Grace Notes Weekly Update

GRACE NOTES

May 31 - June 7, 2022

For Worship services please visit our YouTube channel.

This Sunday, June 5 is Pentecost Sunday

On Pentecost, we celebrate that we have been given an Advocate to accompany us. Poured out in wind and fire, water, wine, and bread, the Holy Spirit abides in and among us. We invite you to wear red, orange, or yellow to remind us of the fire of the spirit.

What does an extension cord have to do with Grace? Join us this Sunday and find out!

The church is the people, not just the building where we gather. Still, we do gather in a specific place each week, and folks feel a disconnect from the church when they cannot take part in person.

Fortunately - since the church is the people - church can extend beyond the walls of the building and continue to connect with all its members. You can help!

We invite you to take part in a special Sunday School hour on Pentecost Sunday, as Pr. Gregg introduces a new small group that will help extend church for all of us. Please plan on joining us THIS SUNDAY, June 5 @ 10am in the Fellowship Hall.

On Sunday, we were so glad to hear from Kathy Grier, Executive Director for Palmetto Community Health Care, one of our 2022 outreach partners!

Formerly York County Free Clinic, this ministry is housed in our Place of Grace building. Thanks to everyone who was able to stick around, take a tour of the space, and hear more from Kathy; knowing our partners is the first step to walking with them!

Thanks also to everyone who donated eyeglasses! We collected 11 pairs. If you weren't able to bring them this past Sunday, we'll collect them this Sunday, June 5th, as well.

Grace will be hosting Family Promise guests June 12-19!

After a two-year COVID pause, we will re-start hosting guests from York County’s Family Promise program, helping homeless parents and children resume and maintain self-sufficiency.

We will be hosting in 2 weeks, and we are in need of a number of volunteers! If you'd like to take part in providing a safe, welcoming place for our neighbors to stay, please sign up HERE.

In particular, we still have these openings:

+ 5 nights need a female overnight host

+ 4 nights need a male overnight host

+ 5 evenings need an evening host

+ 1 dinner is needed (Friday)

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!

Volunteer opportunities include:

-Sunday, June 12, 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 19 at 7:30 am, three people are needed to prepare classrooms for Sunday School.

-Following June 19 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 704/576-0407 or email him HERE.

Join us for our gathering next Sunday, June 12 at 2:00pm.

Our topic is from Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.

Contact Karen with any questions by clicking HERE.

Our Nursery Refresh project is complete and the nursery is open for families to use!

Click HERE to learn more about what upgrades were made, to see photos of the space, and to give thanks to those who were part of this important project!

*Please note - the nursery is not currently staffed. Please do not leave your children there unattended! We do hope you'll use the space to play, nap, utilize the changing station, and more with your children!

We give thanks for the many ways our congregation uses gifts and talents to the glory of God!

Click HERE to give thanks to:

-Our Sunday School Teachers

-Irene Pointon & the Children's Choir

-Our Youth

-Our Quillow Makers

We are grateful for your ministry with us!

Going to Camp? Thinking about it?

We have scholarships available!

ELCA Summer Camp is an awesome way to spend a week forming faith, meeting friends, and spending time in creation! We have scholarship funds available to help you go to an ELCA camp!

If you'd like to apply for a scholarship, click here for the application form, and then submit it to Pr. Rachel.

If you'd like to explore local camp opportunities, click here to visit the NovusWay website. Pr. Rachel would also be glad to help.

OUTREACH UPDATES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer opportunities at Life House include: adding new mulch in the back of the house, interior trim painting, kitchen cabinet painting, and pressure washing the driveway and sidewalks.

Ongoing volunteer opportunities: assist with transportation, visit with the women, 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.

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.

Altar Flower Sponsors needed for June 19 and 26!

There are many open dates to sponsor 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.

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.

Needs for this week:

+ CEREAL (biggest need) + 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!

Worship Assistant Schedule

Click HERE for the June and July Worship Assistant Schedule.

Don't see your name? Want to join the rotation? Email the church office today!

Congregation Connections

Click here for our current Prayer List

Click here for our May Birthdays

Click here for our June Birthdays

The Sanctuary candle for the month of May is given by Elisa & Ron Gordon to the Glory of God and in memory of my parents,

Rev. Charles & Jean Mertz.

The Altar Flowers for June 5 are given by Sara & Steve Johnson in honor of our anniversary.

The Altar Flowers for June 5 are given by Leslie Dunnett.

Lose something at church? We have several items in our lost and found located at the Grace front desk outside the offices.

York County is still in need of more people to work polls on Election Day. Workers must be available on both June 14th and June 28th. Please click HERE for more information.