tara Swedberg. Those in need of long-term prayers: Lois Vadner, Jim & Cathy, Alex Bombard, Wayne Welle, Dan Husak, Ann Lange Rick & Linda Breyette, Judi Wold, Clint Trousil, Diane Rosky, Juleen Klawiter, Linda Christensen, and Ralph Wernimont.
Pray for those who are mourning: The Christopherson and Evanger families grieving the death of their husband, father, and uncle, Kevin and Barb Keller & family grieving the death of her husband, Dean.
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