(419) 474-6403, ext. 2 Email us at
Transcription
(419) 474-6403, ext. 2 Email us at
August 2016 SPECIAL SUMMER SERVICE! RAGTIME RICK OUTDOOR WORSHIP Sunday, August 14, 2016 at 9:30a. We need help setting up at 8:15a. Bring your own folding chairs. Also, if you have shade umbrellas or canopies, please bring them to share. This will be a combined worship Sunday, so only one service will be held on this date. A continental breakfast will be served in Brenner Hall, following the service. For additional information, please contact Marilyn Lohmann at: 419-841-8160. Sunday Bulletin Information must be into the church office, each week, before Tuesday at 12:00p. Next month’s newsletter information must be turned into Jade McIntosh by the third Thursday of the previous month before 9:00a. September 2016 Words of Grace (WOG) Newsletter submissions must be in before Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 9:00a. You can email Jade at: [email protected], email the church office, or leave a note in Jade’s Inbox, in the church office. Important Worship Dates and Times Sunday, October 30, 2016 Reformation Sunday is a 5th Sunday and a Healing Service this year. Sunday, November 6, 2016 is All Saints Sunday. The cloth will be available for names starting in October. **NOTE: Change in Service Start Time** Saturday, December 24, 2016 Christmas Eve Worship Services will be at 3p, 7p, and 10:30p. Sunday, December 25, 2016 Christmas Day Worship Service will be at 10:30a only. Only one service on this date. Sunday, January 1, 2017 New Year’s Day Worship Service will be at 10:30a. Only one service. Grace Lutheran Church 4441 Monroe St. Toledo, OH 43613 Call us at: (419) 474-6403, ext. 2 Email us at: [email protected] Website: www.gracelutherantoledo.org ‘like us’ on Facebook 1 CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Thrivent Folks, JULY 2016 SUBMERGED! Thank you for supporting Submerged! A very special thank you to all those people who supported this program financially, through supply and food donations, and those who provided service by teaching and helping with various activities. An extra special shout out to Sara Gibson for her efforts and planning on the Thursday Night Children’s Music Program and Ruth’s Circle for providing food for that event. Sincerely, Connie Thomas and Ron Hiatt 2 CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14 3 CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14 Deep? How deep? 700 feet deep in Tanzania! VBS kids learned about Mzogole, where there is a well but no water. The well is just too deep for a traditional windmill operation because the shaft keeps breaking. There is a solution: a submersible well-pump powered by solar energy, that costs $40,000. During VBS, the kids collected $150.00 and the congregation gathered $152.00 in Sunday's noisy offering. There will be future collections, during Sunday Worship. So far, our Grace Lutheran in Toledo and Grace Lutheran in Fremont, OH have collected $6,000. Let's keep on helping our friends in Tanzania get down, down to precious water! Esther Update and Invitation Esther Jumbe had extensive surgery on her jaw to help improve functioning. She had successful surgery on July 13, and after only 7 days at Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, she returned home to the Light House in Perrysburg. Man has done what man can do, the rest is up to God to provide the healing power. She will wear an external fixation apparatus, with pins in her jaw to stabilize it, while healing takes place these next three months. She would appreciate visitors at the Light House, so if you are able, please stop by. Also, there is a need for $200.00 to purchase prescriptions. If you would like to help, please see Ron Hiatt. Please keep her in your prayers for conWe also pray this month for Esther, our tinued healing and complete restoration friend from the church in Tanzania. She is of her jaw function. God is good! in the States receiving corrective jaw surgery. Please keep Esther and her family in deep prayer. 4 CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14 Going off to bless the world! Luther League young people and chaperones, from Grace and Memorial Lutheran churches, head out to bless God’s people in Gatlinburg, TN. Pastor Craig prayed, in Jesus’ Spirit, that they will travel and live, not as two churches, but as one Christian Community. Amen! Service to others? Nailed it! 5 CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14 The Eagle Scout Project is now fully underway. Ben Swartz began remodeling the room adjacent to the sacristy. If you would like to help with this ongoing project, please call Ben at 419-707-7685. B EFORE Before Here’s how it looks right now. More improvements are in the works. Rally Day is Sunday, September 11. This will be the first day of Sunday School for the 2016-2017 year. There are Sunday School classes for children age three up through grade 6. Please join us for Rally Day worship and some special activities. Come have some fun. Connie Thomas, Christian Education Committee. 6 MISSION SERVICE Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. Matthew 4: 14-16 Coffee Fellowship Hour Hostess Schedule July to Sept. 2016 August 7: Debbie Johnson and Nancy Johnson August 14: No one is scheduled. August 21: Laura Frost, Paula Cumpian, and Carla Wooten August 28: Jan Dustman and Karlene Jaquillard September 4: Sue Melchert and Karen Weimer September 11: Sue Wagner and Janet Moore September 18: Gretchen Hiatt and Nancy Lockard September 25: Marilyn Lohmann and Beth Lohmann Please do not leave cookies, fruit, or other food items on the kitchen counters. Make sure the kitchen is clean, with dishes washed and dried. Call Marilyn Lohmann with questions at: 419-841-8160. Operation Christmas Child Continues Each Month Thank you to everyone who has been donating the designated items monthly. In July, we were asking for pens, pencils, and sharpeners. For August, we are asking for scissors and/or markers. The collection box is located near the church office. Again, thank you so much to those supporting this ministry. If you have any questions, please see Linda Mason. 7 MISSION SERVICE Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. Matthew 4: 14-16 Let Us Help Our Neighbors! Grace and Reformation are teaming up to work with the great folks at Thrivent and Habitat for Humanity on a rehab project a block west of Reformation. Volunteer laborers, greeters, and lunch prep. are all needed. Donations of materials and financial gifts are also needed. If you would like to help out with a financial gift, please make your check out to Grace Lutheran Church, and place it in an envelope marked “Habitat Project”, and put it in the offering plate, drop off or send to the Grace Office, or give to Ron Hiatt or Adam McIntosh. 8 MISSION SERVICE Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. Matthew 4: 14-16 Habitat For Humanity has a project in our own back yard! Located just a block off Douglas: 2603 Oak Grove Place Toledo, Ohio Thrivent Builds is sponsoring this project and is asking for Lutheran Churches, in the Toledo area, to help by sponsoring a volunteer work day on the project. Build dates are scheduled for July 22 thru August 30. A congregational team consists of 2 to 4 skilled and 4 to 8 novice workers--no previous skills needed--plus greeters and a crew to provide a light lunch and beverages. All work will be supervised by Habitat professionals, with on-site training provided. This home is being completely refurbished for a young single mother and her two children, who will be on-site most days. Grace and Reformation have scheduled joint work days on Tuesday August 23, and Wednesday August 24. If you would like to volunteer your services, make a financial gift, a donation in kind, or would just like to find out more, please contact: Ron Hiatt, [email protected] (419) 944-5177 or Adam McIntosh at [email protected] (419) 206-0841. 9 GRATITUDE Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5: 20 Thank you note from the American Red Cross: Tammy, thank you very much for hosting a blood drive today. We had a wonderful day. Thank you for taking time out of your day to open and set up the site for us. Enjoy the rest of your summer. With Sincerest Thanks, Chris Berning, Team Supervisor Thank you to those members of the Grace Family who donated blood and/or supported this event. A very special thank you to all those people who supported VBS 2016 in various ways, such as financially, through supply and food donations, and those who provided service by teaching and helping with various activities. An extra special shout out to Sara Gibson for her efforts and planning on the Thursday Night Children’s Music Program and Ruth’s Circle for providing food for that event. Sincerely, Connie Thomas and Ron Hiatt 10 Fellowship Social Where two or more gather, in my name, I am in their midst. Matthew 18: 20 MEN NEEDED! You’re invited to the Men of Grace Fellowship. This Men’s group meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday each month at 5:30p, in the Fellowship Hall, at Grace. Men of Grace will be meeting: Thursday, August 11 and Thursday, August 25 this month. If you have a need to enrich your prayer life and to spend a quiet, wife-kid-and/or-grand-kid-free evening with other Christian men for fellowship and comradery, please join us. I also heard they sneak around the church, like a band of Christian ninjas, sprucing the place up. Friday, August, 12, 2016 @ 8:00a--Shotgun Start--at Maumee Bay Golf Course at Maumee Bay State Park, 1750 State Park Road #2, Oregon, Ohio. The cost is $75.00 per golfer and the proceeds, from the outing, will benefit the ministry of Luther Home of Mercy. If you have questions, please contact Megan O’ Brien with Lutheran Home of Mercy at 419-972-4436 or email her at [email protected]. You can also register on their website. http://lutherhome.org/get_involved/golfscrambleinfo.html 11 Fellowship Social Where two or more gather, in my name, I am in their midst. Matthew 18: 20 You’re Invited! Grace Full Friends is a ministry designed to share the love of Christ with adults with developmental disabilities. It’s a time to share a lesson, singing, praying, crafts, and snacks. Everyone is welcome on August 16, 2016, 6:30-8p and continuing the third Tuesday of every month. Grace Lutheran Church, 4441 Monroe Street, Toledo OH 43606. For more information, contact: Pastor Al Swartz [email protected] 419-474-6403 Bob Haaf [email protected] 419-475-0374 YOUR INVITED! PLEASE JOIN US FOR BOWLING! The Toledo Lutheran Bowling League is looking for you! We have 4 person teams. WHEN: Monday Nights - 7:00 pm. WHERE: INTERSTATE LANES - Rossford, OH, 419-666-2695 This is a FUN league, not a money league. We are here to get out of the house and enjoy the evening. The league pays half of the USBC fee for each bowler. Everyone can bowl With us. We use 100% handicap. Cost is $14.00 per bowler each night for 32 weeks. The season starts Monday September 12, 2016.Entire teams or individual bowlers are welcome! Please come early on the first night! We do have a dinner at the end of each season. Bring your better half and join us! Help Lutheran Seminary Students from the area through our Scholarship Fund. Please ask your congregation if anyone would be interested in coming out. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Steve Mawhorter 419-343-0957 or Dave Dunaway, 567-277-7262. 12 Fellowship Social Where two or more gather, in my name, I am in their midst. Matthew 18: 20 Back in July, some Grace Folks got together and went out to dinner at Shorty’s and we had a great time. Join us for the next one. Here are some pictures. 13 Pastor Al Swartz A church newsletter has a single purpose. That purpose is to help make disciples of God. We will tell about God’s love; tell stories of people loving God; tell about people in service to God and new opportunities to serve with a joyful heart. We are just ordinary folks glorifying God by being a living embodiment of His Grace. A Volunteer for God’s Goodness I didn’t get to meet Abdel-Wahab Soliman. I wish I had. Imagine, next Sunday, if I asked for someone to represent our congregation at a large function. Attending this function would take you outside your normal circle of friends, outside your home culture, and plant you squarely into the religious culture of a Jewish Temple, a Hindu Temple, or an Islamic Mosque. Chances are, you wouldn’t know many people. You would be asked to arrive early, attend the function, be available for public introduction and newspaper interview, and attend a reception. All-in-all, I would suggest you plan on investing 4-5 hours to such a goodwill gesture on a summer Saturday afternoon. Interested? Abdel-Wahab Soliman did just such a thing, representing the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo at the Installation of Northwestern Ohio Bishop Daniel Beaudoin. I wish I had met the man. I like to meet people pursuing good for our city, region, and world. It is good for me to come across folks walking in the wisdom of understanding that even little things like mustard seeds can blossom into something bringing relieving shade amidst scorching days. As I listened to Mr. Soliman speaking with The Toledo Blade, I could hear the wisdom of the Good Teacher looking at mustard seeds and pointing to the blossoming, powerful goodness of God’s kingdom. Here’s what Mr. Soliman said, It is always very good to cooperate, especially to reduce the madness that’s going on in the world right now, and the violence. The Kingdom of God – the Reigning, the Activity of God – Jesus taught will come through what might seem as inconsequential, unimportant, somebody-else-can-doit activities. Suddenly - right in the midst of something we think could never surprise us - the loving, binding, renewing, transforming, working, loving God shows up. Bless you, Mr. Soliman, and all who respond to the Most High’s call to make a difference for good: Here I am, Lord. Send me. Isaiah 6:8. 14