Our Mission INSIDE THIS ISSUE.

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1 There seems to be an intent or a plan in creation to bring into manifestations revelations of the Unknowable One that awaken in us the greater and greater capacity to love. Thomas Keating INSIDE THIS ISSUE Council President 1 Pastor/Music 2 Love One Another 3 GYM/Seniors/B-Ball 4 Save Date/B day 5 Calendar 6 Worship Assistants 7 Kids on the Bible 8 Our Mission to welcome all people into a community of God s Grace, nurture disciples who live in faith, equip witnesses who share the Gospel, and send ministers who serve in love. Please Like us on Facebook

2 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:13,19 This Bible passage may sound familiar because we read it in worship just a couple Sundays ago. Its words describe what it is that God does for us we are brought near and made citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. It also describes how it is that we accomplish one the first and acts of our stated mission as church family: to welcome all people into a community of God s grace. Each of us can tell a story, or at least I hope that we can, of how God has brought us near, how we once felt like strangers and now we are made to feel like we belong as citizens with the saints and members of the family (I like this word a little better than household) of God. It is a thrilling experience to belong somewhere! Just ask a foster child who has been adopted or someone who has immigrated and gone through the naturalization process to become a new citizen of our country. They once felt like strangers but now are welcomed. When people are received into membership at Grace, they are welcomed into a community of grace. They don t just receive a fancy certificate saying so, but we embrace them as part of our loving and caring church family! With us, they have heard the grace-filled message of the gospel and experienced the forgiveness of sins. What does it mean to be a citizen with the saints and a member of God s household? It means that you identify with one another and commit yourself to a common mission of doing God s will together. It means that you willingly offer your God-given gifts to serve in becoming a part of something that is bigger than yourself. It means that you don t just sit back and wait for someone to come knocking on your door to beg you to participate in a project, but you step forward with initiative because your faith in God has motivated you as a willing servant of the gospel. In his commentary on the Book of Romans, Martin Luther writes: Faith is a living, daring confidence in God s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God s grace and knowledge of it makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit in faith. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace. As we have been so welcomed into the community of God s grace, may we daily surrender our lives, and our God-given gifts, to serve in helping to carry out the mission to which we have been called at Grace! Yours truly in Christ, Pastor Ken Happy August! Craig and I would like to thank everyone for their warm welcome to Grace. We feel very blessed to be a part of this great church and look forward to serving with each of you over the coming months and years. If you enjoy singing or playing an instrument, there is a place for YOU in one of our music groups. Fall is a perfect time to join one of the choirs. Rehearsals for Grace Alone (Praise Choir/8:30 service), Chancel Choir (Traditional Choir/ 11:00 service), and Hand bells will begin in late August. If you are interested in any of these ensembles, come talk with me. We are excited about the music opportunities coming for our children that will also begin this fall. Stay tuned for more information regarding the exciting things that are happening in our music program. 2 Musically yours, Jeremy

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4 Come join on Thursday August 23 at 11:30 am for a pizza and salad lunch and a visit with Judy Huitt. Judy will bring us word about internationally-known Bible teacher Anne Graham Lotz who will lead a morning-long session Saturday, Sept. 15, on "Effective Prayer, for Such a Time as This." A quick video clip of Anne's teaching will be shown. The event, sponsored by a diverse group of York County churches, will be at Winthrop Coliseum from 9 a.m. to 12:30 pm on Sept. 15 Judy will share with us more details about this wonderful opportunity that aims to bring the Christian community together - transcending denominational and ethnic differences - for a morning devoted to Anne's teaching about effective prayer and impacting our world more powerfully for Christ in these days. Thank you for the cards, s, words of support, and prayers during the last six months. My radiation treatments ended recently, and I will learn more results in the coming months. I appreciate my church family and your many kindnesses during this time. Sincerely, Joe Warmoth 2 nd ANNUAL WOMEN IN BASEBALL NIGHT - August 5 th 5:00pm. The Charlotte Knights will honor women in baseball for the second consecutive season. Longtime Grace Member, Jean Faut, who played with the All American Girls Baseball League (AAGL) during the 50 s will be throwing out the first pitch. The Charlotte Knights are holding a block of Field Box seats for our group, but will need a count soon. Please let Jean Winsch know ASAP if you would like a ticket. (Jeanwinsch@gmail.com or ) The cost of the ticket is $19. Please pay to GLC - Memo- Knight s game by July 30 th. Contact Jean about carpooling. Play Ball! MEMORIALS & HONORARY GIFTS Received in July 2018 In honor of Madeline and Harry Hazen Elaine and Ken Hazen Current Fund 4

5 SAVE THE DATE AUGUST 2018 GYM Beach Retreat - August Family Promise - August 26 - September 2 SEPTEMBER 2018 Grateful Giving Drives Our Mission Annual Stewardship Campaign September 9-30 Stewardship Sunday Worship September 30, 10:00 AM Stewardship Celebration Meal September 30, 11:00 AM OCTOBER 2018 Annual Picnic - October 14 Elk s Park, 12:30 PM NOVEMBER 2018 LIFT Retreat - Lutherock November 9-11 Celebration Service and Annual Dinner/Meeting November 18, 10:00 AM - Worship FINANCIAL REPORT - July 2018 July giving for budget $51,136 Jan - July 2018 giving for budget $307,204 Jan - July 2017 giving for budget $320,757 Needed for budget 2018 $330,288 $ behind 2018 budget $23,084 ACM giving in July $955 ACM campaign to date $724, Bill Sliney, Rick Richter, Ken Gillikin 3 - Karen Monahan 4 - Gerri Polito 5 - Chet Miller 6 - Dawson Harbert, Dustin Stegall, Victor Mohaugen 7 - Robin Ketner, Eric Schmidt 8 - Sofia Lindenbeck 9 - Kerry Lindler, Steve Capper, Ellen Gwyn 10 - Patti Saunders 12 - Rick Kirby 13 - Laura Cartner 14 - Glenn Wise 15 - Charlotte DeMartino, Kerr Carter 17 - Gus Koegler 18 - Nancy Koegler 19 - Lukas Hill, Brian Beer 20 - Johnnie Waataja 21 - Larry Schwandt 22 - Kathy Anderson, Buck Wallace 24 - Kathy Schwandt, Frances Stockley 25 - April Hershey 26 - John Taylerson, Pauline Jellum 27 - Bela Romero, Linda Bailey, Amy Cassidy 28 - Sue Waataja, Kenny Meetze, Ron Hartman 29 - Angela Brown, Jessica Barber 31 - Michael Echegary, Amber Shockly, Marie DeMartino, Emily Bigger (four weeks only: July 29 will be tallied in August) 5

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8 The statements below are said to have been written by actual students, that they are genuine and NOT retouched or corrected: - Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. - The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount cyanide to get the ten amendments. - The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple. - The fifth commandment is to humor thy father and mother. - The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him. - The epistles were wives of the apostles. - The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels. - Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. - Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol. - One of the opossums was St Matthew who was also a taxi-man. Grace Lutheran Church 426 Oakland Avenue Rock Hill, SC Phone: graceluthch@comporium.net NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Articles for the September 2018 newsletter are due by August 14, Feel free to the office at graceluthch@comporium.net or drop by Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Thank you! 8