THE. w w w. g r a c e o r g. December Calendar. december Annual Advent Eucharist and Luncheon

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1 THE V ice Grace OF december 2017 w w w. g r a c e o r g Andy, Maria, Hannah Laderman, and Linda Green were welcomed at the second service. New Members Welcomed on November 19, 2017 Lynn St. Clair, Teri Meister, Cheryl Leiss, Dick Leiss, Jason Strete (holding Callan), Katie Strete (holding Camden) were welcomed at the first service. Annual Advent Eucharist and Luncheon Tuesday, December 12, 11:00 a.m. Dear Grace Members and Friends, You are invited to attend the annual Advent Eucharist and Luncheon at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Following worship, a festive lunch will be served in the Fellowship Hall Please call the church office at by December 8, if you plan to attend, and let us know if you need transportation. We look forward to this time with you during the Advent Season Your Pastors and Staff at Grace December Calendar December First Sunday in Advent December Katharine Circle December Progressive Christmas Concert Uptown Westerville December Men of Grace Breakfast and Study December Second Sunday of Advent Concert: Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Co. December Ruth Circle Dinner December Advent Mid-Week Eucharist and Luncheon December Third Sunday in Advent Hanging of the Greens December Christmas Eve 10:00 a.m Worship Service 5:00 p.m Family Eucharist Live From The First Century 8:00 p.m Candlelight Eucharist Peace Has Come December First Sunday of Christmas We are a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC)

2 PASTOR S MESSAGE thing about it. It s up to God s Christmas gift to creeach one of us to stop, look ation unwrapped at Easter. and listen lest we miss the Come, thou long exheartbeat of the Gospel. pected Jesus, born to set Advent, the season thy people free; from our Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, of the four Sundays after fears and sins release us; Christ the King Sunday and let us find our rest in thee. Too soon. Too soon. That s what I before Christmas, sumisrael s strength and conthink this time of year as I see Christmas mons us to stop, look and solation, hope of all the decorations, or Holiday Winter Decoralisten. Advent calls, Stop earth thou art, dear desire tions as a seeming growing number prerushing blindly through the of ev ry nation, joy of ev ry fer, pop up everywhere. It s that time of Pastor Will Hartfelder precious moments of each longing heart. (ELW #254). the year. Garlands of plastic evergreen, day. Advent invites, Look at the beauthese opening words from John Westwinkling lights, syrupy and a few unsaty of God s Creation. Advent hushes, ley s famous hymn are an Advent prayer. vory songs of the season fill malls and Listen to the sounds of God s Word of They sing our Advent hope. They remind assail the senses. It s now a given that Grace, Forgiveness and Hope made us that no matter what the world may say, Christmas arrives even before the turflesh to dwell among us. Jesus is the reason for the season! keys are plucked for Thanksgiving! The Advent wants us to take time to prepare I invite you to stop, look and listen transformation of Christmas into a retail to go to the manger. We go because the and include the four Sundays of Advent riot makes me suspect that more turchrist Child leaves the (Dec 3rd; 10th; 17th; and 24th when we keys get plucked this manger to travel a painwill have one service at 10 am). I invite time of year than just the It s up to each one ful path to the Cross of you to prepare for our Christmas Eve celbirds at Thanksgiving. of us to stop, look Good Friday. We who ebration (5 pm Family Eucharist & 8 pm Too soon. Too and listen lest we worship and bring our Candlelight Eucharist). soon. What s the rush? gifts to the Christ Child Life passes by quickly miss the heartbeat With you expecting Jesus! travel to the manger by enough. We may comof the Gospel. a path lighted not by a plain about the Christstar. Our pathway is mas crush and rush; but -Pastor Will guided by the light of it s up to us to do some- h k n a Pastor Will g C n i o r u i t n e cil Me R u o Y mb e r s T Lisa Kuhar Shirley Moleno Jeff Brenning Vanessa Stewart Bill Kulju Outgoing Grace Church Council members Jeff Brenning, Shirley Moleno, Lisa Kuhar, Vanessa Stewart and Bill Kulju were recognized during the Annual Business meeting on November 12, The Grace family appreciates their time and efforts on our behalf in the service of our Lord Jesus. Page 2 December 2017

3 Council Bullet Points November 2017 These are highlights of the November Council Meeting. Upon approval of the November minutes in December, the full minutes can be viewed in the church office. Devotions: Bill Kulju began devotions From Matthew 9: Follow Me. and then a story about a homeless man/ men. The discussion ensued: How do we help? Is this man Jesus? Approval of August meeting minutes: Minutes approved by Jason Montgomery and seconded by Shirley Moleno. Motion carried unanimously. Ministry Updates: > Little Blessings budget was presented this past week. Randy is going to look into a new sign for in front of the church. > New Members Update: 6 families -10 adults/3 children came to the first class. > Our annual business meeting is this Sunday, November 12, 2017 and will review 2017 and plan for A power point slide was prepared, discussed, and reviewed prior to presentation. > Council elections: The nominating committee has called some nominees to serve on council. Nominations from the floor can be accepted at the meeting. A voice vote will ensue. > Estimates of giving and spending was reviewed and discussed. Bill Kulju Moved that the estimate of spending be accepted; Lisa Kuhar seconded. Motion carried. > Oromo Church request for a donation toward their purchase of a building was discussed. > NALC has requested that Grace host the Ohio regions meeting in May 5, > Annual Retreat in 2018 will be April 20 and 21. Kathy Wahlenmaier or Helena Zvansky will organize. Monthly Reports: > Pastor s report and statistical report was reviewed. > Church and Sunday School attendance is trending upward. > Treasurer s monthly report was reviewed. Revenues exceeded expenses. Bill Kulju moved that the report be accepted; Jason Montgomery seconded. Motion carried. The next meeting is December 14, The VOICE of GRACE Five Members Elected to Church Council As we say thanks to our outgoing Council members, we also welcome and thank our new members for their willingness to serve in this important capacity at Grace. Pictured below are the newly elected council members. They will begin their terms in January of JOHN CLARK John and his wife Audrey have been members at Grace for over ten years. As the Grace Webmaster, he builds and maintains the Grace web site, volunteers as an usher and has been on the counting team. He hopes that his experience in the servant-leader management approach to business and volunteerism will aid him in this new endeavor as we grow in the NALC and explore our evangelical future. MELISSA HODEK Melissa and her husband Robert Bassett have been attending Grace since 2009 and became members in Melissa was a member of the Founded in Faith, Forward in Hope campaign committee. She is presently a member of the discernment task force, the mutual ministry team, and serves as an assistant minister and an usher. Melissa looks forward to this new opportunity in serving on Council. JASON MONTGOMERY Jason and his wife, Laura, joined Grace in October of They have a two-year-old son, Connor, and 3 month olds twins, Alex and Blake. Jason works for the IT Department for Delaware County. His hopes for Grace are to continue to build the children s ministry bringing more families to the church and to provide opportunities for members to connect with each other VAUGHN PLACE Vaughn and his wife Regina have been married 7 years, They have two daughters, Lauren (5 years) and Leah (4 years). They became members of Grace in December of Vaughn is an engineer for NetJets and enjoys spending time with family and fishing. Vaughn hopes to see Grace continue its growth in faith and service. JULIE YOUNG Julie young has been coming to grace for 3 years. She and her husband Steve have three children (Jack, Molly and Caroline) She works at Nationwide Children s Hospital Sports Medicine as an athletic trainer and is currently pursuing her PhD at Ohio state. In her free time Julie enjoys home improvement projects. She looks forward to serving Grace in the capacity of council member. Page 3

4 Grace s Gang Messages from Molly Molly King Director of Youth and Family m.king@grace43081.org Practice for the Christmas Eve Program Underway The Christmas Eve Program this year is Live From The First Century By Amy C. Little. Roles have been selected and practice is ongoing. The children are practicing hard for the program during the Sunday School Hour. There will also be a Dress Rehearsal on Saturday, December 23 from 9 a.m. to Noon. Mark your calendars. The program is taken from the Gospel of Luke and recounts Jesus birth in a light-hearted way by sharing the Christmas story with a humorous newscast. The children look forward to performing at 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve, at the Family Eucharist. Thanks to the 18 young people who helped pack the food for the Thanksgiving Food Drive on Sunday, November 12th. The 58 bags of food items and $1, in monetary gifts donated by Grace members fed 168 families on Thanksgiving. Blessing Abound. Thank You Page 4 December 2017

5 Sunday School Note: While the younger children are practicing for the Christmas Program, Middle School and High School Sunday School classes will continue through December. All Sunday School classes will resume on January 7, 2018 Stewardship Corner December 2017 Paul wrote most of his letters to congregations. These early gatherings of Christians were probably small, few enough to fit into someone s home for worship. The work of God shapes individuals in the direction of service. Similarly, gatherings of Christians are created with this same innate direction. Congregations live for the good of others. That is a gift of God. Think of this in two ways. We are a missionary congregation with missionary leaders. Our purpose is to share the good news about Christ who makes God s love actual in our lives. We are a servant congregation with servant leaders. Our purpose is to let others experience God s love as physical and emotional reality. Grace is a faithful discipleship directed congregation. That makes us mission - and service - focused. What choices might we make to continue together in this God-given direction? What choices are you making to support and participate in your church family s mission to reach out with the love of Jesus to grow disciples and serve our community? Tips for Parents Today s Pillars of Pressure Tips for Parents - Today s Pillars of Pressure PEER PRESSURE - a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one s age and social group in order to be respected by them. Peer groups are where our children get their primary validation in life. If they feel they are not respected by their peers, they could become stressed or be filled with anxiety. If these feelings are not addressed, they may lead to depression and for some, harmful behavior. TIP - Talk to your child about what validates them and where they should look for acceptance. Encourage them to seek their validation for a constant source. Share the Word of God by showing them what the scripture says about them as followers of Jesus. They are: Accepted by Jesus (Rom. 15:7); Chosen by God holy and loved (Eph. 1:4, Col 3:12); A child of God (John 1:12, Rom 8:17); Blameless before God (Eph 1:4) The Apple of his eye (Zach 2:8); They are forgiven by the grace of Christ (Eph 1:7) Set free in Jesus (Gal 5:1), The Peace of God is guarding them (Phil 4:7); God is always with them (Josh 1:9) If you have a specific topic you would like to receive tips about, send an to rdorazio@faca.org THE STORY BEGINS WITH YOU. isn t it liberating to know that rather than being dependent on a dozen unknown factors, the Lord gives you the power to keep yourself saved? Visit This article has been submitted by Grace member Jeff Brenning. Jeff is a Central Ohio Representative of the Fellowship of Christian Athletics. Please feel free to contact Jeff at or him at jbrenni@att.net for information about the FCA. THE GRACE ANGEL TREE: The Angel Tree project to benefit under-privileged children in Central Ohio has made its annual appearance at Grace. The tree is decorated in the Gathering Space with 100 tags noting gift ideas for a boy or girl of any age group you select. Simply take a tag or two, or three and purchase these gifts and place them under the tree with the tag taped to the gift, no need to wrap. A volunteer will come and take these gifts, wrap them and distribute in time for Christmas. Plan to make the Angel Tree part of your Christmas Season blessings to our less fortunate neighbors. The deadline to bring in giifts is Sunday, December 10. Little Lambs Ministry (11:00 a.m. service only) Ages 3 through kindergarten. During parish concerns, our pre-schoolers and their leaders go to the Rose Garden Room 5 where they enjoy age-appropriate activities during the sermon, prayers and creed. They return during the offering to join the family of Grace for Holy Communion. For safety and health of all, we request no toys or food be brought to the class. Contact Molly (m.king@grace43081.org) if you have questions or wish to become involved. NURSERY - A professionally staffed nursery is available for infants to age 3. located in the east wing of the church. The VOICE of Grace Page 5

6 Photo courtesy of Joanne Figge USHER SEARCH We are in need of Ushers at both services. This welcoming ministry is a vital part of Sunday Services. Ushers assist with the welcoming, distribution of bulletins, seating and collection of the offering. Also, during the Eucharist ushers assist by releasing communicants from the pews and directing them to the Bema. Everyone is invited to participate as an usher. Families, children, women and men are urged to become involved in ushering. If you are interested in assisting at the 8:15 service please contact Steve Miller at (614) or via at snsmllr@gmail.com. The second service head usher is Mike Grubb at (614) , - mgrubb114@gmail.com Thank you for considering this very important ministry. Progressive Christmas Concert December 8, 2017 Westerville Habitat Partnership Soup for Shelter and Progressive Christmas Concert (Voices of Grace performing!) are Friday, December 8. Soup for Shelter begins at 5 and the concerts begin at 7. Tickets will be for sale at the reception desk after each service on Sundays, November 26 and December 3 or online If you cannot attend, online or in person donations gratefully accepted! $15 for the soup supper includes a handmade ceramic bowl, and $10 for entry to the concerts can be purchased separately or together. Details are in the Sunday bulletin which is also available online should you not be at church on these Sundays. RUTH CIRCLE Photo of Ruth Circle Ladies at their November Meeting Ruth Circle will be dining at the Lucky House on Schrock Road across from the church on Monday, December 11, at 1:00 p.m.. Our next Bible study- Lesson 4 in the book Heaven, will be Monday, January 8, 2018 in Rose Garden Room #1. Questions? Call Joyce Strung at January 28 February 18 April 15 A The Concert Season Grace Lutheran Community Concerts December 10 5:30 p.m. Singing Buckeyes Otterbein String Orchestra Capital University Chapel Choir Concerts are held in the Worship Space at 7:00 p.m., except for December 10, when the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Co. will perform at 5:30 p.m.. A reception in our Gathering Space will follow each event. We depend entirely on sponsorships and donations for financial support. Your help greatly appreciated. We hope to see you on December 10. Thank you in advance for your support. Christmas Eve Special Music Opportunity Participants in the 5 p.m. Christmas Eve program are invited to share their musical talents as a part of the prelude. If interested, please send the following information to Linda Hoch at: lkgraf102078@earthlink.net: name of participant title of music to be played instrument to be played length of music to be played All music titles should be ed by the deadline of Monday, December 11th to be included in the bulletin. Hanging of the Greens Sunday, DECEMBER 17, after the 11:00 a.m. service, the Art and Environment Team will be decorating the Church for Christmas. They are asking for your help. The Team will provide a light lunch, tools and direction. What they need are willing hands to help transform our worship space into a worthy place for welcoming our Savior. It is a fun and rewarding activity. Come Join the A&E Team in preparing our sanctuary for that Holy Night. Page 6 December 2017

7 ADULT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES MEN OF GRACE (MOG) Breakfast Meeting in December Moved to Second Saturday. BE SURE TO MARK YOUR CALENDAR Saturday Dec :00 a.m. Study: 7 Letters to 7 Churches All men, high school age and up are welcome. The Women s Bible study continues their weekly meetings each Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. The present topic of study is PAUL: Apostle to All the Nations. This study was begun last Spring and is continuing. New members to the weekly classes are welcome to join in. Books are available. Meet in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Walston is the facilitator. Katharine Circle Monday December 5, at 7:15 p.m. This month s meeting will be held in the home of Jean Shugurt The subject will be Joy to the World from Gather Magazine Please Join us! The Sunday Morning Coffee Hour in the Loaves and Fishes Cafe is in need of volunteers to serve after both services. Your help is appreciated. Joy to the world the Lord has come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart, prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing A sign-up sheet is at the table in the Cafe. Two Adult Sunday School Classes Reformation Roots and Faithweaver NOW REFORMATION ROOTS Adult Class Teacher: Pastor Hartfelder 9:45 a.m. in the Rose Garden Library This study provides a broad introduction to the stories and struggles of the Reformation that continue to have an impact on us today. Each session begins with a DVD presentation featuring scholars who introduce the characters and major events of the Reformation without drowning the viewer in endless details. This study is being offered again because many missed it the first time around. The Reformation is fundamental to Lutheranism. Reformation Roots will enhance your understanding of the Reformation, Martin Luther and his counterparts, and the Lutheran Church. We urge you to attend Sunday School Classes. The remaining schedule for this class is as follows: Dec 3 Luther s legacy Dec 10 Swiss Reformation: A Rationalist s Revolt Dec 17 Radical Reformation: Revolution and Withdrawal Jan 14 English Reformation: A Political Reformation Jan 21 Catholic Reformation The Nursery is open during the Sunday School hour, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Trained, professional sitters are present every week to care for your children. Ages infant through 5 years old. Faithweaver NOW Adult class Weaving faith into today s families Grace is excited to offer this study opportunity. Faithweaver NOW is a quarterly, age graded curriculum for infants through adults. The three-year scope and sequence covers the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Each Sunday, as adults are studying a particular scripture or lesson, children in the SS classes are exploring the same scripture. As each age level learns the weekly Bible point, families are united in placing God at the center of their busy lives. Amidst the chaos of everyday living, Faithweaver NOW brings peace, joy and hope to children and their families. The Adult Faithweaver NOW class is held in the Fellowship Hall during the Sunday School hour. Bill Kulju is the teacher/facilitator. Teach me your ways so that I may know you. Exodus 33:13 The VOICE of Grace Page 7

8 12/1 Fred Pfanz 12/2 Kathy Greer Jack Halada Lee Reynolds Jr. Caitlin Thomas 12/3 Lindsay Harrington Mindy Nelson 12/4 Jaxon Gest Stephen Kile James Schlea 12/7 Carolann Pavich 12/10 Rick Clark 12/11 Eric Bush 12/13 Michael Guimenti Paul Grant Conner Pensyl 12/15 Dennis Cooper 12/16 Keith Harrington Eric Nelson Pete Otteson 12/17 Merlin Breen David Kile Susan Mahrt Sarah Pfanz Date Years 12/3 Charles & Mary Roll 62 12/10 Douglas & Ashley Callicott 6 12/15 Mike & Judy Wiese 44 Birthdays 12/17 Vanessa Stewart 12/18 John Kleberg Caitlin Kohut Laura Montgomery Lindsey Stevens 12/19 Natalie Arthur 12/20 Samson Gurgiolo Lauren Place Gabriel Young 12/21 Kathy Bell Christopher Kuhar Anniversaries 12/22 John Hicks 12/23 Jacob Hornback Katharine Toler 12/24 Keith Greer Beth Motika 12/27 Mary Ulrich Philip Young 12/28 Jude Drakulich 12/30 Timothy Arthur Leann Kuhr Bill Kulju 12/31 Nicholas Rothmann Date Years 12/16 Tom and Linda Seamon 56 Thomas & Nancy Gurgiolo 17 12/20 Lee & Connie Reynolds Jr. 31 GRACE FACEBOOK PAGE GraceEvangelicalLutheranWesterville Send items that you want included on the Grace Facebook page to Lora Moore at l.moore@grace43081.org ALERTS? Get alerts on all the latest Grace news: events, meetings, Voice and other happenings! To be added to our communication list, send an to: h.zvansky@grace43081.org WANT A VOICE? Extra copies of the Voice are available in the office and at the kiosk in the Gathering Space Send suggestions and/or submit potential articles to tomseamon@att.net We re so glad you asked... A column offering a response to questions and concerns on a variety of topics. If you have a question, please put it in writing and deliver it to the Church Office or it to: office@grace43081.org. Questions must be signed. Question: Does the church have a policy about selling items or raising money as part of a service project? The basic rule of thumb our church uses to measure the appropriateness of selling items or raising money for a service project is that the activity must clearly reflect Grace s mission statement: to reach out with the love of Jesus to grow disciples and serve our community. While this leaves a lot of leeway, it insures that every activity must be connected to a ministry of our congregation. This also helps insure that there is accountability. CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA ORDERS DUE DECEMBER 17 Poinsettia orders are now being taken for the Christmas season, to be used to decorate our Worship Space and Gathering Space on Christmas Eve. Order forms are available from an Usher or at the Welcome Center desk. Please fill out the order form and place it in the offering plate or return it to the church office. You may also order and pay online on the church website: The cost of each plant is $9.00, due when the order is placed. Plants may be picked up after the 8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service or during office hours the week after Christmas. Plants not picked up will continue to decorate the church during the Christmas Season. Page 8 December 2017

9 Grace Dartball team Above.500 Westerville Grace has reached the halfway point in the season with a record of (.515 win %). Our team leaders include Roger Wells (159 at bats, 10 Doubles, and 19 Runs Scored), Cecil Budd (12 Home Runs and 26 RBI), Paul Hotchkiss (6 Triples), and Robert Bassett (34 Singles, 42 Hits, and.336 Batting Average). We have also added Nelson Grover and Andy Laderman to our roster. The team is always looking for new talent, and looks forward to the rest of the season. As always we have an opportunity for new players to join us any Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the church. Reach out to Robert at or rgbassettiii@gmail.com with any questions! Remaining Schedule 12/7 At Obetz 12/14 At Christ 12/21 Home vs Epiphany 1/4/2018 Home vs Epiphany 1/11 At Emmanuel 1/18 Home vs Grace 1/25 At Trinity 2/1 Home vs Grove City 2/8 At Lockbourne 2/15 Home vs Rome Meet at the Church at 6:30 p.m.. Everyone welcome and needed! Next Blood Drive at Grace Tuesday, January 9, 2018 Noon to 6:00 p.m. Fellowship Hall Mark your calendar for this important event. Giving Blood Saves Lives! That makes the donor a Hero! Last year 252 Units of Blood was donated during five blood drives at Grace. To schedule an appointment call RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org Sponsor code: GraceLuthWesterville If you last donated or before November 14, 2017, you may be eligible to give. Honor the Lord with your sustenance and the first fruits of all your produce. (Proverbs 3:9) Grace Financial Manager Kathy Wahlenmaier reported that the October W.A.R.M. monetary donations were $475. To date in 2017 the total amount donated to W.A.R.M. is $ Early in November, Karen Bale dropped off a total of 304 lbs. of food and non-food items to WARM that was donated by Grace members!! That raises the year-to-date total for 2017 of food and personal care items to 3,266.8 pounds. Additionally, the Thanksgiving Food Drive monetary donations totaled $1, Thanks to all who are making W.A.R.M. a regular part of your tithes and offerings. You are a blessing to many. FIRST FRUITS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Volunteering for the Grace First Fruits Ministry involves one first Sunday of the Month at either the first or second worship service. Information and a sign-up sheet is at the Welcome Center. If you have questions call Karen Bale at Go on-line to Westerville Area Resource Ministry to find the most needed items in addition to those listed. Questions? Call Tina Lapolla, W.A.R.M. Pantry Coordinator NOTE: Checks should be made out to Grace Lutheran Church with a notation on the memo line for W.A.R.M. Our First Fruits Cut out and collect these items for the December First Fruits Grocery Carts Mayonnaise & Ketchup Canned Fruit (all types) Canned Potatoes Canned Sauerkraut Boxed Pasta & Spaghetti Canned Spaghetti Sauce & Tomato Paste Sloppy Joe & Hot Dog Sauce Boxed Crackers Jelly Decaf Coffee, Hot Tea Bags & Hot Chocolate Salt & Pepper Kleenex Dish & Laundry Soap Diapers size 5 & 6 Fresh produce is always welcome, Especially early in the week. Place only non-perishable items into grocery carts. Fresh produce donations to 150 Heatherdown Dr. Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Top 10 Most Needed in the W.A.R.M. Pantry Year Round Cereal - hot or cold Canned Fruit Baked Beans Canned Chicken Canned tuna Spaghetti sauce Rice Deodorant Condiments ( ketchup, mustard, relish, bbq sauce, salad dressing, etc.) The VOICE of Grace Page 9

10 a Reaching out with the love of Jesus to m NALC LUTHERANS CELEBRATE REFORMATION IN MANSFIELD NOVEMBER 18TH, 2017 Over 400 NALC Lutherans from across Ohio gathered on Saturday, November 18th, at First English Lutheran Church, Mansfield, OH for the Ohio Region of the NALC s Reformation Celebration. The Rev. Dr. James Nestingen (pictured at left) was the keynote speaker in two morning sessions and preacher for the afternoon Eucharist. Professor Emeritus of History at Luther Seminary and a noted Luther Scholar, Dr. Nestingen s morning presentations centered on what the Reformation WAS and what the Reformation IS today. Grace member Peggy Jones attended and participated as a member of the Mass Choir of more than 100 members from NALC congregations in Ohio. The state of Ohio currently has the largest number of NALC congregations (60 plus). It was a joy and a privilege to be present. Pastor Hartfelder said he wished additional members of Grace could have been present to experience this celebration and opportunity to gather with NALC members from across Ohio. Worship was a blended, i.e, traditional and contemporary, service. It worked. First English s Proclaim Praise Team is better than many I ve come across. I was also impressed how they have been able to provide projection capability that, in my opinion, functioned very effectively with First English s beautiful traditional sanctuary. (upper right) Pr. Jeff Morlock who serves on staff at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church addressed worshippers prior to the gathering of the offering. He informed us the offering was designated to support the Columbus Oromo Lutheran Church s efforts to move into a church building. He also provided attendees with the opportunity to take home a brochure from the Oromo Church s Capital Fund Campaign to make either a personal commitment and/or to present to their home congregations for their support. As a Congregationally focused church, our NALC encourages every congregation to be directly involved in mission work in contrast to a top-down denominational model. Support of the Oromo Lutheran Church mission is still on our agenda at Grace. The Oromo congregation is the fastest growing NALC congregation in our Ohio Mission Region. As you know, Lisa Kuhar, Shirley Moleno, Jason Montgomery (and Conner), Joanne Figge, Pastor Will and Julie Hartfelder worshipped with our Oromo sisters and brothers in Christ when Pastor Will preached there this past August 6th. Here is a link to a brief video clip from the afternoon s worship service: ke disciples and serve our community The North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Disaster Response Opportunities In addition to our prayers, the many victims of recent hurricanes and fires are in dire need of material support made possible by your generous gift. You may do so by going to the website listed below or you may mail your financial gift, payable to the North American Lutheran Church, 2299 Palmer Drive, suite 220, New Brighton MN Your gift will help provide both immediate and long-term help. Advent Devotional Booklet Available From NALC Waiting for the Lord: An Advent Walk Through the Psalms, an Advent devotional booklet for 2017, is now available on the NALC website. (thenalc.org) The devotions, prepared by Pastor David Wendel, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism, are based on the recommended psalms for daily prayer during Advent from the Lutheran Book of Worship. The booklet is free and may be printed and copied for use in the home, by families, in congregations, Bible study groups, etc. The 2017 Advent Devotional is also available for your smartphone or tablet by downloading the free Pastor David Wendel NALC Walk of Faith app from the App Store or Google Play. You also may sign up to receive the Advent devotional material as a daily text or message. To receive a daily Advent devotional text message, to To receive a daily Advent devotional message, go to remind.com/join/nalcadvent and enter your name and address where indicated. Daily devotions by NALC pastors are available on the NALC website, on the NALC Network, and on Facebook each day of the year. The devotions from Pastor Wendel will be featured during Advent and are the same as those in the booklet. Page 10 December 2017

11 Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church 100 E. Schrock Road, Westerville, OH Office Hours: Monday thru Thurs. 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. to Noon PH: office@grace43081.org Website: Facebook: facebook.com/graceevangelicallutheranwesterville Grace Lutheran in Westerville has been serving the Westerville Community for more than 107 years. Grace supports local ministries such as the Westerville Area Resource Ministry, Westerville Partnership Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross Bloodmobile and Westerville CROP Walk. Grace also supports Lutheran Social Services programs like Faith Mission and provides weekly meeting space for a Boy Scout Troop and three AA groups. Holy Communion EVERY Sunday Morning Two Worship Services: 8:15 and 11:00 a.m. Sunday School for children, youth and adults 9:45 a.m. Join us for fellowship and refreshments after each service. Vision Statement We envision Grace to be a welcoming Christ-centered community of faith, inviting all, growing in discipleship, sharing in ministries. Mission Statement Our mission is to reach out with the love of Jesus to grow disciples and serve our community. We are a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) The NALC embraces four core values: Christ Centered, Mission Driven, Traditionally Grounded and Congregationally Focused. The NALC is focused on living out Christ s Great Commission to go and make disciples in North America and around the globe. We invite you to learn more about our congregation and the NALC. Welcome to our Guests We invite our guests to accept a Guest Bag that contains information about Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Westerville. The guest bags are located at the Welcome Center, located just outside the entrance to the sanctuary. Ask an usher or any member for assistance. Rev. William A. Hartfelder, Senior Pastor VM 11 w.hartfelder@grace43081.org Rev. Richard O. Walston, Visitation Pastor Cell rjwalston@msn.com Molly King, Director of Youth and Family Ministries Commissioned Lay Minister Cell m.king@grace43081.org Lora Moore, Director of Music Ministries l.moore@grace43081.org Linda Hoch, Organist Grace Staff llkgraf102078@earthlink.net Marjie Penn, Administrative Assistant office@grace43081.org Helena Zvansky, Business Manager h.zvansky@grace43081.org Kathy Wahlenmaier, Financial Manager k.wahlenmaier@grace43081.org Jocelyn Shuman, Preschool Director VM 14 littleblessingspreschool@grace43081.org 2017 Church Council (thru Dec. 31, 2017) President... Randy Stoll Ph rstoll3@columbus.rr.com Vice President... Shirley Moleno Ph shirleymoleno@yahoo.com Treasurer... John Hicks Ph: johnmh3@gmail.com Secretary... Joanne Figge Ph jcfigge@gmail.com Senior Pastor... Will Hartfelder Ph w.hartfelder@grace43081.org Members at Large: Vanessa Stewart... vschpn55@gmail.com Ph Lisa Kuhar... lisakuhar@gmail.com Ph Bill Kulju... kuljub1@gmail.com Ph Jason Montgomery...monty.jason@gmail.com Ph The VOICE of Grace Page 11

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13 Evangelical Lutheran Church 100 E. Schrock Road Westerville, OH Office: Fax: Place address label here We are a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Inside the december voice PAGE 1 December Events / Annual Advent Eucharist and Luncheon / New Members 2 The Pastor s Message / Retiring Council Members 3 Council Highlights for November / New Council Members 4 Grace s Gang - Messages from Molly / Christmas Program Practice 5 Stewardship Corner / Tips for Parents from FCA / Angel Tree / Little Lambs 6 Usher Search / Progressive Christmas Concert / Ruth Circle / Joyful Noise-Scioto Brass / Christmas Eve Music / Hanging the Greens (Decorating the Sanctuary) 7 Men of Grace / Womens Bible Study / Katharine Circle / Adult Education 8 Birthdays, Anniversaries / FaceBook / Alerts / So Glad You Asked / Christmas Pointsettia Orders 9 W.A.R.M. / Dartball / Blood Drive 10 NALC Reformation Celebration / Advent Devotional / Disaster Response 11 About Us / Welcome Guests 12 December Calendar