Grace United Church of Christ
500 School Street • Kohler, Wisconsin 53044
Rev Beth Petzke, Pastor
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Grace and Peace to you all!
Renita J. Weems once wrote, “As with most great communicators, God knows that the point of silence and the pause between sentences is not to give the audience the chance to fill the silence with empty babbling but to help create more depth to the conversation.”
This past month of May has been very full with joyous occasions for celebrations. Spring seems to really be coming, the children’s choir sang a reprise of songs for Mother’s Day, celebration of women of faith, confirmation of four young people who also joined the church. There is so much to be thankful for in this season of life in the church, and we rejoice, but more is happening in our lives than just joy. There are many who are struggling with a variety of things – fear, anxiety, health issues, stress, financial struggles, death, disease, work, and other dark places.
Whether we are having a mountaintop or valley experience, let us always remember to allow the time and space for God’s still small speaking voice to be a part of the conversation. We cannot hear the call God is placing on our lives if we are doing all the talking and do not listen – that is part of being in a relationship, whether it is with God or others.
Wisconsin has the shortest Spring/Summer season of anywhere I have lived, and we crave the sun and warmer temperatures so much, that we fill our longer days with the busyness of outdoor activities. I invite you to allow some silence in those moments – to listen for the goodness of God, and ponder,
“How/Where did you encounter God today?”
Many of you are camping, on vacation, biking, walking, traveling, getting together with friends and family, enjoying the pleasure of your own backyard, going to the beach. But I challenge you to engage in those moments of worship and consider how or where you encountered God today and post a word, phrase, or picture on our Facebook page
GraceUCCKohler
.
I look forward to reading and seeing your posts.
Blessings,
Pastor Beth
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Thank you to:
-Tom Teaters for maintaining the lawnmower.
-Dan Kasten for planting grass on the front slope
-To all who helped celebrate 95 years of Grace church.
-To all who stayed for the potluck and fellowship!
-Curt Joa for his faithful work with the children’s choir as we celebrated their final song Sunday
-David Rabe in his expertise with the projector.
-Thank you to all who contributed to a successful confirmation year – students, parents, mentors, and all who support them.
-Sandy Rabe for coordinating and hosting the coffee hour to celebrate the young people’s Confirmation.
-Thank you to all who have sponsored Grace Notes, Weekly Bulletins, Bridgeway Meals, and Altar Flowers in the past. This extra support makes a difference to many people in many ways. Thank you for your generosity.
There are a number of things that just ‘happen’ here at Grace. For those who give of their time and talent to make things happen – whether anonymously or whether I may have accidentally not included, please know that we are thankful for your generosity! Please let Pastor Beth know if there are any errors or omissions.
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Do you have a prayer request that you would like to share with Pastor Beth? Please reach out at any time
rev.beth.petzke@gmail.com
or
920-371-8018. All prayer requests will be kept confidential unless permission to share with the congregation is given.
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Please remember that if you admitted to the hospital and would like a visit from Pastor Beth, please contact her directly (cell 920-371-8018). Between HIPPA and the busyness of the hospital staff, oftentimes the hospital doesn’t call, therefore Pastor Beth would appreciate a direct call from you or your family to ensure timely visitation and pastoral care.
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At this year’s General Synod, the UCC Disabilities and Mental Health Justice Ministries is hosting a “Wellness Room.” This will be a space for General Synod attendees to get away from the crowds and busyness and find space and time for quiet and rejuvenation.
We would like to provide welcome and hospitality to individuals who choose to spend some time in this space. We are seeking donations of prayer shawls that could be used by and gifted to people who visit this space. If your congregation has a prayer shawl ministry or if you have individuals in your congregation who enjoy making prayer shawls, and you would be interested in donating some of your prayer shawls to the Wellness Room at General Synod, please contact
Lisa Hart via email
or at 608-846-7880.
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We Welcome our Newest Members into the Life of the Church!
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On Sunday, May 19th we welcomed 4 Confirmands into the life of the church. From left to right: Ava Priebe, Breaden Ziegelbauer, Ben Widder, Sarah Horth, and Rev Petzke.
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Shop with SCRIP!
Kwik Trip cards are available in the church office. With scrip, you’re paying face value and you’re getting face value. Make your giving go farther! Pick up SCRIP the next time you're at church.
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Did you know that Texas Roadhouse offers a Sunday bulletin program to support local churches
. On Sundays, guests that come into the Sheboygan Texas Roadhouse location can have 10% of their total food purchases back to the church! Simply present a current copy of your church’s bulletin to your server.
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May 29th
Scroll Night Brat Fry
June 2nd
Graduates Sunday
Choir Encore Sunday
June 9th
Pentecost Worship with Holy Communion
June 16th
Honoring all men of faith in the ways they make a difference
June 21st 7pm
Sunday School
Pajama Party
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SCROLL NIGHT BRAT FRY
May 29
serving brats, burgers and chicken sandwiches from 4:30-7:30pm
Silent Auction to benefit the carpet replacement project
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Cookbook in Progress
Seeking your recipes
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Recognition of Graduates will be here before we know it! Please contact the church office if you or someone in your family will be celebrating a graduation (high school, college, etc) this spring. We would like to recognize this milestone and celebrate it as a church family on June 2nd.
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There are still scented candles available for purchase in the lounge at church. They make great gifts! Proceeds from the sale go directly to Grace Church. Stop by and take a look at the selection!
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Sponsorship is another way to support the ministries and outreach of the church. Through sponsorship of Grace Notes, you ensure that important information gets out to our church family, strengthening communication and fostering a sense of belonging. You can sponsor the Grace Notes newsletter for a month for $40. To signup to sponsor Grace Notes click the button below.
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A month's worth of worship bulletins can be sponsored for $40. Click the button below to be a sponsor.
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Altar flowers can be sponsored to mark a special occasion in your life or 'just because'. Flowers can be sponsored for a Sunday for $37.50 or you can bring your own flowers. Click the button below to claim a week and specify any colors and kinds of flowers you prefer. Following 10am worship you are welcome to take the flowers home to enjoy throughout the week.
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As a church, we support the ministry of Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (SCIO) One of the ways we partner with them in ministry is by sponsoring a meal once a month to cover the costs of feeding the families staying at Bridgeway House. A donation of $40 provides the groceries needed to provide a nutritious meal for the women and children living there.
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There are a number of opportunities to share your time and talent, please consider one (or more) of the following opportunities:
Liturgist/Lay Reader: If you are interested in reading scripture in worship, please contact the church office or Pastor Beth.
-Host a coffee hour/fellowship time. It’s as simple as signing up in the narthex and bringing some “goodies.” What is important – that we get together. Less important – what we eat or drink. Goodies can be homemade or store bought. Get together with a couple of friends or invite someone you would like to get to know better and host a coffee hour. Perhaps you like to bake but not host? Connect with someone to share the love! If you have any questions, please call the church office or Pastor Beth.
-Ushering: There is a signup sheet in the foyer. Or signup by clicking the button below. You are welcome to sign up for one (or more) Sundays. Consider ushering with a friend or invite someone you don’t know as well to serve with you. If you have questions, see Pastor Beth. It is quick and easy training!
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The Council met in May and covered a lot of ground including a recap of the congregational meeting about the decision on carpeting.
While Easter seems a distant memory, we reflected on the Lenten Series and thank the confirmation class for their energetic presence.
Thanks to Pastor Beth who will be approaching her one year anniversary at Grace soon for introducing special worship opportunities including Good Friday. It was meaningful and memorable.
I regret to inform you of the resignation of Aaron Radder from the Council for personal reasons. Having a full Council was good while it lasted as many hands DO make light work and when you are called by the Council to be willing to serve, truly hope you will take the opportunity to say Yes! to the call.
Submitted by Council President, Sandy Rabe
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We are looking for musicians and vocalists to provide special music for worship this summer. If you're interested in sharing your talents, please contact Pastor Beth or the church office.
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We want to know your favorite hymns to include in worship this summer. Requests can be made to the church office or by contacting Pastor Beth.
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June Mission of the Month:
Meals on Wheels
Our June Mission of the Month will benefit Meals on Wheels. Please watch for details in the bulletin and on the bulletin board in the foyer to see how your help is needed.
-The Missions Committee
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Our Sunday School program has just completed the 2018/2019 school year. The children really enjoyed the new curriculum that was taught this year as did the teachers. We did a lot of fun activities and are looking forward to our sleepover on June 21
st
. We would love to see more children join us this fall. Classes will start again Sunday September 8
th
. Enjoy the summer!
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The music committee has been meeting to review special summer and worship music. Aside from organized groups, if you have children, grandchildren, etc. that maybe had a performance piece in the local school Music Festival, consider having them share with us as special service or even pre-service music. And not to exclude adults - this offer stands for everyone and anyone. If you have a special talent in the arts we would welcome your sharing it with Grace. Contact Pastor Beth or anyone on Music Committee with your thoughts. Thank you!
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Ushers are on the front lines of welcoming and hospitality in the life of the church. Larry Ter Maat has been working on recruiting volunteers and updating the usher responsibilities. If you're curious about what is requested of you should you volunteer,
click here for more information.
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Your property committee has been addressing property and building concerns on behalf of the church. Below is a summary of what we've been working on:
We have rescheduled our Spring Clean up for June 1st beginning at 9am. Please see the
sign up sheet in the foyer for a listing of jobs that need to be done.
Join us if you can! Bring your tools and signup for a chore or more. If you're not available on that day, but would like to help a list of chores has been posted on the bulletin board in the foyer. Just signup and let us know that you'll be taking care of that project. We hope you can help with the spring landscaping at Grace.
The carpet replacement project is underway with an expected installation week of July 8. Please prayerfully consider what you can do to support this project financially. A letter was sent last week to our entire membership asking for their financial support.
Also if you have interest, questions or suggestions regarding Property matters please contact us. (Your Property Committee consists of: Lisa Rolloff, Larry TerMaat, Chuck Ebert, & Marge Horneck)
Submitted by Marge Horneck, chair
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Grace Church is an accepting community of faith, committed to growth through change.
-Core values statement written on Saturday, May 13, 2017
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Grace United Church of Christ
(920)371-8018
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