The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
~Psalm 145:8
Pastor’s Thoughts:
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” –Matthew 10:40
“Bless the World! Be God’s Grace!” These words are a part of who we are as the family of God called Grace Lutheran Church. This is our mission statement, the expression of how we hope to live out our calling as followers of Jesus in the world.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen these words in action. On Saturday, many volunteers from Grace, Memorial Lutheran, and Jewish Family Services came together to assemble and distribute burritos (and a bag of other food) to people in need. Working together, greeting people, and seeing what this meant to those who received food was truly a blessing for everyone. God’s grace was present as a blessing both in word and deed!
The long-awaited accessibility ramp has been installed at the front of the building. Has it changed the look of our church home a bit? Yes! Even more importantly, yesterday I saw many people use the ramp to come in for worship, and I received many words of thanks. What a visible way to show that we are a welcoming house of faith and that we desire that everyone can easily come into our worship space. God’s grace is a blessing—even on a ramp!
It is a long way from our worship space to Brenner Hall. How wonderful that we have wheelchairs available and willing people to push them so that all who wanted to come to our luncheon yesterday were able to do so easily. God’s grace is a blessing, in rolling wheels and willing hands.
How will we bless the world this week? How will we all live out our calls to be welcoming, loving people of God?
In Christ,
Pastor Brenda
Toledo Pride:
A group of people from Grace will be walking in the Toledo Pride Parade on Saturday, 19 August. The parade begins at noon, but we need to line up around 9:30. If you are interested, please speak to Katie Sattler, Kathleen Hunter, or Pastor Brenda. We also plan to have a vehicle in the parade, so that those who don’t wish to walk but still be part of this can do so.
Sunday Fellowship Time
August 6th – Beth, Barb and David Charvat
I have seen (on two separate occasions) different sized (maybe generations)? Of praying mantis on the plants at Brenner Hall. ……Connie
Coming Soon……
It’s on the Way……
Just around the corner…..
The much awaited Rally Day will be here Sunday, September 10.
This will be the kick-off for the 2023-2024 Sunday School Year for Grace children. Be there!!
Offering time on Sunday.
Save the Date!!!! Please mark Sunday, October 1 on your calendar for
Amazing Grace Sunday. More information to come.
Meditation on Matthew 14:13-21
By Vicar Dave
I once read a story about Harland Sanders. Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He happened to be on a flight where an infant was crying and neither the parents nor the flight attendants were able to convince the child to stop. Eventually, Colonel Sanders asked if he could hold the baby and he gently rocked the child to sleep. Another passenger told him later that he appreciated what the Colonel had done for them. Colonel Sanders replied that he hadn’t done it for the other passengers or even for himself, he did it for the baby. He had compassion for this poor child that was obviously in some sort of distress.
Jesus had compassion for the crowds. For most of us that probably would have been difficult. He had just learned of His cousin’s death and was probably still processing that. Afterall, along with being fully God, He’s fully human as well. So being grieved at the death of a family member would be completely normal. I expect that he was also tired, having already begun his ministry. But Jesus saw the people in need and felt compassion for them. So, He began to heal their sick and to teach them many things. Then we reach the point where it is time for everyone to go home for dinner and Jesus’ disciples tell him that He should send them away. Again, Jesus feels compassion for them and tells His disciples to feed them. Well more than 5,000 people. I would have had trouble coming up with a meal for 20, let alone 5,000 men with their wives and children. But Jesus manages the task with just five loaves of bread and two fishes.
The feeding of the five thousand is another example of how God can do great things with what we would label as being small and insignificant. Last week we talked about how God uses small things to have a big impact. He does that again here by feeding this multitude with only five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. I think God really likes to surprise us with His ability to do a lot with a little. I think it’s important to recognize that God does these things out of His boundless compassion and love for His creation, us.
I often wonder if the things I do make any difference, both in my personal and professional life. Can the amount of money I donate to the church or to any other charitable organization make a difference on its own? I don’t really know. But when combined with what others give and then given to God, I know because of the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, God can make it more than adequate to serve whatever purpose He has in mind for it.
How do we at Grace Lutheran Church show compassion for our neighbors? One of the ways we do this is with the Blessing Box we have at the end of the driveway which we keep stocked with water and some food items. If someone passing by is thirsty or hungry, the hope is that they will take some of what’s there. All we have to do to show these folks some compassion is to keep the box stocked and the area picked up. Another way we can show compassion is with the burrito give away we’re doing on some Saturday mornings. We may not be able to feed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes, but we can still show compassion for our neighbor by feeding those in need with the things that we can give them. And in showing compassion for our neighbors, we will be sharing God’s love with them as well.
Operation Christmas Child
In the month of August we are asking for donations of Crayons. They can be dropped off in the Giving Grace Room or to the office during the week.
Thank you.
Healthy People! Healthy Parish!
Gratitude!
What is gratitude and why is good for us?
Definition: The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Research has shown that gratitude is good for our bodies, mind and our relationships!
How it is good for our body!
- Stronger immune system
- Less bothered by aches and pains
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower risk for heart attacks
- Take better care of their health
- Sleep longer and better
How it is good for our relationships!
- More forgiving
- More outgoing
- Feel less lonely and isolated
- More helpful ,generous and compassionate
- More likely to have support from others
How it helps our mind!
- Higher levels of positive emotions
- More alert, alive and awake
- More joy and pleasure
- More optimistic and positive
- More resilient to stress
So how do you express your gratitude???
At the end of the day some people take a few minutes to look back at the day and write down 3 things they have done to express gratitude!
Breakfast
Every evening, a mother and her young son knelt down beside his bed so he could say his prayers. One night, obviously bored with the same old prayer, the little boy earnestly prayed, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake–can I have breakfast with you in the morning.
Truth or Care
One Sunday morning Pastor Bob advised his congregation, “Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. In preparation for my message. I want you all to read Mark 17.” The following Sunday the reverend asked for a show of hands from those who had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. Pastor Bob smiled and announced, “Well, Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.”
Walking Out
“I hope you didn’t take it personally, Reverend,” an embarrassed woman said after church service, “when my husband walked out during your sermon.” “I did find it rather disconcerting”, the preacher replied. “It’s not a reflection on you, sir,” insisted the churchgoer. “Ralph has been walking in his sleep ever since he was a child.”
KIDS KORNER
Why did the belt go to jail?
Because it held up a pair of pants.
Why did the detective stay in bed?
Because he wanted to stay undercover.
Why was the broom late for school?
It over swept.
Why would Snow White make a great judge?
Because she was the fairest in the land.
Farmers Know
On a very cold, snowy Sunday in February, only the minister and a farmer arrived at the village church. The minister observed, “Well, I guess we won’t have a service today.” To which the farmer replied, “If only one cow shows up at feeding time, I feed it.
Behind the scenes at Grace …..by Gretchen
- Do you know the difference between being Nice and Kind?? Grace Paterson led the Children’s Sermon this last Sunday and received some really great answers including some from Big Kids!
- OH, THE POTLUCK ON SUNDAY!!! What can we say except Lutherans always have great potlucks with awesome food and we kept up the high standard on Sunday! Thanks to Mary Schneider and all her work organizing!!
- Then there was Ragtime Rick – of course was totally great as always! This Sunday was an opportunity to be in the shade and cool!
- The ramp in the front of the church received very positive accolades this last Sunday!
- The Youth are back – look for updates on their trip. The calendar for the Youth Group for the rest of this year and for 2024 is posted on the Community Bulletin Boards so check it out for their next events!
- We have added another destination for a Blood Donation to the “Blood on the Move Board” – check it out!
- OH, it has been sweltering but in the next month we will be putting on sweatshirts and putting the sandals away and looking for socks. As you are getting ready for Fall if you have any sweatshirts or socks (men, women and even kids) in good repair or if you would like to buy new – we would like to put in the Blessing Box. We have even had some people ask for socks now. There is a donation bin in the Graceful Giving Room for the Blessing Box.
- Remember: Grace is not the building but the people carrying out God’s Mission!!
Adventures with Jana!
Hello guys! I hope everyone is doing okay.
In this text you will find out how Vacation Bible School for kids went.
VBS was two weeks ago, but I never managed to write anything more about it. Sorry!
Well, it lasted 5 days from 9am to 12pm, it was very interesting and we had so much fun. We would open and close our VBS with song “Twist and turns”. That was like our trademark and it’s really catchy song. Our moto was “Following Jesus changes everything”.
Children had the opportunity to learn through games, songs, dancing and crafts. They also had snacks and time for playing, so it was exciting. The topics were different but related. I had a chance to participate in each of the workshops (one day songs, other crafts, then missions, snack and play time, bible lessons). We had children of different ages and everyone had their own group. A lot of people were involved in the organization, so everything went smoothly. I was blessed because I worked with kids and I indeed enjoyed it. I met amazing, good kids and even, now I have two, little friends Turner and Izzy.
On Friday I was in charge of missions, so I was talking about Serbia. I showed them where it is on the map and how far it is from Ohio. I talked about different cultures and nationalities in Serbia, but also how we all respect each other and get along. They had the opportunity to see my church and find out more about my congregation. I think the children liked it the most when I showed them Serbian money, but adults liked it too. It was a pleasure that everyone enjoyed in my little speech.
Being a part of VBS, I got some great ideas that I will implement in my work with children in my congregation. It was nice experience for me. I also shared with the people what our VBS looks like. It’s similar but ours is more like camp.
Since, I have been here for six weeks now, I can say that I feel like at my own home. People are supportive and they always have words of encouragement for me. We get along together and I am honored to be a part of this community. Together we learn about culture and sights of our countries. We talk about differences of our countries and our congregations too. Every Sunday I teach people in church new words or phrases in Slovak and they are doing well. Along with that, my Bible vocabulary is way more better than it was and I learn new words as well.
So, next week will be pretty exciting week, full of activities. I cannot wait to tell more about that, so stay tuned.
Have a blessed rest of the week!
Education is when you read the fine print.
Experience is what you get if you don’t!
(Pete Seeger)
Make your mark count!
A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.
(Chinese Proverb)
Below is a VBS Survey. Please fill it out and put it in the offering, or drop it off at the office. Thank you!
VBS Survey
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. This will help us plan for VBS 2024!
Were children from your family involved in this year’s VBS from 10 July through 15 July?
____Yes _____No
If “yes,” how many were involved? What were their ages?
If “no,” can you share why not?
What do you think worked well about this year’s VBS (time, dates, etc.)?
What improvements could we make?
For the time of VBS, do you prefer (check one) …
Day (9:00 to noon)____ Evening (e.g. 5:30 to 8:30p.m.)____ Other time______
The proposed week for VBS 2024 is 8 through 12 July 2024. Will this week work for your family?
Name_________________________________________
Youth Mission Trip 2023
We had the most amazing week on our youth group mission trip. We partnered with Memorial and Providence. Our crew consisted of Callie, Katie, Mia, Lauren, Alex, Brady, Luke, Aidan, Dave, Debbie and Wendy. Our work consisted of replacing timbers, moving bricks, replacing a ramp, putting up a privacy fence (in the rain), cutting the grass, painting furniture, packing peaches and plums, and cooking and serving food. We helped family, friends and strangers. On Sunday, we went to visit Bob and Sarah Nowak at their church in Indiana.
Our theme was: Who Shows Up For You On The Twists and Turns of Life. We learned about Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, Thomas, Moses, Paul, The Good Samaritan, Joseph and Jesus. Their stories had many twists and turns, but we can see how they “show up” for others. We challenged ourselves to look for God sightings every day and to appreciate the people who “show up ” for us as well as finding ways to help others.Thank you for all of your support to help us be the hands and feet of God. We have been so blessed to put love into action!
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
~Psalm 118:24
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