Grace Lutheran Church St. Hwy M-26 P.O. Box 249 South Range, MI (906) May 2015

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1 Grace Lutheran Church St. Hwy M-26 P.O. Box 249 South Range, MI (906) May 2015 Dear fellow followers of Jesus, I don t know about you, but I ve had a great time celebrating Easter this year. As Easter draws to a close with Ascension Day (May 14) and Pentecost just around the corner (May 24), I m looking forward to a time of The Church. There really is nothing better than the stories of Jesus and all he did while on earth, but the way the disciples take off in ministry after the coming of the Holy Spirit is an exciting experience. It is really quite amazing to watch Peter grow into such a powerful and dynamic preacher; and to witness the exploits of the other disciples as they continue the movement Jesus began. Before we do all that, however, it is back to the Gospel of Mark. We will see the things that Jesus did to model ministry and teach his disciples how to carry on after his death, resurrection and ascension. As I meet with the children in the After School Program in our remaining weeks, I will be talking with them about meeting Jesus in a new way. Jesus was different after his resurrection and he didn t stick around too long, so we look at all the things he did and said before the crucifixion in a new way. Rather than focusing forward as we did during Lent, our post-easter reflections on the stories of Jesus ministry with his disciples challenges us to see him and our lives of mission and ministry in a new way. We are Easter people, people of the Resurrection, and, as such, the Holy Spirit is alive in us. Just as the disciples were able to move forward without Jesus being physically present to lead them, our ministry together depends on the guidance, the pull, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Praying God s mighty blessings on you, as we see what God has in store for our faith community in the coming weeks.

2 Pastor Sally Kiitos Paljon We say thank you to ALL OF YOU who shared your time and love with our children s programs this past year. Anniversaries Bill & Sherri Lystila 20 Bruce & Kristen Rundman 26 Help Needed * Used towels and dish rags pile up in the kitchen. If you would be so kind to take them home to wash, that would be terrific!!! Birthdays Alex Butkovich 3 Buddy Parolini 5 Patrick Nettell 8 Lisa Raffaelli 11 Lorraine Makela 13 Evelyn Kaster 17 Brandon Andrews 20 Wayne Henry 23 Erica Aho 24 Paul Bridgers 27 Avia Sweeney 28 Jason Tormala 30 From the office Would you like to start receiving a weekly devotion from the church office on Mondays? Please send Katie your name and address. Newsletter items are due in the office the last week of the month. Please save your Econo receipts and return them to a box in the library. Grace receives 1% of the total receipts. Quilters Join us for Bible Study Wednesdays (after Cup of Grace) May 6 th and 20 th at 1:00pm 1 st & 3 rd Wednesdays Primetimers Tues., May 12 th Brownstone Hall at 12:00pm.

3 GODLY PLAY is a Powerful Way to Share the Good News with Children! Engaging children and young people in the church - in the weekly liturgy, into a relationship of love with God and others - is important to the people of this faith community. In recent years, we have experimented with a couple different ways of engaging people of every age in worship and learning. As demographics and interests change, we can shift with them, even as we hold fast to the truth of God s word among us. Godly Play is one way to involve children in learning and loving the stories and the actions of worship without overloading them with a great deal of information or a worksheet to complete. Years ago, this congregation, with the help of Wendy Berthelsen, put together many story kits to use by age group in our very large Sunday School. Those kits have been a great starting place for developing our Godly Play ministry. When we were hearing the Narrative Lectionary , the children were seated at the Worship Table. Tammy Harju assembled a kit for every story/every sermon. Since that time, the story kits have been further updated and space created in the nursery for them. Godly Play stories are often used during the After School Program and, at least two times each month in Sunday School. As we continue to reach more and more children with these stories that allow them to learn and make meaning for themselves, the need for additional story tellers grows. May Worship Text Sunday, May 3 John 15:1-8 Christ the vine. Sunday, May 10 John 15:9-17 Christ, the friend and lover. Sunday, May 17 Luke 24:44-53 Christ present in all times and places. Sunday, May 24 Acts 2:1 21 Filled with the Spirit Sunday, May 31 John 15:26-27; 16: 4b-15 Christ sends the Spirit of truth. Storytellers learn each story from a very directive script before telling it. No experience is needed. Most stories are accompanied by a complete kit. Some items, like the underlays, the desert box, and the mountain are used with more than one kit. A complete Godly Play session involves the storytelling, wondering time, work time, a feast (okay, small snack), and a blessing. The children are expected to participate in all activities, making choices about their level of involvement. HELP WANTED: A core group of Godly Play storytellers, are needed, who will be willing to participate in a one- day or 2-3 training events, for a total of six hours. The training will be designed and scheduled to meet the needs of those who volunteer for this important ministry. Anyone of confirmation age or older is invited to be a part of this team of storytellers. Please talk with Pastor Sally for more information or to indicate your interest.

4 Sunday s in May Sunday, May 3 rd ~ Worship with Kelly Ylitalo followed by fellowship. Sunday, May 10 th ~ Church Music Sunday, The Relay for Life team and the Grace choir will be hosting fellowship. Sunday, May 17 th ~ Graduation Sunday followed by fellowship. Sunday, May 24 th ~ Pentecost, Holy Baptism, Confirmation and 3 rd grade bibles followed by fellowship. Sunday, May 31 st ~ Worship with Pam Long followed by potluck. Grace Lutheran Congregational Contact Information Volunteer Coordinators Sharing Spiritual Gifts Marianne Bohjanen Acolytes/Bell Ringers Katie Bridgers Altar Duty Chris Davis Communion Chris DeForge Counters Marianne Bohjanen Funeral Servers Patty Savola Readers Cheryl Stimac Fellowship Carolyn Rundman Ushers Pam Long Greeters Heather Aro Ride Coordinator Katie Bridgers Office Volunteers Katie Bridgers Gardening Janet Kokko Building & Grounds Maintenance Paul Bridgers Dave Aro Tom Stimac Angela Harju Heather Aro Parsonage Maintenance Paul Bridgers Dave Aro Katie Bridgers Pam Long Grace Lutheran Council Pam Long (President) Rick Schulze (Vice President) Heather Aro (Secretary) Laurie Aho (Treasurer) Sally Wilke (Pastor) Cheryl Stimac Jeanine Baillod Rebecca Frost Dave Aro

5 PRAYERS Prayers appear monthly. If you would like to write the prayer for the month, please contact Katie. Grace Lutheran is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Worship News WOW (Worship on Wednesdays) will start on Wednesday, May 20 th, at 5:30pm. This will be the last day of our After School Program and Faith Formation. Join us for a grand celebration ending in worship. Gentle Reminder The office, financial, and custodial staff do not work on Sunday mornings. Thanks for respecting their worship time with their families. WOW is back on the 3 rd Wednesday of the month through August. Heart to Heart Prayers, Cards, Calls, Visits, Hugs Amanda Mountjoy at home Delores Paavola at home Esther Parolini at Portage Pointe Nancy Harris at home Eleanor Maki at the Bluffs Irene Kokko at Portage Pointe Pauline Wesander at Portage Pointe Fellowship on Sunday, May 11 th, where the Relay for Life team will be there offering their luminaries to those who wish to purchase one. Where s Pastor Sally? Grace Lutheran Mon. & Wed. 9am to 12:30pm Sally s day off is Thursday. On Tues. & Fri., she s at First Lutheran.

6 Counters Fellowship Greeters Ushers Acolyte Service Workers for March Altar Duty for February ~ Chris Davis May 3 May 10 May 17 May 24 May 31 C. DeForge K. Houle C. Stimac S. Slinde H. Aro M. Bohjanen K. Bridgers J. Simila C. Stimac R. Frost Sharon Maki Church Music Open Graduation Sunday POtluck Katie Bridgers Relay for LIfe Fellowship Chris Davis Bridgers Schulze Stimac Aro Family Family Family Family Jarod Butkovich Louis Raffaelli Chance Bridgers Brandon Butkovich Macy and Pearl Raffaelli Bell Ringer Chance Bridgers Pearl Raffaelli Brandon Butkovich Jarod Butkovich Louis Raffaelli S. S. Teacher(s) H. Aro M. Jeannotte Janet Kokko A. Harju M. Jeannotte No Sunday School No Sunday School Reader Angela Small Alice Kolehmainen Sue Slinde Chris Davis Rebecca Frost Church Funnies ( forward from Florence Suo) A college drama group presented a play in which one character would stand on a trap door and announce, "I descend into hell!" A stagehand below would then pull a rope, the trapdoor would open, and the character would plunge through. The play was well received. When the actor playing the part became ill, another actor who was quite overweight took his place. When the new actor announced, "I descend into hell!" the stagehand pulled the rope, and the actor began his plunge, but became hopelessly stuck. No amount of tugging on the rope could make him descend. One student in the balcony jumped up and yelled: "Hallelujah! Hell is full!" Prayer Requests If you have any prayer needs, please complete the request cards located in the pew. You may also contact Pastor Sally Wilke, Carolyn Rundman, Cheryl Stimac, Chris Davis or Katie Bridgers, as well as using our web site. The Grace Prayer Service is held the first Monday of the month at the church at 6:30pm. Knit, Pray, Crochet Anyone who enjoys crocheting or knitting, come join us on the 2 nd and 4 th Mondays at. Bring your project with you. All are welcome, beginners and experts. Refreshments are provided. If you have any questions, call Sue at The 2 nd and 4 th Mondays At

7 April Council Highlights Grace Lutheran Church will be sending a check for $ to the Synod Assembly for their little red wagon for World Hunger. The council adopted the Decision Making Guidelines to ensure consistency with the long range plan. Because the parsonage is in need of two new garage doors, a request for bids will be made. Committee Reminders Please review your committee member list and inform Katie of any updates or changes. If you have a committee meeting date set, please notify Katie at the Grace office. Dan Kirk is The Juggler With The Yellow Shoes. He ll be invading Dollar Bay, MI., on Saturday, May 9 th, 2015, with a FREE family outreach program to begin at 2:00pm with the doors to open at 1:15pm. A FREE WILL offering will be collected. The show will be held at the Dollar Bay School and is sponsored by First Lutheran Church of Dollar Bay. Let s benefit a local food bank. Please bring a nonperishable food item to the May 9th event! On Friday, May 8, 2015, Dan Kirk will be performing and speaking at the South Range Elementary School about bullying. He ll be presenting his STOP Bullying program to the students at 1:30pm.

8 Pastor Sally Wilke Office Hours Mon. & Wed. 9am to 12:30pm Katie Bridgers Grace Office: Office Hours Mon. to Thurs. 8am to 2:30pm LCW Monday, May 11 th Supper at 6:30pm at Quincy s. If you would like to car pool meet at the church at 6:00pm. How to Sing A Hymn (from The Lutheran Handbook) Music is an important part of the Lutheran tradition and an enjoyable way to build community. Hymn singing can be done without demonstrable emotion, but many otherwise stoic Lutherans appropriately channel emotion into their hymn singing and are therefore loud. 1. Locate hymns in advance ~ As you prepare for worship, consult the worship bulletin or the hymn board to find the numbers for the day s hymns. Bookmark these pages in the hymnal. 2. Familiarize yourself with the hymns ~ Examine the composer credits, the years the composer(s) lived, and whether the tune has a different name than the hymn itself. 3. Assist nearby visitors or children ~ Using a hymnal can be confusing. If your neighbor seems disoriented, help them find the correct pages, or let them read from your book. 4. Adopt a posture for best vocal performance ~ Hold the hymnal away from your body at chest level. Place one hand under the spine of the binding, leaving the other hand free to turn the pages. Keep your chin up so your voice projects outward. 5. Begin singing ~ If the hymn is unfamiliar, sing the melody for the first verse. If you read music, explore the written harmony parts during the remaining verses. 6. Focus on the hymn s content ~ Some of the lyrics may connect with a scripture reading of the day. Certain ones may be especially inspiring. 7. Avoid dreariness ~ Hymns are often sung in such a serious way that the congregation forgets to enjoy the music. Sing with energy and feeling.

9 Pentecost Sunday, May 24 th Kids Korner News Our After School Program and Faith Formation will be ending for the year on Wednesday, May 20 th. The last day of Sunday School will be Sunday, May 17 th.

10 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Pastor Sally will be out of the office May 25 th to May 31 st 1 8:00pm AA/ AL-Non 2 Bereaved Parents Lunch 3 9:45am Choir S.S. Worship 12:00pm Fellowship hosted by Sharon Maki and Katie Bridgers 4 6:30pm Prayer Service 5 Audit 6 Cup of Grace Bible Study 1:00pm Quilting 3:00pm FF/ASP 7 8 8:00pm AA/ AL-Non :45am Choir S.S. Church Music Sunday 12:00pm Fellowship 17 9:45am Choir S.S. Worship Graduation Sunday 12:00pm Fellowship 24 9:45am Choir Worship Confirmation and 3 rd Grade Bibles 12:00pm Fellowship 31 9:45am Choir Worship 12:00pm Potluck 11 Knit, Pray, Crochet 7:00pm LCW Supper at Quincy s office closed 12 12:00pm Primetimers Brownstone Hall 2:00pm LRVRT Meeting :30pm Council 13 Cup of Grace Bible Study 3:00pm FF/ASP 20 Cup of Grace Bible Study 1:00pm Quilting 3:00pm FF/ASP 5:30pm WOW 27 Cup of Grace Bible Study :00pm AA/ AL-Non 22 Harju/ Flyod Wedding Rehersal 8:00pm AA/ AL-Non 29 8:00pm AA/ AL-Non Harju/ Flyod Wedding 30