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| Grace Notes Email Newsletter |
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Thanks for a great educational year at Grace! It was fun and amazing to watch our 3K-12th grade students grow in their faith, all while having so much fun. Education Hour will resume after Labor Day. Enjoy your summer!
Your Grace Lutheran Church Staff
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Today is Pastor Paul's Birthday!
The congregation wishes Pastor Paul a "Happy Birthday" today!
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Congratulations to our Grace 2017 Graduates!
This Sunday at the 10:30 service we will celebrate the accomplishments of our Grace Graduates. God gives us minds to learn and guides us in paths of service to the church and the world, and we are excited to send our High School grads out with God's blessing. We will also recognize our students entering High School, and those who have graduated with degrees beyond High School. May God guide and strengthen all who begin a new phase of life and learning in the coming months!
Our high school graduates are: Joe Brown, Samantha Crevensten, Holly Dhein, Ellie King, Max LaMaster, Brianna Luettgen, Garrett Mehre, Makenna Race, Anna Reisinger, Elliot Scott & Aaron Steffen.
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Interesting in Joining Grace?
We have two sessions coming up in the next week for those who are interested in joining our church family. The first will be on Sunday morning, May 21 at 9:15 a.m. Leaders from Grace will share information on what goes on here and answer questions new members may have. At 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, Pastor Paul will lead a second session that talks about the five biblical purposes we have as a congregation. We will welcome new members at the 9:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, June 4. Call the church office if you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming part of our community of believers.
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Congratulations, Beth Walch!
As we honor our graduates this weekend we offer a special prayer of thanks and joy for Beth Walch, who graduates from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN on Sunday, with her Master of Divinity degree. Beth is currently on internship serving a church in the Twin Cities. Following the end of her internship she will be eligible for a call to an ELCA congregation and ordination. Congratulations, Beth!
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Sunday School "Near" Perfect Attendance
Thank you to all of our students and parents for a great year of Sunday School. An extra special shout out to Amelia Jacobson, River Kolbach and Madeline Marriott for almost perfect attendance for the entire school year! Way to go!
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You're Making a Difference Helping Our Youth
Many generous gifts have been received for our special "Youth Matter" offering to help support the youth ministry activities at Grace. Thanks to your gifts, one confirmation student, whose family couldn't afford to send him to Confirmation Camp next month, will go. You are still welcome to make a contribution to this special offering.
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Grace Youth & Families We Need You!
Grace youth (3K-12th grade) and their families-if you missed our All-Family event last Sunday, please make sure to stop by the table next to the hospitality counter (where the snacks are) this Sunday. We have plenty of tiles remaining to color for AIM Ruth's honorary cross mosaic. We also have a board where you can write a thank you note to your child's Sunday School teachers. So, stop by the table and color a tile for AIM Ruth and write a quick note for your teachers. Thanks for your help!
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Sunday School Offering Update
Thanks to our Sunday School students in 3K-8th grade for donating a total of $406.08 in offering money this school year. The money will be used to help support Mamadou, a student from Senegal. Since Mamadou is graduating this year, next Sunday School year the students will sponsor a child in Nicaragua through the Circle of Empowerment. At the All-Family Event last Sunday, students also voted to give any extra money beyond the sponsorship fee to the Wisconsin Make-A-Wish Foundation. Thanks to all of our youth and families for supporting Mamadou for many years as he completed his schooling!
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Boundary Waters Meeting
We've rescheduled our one hour meeting for everyone going on our July wilderness trip for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30. Parents of our teens who are participating are encouraged to attend as well.
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Another Metal Detecting Hunt for Grace Youth
I'm going to have another metal detecting outing for the young people at Grace who either have metal detectors, or who would like to try out this fun hobby. This year we're going to make it easy and, I hope, a lot of fun. We're going to have the hunt right here at church. I'm sure that there are coins and other things buried around the property, but to make it even more enjoyable, I'm going to bury some treasures around the church so our hunters will be sure to find something. I have scheduled this for Saturday, May 20 from 9:30-11:00 a.m. Let me know if you want to join us, or if you have a metal detector the kids can use.
Pastor Paul
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Bars Needed for Ascension Day Service on Thursday, May 25
This year Grace will be hosting the Ascension Day service as a joint service for our area churches. We need a few bakers to bake bars for after the 6:30 pm service.
If you can help, contact Laurie Gosselin at lagosselin@aol.com.
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Circle of Empowerment Dinner
Enjoy an evening in fellowship with Meg and Circle of Empowerment supporters in the evening on July 15th. We will be serving Roast Turkey and Beef Tips with Noodles for dinner along with beer and wine. Come learn more about all that Circle of Empowerment is doing and help support our mission. Tickets are $30 and go on sale in May. Fellowship and Beer/Wine at 5pm; Dinner at 6:30; Meg's Presentation 7:15.
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Women of the Congregation - Save the Date - May 22
Mark your calendar for Monday, May 22 for the Women's Salad Supper.
We will gather at 5:30 pm& have our delicious meal at 6:00 pm.
Following our meal, our speaker will be Samantha Bulgerin. She will be speaking on the History of Personal Photography.
Please sign up & let us know you are coming on the sheet in the gathering space. If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Gosselin at lagosselin@aol.com.
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Lunch Bunch
Please join us on Thursday, May 18th, 11:30 a.m., at First Watch Restaurant, Mequon.
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Looking for VBS Volunteers
Vacation Bible School needs you! We're looking for volunteers of all kinds for VBS...teachers, assistants, station leaders and more. Volunteers range in age from middle schoolers through grandparents, and can help a few days or the entire week. Whether you're here every summer or this is your first time, it is an incredibly fun and exciting week watching so many students grow in their faith. For more information or to sign up, stop by the VBS table in the gathering area. Questions? Contact Katie at
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Grace is Hosting the Community Ascension Day Service
Ascension Day celebrates that mysterious event when the risen Lord Jesus returned to his Father, ending his earthly ministry. This story is told in Luke 24 and again in Acts 1. For nearly thirty years the ELCA congregations in Grafton and Cedarburg have gathered to celebrate Ascension Day together. This year Grace will host this community service. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 25. Join your fellow Lutherans for this special time of worship.
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Register Now for VBS
Summer planning is now underway! Make sure to include Grace's Vacation Bible in those plans. At VBS Super Hero Central, we'll "Discover Your Strength in God." VBS runs August 7-11 from 9am-noon each day. VBS is open to students entering 3K-6th grade in the fall. Join us for a fun and exciting week of Super Hero adventures where we'll create unique art projects, dive into science experiments, explore Bible stories, sample tasty snacks and much more! Sign up your family and invite a friend! Register online at GraceGrafton.com or visit the VBS table in the gathering area. Questions? Contact Katie at
Katie@GraceGrafton.com or 262-377-4770.
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Building Usage
Grace Council has created and published a policy and documents to be used for any group or individual interested in utilizing the Grace facilities for a meeting, a social event, fundraiser, etc. The documents can be accessed from the main page menu: Resources / Documents & Forms. Here is a direct link to the page:
http://www.gracegrafton.com/documents--forms.html.
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Help Needed - Advertising
A new volunteer position that Grace is developing is an Advertising Coordinator. We are looking for someone to help identify and coordinate the advertising needs for Grace. The goal is to increase the community's awareness of Grace and the variety of events Grace holds - from special church services, Vacation Bible School opportunities for kids, and the Craft Fair (to name a few).
If you have interest in helping in this area or leading a group of people working on this - please reach out to either Pastor Paul, Pastor Heidi or Council President Kerry Feutz (kfeutz@live.com).
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Thank You!
A BIG THANK YOU to all who helped support the Handstamped Card Sale with your purchases. We were able to donate over$500 to help Family Promise.
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Family Promise Update
Our Grace and Living Hope Family Promise team recently finished our 7th week of hosting homeless families and single females. Ozaukee County Family Promise opened for business in November, 2015. In the 18 months of operation, this program has housed and fed 20 guests (10 children and 10 adults) in the shelter program. Many more individuals and families did not need to enter shelter care because they were helped by the Ozaukee County Family Promise Coordinator who connected them with sustainable employment, affordable housing, accessible healthcare, nutritious food and other needed resources.
Ozaukee County Family Promise is a network of 25 Ozaukee County churches. Some of these churches are Host churches (such as Grace). Other churches are support churches to the Host church (such as Living Hope, our support church). This network of churches and their volunteers have provided 990 nights of shelter care in the last 18 months. Our Grace/Living Hope Family Promise team has 40 volunteers who take turns setting up and taking down rooms for our host weeks, making meals, serving meals, providing evening hospitality, sleeping overnight, washing bedding and living out our mission to serve those in need.
Grace Lutheran Church members have been so generous with their time, talents, and financial assistance. Because of your generosity and the generosity of others, Kelly and her son Cameron have stable and affordable housing in Port Washington. Kelly has stable full-time employment and Cameron has his own bed to sleep in. They are doing well and have also given back by volunteering on our Family Promise team. Mileena and her infant son have stable housing. Jason, Amanda and little Dahlia have an affordable apartment in Saukville. Renee has her eye on an efficiency apartment and is working and saving money in preparation for a vacancy.
Please continue to keep the Family Promise program and all our guests and volunteers in your prayers. If you would like to join us in this ministry, please contact Mari Goecks (262-375-2532) or Kim Beloin (262-376-0259 or
Beloin@att.net
).
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Upcoming RNT Events
Our annual RNT Chinook Game is Monday, July 24th. Mondays are Senior Night so the cost per ticket is only $7. Please get your RSVP and money to Rod or Sue Wilterdink by Thursday, June 1st. Payment can be given to Rod or Sue directly, or by placing in their church mailbox. If you have questions contact Rod, 414-690-4709.
Our August RNT Event is a matinee dinner and play at Memories on Wednesday, August 16th. That is months away, but we have to have your reservation, with a $5 deposit for each person, by May 15th. The cost for the play, "Five Blue Haired Ladies Sitting on a Green Park Bench" and dinner is $38 per ticket the final payment is due before the event. RSVP to Pat Petersen at patpeter37@gmail.com. Pat will be collecting the $5 deposit.
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Missing Anything?
Are you missing a hat, sweatshirt, sparkly headband, reading glasses or a pair of pants? We might have what you're looking for! Check out our new Lost & Found bin in the coat room next to the conference room. In the future, any lost items can be placed in there for their owner to re-discover.
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Staff Schedules
With the new staff now set in place, it's a good time to let everyone know our normal schedules. Of course things can change, so it's always a good idea to make an appointment or call ahead, but these are generally when we are in the office with the exception of visits or other outside work duties.
The office is open Monday thru Friday from 9-12 and 1-4.
Pastor Paul: Tuesday-Friday
Pastor Heidi: Tuesday-Thursday
Lisa Bernd: Monday-Wednesday
Ed Borkenhagen: Tuesday-Friday
Erica Dimmett: Tuesday, Wednesday from 3-Confirmation, Friday morning
Katie Eippert: Tuesday & Thursday (8-5)
A pastor is always available in emergencies. Our cell phone numbers are always on the church voicemail recording- 377-4770. Please don't hesitate to call us if you need us. That is what we're here for.
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Mt. Meru Coffee is now available for purchase in the Gathering Space
Several varieties of coffee are now available for immediate purchase. Please complete the order form, include cash or check made payable to the Mt. Meru Coffee Project and deposit in the box provided. If you do not find the type of coffee you need, please complete an order form as the coffee will be restocked monthly. Regular, decaf, or flavored coffee sells for $10.00/12 oz. bag. Drip and perk grinds as well as whole bean and single-serve cups are available.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE COFFEE!
It is important that we remember the Mt. Meru Coffee Project is not just about the coffee, but also about our relationship with the farm families of the Meru Diocese. Every time we purchase a package of Mt. Meru Coffee we help to bring economic and social justice to the people of the Meru Diocese in Tanzania.
WHAT IS THE MT. MERU COFFEE PROJECT?
The Coffee Project is one element of the ministry partnership between the Greater Milwaukee Synod ELCA and the Diocese of Meru ELCT. Growing out of this partnership which was formed in 1996, the Coffee Project was initiated in 2000 and imported its first coffee in 2002. The Project creates a direct justice-based link between the coffee farmers of Northern Tanzania and the coffee consumers of the USA, building on fair trade practices.
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Check out AmazonSmile to Support
Grace
While
Shopping!
If you're buying gifts through Amazon's website, please consider doing it through AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
http://smile.amazon.com
, you'll find the exact same prices, selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support- please consider supporting Grace Lutheran!
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| Don't forget...One Can Plan Our ongoing mission is collecting nonperishable goods for Ozaukee Family Sharing and All People's Church in Milwaukee. Please bring one nonperishable food item when you come to worship and place it in the yellow barrel. The yellow barrel is located in the corner of the Gathering Area under the Outreach Opportunity Bulletin Board. |
| The Good News is on the Website There is a lot going on at Grace this month. You can read all about it in this months Good News. Follow the link:
http://www.gracegrafton.com/uploads/2/6/4/1/26411638/goodnews_currentmonth.pdf |
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Responsibility List
Responsibilities for May 21
At the 8:00 a.m. service:
Joan Tuttle is the assisting minister, Jeff Holle is the reader, Adi Utecht is the acolyte, Dan Ernst's team is ushering, Sherie Duwe & Julie Bednarczyk are the greeters, Jean Fugate is in the nursery, Carson Bernd is in the multimedia room, Lisa Bernd is the communion assistant & Mark Koehler is the bread assistant, Lisa Bernd has communion by Intinction set up, Debbie Donovan has coffee hour & Kelly Klug is at the Welcome Desk.
At the 10:30 a.m. service:
Karen Johnson is the reader, Aaron Goethel is the acolyte, Mel Trapp's team is ushering, Tom Bremer & Ryan Buhk are the greeters, Donna Stauske is in the nursery, Laurie Gosselin & Vicki Sperber are the communion assistants, Katie Eippert is the bread assistant, Michelle Acevedo has communion cleanup & Sandy Luettgen is at the Welcome Desk.
Responsibility for Thursday, May 18
At the 6:30 p.m. service:
Penny Scheibach is the greeter at the front door.
Responsibilities for May 28
At the 9:00 a.m. service:
Paul Singer is the assisting minister, Kathy Kehoe is the reader, Tyler Bailke is the acolyte, Mark Koehler's team is ushering, Diane Kiesow & Ed & Sandy Schlicht are the greeters, VOLUNTEER is needed in the nursery, Alec Acevedo is in the multimedia room, Linda Scott is the communion assistant, Jan Ernst has communion by Intinction set up & cleanup, A VOLUNTEER is needed for coffee hour & Chris Beloin is at the Welcome Desk.
Responsibility for Thursday, May 25
At the 6:30 p.m. service:
Ann Turney is the greeter at the front door.
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