GRACE NOTES
November 29 - December 6, 2022
For Worship services please visit our YouTube channel.
Advent Mid-Week Worship Services with Holden Evening Prayer

Wednesdays:

November 30
December 7, 14 & 21

Join us at 7pm on the Wednesdays of Advent for a brief worship service.
Advent Greetings from the Council President

Click HERE to read a letter from Dawn Hartman, Grace's Council President.
What's Going On At Grace

+Wed, Nov 30 - Advent Mid-Week Worship begins - will be each Wednesday during Advent at 7pm.

+Fri, Dec 2 - Rock Hill Christmas Parade, 6pm (Grace hosting hot chocolate)

+Sat, Dec 3 - Winthrop Holiday Delights Concert (two concert times)

+Sun, Dec 11 - Messiah Concert, 4pm at Oakland Baptist Church

+Sat, Dec 17 - Grace Christmas Festival, 4-6pm

+Sat, Dec 24 - Christmas Eve Services at 5, 7, and 11pm

+Sun, Dec 25 - Christmas Day Service - 10am (one combined service)

Many of these events have more details in other sections. This section is updated each week, so keep checking in. You can also see the full church calendar HERE.
Join us for this year's Holiday Delights THIS Saturday, December 3. Desserts and Music at 4pm and 7pm at Grace. Concert at Oakland Ave Presbyterian at 4:45pm and 7:45pm.
Click HERE to purchase tickets.
Grace Craft Group
is meeting next Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 11am - 1pm in room 107. This group is for crafters of any skill level and any craft, with the group’s purpose to craft items that will be donated to different organizations in need of those items. 

We hope you'll join in the fun! See Sabrina Blanks with any questions.
Seniors@Grace
Thursday, December 8 is our annual Christmas gift exchange!  We will do a potluck lunch in memory of Jackie Hilton followed by our White Elephant Gift Exchange. Start looking for that special something to wrap up and give away. 
New friends to the group have no idea what fun we have during this annual event that we have missed having since Christmas 2019. Please RSVP for this event and let me know what you are bringing for lunch by December 6, 2022.

If you have questions or just want to sign up contact Annie-Laurie Wheat at 803 517-0626 (cell) home phone 803 980-1834 or by email at [email protected]

Make plans to join us for our annual Christmas Concert on December 17th!
And consider inviting a friend to join you!
Children’s Choir to perform in the annual Christmas Concert and in worship on December 18!

The children are ready to celebrate the gift of Jesus through their gift of music. They will be singing songs showing how important animals were in the simple manger and the miracle birth. They are so excited to be costumed in various animals made by Sabrina Blanks and I wanted to share a sneak peak of Sabrina’s sketch of the Donkey. We will also have cows, sheep, doves, roosters and more. Such fun in our manger! Make sure to have December 17, 4 pm at Grace on your calendar for our Christmas Concert. Music presented by all of our ensembles will surely put you in the Christmas Spirit.
Our Annual Christmas Giving Opportunities have arrived! Read on to see how you can be part of our Angel Tree and Giving Tree giving to the community.
Angel Tree: Gifts for Children
ALL THE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SPONSORED! THANK YOU!

The biggest need this year is winter accessories and outerwear, however surprises like toys and games are always appreciated. All gifts need to be dropped off in the Fellowship Hall NO LATER than December 11.
There will be a marked spot for the children's gifts, please do not place them with the gifts for the seniors. Please make sure you include a label on the front, right hand corner of the gift with the child's name and age clearly marked so we can ensure each child receives the correct gift. Click HERE to review the sign up.
Giving Tree: Gifts for Adults
8 Adults are still in need of a Sponsor!

This outreach provides needed gifts to our Meals on Wheels recipients. Please sign up online, purchase the items listed beside the name, wrap the gifts, and attach a label at the top right corner of the gift with your person's name and Route Number clearly written. All gifts can be dropped off in the fellowship hall and are due by Sunday, December 11. Click HERE for the link to sign up.
 
If you have any questions, you can contact Vivian Robinson. Thank you in advance for your contributions!
Christmas Eve at Grace

We will have 3 opportunities to worship together on December 24th:
5pm, 7pm, and 11pm

Each is a Service of Holy Communion
The 5pm service includes an extended Children's Message which serves as the sermon
Christmas Poinsettias

Poinsettias will be placed in the Sanctuary for Christmas Eve services. You have an opportunity to either purchase one or more poinsettias. Please click HERE to sign up. The price per plant is $11.00. Please order your poinsettia by Sunday, Dec. 18.
Christmas Eve Worship Assistant Roles are Still Available!
We invite you to be part of leading our services to welcome Christ, the Newborn King!
Click on the service times below to add your name to the worship assistant schedules for Christmas Eve.
Click HERE for the current schedule.
We are glad to share that as of today, we have
92 Commitments
for a total of
$476,194.00 committed

Thank you to everyone who has made their commitment, in person or online.

If you have not had a chance to make your commitment, please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to support the mission we share at Grace. Then, make your commitment in one of these ways:

+ Click HERE to use the Digital Commitment Card
+ Enter your commitment in Realm (instructions HERE)
+ Bring your Commitment Card to the church office
Thank you in advance for making your commitment!
Eagle Court of Honor Invitation

All Grace members are invited to the Eagle Court of Honor for Griffen Stephenson. Griffen's Eagle Project was the refurbishment and reconstruction of our White House Garden benches and altar. Griffen has expressed his deep thanks to Grace for the opportunity to partner with us for his project, and we thank him for his hard work!
We rejoice with Jessica and Darrin Dawkins on the birth of their daughter, Olivia Rose Dawkins, born on November 23, 2022.
Proud grandparents are Cindy and Neal Barber.
OUTREACH UPDATES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Grace will be hosting Family Promise guests Jan. 1-8, 2023!
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. You can sign up to help by clicking HERE.
 
Volunteer opportunities include:
 
-Sunday, Jan. 1, 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 Jan. 8 at 7:30 am, three people are needed to prepare classrooms for Sunday School.
 
-Following Jan. 8 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 Pr. Rachel
Biggest needs at HOPE:
Feminine Hygiene Products, Body Wash, Shampoo, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Soup, Condiments, Cereal, Canned Vegetables, Soap, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste & Laundry Detergent

HOPE is experiencing a shortage of many items right now! Please take a look at the "biggest needs" and consider adding a few to your cart on your next shopping trip.

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!
Palmetto Community Health Care is looking for volunteers! Click the video to learn more about how they serve our community and how you can take part.
Volunteers are needed to visit with guests at the Cottage from 6:40-8:00pm on Nov. 12. If you are interested in helping, please contact Stefany Tindale at 803.322.6570.

Another need is for volunteers for driving a 10 passenger van from Hope Fellowship Church to Pathways starting at 7:00-7:15 AM and finishing at approximately 8:15 AM. This entails two round trips ( approximate total 15-18 ladies ) along with stopping at the HUB for those who need to take the bus and two drop offs at job sites.

Ron Hartman shares, "This is very easy and fulfilling work for less than a handful of mornings a month. I serve as a backup driver and will be willing to answer any questions. Please contact me at 330-620-4711."
Congregation Connections

The Sanctuary candle for the month of December is given by Pat and Bill Yoos in honor of Bill's 80th birthday and in memory of our parents.

The Altar Flowers for December 4 are given by Kim and Jeff Myers in memory of Shane Myers.

The Altar Flowers for December 4 are given by Judy Hall in loving memory of my parents, Mr. & Mrs. W. Osborne Herlong, Sr.
Grace continues to keep our Sanctuary Candle burning every week, a sign of the continuing presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. Members are able to sponsor the candle in memory or honor of someone. The cost of the candle is $25.
 
Click HERE to sign up.
It has been a long-standing tradition at Grace for members to sponsor the weekly flowers. The cost is $45.00 for one (1) or $90.00 for both (2) vases. Each date on the sign-up form has two (2) spaces, check the number of vases you wish to sponsor, please check both if you are signing up for both vases.

Please click HERE to sign up.
Worship Assistant Schedule

Click HERE for the Worship Assistant Schedules.

Don't see your name? Want to be part of leading worship? Email the church office today!
Offering Our Gifts to God

Your gifts to Grace allow our ministry to happen! You can give in several ways:

  • Give via the offering plate in worship
  • Give online by clicking HERE (you have the option to offset the cost of giving online)
  • Set up giving though your bank
  • Mail your offering to the church office.

Thank you for continued faithful giving!
Click HERE for the October Treasurer's Report
Final Annual Business Meeting Recap

In case you missed it, here's one last chance to review the results from Grace's 2022 Annual Business Meeting:

  • Click here to read the draft of the meeting minutes
  • Click here to see the approved 2023 Missional Spending Plan (summary)
  • Click here to see the approved 2023 Missional Spending Plan (detail)
  • Click here to see a recording of the meeting
  • Click here to see a video with highlights from worship, fellowship, and the meeting

Thanks to all who helped make this event such a success!
If you are in need of help (of any kind), or simply want to connect,
please reach out to the pastors. We want to walk with you.
Please call or email us.
Stay connected! Click on the links below!
GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
426 Oakland Avenue
Rock Hill, SC 29730
803.324.5295 www.gracerockhill.com

(740) 312-5774 (Pastor Gregg’s cell)
(864) 230-3816 (Pastor Rachel’s cell)

Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm