April 4, 2021 Newsletter

       

Getting ready for our next Pastor: 

What are YOU personally going to commit to do for the Pastor?

 One of the most frequent questions at Grace these days is when are we getting a new Pastor? Why is the Call Process taking so long?

I want to reassure everyone the Call Committee is regularly meeting and working on completing our Ministry Site Profile, which is in effect our help wanted ad to Pastors across the entire country that we are looking for a Pastor for the community called Grace.

That brings me to the headline title.  At the very bottom of Page 8 of the questionnaire the Call Committee is working on as part of the Ministry Site Profile is this: “Please list the five ways that this Congregation will support and encourage the rostered leader (aka the new Pastor) during the first year to help him or her accomplish their responsibilities?”

 The question that precedes that is to list five areas of activity or focus we wish a newly called Pastor to give special attention to during their first year at Grace.   It is a two-way street, many of us have expressed hope that our next Pastor will do things that will help Grace grow.  Even the best ideas by the brightest Pastor will fail if each of us does not commit to turning ideas into actions.

Before accepting a Call to serve, a pastor wants assurance the new congregation to which he/she is considering on serving is committed to supporting their Pastor.  Here are some ways I thought each of us could commit:

Pray – Engage in daily personal Prayer for the Pastor and the Congregation

Pay – Providing financial support for both the Pastor and programs that are  being implemented will be critical to the “success” of the Pastor and the           congregation.

Participate – Unless we are willing to roll up our sleeves and get involved nothing will get done.

Positivity – Negative thoughts and actions do not create success and poison the well.  Instead of saying We Have Always Done It This Way.   Let’s think about saying We Have Always Done It This Way AND We Know There Are Things We Can Do to Make It Even Better.

Patience – Grace has been around for 120 years, demanding a Pastor provide quick fixes does not guarantee long term success.

These are simply my thoughts on making a commitment to our Pastor. What will be YOUR commitments?

 

Food for Toledo Update
by Mary Schneider

 For a one week period 231 pounds of food was donated for our Food for Toledo program. Our community partner, Carla, helped make this possible with her donation. This, along with the 87 pounds collected the previous two weeks was  delivered to Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Pictures below show the bags of food waiting for Aldersgate’s clients for a Tuesday pick-up. Plus Pastor Katie at   Aldersgate was going to go to the Toledo Food Bank to buy meat and milk. Thank you to everyone who is donating food for our neighbors in need. I am available to take donations on Mondays from 9 a.m. – noon at the entrance of Brenner Hall.  Donations can also be placed in or around the tote in the hallway outside of the church office.

 

Breakfast Boxes Update

When the idea of giving Breakfast Boxes to our Personal Needs families the week of Easter, a goal of 10 boxes was set. The Outreach Committee is very pleased to report that donations for 30 breakfast boxes were received. We will be presenting Breakfast Boxes to our Personal Needs Families into the Season of Easter. What a generous congregation we have at Grace.  Thank you!

 

Behind the scenes at Grace….

                                                ~by Gretchen

1. The warm days has made the daffodils and hyacinths pop open this week. The bright colors against the brown but turning quickly green grass, are a true mood lifter.
2. Do you have a person you would like the members of the Parish to pray for? You can call the office with your request or add it to the Prayer Board that is in the Sanctuary and Chapel on Sunday and Outside the office the rest of the week. Many prayers are so helpful!
3. The lilies are coming to grace our sanctuary on Easter! Oh, how beautiful they are and their wonderful smell.
4. Thanks to Rick Woods for being this current week loose plastic bag catcher! The wind makes the bags look like small balloons as they fly over the roof.
5. WOW -do we have a wonderful collection for our Breakfast Boxes! Thanks to Mary Schneider!
6. The “chipomunks” (yes chipomunk as they are very round and fat )and squirrels are wild this week -they are having footraces across the roof and the sidewalk outside the office -must be spring or their peanut brunch is giving them loads of energy.
7. We have seen more people coming to church over the last week -some new faces and some we have not seen in a year -it is wonderful and welcome!
8. On that note -we are reaching out for ushers – Cindy and Rick Wood have been doing a wonderful job but may need a break! With more people we will need a couple of more people for this ministry so please let the office know that you would like to sign up. It is a great way to get to know people as well as to be a welcoming face /greeter!
9. Watch the newsletter and announcements on Sunday mornings as we start looking at how we will be able to return some activities to church. As people are being vaccinated, we will be revaluating some of the Covid Guidelines. The members of Grace have been so committed to keeping members and visitors safe which has been wonderful!!!! Thank you!
10. Remember: Grace is not the building but the people of Grace !!!

 

Community Garden

We’ve been talking about starting a community garden at church. There’s going to be an initial meeting about this Saturday April 3 at 3 PM. We’ll probably meet in the parking lot. Please bring your ideas. We need your input!

Bless the World! Be God’s grace!

Grace Peterson 419-474-8296, or gp42349@gmail.com (preferred)

 

No Sunday School class on Easter Sunday, April 4.

This is to allow all of the group (children and teacher)

to attend the Easter worship service on April 4.

Happy Easter

 

Part of Spring can be severe weather and even a tornado!  (submitted by Parish Nurse)

 The following is the current policy for Severe Weather at Grace. Please read and be familiar with as this could be what saves your life as well as others.

Policy: Severe Weather and Evacuation Plan

 Background: Severe weather occurs with minimal warning and requires a prompt response to protect the staff, parishioners, and visitors who attend the Church.

Goal: To have an established plan in place with the announcement of severe weather by the National Weather Service and/or local television station. This information is to be given in writing to all groups including those renting the facility at the church.

Procedure:

 Severe Thunderstorm Watch (Conditions are favorable for development of severe weather)

Procedure:

1. Designate person(s) to watch and /or listen to weather updates.
2. Be alert as a Severe Thunderstorm Watch can quickly change to a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning (A severe storm is imminent)

Procedure:

Severe Thunderstorm Warning (A severe storm is imminent)

Procedure:

1. Remain inside the building.
2. Move away from glass doors, windows and skylights (skylights are in main hallway outside of Sanctuary) into an interior room/hallway; also move away from the courtyard side of the chapel; if there are windows on both sides of the room move to an area where there is limited glass such as the hallway (but away from the skylights).
3. Do not use landline /or plumbing (dishwasher, running faucet and /or toilet) during the storm, as the lines can be conductors of electricity and cause  electrocution.
4. Remain inside the building until 30 minutes after the last heard thunder (per the National Weather Service /National Oceanic /Atmospheric Administration).
5. Be alert that severe weather can breed tornadoes quickly.

Tornado Watch (Conditions are right for the development of tornadoes)

Procedure:

1. Designate person(s) to watch and /or listen to weather updates.
2. Follow procedure for Severe Thunderstorm Warning
3. Be alert as conditions can change quickly if a tornado develops.

Tornado Warning (A tornado is imminent)

Procedure:

1. Move quickly as possible to rooms without windows, for example:

• basement across from the office: a light source (flashlight) is available inside the door to the right when entering
• hallway away from the skylights
• Giving Grace Room/bathroom in this area
• Sacristy
• men and women’s bathrooms located in hallway outside of Sanctuary
• hallway from office to Brenner Hall
• men and women’s bathrooms next to Brenner Hall
• basement under the chapel -door to basement outside back of chapel -a light source (flashlight) is located on file cabinet inside door on left .

2. Avoid areas with skylights.
3. Help those needing assistance and use wheelchair if needed. A wheelchair is kept in the back of the Sanctuary, another in the coat room by the office and another in the Library located down the hallway toward Brenner Hall
4. If moving to a different area is not possible, take shelter under pews, tables, etc.
5. Protect your head with personal items and /or hymnal.
6. Monitor weather updates for the status of the storm; remain sheltered until the Tornado Warning has been lifted.
7. If the building has been damaged and only if safe to do so proceed outside to a safe area away from the building away from electrical lines. If you smell gas move as quickly as possible away from the building.
8. Do not return to the building if there is damage until authorities have declared the building is safe.
9. Call 911 for any injures.

*** If you are in the Parking Lot come inside the church for safety at the onset of any storms.

 

What do Vampires and April 23,2021 have in common?

 Yes, the fact is that they both want blood. The vampires want yours as an hors      d‘oeuvre. On April 23, the American Red Cross wants yours to help a minimum of 3 people.

Hmm – Hors d’oeuvre vs providing something great to 3 + people – sounds like   being an American Red Cross donor would be a better and kinder thing.

Grace’s Blood Drive is Friday April 23 from 1-6 pm.  Please think about all the people your blood can help vs some kind of crazy bat thing. You may sign up at the Red Cross Donor site under “Grace “or call Gretchen at 419-944-5166 or email gretchensue1205@gmail.com and she will get you scheduled.

 

Quiz?

 True or False

1. I have had cancer and I cannot donate.
2. I have diabetes and it is under good control so I can donate.
3. Power red is a great way to give 2 units of red blood cells at a single donation.

Answers to last week quiz:

1. Type for emergency transfusions is Type O.
2. What is one part of the body that does not require blood is the cornea.

 

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

~Psalm 118:24