Bless the world! Be God s grace!

Transcription

1 Ministry Announcements for the week of February 11, 2018 Bless the world! Be God s grace! AS A GIFT OF GRACE, members of the prayer team are available for you in the prayer chapel (Across the hall from the chapel) following service. TODAY! Grace Ladies Luncheon Sunday, February 11 at 1:00pm Fellowship Hall Guest Speaker: Pastor Mike Hanck; Salem Lutheran Church Topic: The Mission of Salem Our speaker Mike Hanck, is Pastor of a caring and loving congregation, seeking to serve their neighborhood, one of the poorest in Ohio. They believe that God uses them to continue to tell the story of Jesus Christ and God's love, through both words and actions. They are not a monetarily wealthy congregation; they are a congregation that is being poured out for the world in the Spirit of Christ, and it is in this spirit that they consider the Salem Parish, indeed wealthy. Please join us in learning about the future mission of Salem Lutheran Church. Lunch will feature an array of salads, rolls and desserts. There is no charge for the luncheon. We ask that you bring a personal care item to donate. PLEASE bring a friend. Sign up at coffee hour on Sundays or on the Grace Community Board located opposite the church office. Epiphany 2018 Seeking Gifts of Church Membership: Opening the Treasure of Scripture (based on the book, I Am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer) Sunday, February 11; Treasuring Today s Bible Treasure; Ephesians 2:8-9 & First Corinthians 12:27-28 A Simple Guide for Behavior 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Matthew 7:3-5 The Message (MSG) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NRSV) ATTENTION LADIES OF RUTH CIRCLE; ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018, AT 10:00 A.M. THERE WILL BE A MEETING IN FELLOWSHIP HALL TO PLAN THE UPCOMING LENTEN LUNCHEONS. PLEASE JOIN US.

2 2018 LENTEN POTLUCK LUNCHEONS AND SUPPERS Theme for Lent: Moving Inward: Seeking the Transformation We Need February 14 ASH WEDNESDAY NOON AND 7:00 P.M. WORSHIP SERVICES WITH IMPOSITION OF ASHES Both services in the Chapel Congregational Luncheons served at 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall Service follows at Noon (Bring a sandwich if you wish) Soup, Dessert and Beverages will be provided. Congregational Potluck Suppers served at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall Service follows at 7:00 p.m. If you are able to make soup or a dessert for any one of the noon luncheons, Please sign-up on the flyer that was provided for Jean Baranski. FOOD SUGGESTIONS FOR POTLUCK SUPPERS Soup, Casseroles, Salads, Desserts, Rolls, Sloppy Joes/buns or other sandwich items, etc. CLEAN-UP CREWS (TO BE NOTIFIED) FEB. 21 W. & M. Committee FEB. 28 Church Council MAR. 7 - Women at the Well MAR. 14 Prayer Group/Property SCHEDULE EVENING POTLUCK/6:00 p.m. MAR.21 Adult Choir/Bell Choir DON T BE SHY INVITE A FRIEND (OR TWO) TO JOIN YOU BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! ************************************************************** IF YOUR ARE UNABLE TO BRING A DISH TO THE POTLUCK, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ATTEND ANYWAY. WE ALWAYS HAVE PLENTY OF DELICIOUS FOOD AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US. *********************************** UPCOMING DATES TO INCLUDE ON YOUR CALENDAR TODAY! Feb. 11 WATW Luncheon (see page one for details) Feb. 14 Ash Wednesday March 10 Family Movie Night, hosted by Grace Youth March 11 Daylight Savings Time Begins March 25 Palm Sunday April 1 Easter April 27 Luther League Rummage Sale Set-up. 4pm - 8pm. April 28 Luther League Rummage Sale 9am - 2pm

3 LENT 2018 MOVING INWARD: SEEKING THE TRANSFORMATION WE NEED [God] longs for our presence. And he is inviting you - and me - to come home, to come home where we belong. From Richard J. Foster s Prayer: Finding the Heart s True Home, pg. 1 Mindfulness invites a contemplating soul into the grace of understanding that all analogies spring a leak somewhere along the quest for insight. Particularly, I find analogies about the Infinitely Divine not able to carry all the water all the way. For example, while the Shepherd of the 23 rd Psalm and Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer of the 18 th carry great water for this thirsty soul many times, all the Old Testament analogies drain out at the cross of the Crucified One. Yet, there at the cross happens another of God s miracles: The Crucified One invites deeper and broader my understandings of Shepherd, Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer. What a cross of grace is the cross of Christ. The above sings true for me when analogies invite me to think upon God s own heart. Does God the Father have a cardiac organ? I don t think so. Yet, upon the cross I see God the Son who lived in this physiological world and felt what it feels like to be moved deep down in (i.e., to the bowels) with compassion (splagchnizomai, pronounced: splangkh-nid'-zom-ahee) and have that compassion pour out. As such, thinking upon God s heart is helpful for me as this year s invitation to a Lenten quest comes around again. I find enriching Richard Foster s analogy of God s heart being open, pouring out and welcoming me to come in to home: welcome to come higher up and deeper in. (pg. 2) Beginning in Lent and bearing refreshment for our spiritual life-together deep into this Year of Prayer will be Richard Foster s, Prayer: Finding the Heart s True Home.... this book is not about definitions of prayer or terminology for prayer or arguments about prayer, though all of these things have their place. Nor is it about methods and techniques of prayer, though I am sure we will discuss both. No, this book is about a love relationship: an enduring, continuing, growing love relationship with the great God of the universe. (pg. 3) Ponder not this year s Lenten quest as a climbing upon intellectual heights; rather, ponder falling upon the graces of spiritual depths. As such, consider this analogybased thought: With simplicity of heart we allow ourselves to be gathered up into the arms of the Father and let him sing his love song over us. (pg. 4) Return, dear soul, alongside the dame by the well and heed the invitation to draw from the spring of living water come to you. Keep mindful Continues next page...

4 He who promises:... those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life. (John 4:14) Gushing up to eternal life? In the Fourth Gospel, eternity begins now. This living water offers beginning eternity in you now: To pray is to change. This is a great grace. How good of God to provide a path whereby our lives can be taken over by love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and selfcontrol. (pg. 6) LENT 2018 MOVING INWARD: SEEKING THE TRANSFORMATION WE NEED February 14 Beginning Again Ash Wednesday (Simple Prayer) Chapel February 18 1 st Sunday in Lent Desperate Alone Abandoned All the previous and more (The Prayer of the Forsaken) February 25 March 4 March 11 March 18 Remembering Love and Inviting the Scrutiny of Love 2 nd Sunday in Lent (The Prayer Examen) Penthos [mourning, yes... and more] 3 rd Sunday in Lent (The Prayer of Tears) Moving from Struggling to Releasing 4 th Sunday in Lent (The Prayer of Relinquishment) Molding this Lump Named Me 5 th Sunday in Lent (Formation Prayer) March 25 Coming to Home Palm Sunday (Covenant Prayer) SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE HOUR - The coffee hostesses enjoy serving the Grace congregation coffee, cookies, brownies, fresh fruit etc. each Sunday during the fellowship coffee hour. To help ease the cost of these wonderful goodies, currently being purchased by your Sunday hostesses, beginning Sunday, January 3rd we will be placing a free-will offering basket on the small coffee table. Thank you in advance for your help.

5 EASTER LILY VBS 2018 FUNDRAISER STARTS TODAY. CHECK YOUR BULLETIN FOR AN ORDER FORM. IN THIS ERA OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, we find it necessary to update our member information regularly so as we can keep you, our Grace Friends and Family, well informed. If you have relocated, done away with your land-line, have a new cell # and/or address, would you be so kind as to provide us with your updated information. You will find green Staying Connected forms in the narthex and in the foyer nearest the church office today. Simply complete the form and place it in the offering plate or mail in to the church office; 4441 Monroe St. Toledo OH OR stop by the church office on your way out Tammy will gladly update your information. Thank you. FEED YOUR NEIGHBOR COLLECTION BOX NEEDS YOUR HELP! WE ARE IN NEED OF PLASTIC BAGS AND/OR PAPER SHOPPING BAGS. We've all seen the person sitting on the sidewalk or at the off ramp onto the highway, maybe you've seen them in the park holding that sign that says "HUNGRY" or WILL WORK FOR FOOD. But what if that person wasn't holding a sign, what if that person was your neighbor or best friend. What if you didn't know that the person whom you talk to everyday was hungry or struggling to make ends meet, or that the only meal that their child ate was the lunch served at school each day. You can help us help them. Collection boxes located in the outreach room behind the sacristy. For additional details see Bob Haaf or contact the church office. LUTHERAN MEN IN MISSION ANNUAL MEETING Heart for Mission, Vision for the Future March 12, 2018 Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn, 5665 Levis Commons in Perrysburg, Ohio Tickets $30.00 For Reservations, please call Joyce Willier at or jwillier@lssnwo.org by March 7, THE 2018 FLOWER CHART IS OUT and set up in the north hallway on a table located next to the drinking fountain. Altar Flowers are ordered for you, unless otherwise requested. The flowers are ordered from Ansted Shuster Flowers, located across the street from Grace. The charge is around $40 and there is never a delivery charge. See Tammy Smart if you have any questions concerning altar flowers. Thank you.

6 Grace Full Friends This is a ministry at Grace designed to share the love of Christ with individuals with developmental disabilities. It s a time to share a lesson, sing, pray, make a craft, and enjoy a snack. Check the bulletin board across from the church office for updates and samples of crafts made by our Grace Full Friends. Please consider joining us soon. Grace Full Friends meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Additional information; Bob Haaf rahaaf@aol.com 9:30 9:30 Date Assisting Minister Acolyte/ Crucifer Lector Ushers Fellowship Hour Hostess FEB. 11 FRITZ GOOCH MILENA SLAYBAUGH WENDY MCCALL GRETCHEN HIATT NANCY LOCKARD FEB. 18 BOB HAAF SAMANTHA BEE PEYTON BLOOD LAURA FROST PAULA CUMPIAN CARLA WOOTEN FEB. 25 PETE COOK IAN KONDALSKI SUE MELCHERT SUE MELCHERT KAREN WEIMER MAR. 4 PETER KRAMP MADISON RAY OPEN NANCY JOHNSON DEBBIE JOHNSON Weekly Average Offerings - YTD $ 4,640 Offerings for February 4, 2018 $ 4,262 Offerings Needed Each Week $ 4,900 His Great Love Our Response Attendance, Sunday 02/04 9:30 AM 102 Attendance, Sunday 02/04 10:30 AM 22 SS Attendance, Sunday 02/04 6 Please support the mission and ministry of these people called Grace by making regular contributions to the Current fund as your weekly or monthly offering. Also those who can please consider additional gifts to the Capital Improvements Fund to assist with the repayment of our debt. IMPORTANT NOTICE! The 2018 Flower Chart is out and set up in the north hallway on a table located next to the drinking fountain. Altar Flowers are ordered for you, unless otherwise requested. The flowers are ordered from Ansted Shuster Flowers, located across the street from Grace. The charge is around $40 and there is never a delivery charge. See Tammy Smart if you have any questions concerning altar flowers. Thank you.

7 EVENTS AT GRACE THIS WEEK - FEB. 11-FEB. 18, 2018