Abiding in Christ through grace, we are gathered to grow and sent to serve.

Transcription

1 Abiding in Christ through grace, we are gathered to grow and sent to serve. Notes of Grace Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA), Brownton, Minnesota June/July 2016 June Servants Acolyte 5 Cade Herrmann 12 Keely Wendlandt 19 Allie Grolund 26 Teagan Hansch Communion Paul Eitel Altar Guild Mary Bullert & Sherry Husske Ushers 5 Neil & Melanie Winterfeldt 12 Brad & Karla Trettin 19 Oather Jr & Sandy Martin 26 Pastor Andrew & Rosine Hermodson-Olsen Readers 5 Steffie Gronlund 12 Oather Martin Jr 19 Roxanne Wendlandt 26 Diana Lindeman Vacation Bible School July We will again be sending our children to Vacation Bible School at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Brownton this year. The times will be from 6-8:30pm each evening, Sunday through Thursday. We will need to register ahead of time to help prepare and we will need to have volunteers. Please consider helping even for one or two evenings so we can make this fun and faithteaching week possible. Letters to our Sunday School families will be going out in early June to encourage registration and volunteering. Outdoor Worship on August 7 Mark your calendars for our outdoor worship service on August 7. We will change our worship time to 10 a.m. that Sunday and have a potluck meal afterward. Bring something to eat to share. Beverages, plates and silverware will be provided Celebrations We celebrate with Todd & Alicia Schwarze at the birth and baptism (May 15) of their newest son, Dominic Schwarze. We celebrate as a congregation that new members have come to us: David and Sharon Carrigan, Winthrop, and Kevin and Nancy Deppe, Brownton. July Servants Acolyte 3 Abby Gronlund 10 Isaiah Streich 17 Lexis Werner 24 Keely Wendlandt 31 Cade Herrmann Communion Karla Trettin Altar Guild Vonnie Schuett & Theresa Eitel Ushers 3 Paul & Theresa Eitel, Vicky Schlenner 10 Todd & Faye Ahlbrecht 17 Dave & Linda Pedersen 24 Tom & Mary Lemke 31 Jim & Kathy Todd, Sara Todd Readers 3 Joyce Peterson 10 Paula Katzenmeyer 17 Sharon Weber 24 Rosine Hermodson-Olsen 31 Keith Tongen

2 PAGE 2 NOTES OF GRACE GRACE LUTHERA N CHURC H (ELCA), BROWNTON, May 11, 2016 Meeting Attending: Justin Olson, Paul Eitel, Larry Tongen, Shannon Hahn, Joyce Peterson, Jim Todd, Karla Trettin, Michele Gens, Treasurer Brandon Yerks, and Pastor Andy. Absent: Tim Olson Devotions: Pastor Andrew Secretary s Report: M.S.C.: to approve the minutes of the April 13, 2016 meeting. Treasurer s Report: General Fund: Beginning balance was $ and the ending balance was $ Total income for May was $ and total expenditures were $ Memorial Fund: $8824 Line of Credit: $ M.S.C. to approve the Treasurer s Report Correspondence: Thank you from the Gideon s Pastor s Report: 1. Summer schedule 2. Website DJ is still our webmaster, working with Pastor Andy to revamp and update Grace s website 3. Pastor discussed the issue of a Receiving Policy, which Grace currently does not have, and whether or not the council would like to create one. It would provide the church with a procedure to follow for receiving large gifts and how they are to be used or allocated. A small group of council members will meet to create a policy for future use. Calendar: 1. June 4 Bridal Shower 2. June Synod Assembly, St. Peter 3. July 9-15 Pastor s Continuing Education 4. July 10, 17 Pastor s vacation Sundays 5. July 14 Grace Women Wedding Dress Revue event 6. July Vacation Bible School at Immanuel 7. July 31-Aug 4 Vacation Bible School at St. John 8. Aug 8-13 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in New Orleans 9. Aug 21 Potential Vacation Sunday for Pastor 10. Sept 11 Fall Festival Old Business/Updates: 1. Organ Concert April 24 th, was a success 2. Mission Sunday May 1 st - $560 received 3. Synod Assembly Ben and Gloria Schuft will represent Grace 4. Grace-based Evangelizing - April New members welcomed May 15: Dave and Sharon Carrigan (from Penn); Kevin and Nancy (Nelson) Deppe 6. Congregational Meeting May 8 th New Business: 1. Volunteering at Habitat for Humanity will put a sign-up sheet out for church members to sign up to work a shift on June 25th or help provide a meal for the workers 2. Need memorial gift ideas or undesignated memorial gifts 3. Summer worship & potluck August 7 th 4. Red Hats would like to rent the church for a card class Committee and Group Reports: none M.S.C. to adjourn the meeting. Closed with the Lord s Prayer Secretary Karla Trettin Grace Lutheran Church Council Meeting Minutes Abiding in Christ through grace, we are gathered to grow and sent to serve. Next Meeting: June 8 th at 7pm

3 GRACE LUTHERA N CHURC H (ELCA), BROWNTON, NOTES OF GRACE PAGE 3 Attending: 51 voting members in attendance Grace Lutheran Church Congregational Meeting May 8th, 2016 Business: President Joyce Peterson called the meeting to order. She explained to the congregation that we d like to discuss if Pastor Andrew would be permitted to go to half time (or anything less than his current status) in the event that another church would ask us to share pastoral time. *Pastor Andrew spoke about the future of the church and issues that will be arising; fewer pastors available and fewer students in seminary. *Several members shared their opinions on the subject. *A vote was taken to allow, or not, the council the authority to enter into discussions with other churches on sharing our pastor s time. The votes were tallied, 44 yes and 7 no. M.S.C. to adjourn the meeting. Secretary Karla Trettin Grace Women of the ELCA There will be a WELCA Business Meeting on June 19th following worship & fellowship time. On July 14, the Ladies group is planning a fundraiser. A "Wedding Dress Revue" w/coffee & dessert to follow. Anyone willing to model/ display their gown or mothers dress or a bridesmaid dress, should let a committee member know as soon as they decide to commit to helping us. The committee members are Jody Genz, Joyce Peterson, Gloria Schuft, Tammy Kosek & Ardis Waller. Feel free to call a comm. member w/any questions or suggestions. Planning Ahead: Fall Festival is September 11th, so the planning has begun. So WELCA will be looking for donations for the Basket Raffle to be held. Please sign up on bulletin board if you are willing to donate a basket and what kind of theme it may be ASAP, so tickets can be printed. Grace Lutheran Youth Group Watch Bulletin for any upcoming events. Mark your Calendars!: Fall Fesitval will be September 11th *Please be watching bulletin and bulletin board in weeks to come on how you can help to make it another successful event! Spring LME Weekend in Albert Lea Give your marriage a spring tune-up at the next Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend, October in Albert Lea at the Country Inn & Suites. There are three such enrichment weekends per year in Minnesota. This is not counseling, but a chance to learn communication tools and how to keep your marriage a priority. If you have questions, several couples from Grace have attended a weekend, including Pastor Andrew & Rosine. Dave & Linda Pedersen from Grace are one of the presenting couples. Apply today at GodLovesMarriage.org or contact Peter & Phyllis McMahon at mcmahonp@comcast.net or Pre-registration is required. The God who Abides Word from the Pastor : The good news of Jesus is sometimes condensed into a word or two when you know the story of salvation. For instance, the word grace speaks of the unique and wonderful love of God which is unearned and forgiving. The story of Jesus is about grace. Another word that I treasure is the word abide. When you abide, you do more than go somewhere; you remain there. It communicates to us a commitment to remain over time. The good news of Jesus is that he has come to abide with us and with our world. And as we know, Jesus abides with a great commitment to us. He is not a fair weathered friend. Rejection does not turn Jesus away. The Christian life is not about having correct knowledge about God. The Christian life is about abiding with God, loving and serving God as God loves and serves us. And this would be impossible unless God acted first and came to be with us in a forgiving and hopeful way. It is God s action in abiding with us that makes it possible for us to say that we abide with God. I say this as it is now the summer season. Worship attendance decreases as people are away or just worshipping less often. One may be tempted to conclude that people are not abiding with God, therefore God is not abiding with them. But it is more complex than that. God is not confined to a place or a time and God is undeterred. God abides with us. Even when we forget about God or feel God is not around, the promise is this God abides with us. It is the good news. What makes this complete is when we remember this and see ourselves also as abiding in God through Jesus. Our lives are fulfilled by knowing and living with God each day, even if we are not in worship. To hear Jesus speak of this, read John Pastor Andy

4 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 5 /Communion am WELCA Meeting 26 /Communion June pm Council Meeting 1 2 6pm South African Partnership Meeting Synod Assembly

5 July 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 3 /Communion /Communion NEWSLETTER DEADLINE! WELCA Wedding Dress Revue