The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad indeed.
~Psalm 126:3
Worship at Oakleaf Village
Beginning on April 21 Grace will offer a Christian Worship service at Oakleaf Village Living Community on Holland-Sylvania Road. The service will be offered on the third Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm. All are welcome.
If you know anyone living at Oakleaf please pass the word about Grace’s new ministry.
Online Worship Services
If you have not had a chance to check it out, we have both services on Sundays online. You can go directly through Facebook (just search for Grace Lutheran Toledo) or go to our Website https://gracelutherantoledo.org/ – scroll to the bottom of the page and you can link to Facebook from there (you do not have to be a Facebook member to watch).
Since the beginning of 2022, we are averaging 50 views each week for the Traditional service and 50 views for the Contemporary service.
We have also been recording our Wednesday services and have been averaging 45 views for each service.
Thank you Fritz for always being there to record! We greatly appreciate you!
Rummage Sale
Time for spring cleaning!
The youth will be having a rummage sale on April 30. They are collecting things now – so if you have anything to donate – feel free to bring it any morning Monday through Friday from 9:00 until noon or bring it with you on Sundays when you come to church.
Fellowship Time
Hope to see you between services on Sunday in
Fellowship Hall!
April 3 – Brenda Holderman, Joyce O’Brien, Janet Moore
April 10 – Cindy Wood, Mary Schneider
April 17 – Easter – no fellowship time
Important information regarding Calling a Pastor for Grace!
On Thursday March 24, Grace’s Council met and unanimously approved the recommendation of Grace’s Call Committee to recommend Pastor Brenda Peconge for call to be Grace’s next Pastor.
Some quick highlights about Pastor Brenda:
- Ordained ELCA minister for over 25 years, ministry experiences in Traditional Parish settings along with experience in Hospital Chaplaincy
- Currently serving as a Chaplain at St Luke’s Hospital. Until recently had a dual ministry: she was Called by Our Savior Lutheran in Toledo as a half time Pastor (30 hours a week) while working another 35 hours a week as a Chaplain at St Anne’s Hospital
- Has a history of welcoming all, including those with developmental challenges and other disabilities, into full participation into the life of the congregations she serves.
- While having a preference for Traditional (Hymnal based) worship, she is comfortable in leading in all styles of worship. For those of you are concerned, yes, she preaches from the Pulpit.
Please make a note of these important dates in the life of Grace in the coming weeks as we move through the next steps in the Call Process:
- On Sunday April 10, Grace will host a member forum between our services for members to meet Pastor Brenda and ask her questions you may have about her ministry and her excitement about the opportunities for her and the people of Grace.
- In order for a Pastor to be Called to serve a congregation, the Congregation must approve by a 2/3 majority vote such call. Grace will thus hold a special congregational meeting at 10:45 AM on Sunday April 24 with the sole purpose of discussing and then voting on the recommendation for call.
Please watch your mail and the newsletters in the coming weeks for more information. I encourage everyone to come to Grace on April 10 to meet Pastor Brenda and return on the 24th to cast your vote on this important matter.
David Charvat
Grace Council President
Do not remember! Remember!
Submitted by Pastor Howard
Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.
-Isaiah 43.18-21
Remember this and consider,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, “My purpose shall stand,
and I will fulfill my intention.
-Isaiah 46,8-10
So, which is it, Isaiah? Should we remember the past, or forget it?
The first of these texts is from our First Reading this coming Sunday, April 3. In it, it looks to me as if Isaiah is suggesting that we not think that current limitations are permanent. In the situation the prophet was addressing, the Israelites in exile were saying “There’s no way we can go back to Israel. The desert has always been desert, and always will be. We’d die of thirst on the way if we tried.” They were likely remembering how many of their parents and grandparents had died of thirst on the trip from Israel to Babylon.
The prophet is saying to them, “God is not as limited as you seem to think. God made the earth, and can certainly modify it. When God frees you to return, God will also free you from the threat of dehydration.”
In the second text, I think Isaiah is telling the people that God’s will is not thwarted. God’s purpose has never been thwarted. He invites them to think back, and remember all the times God has made a promise, and then has delivered on it. God says, “My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention.” When God says, “I’m going to lead my children back to their land,” his children can count on God’s leading them back to their land.
I think, in these two texts, God is saying to us, through Isaiah, “Remember God’s faithfulness in the past, and don’t think that God’s faithfulness cannot take new forms, cannot appear in new ways. Give thanks for the past, and don’t think God is bound by it.”
What do you think?
To allow families and Sunday School teachers to attend service on Easter Sunday, April 17, there will be no Sunday School classes on that day.
HAPPY EASTER!!
Behind the scenes at Grace … by Gretchen
- The crazy wood chuck is at it again – what is with the white dandruff this last Sunday and the cold! The daffodils and the hyacinths have poked their tops out of the ground so the dandruff and the cold should be gone!
- Our cleaning company continues to work hard to keep Grace shining. Our person responsible for keeping Grace shining is Gaston. Please continue to give feedback good and not so good to the office or Gretchen.
- We still need a master mind on puzzle solving to help sort out our key collection. If you enjoy challenges and a dip into the candy basket as a reward this is for you. It will probably be a couple of hours of challenges. If interested, please let the office know.
- Remember: Grace is not the building but the people of Grace!
Do you keep these items safe???
The first week of April is Medication Safety Week. Medications errors have been reported to be the 6th leading cause of death in the United States!
So, what can you do?
April 1
Clean out your medicine cabinet or where you store your medications. Get rid of outdated or no longer used medications. Do not dump medications down the sink or in the garbage. Take them to a site where you can drop off medications – most police stations have a box to drop them off. (A list of drop off sites will is posted on the Community Bulletin Boards) Medications should be stored in their original containers in a cool, dry place. Make sure that medications are out of the reach of children, pets and people who may have difficulty understanding what the medications are for.
April 2
Have a list of your medications. Include the name – generic and brand name (the common name we call the medication), dose, times you take and what the medication is for. Do you know what each pill looks like – square, round, pink or purple? Any patches and creams need to be included on the list. Vitamins and any herbal medication are also important to include. Some over the counter medications that you buy, and herbal medications can have a negative reaction with the medications prescribed by your MD, so it is important that they are included on your list.
April 3
Read and /or review the labels on the medication bottles. To be effective some medications need to be taken on an empty stomach, or certain time and /or not with certain foods or alcohol. Some medications state not to drive until you see how you react to them. When getting a refill on a medication recheck the label caution statements as there may be changes .
April 4
Medication organizers. For some people taking the same pills multiple times during the day a medication organizer is a great way to make sure that medications are taken correctly. However, when setting up the medication organizer for the day or weeks make sure that you have a time that you can focus all your attention on putting the correct pills in at the correct time.
April 5
On the move. If you have been in a hospital, rehab or extended care facility you should receive written medication instructions when leaving. Make sure that you understand and even having another set of ears to hear is very helpful. Ask questions if you do not understand.
April 6
Be sure to give a copy of your medication list to all the MD’s, Nurse Practitioners and /or Physician Assistants that you see. Keep a list with you in case of an emergency. This helps them to be aware of what you are taking and that can help prevent prescribing the same medications or ones that may react with each other. Try to use the same Pharmacy for your medications as then they are aware of what you are taking and can watch for potential reactions or side effects. Read over the instruction sheets that come with medications and ask the Pharmacist questions.
If you need help putting together or updating a list of your medications, Gretchen can help you . Please call her at 419-944-5166 or email at gretchensue1205@gmail.com
File of Life coming in May! Watch for it!
Blood Pressure!
High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and even stroke. It is a leading cause of preventable illness and death.
Controlling high blood pressure can reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks and stroke.
Do you know what your blood pressure is?
Blood Pressure checks will be available in Classroom 3 or the Parish Nurse Office (if Classroom 3 is busy) on Sunday April 3 and April 24 between services. If you would like your blood pressure checked at another time let Gretchen know.
Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people,
more beautiful than perpetual kindness.
(Leo Tolstoy)
What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul
(Yiddish proverb)
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
~Psalm 118:24
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