Bless the world

Be God’s Grace!

 

 

Grace Full Friends is a ministry designed to share the love of Christ with adults who are developmentally disabled—a 90-minute event, open to all.

Included are the following: Welcome, Lesson, Prayer, Singing, Crafts, and Snacks. Grace Full Friends began in 2016 and continued successfully until Covid caused a temporary suspension in 2020.

Grace Full Friends will be offered on the third Tuesday of each month, beginning on July 19, 2022. The facility is handicapped accessible.

For information, contact Bob Haaf (rahaaf@aol.com)

 

 

19 June

Pastor’s Thoughts:

For the past couple of weeks, I have been pondering with you some of the ways we lay a foundation for our relationship with God, and draw the strength to engage in the world as followers of Jesus. Worship and regular Bible study were our first two central pieces. In worship, we offer our praise to God for all that God has done and we turn to the Word for guidance and hope for daily living.

Think for a moment about the important and vital relationships in your life; with family, with friends, with co-workers. How do we keep connections strong? One of the most basic ways is through conversation. If we don’t talk with those we value, sharing our thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and sorrows, we miss out—on support and on the knowledge that someone stands ready to listen.

Prayer is conversation with God, and it is crucial to our relationship with our Creator. We must engage in this vital way with God: confessing our failings, rejoicing in our gifts and in the grace of God, and placing difficult situations in God’s hands. As in any relationship, if there is no conversation, there can be no lasting, deep connection.

I know we all lead busy lives, and it may seem like a struggle to find time to be in  conversation with God. Some moments for prayer may come naturally to us, such as before a meal or before we retire for the night. We might also think about a prayer as we rise in the morning–thanking God for a new day and asking God to show us how we might be about the Good News in the world. Or perhaps as we wash our face,   remembering our baptism and claiming our identity as a beloved child of God. Anytime we are stuck by a moment of blessing, concern, or joy can be an opportune moment to pause and be in conversation with God. The words we use don’t matter. All that matters is that we keep that connection open, both offering what s on our hearts and listening to what God might have to say.

In Christ,

Pastor Brenda

 

 

Peanut Butter!!!!

Augsburg Lutheran Church has an immediate need for peanut butter for their food pantry.  If you are able, please consider bringing a jar of peanut butter to church and all donated peanut butter will be taken to Augsburg for their clients.  Peanut butter should be placed in the Feed Your Neighbor bins in the Giving Room and it will be separated from other donated food and delivered.  Thank you!!!!

 

Fellowship Time

Thank you to all who help!

 June 19 – Donuts for Dads

June 26 – Barbara, Beth and David Charvat

July 3 – no fellowship hour

 

Operation Christmas Child

As many of you know, the members of Grace have been in partnership with Operation Christmas Child for many years. This last November we sent 100 shoeboxes to Emmanuel Baptist Church which serves as a drop-off for local donations. Since 1993, OCC has delivered over 124 million shoeboxes in 150 countries. Last year 1 million children accepted Jesus Christ through the OCC program. Every box that we pack is an opportunity for church partners to tell a boy or girl about Jesus.

So again this year we are getting started on filling those boxes. Our packing party will be November 13. Please save this date. We look forward to seeing many of you volunteer your time to help us pack these boxes. This year again we are going to ask for specific donations each month, beginning in June. Here is the list of items we are asking for by month. Remember, the items must fit into a shoebox.

June Individual pack of tissues, pocket or purse size and/or toothbrush

July Bar Soap – Ivory preferred and/or pencil sharpeners

August Scissors and/or markers

Sept. Erasers and/or crayons

Oct. Small Notebooks, coloring books, pads of paper, small books

Nov. Monetary donations and/or small toy

We will have a collection box near the office where you can place your donations. Thank you to everyone who has supported this opportunity over the years and we hope you will continue to support it this year. If you have questions, please see  Linda Mason.

Christian Education Committee

Connie Thomas, Chairperson

 

Thank you to Gretchen who spent many hours weeding and mulching the garden near the lobby doors. It looks beautiful!

 

July 10 Outdoor Contemporary Service

On Sunday, July 10, an outdoor Contemporary Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. outside of Fellowship Hall.  After the service lunch will be served.  Though food will be provided, we are giving members the opportunity to bring salads or desserts to help supplement the offerings.  If you are able to bring a salad or a dessert, please let Mary Schneider know or use the sign-up sheet on either of the Community Bulletin Boards.  You do not have to bring anything to attend the lunch.  The Worship and Music Committee is looking forward to this special summer service.

 

 

A big thank you to these ladies, who donate Panera treats to us to hand out to our Personal Needs clients on Tuesday mornings. They bring smiles to many faces!

Thank you!

And thank you John Orozco for bringing those treats to Grace!

 

And I will worship You, with all of my heart
I will worship You, with all of my mind
I will worship You, with all of my strength
For You are my Lord

 

The July, August, September

Issue of

Christ in Our Home is here.

Pick up your copy

In the lobby or

the back of the Sanctuary.

Opportunities to meet with Pastor Brenda

Sunday July 10 after worship

Tuesday July 19 at 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday July 20 at 6:15 p.m.

Sunday July 24 after 9:30 a.m. worship

 

Behind the scenes at Grace….

  1. A BIG THANK YOU to Rick Wood for getting rid of the weeds all over the place. It looks wonderful!!!
  2. A large portion of Saturday was spent by the Youth Advisory Group and friends cleaning and organizing the Youth Room! WOW does it look wonderful!
  3. The windows in the big church, hallway outside of the chapel and by Brenner Hall were cleaned this last week!!
  4. Any dishes or containers that are brought in for a Funeral Luncheon are washed and have a temporary home in Gretchen’s office till you have a chance to pick them up.
  5. Thanks to Fellowship Fair for supporting the purchase of a console table and artwork for the Ladies restroom by the big church and Brenner!
  6. Please take any bags of trash out to the dumpster in the parking lot close to Brenner Hall.
  7. Remember Grace is not the building but the people of Grace carrying out God’s mission.

 

Healthy People! Healthy Parish!

Hold the Date!

Thursday August 4 5:00 p.m. Active Shooter Program. The program will be approximately 1 ½ hours and snacks/food will be available.

The Toledo Police Department will provide a program on what to do if a situation presents at Grace with an Active Shooter(s). We don’t want to think about it happening at a place of worship, but it has, and we want to be prepared and know what to do.

All people are invited to attend, and we strongly encourage those who are involved in various groups like Personnel Needs, Sunday School, all 3 services, Youth Group etc.

 

Interfaith Blood Drive

Saturday June 25 8:30-2:30

Please donate and help with the shortage!

Sign up on the Red Cross web site or call the Red Cross and say you would like to donate at Grace or call Gretchen Hiatt  419-944-5166 to schedule.

 

 

 

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

~Psalm 118:24