GRACE NOTES
July 21 - 28, 2020
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This weekend, we will ONLY have in-person worship on SUNDAY. The Saturday evening service is cancelled this weekend, as SC Synod Assembly will take place all day Saturday. Online worship will continue on its regular schedule.
We invite you to view our introduction to in-person worship, found by
clicking here
.
We also ask that you familiarize yourself with the "Granting Grace to One Another" guide that outlines all of the requirements for Stages 1-4.
Please pay special attention to Stage 2
(that's where we are right now). Click
here
for the stage-based version and
here
for the table-based version of "Granting Grace."
Know that we are deeply grateful for the many ways that you, Grace members, have continued to be the church while we are apart. Our church has never been closed, just deployed. The Holy Spirit continues to work in and among us, and we continue to share God's grace with the world.
Stay up-to-date with the latest information by visiting our COVID-19 page:
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Signing Up for Worship
In accordance with Stage 2 of "Granting Grace to One Another"
if you would like to attend in-person worship, you must sign up beforehand.
After providing for our worship leaders and a handful of visitors, we will have a maximum of 40 spots available for members to sign-up and attend one of our worship services. This allows us to maintain necessary physical distancing.
To sign up for the service on
Sunday, July 26th, at 9am
, click
HERE
.
If you have difficulty using the signup links, please contact the church office. Also, when we find that we have more attendees than spaces, we will consider additional worship services.
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While we are physically apart in the coming weeks, there are still many ways for us to be church together. We invite you to connect with one another by phone and make use of the resources in this publication, too!
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WORSHIP
Click the video image for the
7th Sunday after Pentecost
Worship Service Video
from July 19.
Click
here
for the worship guide.
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Click the video image for the
Children's Sermon from
the 7th Sunday after Pentecost,
July 19.
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We invite you to "like", comment on, and share these videos!
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Each Sunday we continue to worship together online.
We will also send an email to invite you to participate.
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WORSHIP ASSISTANT VIDEOS RETURN!
We have made great strides in our recording of worship services and we are now poised to reintroduce more faces to the mix.
If you are interested in providing a worship assistant video for this coming weekend's worship, please
click here
to sign up and Pr. Gregg will contact you with the details you'll need.
Thanks to all who have helped lead us in worship so far and all those who will be leading us in the weeks to come!
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Coffee Hour on Facebook Live
Many of you have joined in the Sunday morning Facebook Live Coffee Hours, sharing your thoughts on the worship service, sermon & Scripture, shifting perspectives, the presence of God's charity and love in the world and much more. The pastors have loved getting to know you better and hope you have, too! Thanks for taking part!
Our pastors will continue to host these online
Coffee Hours
on
Sunday mornings at 11am
. We invite you to join us, and we look forward to welcoming you! Bring your coffee and your comments to take part in this community gathering!
We'll also continue to launch our
worship service
on
Facebook Premiere
at
10am
on Sundays, so that those who wish can worship at the same time and even say hello. We'll continue to post the worship service on YouTube and the website at
7:30am
for those who prefer to access it that way.
We invite you to share the links to our services and coffee hours; though we are apart, we can still share the Good News of God through worship and fellowship.
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ELCA SC Synod Assembly July 25, 2020
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2020 is the Thirty-Third Assembly of the South Carolina Synod and the 195th meeting of the Lutheran Church in South Carolina. The 2020 Assembly will include several items of business for our consideration, including the
election of a Bishop
using the Ecclesiastical Ballot and the presentation of Nominations for other various offices and committees.
Click
here
for more information about the event.
We invite your prayers for all those who will be voting and electing, and for those who will be discerning a call to the role of Bishop.
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We rejoice with Ashly Cartner & Timothy Bolus, who were united in marriage on July 18, 2020
!
If you would like to share your congratulations and best wishes with the happy couple, you can send cards to
Ashly & Timothy Bolus
739 Old Friendship Road, Rock Hill, SC 29730
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Earlier this year, the Outreach Committee sent a $1,000 grant to the Rock Hill Schools Education Foundation. They sent us a thank you photo and letter, shared here.
Dear Members at Grace Lutheran Church,
We thank you all tremendously for your recent support of the Back the Pack program. Because of the recent crisis, our feeding numbers increased by over 30%. Because of your investment in students, the need is continually being met. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus!
All the best, Amanda Haskin, on behalf of the RHSEF board of directors
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From the Pastors
Click
here
to read the Pastors' remarks
from their reports to Council for July 2020.
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This week, the Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church and the ELCA co-hosted a webinar regarding advocacy tools available to all of us so that we can better love our neighbors.
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Faith Communities Census Weekend of Action: July 24-26
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Have you responded to the 2020 US Census yet?
By responding to the Census, you can help shape the future of our congregation, neighborhood, and community. Over the next 10 years, data from the 2020 Census will inform the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds each year that support education, health care, emergency services, housing and food assistance, and more. Filling out the Census helps ensure that our community receives the services and support we need - it is a way to love our neighbors!
Please go to 2020Census.gov or click on the image, and respond today to make America’s tomorrow brighter.
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Back in March, the Stewardship Committee kicked off our Time and Talent event, inviting everyone to connect their gifts and talents to the many ministries at Grace. The pandemic interrupted us, but we still received 67 volunteer sheets! Thanks to those who turned them in!
The Stewardship Committee will be sending out the results of these sheets to the committee chairs and ministry leaders in the coming week. While some of our ministries are on hold right now, many others are finding ways to meet and work remotely, and we want to be able to use and share our time and talents well!
If you volunteered for a ministry or committee, be on the lookout for communication from that group in the coming weeks. If you did not get a chance to turn in your Time and Talent sheet, but want to connect with a group, please email
Pr. Rachel
and she'll help you do so. Thank you for sharing your gifts with Grace!
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Visit Virtually With Your Small Group!
Have you been missing spending time with your small group at Grace? Whether it's your Sunday School class, your card group, your volunteer cohort, or your unofficial coffee hour table,
our small groups are an important part of our connections at Grace. While we are apart, we still want to find opportunities for fellowship.
Grace's Zoom account is available for small groups! Join your small group online for fellowship, devotions, checking in, and more. Want to play games via Zoom? Pr. Rachel can give you some ideas!
If you'd like to set up a Zoom visit with your small group, please email
Pr. Rachel
or
Pr. Gregg
to schedule your online fellowship time.
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Offering Our Gifts to God - Monetary Offering
Part of our worship is offering our gifts to God. While we are apart, it is still faithful to offer our gifts. You can give in several ways:
- Give online by clicking here (and you have the option to offset the cost of giving online)
- Set up giving though your bank
- Mail your offering to the church office.
If you are attending worship in-person, we ask that you still utilize one of these three giving options, which will limit the virus exposure risk for our offering tabulators.
Thank you for for continued faithful giving!
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Gifts & Talents Pictures
Our worship has been enhanced by your photos of projects, experiences, and joys these last few months - thank you for sharing! We would love to see more of what you're doing - please send photos to our Video Editor, Craig Allen by
clicking here
.
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FAITH FORMATION RESOURCES
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Taking Faith Home
carries the previous Sunday's themes throughout the week. These devotions include daily Scripture readings, prayers, hymn suggestions, milestones, conversation starters, service opportunities, and at-home rituals.
Click
here
for the week of July 19
Click
here
for the week of July 26
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Click
here
for previously featured (and still available!) resources.
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Summer Children and Youth Programming at Grace
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Young Youth and Grace Youth Ministry (GYM)
Young Youth & GYM met on Sunday and will meet again via Zoom on
July 26
.
We continue to enjoy each other's company & grow in our faith online. Please email
Pr. Rachel
with any questions. We give thanks that we can still take part in community in this way!
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Click the image for
our current
Grace Prayer List
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Click the image for
Memorials and Gifts
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Click the image for our
July Birthdays
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Billy needs a new home!
Donna Wylie has shared a need: her dog, Billy, finds himself in need of a new home with a fence, where he can go on walks, share lots of love, and make some new friends. If you know of someone who might have a good home for Billy, please contact Donna Wylie directly, or call the Church Office.
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Committee Meetings can be held on Zoom! If your Committee would like to use Zoom, the pastors can help. Please click
here
to email the pastors if you'd like to set up a Zoom meeting.
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June Giving and Expenses
June Received $66,883
June Expenses $48,640
Budgeted to Spend $50,852
YTD Received $277,989
YTD Expenses $234,882
YTD Budgeted to Spend $254,260
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Can We Help?
This pandemic has affected each of us, but may have affected us in different ways.
If you are in need of help (of any kind), please reach out to the pastors.
We can find connections to resources and/or support together.
We want to walk with you. Please call or email us.
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Stay connected! Click on the links below!
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Most in-person activities at
Grace Lutheran Church are suspended until further notice.
At this time, please do not come
to the church building unless you have
signed up to attend worship.
We are praying for the health and well-being of our community and world.
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GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
426 Oakland Avenue
Rock Hill, SC 29730
(740) 312-5774
(Pastor Gregg’s cell)
(864) 230-3816
(Pastor Rachel’s cell)
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
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