The Voice. We Entertained Angels. Hocking Hills. Social Hour. Celebrate Raise the Roof. On the Field. Governor s Office. UpTown.

Transcription

1 The Voice Westerville, Ohio November 2012 of grace Evangelical Lutheran Church We Entertained Angels Welcome Friends At the Font Hocking Hills Social Hour Celebrate Raise the Roof On the Field Governor s Office UpTown German Village See page 8

2 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, For over 100 years the people of Grace have been faithful My laptop s browser always opens to the Apple Home disciples. Rooted in tradition, Page. On Friday, October 5th, I was surprised to be Grace s history is one of pastors greeted by the voice and image of Apple founder Steve and people skating together Jobs. It was the first anniversary of his death. I heard to where mission and ministry Steve Jobs voice say one of his favorite quotes was one is going to be, not where it has by NHL great Wayne Gretzky who, when asked about been. It s not easy work. Just ask his phenomenal success on the ice, said, I skate to Wayne Gretzky. It takes dedicawhere the puck is going to be, not where it has been. tion. It takes lots of practice. It takes teamwork. And, Gretzky s words, said Jobs, describe his apthe key to our to be honest, there are those times when it proach to leading Apple and the corporate culsuccess, or, as I takes sacrifice. ture he sought to foster. I invite you to circle Sunday, November My pastor s brain immediately made a would rather say, 18th on your calendar. On that day we will connection with what we are about as disci- our faithfulness, have our annual Congregational Meeting ples of Jesus called Grace Evangelical Lu- is to look toward immediately following the 11 am worship theran Church. The key to our success, or, as the horizon in service. This is the meeting at which we I would rather say, our faithfulness, is to look elect people who have said Yes to the call toward the horizon in the direction our Lord the direction our to serve our Lord on our Church Council. is calling us. I have seen too many congrega- Lord is calling us. This is the meeting where we endorse our tions lose their way because they spent far too much Estimate of Spending for Mission and Ministry for time looking in the rearview mirror! This is in no way to the coming year. It is a time for us to skate together diminish the value of the past. On the contrary, we are toward where our mission and ministry is going to be as the beneficiaries of a great biblical tradition with roots we seek to reach out with the love of Jesus to grow disin the earliest memory and experience of God s people. ciples and serve our community. I m glad we re skatit is a tradition handed down, often at great sacrifice, ing together! through the church over the ages. It is a tradition from With you in mission and ministry, which we benefit and one we celebrate every time we gather around Word, Water, Bread and Wine in Jesus Pastor Will name to the glory of God. Celebration Dinner Thanks very much to all for hosting, planning, arranging, scheduling, participating and everything else that you did. I think the four days were very successful. -John Kleberg - German Visit Coordinator They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity -Acts 2:46 The VOICE of Grace November Page 2

3 OVERSIGHT - CORRECTION - APOLOGY The article in last month s issue of the Voice entitled Getting Situated. (page 8) by Rev. Peter Marty should have carried a credit to The Lutheran magazine that read: Reprint information was granted by The Lutheran magazine for this article as it first appeared in the August 2010 issue of The Lutheran. Thank you for your support of The Lutheran. Our apology to The Lutheran. Ruth Circle - King Xerxes & Esther Ruth Circle will meet in Rose Garden #1 at 1:00 PM on November 12, This is lesson 9 of the study Couples of the Old Testament. - King Xerxes and Esther. A business meeting and light refreshments will follow the study. A luncheon will take the place of the December 10th meeting. The restaurant will be decided upon during the business meeting this month. New books will be handed out on Parables. This study has 12 lessons that the Ruth Circle women will be using for the next 12 sessions. The first Parable will begin on January 14, Day Holy Land Tour November, 2013 Pastor Hartfelder and Bishop Callon W. Holloway are working together to offer members of our Southern Ohio Synod the opportunity to travel to Israel in early November, The 10-day tour includes hotels, airfare, in-country transportation, all breakfasts and dinners and most lunches. Planned locations are: Caesarea Maritima; Mount Megiddo (Armageddon), Caesarea Philipi, Nazareth, Cana, the Sea of Galilee, Mount of the Beatitudes, Capernaum, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and many more. The estimated cost is $3,349* per person (double-occupancy hotel room). At this time there is room for 30 participants. Please contact Pastor Will ( ; w.hartfelder@grace43081.org) with your questions and to reserve a place. *price does not include gratuities (ca. $90), optional travel insurance ($270) and airport tax and fuel surcharges which are subject to change until tickets are issued. Katharine Circle Katharine Circle will meet in Rose Garden #1 Tuesday, November 6, at 7:15 pm. We are studying the series Couples of the Old Testament. Our lesson Abraham and Sarah will be led by Linda Seamon. If you are interested in joining us or have any questions, please call Margie Cepek at Please join us! The VOICE of Grace November Page 3 Katharine Circle will meet in Rose Garden #1 on Tuesday, November 6 at 7:15 p.m. We are studying the series Couples of the Old Testament. Our lesson Abraham and Sarah will be led by Linda Seamon Wednesday Mornings (10-11am) Grace Women s Bible Study The Wednesday Grace Women s Bible study has begun a new topic: The Book of Judges: Heroes and Heroines of Israel s History. Judges, the 7th book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, is full of stories about divinely inspired leaders who serve as wise and faithful champions. Participants will practice reading these stories within their original contexts with application for faith and life today. Bring your Bible! Time: am. Day: Wednesdays. Location: Fellowship Hall. Teacher: Pr. Hartfelder. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church 100 E. Schrock Road, Westerville, OH PH: (614) Web: office@grace43081.org Rev. William A. Hartfelder, Senior Pastor VM 11 w.hartfelder@grace43081.org Rev. Richard O. Walston, Visitation Pastor Cell (614) rjwalston@msn.com Dr. Karen Eckenroth, Music Ministries VM 10 KEckenroth@otterbein.edu Linda Hoch, Organist Kathy Snead, Office Administrator VM 18 k.snead@grace43081.org Marjie Penn, Receptionist/Secretary Paul Hotchkiss, Custodian Jack Pfeifer, Property Manager wrtjack@yahoo.com Jocelyn Shuman, Preschool Director; VM 14 littleblessingspreschool@grace43081.org

4 The Advent Wreath A Tradition for Home Here is a set of prayers that may be used to accompany the lighting of Advent candles. Some people light their wreath only on each Sunday of Advent, often at the time of the main meal; others do it on each weekday as well. Whatever you may choose, the important thing is that this practice help you prepare in mind and spirit for the real reason for the season: The Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles First week of Advent - Light one candle. Each time you light it say: The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light; those who live in a land of deep shadow, on them a light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 Prayer: Almighty God, grant that the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, may so light our whole lives that we need never again walk in darkness. Amen. Second week of Advent - Light two candles. Each time you light the second one say: There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came to bear witness to the coming of the light so that all might believe through him. John 1:6-7 Prayer: O God, help us to be ready for the coming of your Son, the light of all who love him, by making room for him in our hearts. Amen. Third week of Advent - Light three candles. Each time you light the third one say: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your great gift of love to us. Help us through Jesus, to love you more. Amen. The treasurer of a church resigned. After having heard a lot of thanks, but no thanks from members, a fellow who was the manager of a local grain elevator stepped forward and volunteered to take the job but on one condition. He agreed to serve for one full year if the church would require no treasurer s report and no one would ask him any questions about the church s finances. Members of the church and the Church Council were puzzled, but they needed someone to do the job so they agreed to his strange request. Most of them had him process their grain and knew he was an honest man. At the end of the year the man gave his first and only treasurer s report. Folks could hardly believe their ears. The church s $100,000 building debt was paid A Church Fable Fourth week of Advent - Light all four candles. Each time you light the fourth one say: Lord, my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all people a light to bring light to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. Luke 2:30-32 Prayer: Dear God, let the glorious light of Jesus love shine in our lives and proclaim the Good Tidings to everyone we meet. The Christ Candle Advent Wreaths usually have a center candle called The Christ Candle. This is not to be confused with the Paschal Candle in Church. The Christ Candle is lighted on Christmas Day. Some families have the oldest member of the family light this candle. Others created their own family tradition. May you enjoy this special Advent season as a time to prepare for the Birth of Christ, the light no darkness can overcome! in full. The church staff s salary had been increased. There were no outstanding bills. He announced a healthy cash balance would be carried over into the next year. The shocked congregation asked for an explanation. This had never happened as far back as anyone could remember! The one term treasurer gave the following explanation: Most of you folks bring your grain to my elevator. When I paid you, I simply withheld ten percent on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name. You never missed it. Do you see what we could do for the Lord s work if we were willing to give the first fruits to God who really owns it in the first place? What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? (Psalm 116:12) The VOICE of Grace November Page 4

5 Honor the Lord with your substance and the first fruits of all your produce. (Proverbs 3:9) In the September 27 issue of Westerville News & Public Opinion, it was stated that one-third of Westerville is either hungry or doesn t know where their next meal is coming from. How tragic! It s so unbelievable to think that in a community of middle and upper middle income families, something like this is occurring. So let s give thanks to God through our words and also through our actions! As you read in October s Voice, First Fruits emphasis for W.A.R.M. provided the grocery list for assembling two bags of groceries for W.A.R.M. s clients for Thanksgiving. This will continue through the November 11. After that all food and hygiene products will go to W.A.R.M. s pantry shelves for the continuing distribution to those in need. Bags and grocery lists are being distributed by Social Concerns but for your convenience here is the list once again. Any part or all of one or both bags is greatly appreciated. If you wish to donate monetarily, please make the check out to Grace Lutheran Church and designate if it is for W.A.R.M. generally OR for Thanksgiving for W.A.R.M. Notes from Social Concerns 1. Bags with list of items to purchase are available. 2. Bring items into the Gathering Space until Nov. 11th. 3. Sorting and bagging of items will be done on Nov.11th and delivered to W.A.R.M. on the next day. 4. If you choose not to shop - a monetary donation can be placed in the offering equivalent to the grocery cost ($40) marked Thanksgiving Food Drive or placed with the other groceries. You may also donate a frozen turkey by taking it directly to W.A.R.M. or deliver to church by 8:00 AM on Nov. 12. We will deliver it for you. The drive is set up to help over 275 families in the area. Grace was fortunate enough to collect food and donations equal to 90 families last year or about a third of the overall goal. Sharing our Thankfulness vseptember 2 totalsv Food/Hygiene = pounds Monetary = $ 405 Totals to date in 2012 Food/Hygiene = 2,964.3 pounds Monetary = $ 3,827 First Fruits Sunday is November 4 and then December 2. Shopping List for Thanksgiving Bag # 1 and/or Bag # 2 5 lbs flour 4 or 5 lbs sugar 4 cans corn 2 large cans or boxes of chicken broth (approx. 32 oz oz. cans chicken or 1 brownie mix turkey gravy 32 oz. bottle of vegetable 1 box of round crackers oil (like Ritz, or off brand) 1 large or 2 small boxes of 1 box instant mashed muffin mix potatoes oz. 1 lb. brown sugar 2 6oz. boxes of stuffing mix or 1 12oz. box 2 12oz bags of noodles 1 tub chocolate frosting Coffee (small can oz.) Please cut out this grocery list and as you shop consider what you might be able to purchase from the above list. A helpful suggestion: If you wish to shop at Aldi s, you ll get everything listed above for less than you will find it elsewhere. Always check for expiration dates. Contact Jill Morrison at if you have any questions. God s blessings to all who have been able to contribute to this vital outreach so that W.A.R.M. may continue to extend a Hand Up and Not a Hand Out. After November 11, please add tissues and paper towels as hygiene items that Grace may send to W.A.R.M. Hygiene products can not be purchased with Food Stamps Remember the General Mills Box Top$ so continue to collect hotel/motel items that are added to The Central Ohio Women s Auxiliary of Lutheran Social toilet paper allotments. Services continues to accept Cancelled Stamps and If you prefer to give financially, please write checks to Campbell Company labels: Grace Lutheran Church with a notation to W.A.R.M. If LSS is collecting the BOX TOP$ rectangle on the top you wish to specifically have it go toward the Thanksgiving of General Mills products. These are redeemable for emphasis, please make the notation to Thanksgiving at 10 cents apiece for Oesterlen Services for Youth. Place W.A.R.M. Cash may be placed in an envelope and marked these along with cancelled stamps and UPS bar codes as you want it to be used. from Campbell Company Labels in our grocery carts. The VOICE of Grace November Page 5

6 11/01 Larry Rhodebeck Patrick Hensley Trey Sabo Claudia Seitz Charles Oakleaf 11/03 Raymond Petit Matt Hughes Sara O Neil 11/04 Marian Engel Rex Harris Christine Spangler 11/05 Morgan Heilmann 11/06 Joel Ridge Nicholas Kuhar Scott Kuhar 11/07 Karen Bale Jude Dugan Jeni-ann Schorling Kaitlin Berry 11/08 Mark Will Brant Peters Nathaniel Haynes 11/09 Brad Clark Thomas Warrell 11/10 Abigail Kotik 11/11 Connor Swanson Theresa Roll Vaughn Place Tyler Landacre Celebrations No v e m b e r B i r t h d a y s 11/12 Diana Hager 11/13 Mark Heimrich Laura Warren 11/14 Jonathan Begeny 11/15 Tatyana Warbritton 11/16 Janie Detrick Roman Himes 11/17 Ted Ray Philip Ulrich Christina Motika 11/18 Ronda Mills Mary Todd Robin Lease Kathy Estrada Danny Drakulich 11/19 Kristin Cashman Ashley Reyes Allyson Billings Madison Schroeder Katherine Stoll 11/20 Aaron Singleton Tony Oakleaf 11/21 Roberta Bertelsen 11/22 Jeff Brenning 11/23 Laurie Jones Moore Annette Bell Hanna Hoffman 11/24 Chris Goodman Megan Banks 11/25 Ray Bertelsen Susan Miller Jeff Reedy Gwendolyn Peters 11/26 Virginia Stauch Paula Washburn 11/27 Brad Taylor 11/28 Bob Bower Henry Arthur Mary Ross Matthew Dove 11/29 Jack Pfeifer Kathy Reedy Coleen Champoux Lenix 11/30 Julie Hawkinberry Bryce Althoff Addie Gurgiolo November Anniversaries 111/01 Gregg & Heather Soster 11/02 Kevin & Susan King 11/04 Michael & Laurie Althoff Seth & Kelly Rowe 11/07 Dewey & Marcella Barr Dale & Patti-Sue Simpson 11/10 Walt & Sandy Newcomb 11/11 Murphy & Theresa Anderson 11/18 Damon & Mary Taylor 11/22 Dennis & Diana Hager 11/23 James & Patricia Adcock Jim & Jean Claflin 11/24 Hal & Gwen Holland Michael & Erin Gest 11/26 John & Alberta Parsons Roberto & Laura Casline Nelson & Gretchen Sharfman 11/27 Danny & Amy Haegele 11/29 Michael & Amy Quinn Died in Christ Betty Martin 10/6/12 Funeral at Grace 10/9/12 Grace Sermons Are Now Available on itunes You may now download past sermons as a podcast from Apple s itunes store! Search for Grace Evangelical Lutheran Westerville and you will find the podcasts. The sermons are also available on the website. Stay up-to-date on the ministries of Grace. Log on to Grace is on FACEBOOK. Check it out. Click like. Write on the Grace wall, or add some pictures or an event to the Grace calendar. The VOICE of Grace November Page 6

7 2012 Church Council President... Bill Kulju Ph: (614) Vice President... Julie Abrams Ph: (614) Secretary...Paul Grant Ph: (614) Treasurer...Charlie Roll Ph: (614) Senior Pastor...Will Hartfelder Ph. (614) Members at Large: Glen Alexander Ph: (740) Dan George Ph: (614) Angela Hughes Ph: (614) Vanessa Stewart Ph. (614) Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. - Maya Angelou MEN OF GRACE - Thank you to all who helped out with the Saturday morning breakfast October 20. Thank you to the men (and wives) who kindly provided the food and drink, and to the hostfamilies for opening their homes to our friends from Germany. A special thank you to Lee, Fred and Bruce. --Bill Snead Concert Series Sunday, November 4, :30 p.m. The Otterbein University String Orchestra Jim Bates, conductor December 9, :30 p.m. The Scioto Brass Holiday Concert Chris Hoch, conductor We are in need of volunteers to help park cars, greet our visitors and take up the freewill offering. If a husband and wife team would like to volunteer as a team, a single person or a family please let Carolyn Martin know your desires. Please contact Carolyn at (614) or martin1529@sbcglobal.net. Please consider helping us. Thank you! A reception in our Gathering Space follows each event. There is no admission charge for A Joyful Noise! concerts. A free will offering will be taken. Supper Club Thursday, November 15 Bravo at Crosswoods Sign up sheet at Hospitality Desk From the Archive John Kleberg, Archivist The earliest extant history of the Congregation was hand written on several sheets of letter paper by the first Pastor C. W. Pflueger. The short history details the beginnings of the congregation and lists charter members. While faded, the condition is very good. Keeping historic documents, many copies of which are located in a current time capsule prepared on the hundred anniversary of the congregation founding, are maintained in the archive for generations to come. Copies of a brief history are located at the desk in the gathering space. Times Change This action by the Council in 1938 demonstrates how things change over time. The record documents the approval of the purchase of new hymnals estimated to cost from $.40 to $.75 each. The Good old Days! The VOICE of Grace November Page 7

8 German Visit - A Blessing Many of us have lived here in Central Ohio for the major part of our lives. Not many of us have stepped foot on the turf of Ohio Stadium. Those of us who were fortunate to be part of the German tour group on Monday, October 22 got to do just that. And not only the field, but the press box and the VIP boxes way up there behind the glass. To see the area where former players spend the afternoon on game day was also quite a treat. A tour of the new student union followed. We had lunch in the Hayes Room on the 3rd floor. If you haven t seen the OSU library and its new addition, it is worth the trip. Thanks to John Kleberg for making these arrangements for all of us. And the OSU bus was a very nice perk. That afternoon we toured the Ohio State House, including the Senate Chamber. Jan Breen arranged for a visit to the Governors office including the ceremonial room where the Governor signs bills into law. We, along with our guests were very impressed. Such was the whirlwind tour we had with our German visitors from our Partnergemeinde (partner church) in Jördenstorf from Friday evening, October 19th through Wednesday morning, October 23rd. Joe and Shirley Moleno arranged for a trip to Hocking Hills - Old Man s Cave and Ash Cave on Saturday. The Men of Grace prepared breakfast before we left. A bus arranged by Chris and Joanne Figge allowed for all of us to get acquainted on the way down and back. Upon our return, we had dinner at Pasquales uptown Westerville. What a treat. If you attended services on Sunday, you had opportunity to meet our guests. A reception was held between services for them. A presentation of the final Raise the Roof check was presented to Pastor Havemann. Many thanks to Linda Fichtelman, our Sunday School staff, and the children of Grace for raising $3500 toward the Reaching out with the love of Jesus to grow disciples and serve our community. Important Change for Christmas Eve Service times are: 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM The 11:00 PM service has been moved to 10:00 PM Please make a note of it! replacement of the old slate roof on the Jördenstorf church. Pastor Havemann gave the Sunday School a slate shingle with a rendering of the church drawn on it as a rememberance and thanks. That afternoon the host families from Grace had them all to themselves. They spread out all over Central Ohio. Some had cookouts, some traveled to Amish country. Some tried the new casino and several groups landed at the quarter horse show at the fairgrounds. The conservatory was also a popular attraction. Sunday afternoon and evening was a wonderful time for guests and hosts to trade stories of families, ancestry, work, church activities, and our two countries. On Monday, after the OSU and State House tour, Sunday afternoon and evening was a wonderful time for guests and hosts to trade stories of family, ancestry, work, church activities, and our two beautiful countries. our guests spent a couple hours shopping at Easton. When you come to America, you must shop! We didn t slow down on Tuesday, our last full day. The morning was spent with Pastor Walston leading a tour of German Village. We also were happy to spend time at Trinity Lutheran downtown, and the seminary in Bexley. After a tour of uptown Westerville, Kathy and Bill Snead hosted a cake and coffee social gathering at their home on Park St. The evening meal on Tuesday was a catered affair in the Gathering space. As you can imagine, Wednesday morning at the airport was filled with laughter and tears as we said goodbye. Until we meet again. Aufwiedersehen, liebe Freunde. The VOICE of Grace November Page 8

9 Answer to Puzzle on page 10 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV A child retells the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. with the reasons he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. The middle schoolers are just into the first few weeks of a new curriculum from Augsburg Fortress and will be studying stories from the Old Testament. One aspect of the new Sunday School plan is to incorporate more context within the lessons so the children can begin to understand how the events and people they are learning about fit together as part of a bigger picture. One way in which this is being accomplished is through the creation of simplified family trees. As another person is introduced and story told, the tree grows just a bit more. As a result, hopefully, the children will come to see that the people and events they are hearing about are not simply a conglomeration of random stories, but rather a cohesive string of events that ultimately leads to Jesus and to themselves. From all observations thus far, the plan is working! (The tree at the right is from the kindergarten/first grade class and shows the family tree of Adam and Eve thru Isaac.) Mark Your Calendars... January Dance Party - Grades 1-5 March Kingdom of Bounce Party - Grades 1-5 Spring All Church Camp To be held on Church Grounds Stay tuned for more details. Check the Sunday Bulletins and the Grace website at Sunday School The learning opportunities for youth and children consist of a wide variety of topics. The preschool class will be hearing about Daniel in the lions den and Jonah. The kindergarten/first grade and second grade/third grade classes are gearing up for lessons on Moses. The K/1 group will focus on Moses from his days in the river until he leads the Israelites across the Red Sea. He and his posse will be taken the rest of the way in the 2/3 grade class. The fourth/fifth grade class will discuss Deborah, Gideon, and Hannah. This group has already discussed aspects of Moses story and concluded 40+ Turn Out for Skating Party On Sunday, October 7th over 40 adults and children from Grace gathered at the Sunbury Skate club. There was roller skating and roller blading. Some of the littlest Lutherans got to ride scooters. A few of us quickly found out that roller skating is not like riding a bike - You do forget how to do it. It was great to see such a wonderful turn out. The next Youth and Family event is scheduled for January. All children and friends are invited to join us for a rocking Dance Party. Questions? Contact Linda Fichtelman at: lfichtelman@aceweb.com The VOICE of Grace November Page 9

10 Thank you, Janice and Mark Will for your time painting the playground equipment. Looks awesome! We appreciate the many hours of painting. Thank you to Mike Shuman for the repairs and added wood pieces to maintain our State Licensing standards. Thank you to Jack Pfeifer and Paul Hotchkiss for replacing the fence around the playground. And Thank you to Boy Scout Troop 502 and Mark Will s organization for spreading new mulch under the equipment. The Preschool Staff Raise the Roof Our roof project has now come to an end. A final installment of $500 was presented to the German delegation during their visit on October 21. It must be said that the project was a success! Not only were the children able to provide financial assistance to the Jordenstorf congregation, they also had a wonderful opportunity to put Grace s mission statement into action. It truly was a It is not often that one gets to meet the benefactors of his/her efforts, especially when they are 4,256 miles (6,849 km) away! group of disciples reaching out with the love of Christ and serving the community. The unique aspects of the Raise the Roof project made the experience much more poignant. It is not often that one gets to meet the benefactors of his/her efforts, especially when they are 4,256 miles (6,849 km) away! The children will also have their personal signatures affixed in the new roof for a future group of congregates to happen upon. If the new roof holds up as the old, original one did, that discovery would be around?!?! (ask one of the Sunday school youth) Answer may be found at bottom of page 9 PARENTS PLEASE NOTE: As an effort to ensure the safety of all the children participating in any form of programming, as well as follow best practices, we request that each youth/child have emergency health and contact information on file. Forms can be found on the website under children and turned into the child s Sunday School teacher. Thank you for helping us maintain best practices. Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going The Youth and Family Ministry and Learning Ministry want to emphasize that all children are welcome to participate at any time throughout the year. If your child is only able to participate once or sporadically through the year, we still welcome his/her involvement. The VOICE of Grace Novaember Page 10

11 September 2012 Grace Council Meeting Highlights Paul Grant, Council Secretary Approval of September 2012 meeting minutes: Upon consideration of the minutes from the September 2012 meeting, Charles Roll moved to accept, seconded by Julie Abrams. Motion passed. Safe Sanctuary Policy: Linda Fichtelman The Safe Sanctuary Policy is a documentation containing the policies & procedures for the prevention of child abuse and to create a safe and secure environment for all children, youth, and mentally handicapped persons entrusted to our care. This secure environment requires a formal, written policy and is for the protection of our children, youth, employees, volunteers, and our entire church family at Grace Lutheran Church. This is the first reading of the policy and is still under review for further evaluation by church council. Council members wish to thank Linda Fichtelman for her hard work and excellent presentation regarding this policy. Ministry updates: Pastor Will reminded council members that Grace s annual Congregational Meeting will be held on November 18, Council President Bill Kulju and council members have decided that the next Council Retreat will be held on April 19th and 20th 2013 at Deer Creek State Park Lodge and Conference Center. Other Business before council ELCA/NALC/CORE update: There are no updates at this time Christmas Eve Services time change: Pastor Will informed council that Christmas Eve services this year will be 5PM, 7:30PM and 10PM instead of 11PM. This change was based on a decision from the Worship Planning Team and the Worship Music Team and will be reviewed in a few years. Line of Credit: Charlie Roll reviewed and updated council members on the Capital Fund Campaign and the church indebtedness. Reading discussion: Reading discussions have been moved to the November meeting due to length of current meeting. Required Reports: Monthly Report: Pastor Will Statistical Report: Pastor Will Pastor Will submitted the monthly report earlier in the week. It is included as part of these minutes. Treasurer s Report: Charles Roll reviewed the August 2012 financial report. Church Ministry fund balance at the end of September 2012 is $34,899. Total receipts for the month were $48,917 and total disbursements were $37,489 for a net increase of $11,428. Mission & Ministry support to the Southern Ohio Synod year-to-date was $7,405, along with support to Lutheran Social Services of $1,525. For 2012 we have pledged $10,000 to Southern Ohio Synod and $2,000 to Lutheran Social Services. Bond Payments began in February 2012 in accordance with the Required Redemption Schedule. The current principal balance is $2,820,000. Principal payments due in 2012 total $40,000. Our total obligation for 2012, including principal and interest, is estimated to be $86,896. Living in Grace total campaign pledges were $629,625. Expenses in September were $8,133 and receipts were $50. The remaining balance is $494,864. Growing People of Faith campaign began in June Total pledges were $573,332. Receipts through September were $94,600. We have collected 16.5% of total pledges. There were no expenses in September. Cash Reserves through September 30, 2012 are $77,096. Three designated funds make up this balance, the 2011 Excess Church Ministry Fund $9,981, the Organ Fund $64,365 and the Facilities Emergency Reserve Fund $2,750. Net cash reserves (cash reserves plus the Church Ministry balance) total $111,995. Per the finance sub-committee recommendations, cash reserves of the church should not fall below 10% of the projected annual revenues as established during the annual operating budget process and approved by the congregation. For 2012 that amount is set at $48,423 (10% of total budgeted income of $484,225). Budget Comparison for 2012 reflects a positive amount of $36,629. This is calculated by using September Y.T.D. actual income and expenses compared to the actual budget. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church has been serving the Westerville Community for more than 100 years, supporting local ministries such as the Westerville Area Resource Ministry, Westerville Partnership Habitat for Humanity and Westerville CROP Walk. Grace also supports Lutheran Social Services programs like Faith Mission and provides weekly meeting space for Boy Scout Troop 502 and two AA groups. The VOICE of Grace November Page 11