Grace's Congregation Council met again yesterday, June 22, and continued the discussion surrounding when and how we might begin to resume some in-person activities.
Council has voted to add in-person worship opportunities beginning on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th. Importantly, online worship will continue when in-person worship resumes.
Please read a letter from Pr. Gregg for more information by
clicking here
.
To continue preparing in the meantime, we 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." The information is the same in both (just presented in two different formats).
As we continue getting things ready, 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
Stage 2 of "Granting Grace to One Another" requires signups for attending in-person worship, to ensure that we limit attendance in each service to no more than 50 people total, which allows us to maintain necessary physical distancing.
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.
To sign up for the service on
Saturday
, June 27th, at 7pm, click
HERE
.
To sign up for the service on
Sunday
, June 28th, 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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Click on the video link for the latest message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, who shares a story about her father in honor of Father's Day, and also shares the intersection of her father's story and that of the Tuskegee Airmen
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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, justice, taking trips, and 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
. If you've never been, we invite you to join us on Facebook this week!
If you've joined before, we hope you'll keep coming. 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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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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June Remarks from
Our Pastors
In their reports to Council each month, Pastor Gregg and Pastor Rachel conclude with some personal remarks that summarize the most recent period of their leadership here at Grace.
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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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WORSHIP
Click the video image for the
3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Worship Service Video
from June 21.
Click
here
for the worship guide.
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Click the video image for
the Children's Sermon from
the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost,
June 21.
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We invite you to "like", comment on, and share these videos!
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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 will be attending worship in-person once it is available, 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! While we transition to adding in-person worship to our online worship opportunity, we will be taking a break from featuring these photos in worship. However, we invite you to continue sending them, as we will be looking for other ways to show how Grace is using the gifts God gives us all. If you'd like to share how you're using your gifts, please send pictures to
Pr. Gregg.
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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 June 21
Click
here
for the week of June 28
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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 will meet via Zoom every-other week during the summer (June 14 & 28, July 12 & 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 meet 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
June Birthdays
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Click the image for our
July Birthdays
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A Note from the Race and Reconciliation Committee
Last October, Rock Hill’s Race & Reconciliation group (which had its beginnings at Grace) had a program featuring Doug O'Neal, a man who served a quarter century in jail before being exonerated and released. The topic attracted the attention of Scott Morgan of SC Public Radio. Recently, the statewide network won a Radio Television Digital News Association regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Morgan’s story, “A Quarter Century for Murder and an Ex-Prosecutor’s Change of Heart.”
Click
here
to listen to this story.
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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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May Giving and Expenses
May Received $66,883
May 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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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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