December 10, Second Sunday of Advent

Stitch and Craft

Stitch and Craft will meet at 7 p.m. on December 8 in the narthex to make our projects (there will be no other meeting in December because of Christmas). You may work on whatever project you want. We also make hats for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and baby blankets for babies born to our congregation. If you are having a baby please tell the office when you know you are pregnant so we will have time to knit, or crochet, a blanket.

Beautifying the Chancel for Christmas at Grace 2024

As we enter Advent, we are looking forward to the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas Eve service. We hope to again beautify the Chancel with poinsettias, Norfolk pines and greens. You may help participate by either giving a donation to the general Christmas flower fund and/or by purchasing a poinsettia or a Norfolk pine tree.

This year you may participate in three different ways:

• Give a donation of $15 or more to the general Christmas flower fund;
• Purchase a poinsettia for $15
• Purchase a Norfolk pine for $30

For each donation or the purchase of a plant, you will have the opportunity to make a dedication which will be included in the bulletin on Christmas Eve, on Sunday, December 31, and in Grace Notes.

Shirley Traugott and Gloria Rainer will be available in the narthex on Sunday, December 10, to receive your donations and for you to make your dedications. Please be prepared to pay at the time you sign up with exact money or a check.

The floral display will be in the Chancel on December 24, December 31, and January 7. You may, however, take home a plant which you purchased any time after the December 24 service. If the temperatures are below freezing, there will be plastic bags available in which to place your plant to protect it from the cold.

Please make checks payable to Grace Lutheran Church, memo Christmas flowers.

We thank you for your participation and support.

If you have any questions please contact Gloria Rainer. [email protected] or 217-352-6115.

Recording-Breaking Attendance for Grace Food Pantry

On December 7, the Food Pantry served 102 families (343 individuals). Thank you for your continued support of the Food Pantry and thank you to our volunteers who work to serve our community each week. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jim Fleming, Dale Herrstrom, Karen Krusa, or Royce Wilken. To donate to the Food Pantry, you give online through the Grace website: https://glccu.org/donate/.

Return of the Kneelers

At the request of some who miss the practice, the Worship committee has decided to bring back kneeling for the confession and the prayers in the seasons of Advent and Lent. Since kneeling and standing do not mix very well, we ask that if you do not wish to kneel that you sit instead.

Introducing the Gospel of Mark

Join us this Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Hoffmeister Room for an introduction to the Gospel according to Mark. This is the Gospel we’ll be reading from in this new church year. Having a sense of Mark's overall theme and strategy can help you better to appreciate the individual readings as they come up throughout the year.

Readings and Psalm

Isaiah 40:1-11: Good news of God’s coming to a people in exile

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13: Righteousness shall prepare a pathway for God. (Ps. 85:13)

2 Peter 3:8-15a: Waiting for and hastening the day of God

Mark 1:1-8: John appears from the wilderness

John calls people to repent, to clear the decks, to completely reorder their lives so that nothing gets in the way of the Lord’s coming. The reading from Isaiah gives the context for this radical call: the assurance of forgiveness that encourages us to repent; the promise that the coming one will be gentle with the little ones. Isaiah calls us all to be heralds with John, to lift up our voices fearlessly and say, “See, your God is coming!” We say it to one another in worship, in order to say it with our lives in a world in need of justice and peace.

Worship Support

Assisting Minister: Helen Repp

Reader: Jack Wilkie

Deacon: Nancy Marshall

Ushers: Jim and Jo Fleming

Greeters: Dorsey family

Sound Technician: Kevin Vail

Video Technician:

Flowers: Given by Kathy and Van Bowersox, to the Glory of God.

Coffee Hour: Mary Jo Erickson and Gail Hug

For the upcoming Worship Support schedule, see the spreadsheet found here on Google Drive.

December 10 to 17

Sunday, December 10

9:30 a.m.: Worship Service (in-person/livestream)

10:45 a.m.: LSSI Presentation with Pastor Kelly Nieman Anderson (Hoffmeister Room)

12 p.m.: Women's AA (Hoffmeister Room)

3 p.m.: Advent Cantata (St. Matthew's Lutheran Church)

Monday, December 11

10 a.m.: Food for Seniors (Fellowship Hall)

6:30 p.m.: Wood Carving Group (Kitchenette)

6:30 p.m.: Finance Committee Meeting (Hoffmeister Room)

7 p.m.: Bell Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

Tuesday, December 12

6 a.m.: Food for Seniors (Fellowship Hall)

7 p.m.: Faith Circle (Narthex, Zoom)

Wednesday, December 13

7 p.m.: Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

Thursday, December 14

10 a.m.: Food Pantry (Fellowship Hall)

Friday, December 15

4 p.m.: Parent Wonders DSC (Fellowship Hall)

Sunday, December 17

9:30 a.m.: Worship Service (in-person/livestream)

10:45 a.m.: Adult Sunday School (Hoffmeister Room)

12 p.m.: Women's AA (Hoffmeister Room)

Prayer Requests



We have two formal ways of praying for one another at Grace. One is in the Sunday morning worship service, where we pray for people by name in the Prayers of Intercession. They will also be listed in the emailed and printed versions of GraceNotes, but not in the web version. Please send prayer requests for the Sunday-morning prayers to [email protected]. You may also submit prayer requests on our website at https://glccu.org/prayer-requests/.

Web Pages & Zoom Access



Please see the emailed version of GraceNotes in your inbox for information on how to access webpages and the Zoom link.

Using GLC Facilities



Our facilities are available for use by members and by outside groups. If you would like to use any part of the facility, please fill out a Facilities Use Request, found on the web site, and contact Alex in the office to ensure that it is on the calendar, so that the space is ready for you and that you are aware of how to adjust the appropriate thermostat.