Amazing GRACE Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World through Christian Growth, Community Outreach and Life Skill Development OCTOBER 2017 ENERGY & MONEY SAVINGS AT GRACE If you appreciate attempts to be more environmentally aware while saving money, then you will appreciate the steps Grace UMC is taking in that direction. Here are some examples: An electronic version of this Amazing Grace can be emailed to your inbox or viewed through the Grace website you can discontinue receiving this hard copy at your request, saving both paper and postage. As a bonus, the electronic version is in color! Electronic options exist for contributing to Grace: through our website, with a secure church-initiated debit from your bank account, through the Tithe. ly mobile giving app, or through PayPal. You can even contribute with a debit or credit card in the church office. If you choose one of these options, you can have your quarterly offering envelopes discontinued, which will also save paper and postage. Perhaps you have noticed that more of the Sunday morning service is being displayed on the monitors in the Sanctuary, and less is appearing in the printed bulletin. You can help Grace save even more paper by skipping the printed bulletins and just rely on the displayed information on the monitors. And remember, you can always stay in touch through your mobile device or computer by getting our weekly email of announcements or by following our posts on Facebook and Twitter. Make sure the office has your current email address. Other energy saving projects have been implemented: the lights for the choir loft are now all LED, replacing the higher energy-using Halogen bulbs. The lights hanging in the Sanctuary are also going to be switched to LED s. At the beginning of summer, the Trustees replaced one of the old air conditioner chiller units with a new, energy efficient unit. They also replaced the old boiler in Pastor David s parsonage with a new energy efficient gas furnace, which should greatly reduce his utility bills and energy usage. Other, more subtle and less noticeable energy and money saving projects are in the works. If you would like to help implement some ideas, give the church office a call.
A NOTE GRACE UMC STAFF DEAR FRIENDS, Senior Pastor: Dr. David Schrader Associate Pastor: Kerry Clear Counselor: Pam Schrader Music Director: Victoria Garrett Choir Director: Zen Kuriyama Organist: David Eicher Wedding Coordinator: Chris Rowe Director of Education & Programming: Melodie Ringer Assistant Director of Children s Ministries: Amy Hendrickson Church Secretary: Jennifer Robinett MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: JUDY CLADY Custodians: David Neibar Tim Piech Angel Soto Preschool Teachers: Amy Hendrickson, Director Nancy Creech Melodie Ringer Nursery: Amy Seese Connie Harmon Business Administrator: Bob Suter from our Pastor There are five important Sundays you should mark on your calendar now. OCTOBER 1 World Communion Sunday and Pot Luck We will celebrate our unity in Christ during worship, and our differences in taste at the pot luck, where everyone is asked to bring a dish that either represents their ethnic background, or one that is an old family recipe. In addition, we ask that you bring a copy of your recipe to put on display so that those who enjoyed it can try it at home. OCTOBER 15 Laity Sunday Preachers aren t the only ones who can speak about Jesus. During worship, hear how some of our church members have been touched by the love and grace of God. If you would like a few minutes time in the worship service to speak about how Jesus has impacted your life, please let me know. OCTOBER 29 Celebration of Our Saints On this Sunday, at both services, we will have a Celebration of Our Saints in worship. This is the Sunday closest to All Saint s Day, and as in years past, we will lift up in memory those who have gone on to be with our Lord since last All Saint s Day. Candles on the altar will be lit in their memory as family members and friends stand to honor our saints who are now with Christ Jesus. The day s events will continue later that afternoon with our Fall Party for All, which will begin at 4:30. NOVEMBER 12 District Connection Day On this Sunday at 2:00 our church will host the District Connection Day, which will be led by our District Superintendent, Larry Whitehead. At this meeting, the Charge Conference business will be rapidly conducted so there is time for Larry to make an important presentation to the area United Methodist church leaders. It is my hope that many of you will be here to hear him, and to welcome our guests. We are anticipating 350 of them. NOVEMBER 19 Celebration Dinner We will have another Celebration Dinner at the Gillespie Center at the Hilton Garden Inn on the campus of Saint Mary s College. The dinner begins at noon. There will be presentations with pictures about our mission trips to Guatemala and to Red Bird. There will be time for staff members to thank all of you, and for you to thank them for all they do. You do not want to miss this. While a special invitation will be sent to you, you can RSVP any time by emailing or calling the church office. 2 (Continued on page 3)
(Continued from page 2) There are lots of other things going on, from my special study about the Struggles of Saint Paul, which ends on October 11, to the start of Rev. Bill White s Wednesday evening study which begins November 1. Youth Bell Choir and Liturgical Dance begin this coming month, as well as many other things which offer opportunity for Christian growth, outreach and fellowship. You will find out more about these elsewhere in this newsletter. BLESSINGS! PASTOR DAVID THE SERVICE OF ANOINTING The United Methodist Book of Worship THE EPISTLE OF JAMES 5:13-15 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Come to the Chapel after the service of worship today if you are interested in learning more about the service of healing. Rev. Bill White will be leading the service after both our 9:00 and 10:30 worship times on the first Sunday of each month, and will anoint any who wish to receive the sign of prayer and faith for the healing of any of the diseases of your life. 3 AN INVITATION TO THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Tuesday, October 31 at 7:00 pm Pastor David has been invited to speak at the 500th anniversary celebration of the Protestant Reformation that will be taking place at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, the congregation where Bob Suter, our Church Administrator is a member. Their pastor, Rev. Jeff Zell, and the Gloria Dei congregation, invite Grace members to join them on this evening for a time of worship, reflection and celebration. The Protestant Reformation was begun when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church. This event, which occurred on October 31, 1517, led to the proclamation that the Bible, and not the pope, must be the ultimate authority for Christian theology and practice. Perhaps the most important emphasis that came out of this was the proclamation that we are saved by the free grace of God, not by works. The Lutheran Church was established on this principle. The Methodist movement, as we know it, flourished after John Wesley s Aldersgate experience, where his heart was strangely warmed while listening to a reading of Martin Luther s preface to Saint Paul s Epistle to the Romans. It is here that Wesley realized that all his efforts to earn salvation were for naught, and that all he need do was to trust in Christ and Christ alone for salvation. There would be no Lutheran Church or United Methodist Church without the event that took place on October 31, 1517. Gloria Dei is located at 225 East Haney Street in South Bend, across from the Broadway Christian Parish United Methodist Church.
CHILDREN S NEWS YOUTH NEWS The Children s Choir is practicing now for a presentation on Sunday, November 5 during the worship services. They practice at 10:00 am in the music room upstairs. We know it s hard to believe, but immediately after the November 5 services, we will begin practice for the Christmas Program. Please talk to your children and encourage them to get involved we have a lot of fun and make new friends, all while celebrating a wonderful Grace tradition! Our youngest missionaries will be at it again during Sunday School on Sunday, October 29! We will be heading back to St. Paul s Healthcare facility to spread some Fall Cheer. The children are really showing that they can Get Going! Any parents wanting to help are always welcome! SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 The youth will be going out to lunch and then bowling at Chippewa Lanes after the 10:30 service. Bring money for lunch, we will cover the bowling and shoe rental. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5 The youth will be heading out in service after the Pot Luck. We will be going to the homes of members that need help with fall cleanup in their yards. MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW! The youth are heading to Winter Blast 2018 at Grace Adventures in Muskegon, MI the weekend of January 26-28. We will join about 200 other youth for a weekend of fun, fellowship and Faith. Speaker Pastor Johnny P will be leading the weekend along with rock bands, horseback riding, tubing and much more! 4
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY November 1,8,15 at 7:00 pm You are invited to a three week study of the Biblical theology of Charles Wesley's hymns and poetry. The hymns and music of the church's worship are in a very real sense confessions of faith and praise. Many of Wesley's hymns are among the very best in the history of Christian hymnody because of his extraordinary ability to use and to allude to Scripture in his poetry. The study will be based on A FAITH THAT SINGS: Biblical Theology in the Lyrical Poetry of Charles Wesley by Dr. Paul Chilcote. Copies of the book will be available in October. EMMAUS COMMUNITY GATHERING If you have been on an Emmaus Walk, a Cursillo, Kairos, Prison Ministry, Tres Dias or are interested in an Emmaus Walk, you are invited to join the Michiana Emmaus Community for a gathering at Grace Church. Plan to join us on Friday, October 6, at 6:30pm, for a potluck dinner, sharing and worship in the Great Hall. This is the first time Grace Church has hosted a gathering. For more information, check with Pastor Kerry, Bob or Dee Stiffler. Children are welcome. Calling all Bell Ringers! If you are interested in playing our newly refurbished bells, please join us for an informal meeting on October 8 at 11:45 in the Parlor. We will discuss rehearsal times, performance dates and other important information. F A L L Are you in need of help cleaning up your yard this year? The Youth are looking for members that could use assistance getting ready for winter. On November 5th, we will be sending the youth out to help do yard work for a few hours. If you would like to be put on the list for us to come by, please call the church office at 288-4789 or write your request on the yellow cards in the bulletin. The Fall Party For All Sunday, October 29 at 4:30 pm in the Great Hall. This is a gathering for families, singles, teens, grandparents, young and old alike! The main entrée will be provided, so please bring a side dish or dessert to share. There will be a scavenger hunt, pumpkin carving contest, costume contest and great food and fellowship. 5
UPCOMING EVENTS...Finance Meeting - October 3...UMW General Meeting & Lunch - October 5...Emmaus Walk Meeting - October 6...Men s Breakfast - October 7...Blood Drive - October 8...Bell Choir Meeting - October 8...Mission Outreach Meeting - October 10...UMW Circle - October 12...Paper Pantry - October 14...Parents in Action Meeting - October 15...Youth to Chippewa Lanes - October 15...Board of Trustees Meeting - October 16...UMW Board Meeting - October 26...A Celebration of Our Saints - October 29...Fall Party for All - October 29 CELEBRATIONS......We welcome new member Kathy Lutz!...Quin Abarr got married this month! The Campbell s Labels for Education program ended on July 31, 2017. We will continue to collect Box Tops for Education which we send to McCurdy Ministries in New Mexico to raise money for McCurdy School. Thanks for all your...for the flowers and welcoming me into Grace. It has been a pleasure being a part past support. of Grace and working with the youth. It was very thoughtful of you to give me the flowers. ~UMW I will miss the members who I have known through the last two years. ~ Joyce Bangel THANK YOU......for the $756.13 given to Broadway Christian Parish. Every penny helps us with our ministries to love and care for the poor. ~Pastor Bette Thompson 6
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NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID 3012 South Twyckenham Drive South Bend, Indiana 46614 574.288.4789 www.gracemethodist.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED South Bend, Indiana PERMIT No. 109 Over the last few weeks, we as a nation have had some trying times. With two major hurricanes hitting Texas and Florida, people are saying where is God? during these times. We all probably (I know I do) had friends and family affected by these disasters. My aunt lives in Florida, but she is safe. My best friend as a kid lives in Houston and he is safe. We just came off the anniversary of maybe one of the most devastating days in are country s history, 9/11. So people are saying, where is God? Even in the midst of these disasters, God was there. God was there to comfort and bring strength to the survivors. Any death is devastating, and we may never understand why some people live and some don t, as that is up to God. But eventually we will all find out when we meet with him someday. Please pray with me: Lord Jesus we may not understand who lives and dies but we always know that you always have our best interests for keeping us safe, and we know that you are always there for us with your great love, in Jesus name we pray, AMEN! OCTOBER PRAYER FOCUS David Neibar