Grace Notes Weekly Update

GRACE NOTES

August 9 - 16, 2022

For Worship services please visit our YouTube channel.

A look at Young Youth & Youth Events this Summer

Our usual Young Youth & Youth programming runs during the school year - have you wondered what happens during the summer? This summer, we had 2 big events for our groups - one combined and one for each group and their families! Click HERE to see lots of photos and read about the great things we did to stay connected this summer!

WE ARE BURNING THE MORTGAGE!

We celebrate that our Striking the Match for Burning the Mortgage drive has been incredibly successful: together, we have committed $46,890!

This is such abundant generosity, and we give thanks for every person who has joined in this drive, including those who have been giving faithfully to pay off the mortgage for years! We also give a special thanks for our donor household, whose generosity has inspired so much more!

This $46,890 will FULLY PAY OFF our mortgage in early September! We'll be scheduling our mortgage burning soon, and we'll let you know when we do so you can plan to be there to celebrate with us.

Additionally, the funds that exceed the mortgage payoff will go to the Capital Expense Fund, to be used to care for this property we are called to steward. This will immediately cover some long-needed updates in our main bathrooms, which we look forward to seeing soon.

Thank you again for your abundant generosity and joining with us to open the door to a new part of Grace's future! We are excited to see where God leads us next!

LIFT meets THIS Saturday, August 13, from

11:00am - 2:00pm at the

The White House at Grace Lutheran

Hostess: Kerri Howley

Refreshments: It's been so hot this summer it's hard to think of heavy foods - the theme for lunch is Summer Fruits or Salad Favorites. Kerri will provide main salad and drinks. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Topic: Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Please click HERE to contact Karen Harris with any questions.

Grace will be hosting Family Promise guests August 21-28!

Family Promise is a 30-year-old national program with over 200 affiliates in 42 states helping homeless

parents and children resume and maintain self-sufficiency. Grace, along with more than a dozen other local congregations, has been a part of the ministry for over 20 years.

We need YOUR help to make this a success.

Your time and effort given to host Family Promise make a concrete difference in the lives of our guests. Creating a safe and welcoming home for a week is a blessing, and we are grateful for your participation!

Volunteers are needed during the week to ready the church for guests, prepare evening meals, visit with families (up to 15 people) and spend the night at the church. You can sign up to help by clicking HERE.

Volunteer opportunities include:

-Sunday, Aug 21, 11 am - four volunteers are needed for about an hour to transform Sunday School rooms into bedrooms for families for the week; tasks include moving tables & chairs, inflating mattresses, making beds, putting down rugs, etc.

-At 6 pm every night (except Tuesday) a meal is needed for up to 15 people and Grace guests; two or three people are asked to plan, prepare and serve the meal, cooking offsite or in Grace’s kitchen. Volunteers and their families are encouraged to be present and eat with our guests. Beverages and ice cream along with serving/eating utensils, plates, cups, napkins, etc. are furnished by the church.

-From 6-8 pm each night (except Tuesday) one or two volunteers are needed as evening hosts to eat dinner with the families and stay to visit, play games, walk around the block, watch TV, etc.

-Beginning at 8 pm Sunday through Saturday, two volunteers (one female and one male) are needed to be a presence at the church until 7 a.m. the next morning. Air mattresses are supplied and volunteers are housed in separate classrooms.

-Sunday the 28 at 7:30 am, three people are needed to prepare classrooms for Sunday School.

-Following Aug 28 one or two volunteers are needed to launder church-owned bed linens for use the next time we host Family Promise.

Thank you for your support of this ministry!

Questions about Grace hosting Family Promise? Contact Sig Huitt at 704/576-0407 or email him HERE.

Seniors@Grace - Thursday, August 25

Seniors@Grace are getting together for a throwback event. Mark your calendars for Thursday August 25th for an old fashioned hymn sing with an old fashioned traditional fried chicken and all the trimmings luncheon. Monty Bennett will be at the keyboard to play a wonderful selection of old hymn favorites selected by our very own Norma Surratt. Each set of hymns will be followed by one of us sharing a story recounting a time we got in trouble at church or Sunday school. Please give Norma a call if you want to be included in this portion of the program.

We will gather at 11:30 am in the Fellowship Hall with lunch at noon followed by the hymn sing. If you can make it on August 25 please let Annie Laurie Wheat know by Tuesday, August 23 at (803) 517-0626 (cell) or (803 980-1834 (home) or by email: wheatannielaurie@gmail.com

Children's Choir starts September 4!

Miss Irene is excited to announce ‘Ways to Praise’ as the theme for Grace Lutheran Children’s Choir this year. We will begin rehearsing on September 4th, 2:50-3:30 in the Choir Room and will rehearse weekly thereafter. All children ages 5-10 are welcome. Questions: contact Irene at 704-517-5403.

Fall music programs are starting back up!

Consider joining one of our ensembles.

Grace Ringers will begin on August 29 at 6:20 pm.

Grace Alone will begin on August 29 at 7:20pm.

Parish Choir will begin on August 31 at 7:00 pm.

We have space in all three of these ensembles for YOU! Contact Jeremy by clicking here for more details.

Children's Choir will begin soon as well. Stay tuned for more information!

OUTREACH UPDATES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Bethel Men's Shelter has volunteer positions available for you to sign up for now! If you'd like to learn more about these positions, and/or would like to sign up, please click HERE.

Ongoing volunteer opportunities: assist with transportation, visit with the women, and serve a meal (click HERE for meal sign up).

If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity or for further information, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Amy Lane at acombslane@gmail.com or 803.659.9885.

Volunteer at HOPE

Volunteers needed Monday through Thursday mornings

(or Tuesdays at 6:00 pm). Call Rachel Bell, Volunteer Coordinator at (803) 493-5840 or Grace’s HOPE liaison, Ron Hartman, at (330) 620-4711 for more information.

Biggest need this week:

+ Diapers / Pull-ups sizes: 4, 5, 6

Other needs for this week:

+ CEREAL + Pop Tarts + Grits & Oatmeal + Canned Beans, Baked Beans, Canned Corn + Jelly + Pancake Mix & Syrup

+ Spaghetti Sauce + Individual snack packs + Condiments + Coffee (Instant & Ground) + Dog food & Cat food + Body wash & Shampoo

+ Toothpaste & Toothbrushes + Feminine Hygiene Products + Toilet paper

You can drop items off in the bin located outside the church offices when you're in the building, and a volunteer will take them over to HOPE. Please only place non-perishable items in the bin!

Altar Flower Sponsors Needed

There are several dates available to sponsor Altar Flowers.The cost is $45.00 for one (1) or $90.00 for both (2) vases. Click HERE to sign up or contact the church office.