Grace Notes Weekly Update

GRACE NOTES

December 8 - 15, 2020

Grace continues offering in-person worship opportunities, including two worship services in the Sanctuary, while online worship services continue.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to discern a faithful, safe approach to in-person worship!

We are excited to share new opportunities for Holy Communion in the coming weeks.

For those who attend the in-person worship services, Communion will now be offered outside on the porch as everyone departs.

For those who are not yet attending worship in-person, Grace's pastors will be offering dedicated times to visit and provide the sacrament (outdoors only). Click on the following links to schedule some time for a pastor to visit you.

Click here for the weekly options, offered at 11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the coming months.

Click here for the 'flex' time slots, and a pastor will be in contact with you to schedule a time that works for everyone.

Grace's Annual Christmas Concert

THIS Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 pm

Click on the image for details.

Click here to signup for in-person worship this Sunday at 8:30.

Click here to signup for in-person worship this Sunday at 11:00.

Sundays with Grace

Our Sunday morning worship and fellowship opportunities are going strong!

Remember our schedule shifted;

Facebook Premiere now beginning at 11am

Facebook Live Coffee Hour starting at noon

We look forward to being with you online again this Sunday!

Click the video image for

The Second Sunday of Advent

Worship Service Video

from December 6.

Click here for the worship guide.

Click the video image for the Children's Sermon from this past Sunday

Children's Sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent - Dec 6, 2020

We invite you to "like", comment on, and share these videos!

Each Sunday we continue to worship together online. These services are posted on the Grace Facebook page and on our website.

Thank you to everyone that sponsored a child from our Angel Tree this year!

Every child has been selected and we are so thrilled that they will all receive nice surprises for Christmas this year. Please remember that drop off for the gifts is this Thursday and Friday between 12:00pm-4:00pm at Reynolds and Reynolds Printing Company (1330 W Main Street Rock Hill 29732). When you drop off your gift please sign the spreadsheet beside the name of the child you selected. All gifts should be wrapped and include a label on the front, right hand corner with the child's name and age. If you have any questions please contact Vivian Robinson here or call 803-417-4220.

Stewardship Commitments & Celebration

85 households

have made their commitment for 2021, with a total of

$444,614

already committed for ministry!

THANK YOU!

------

There is still time to be part of the celebration!

If you have not yet had the chance, please join us in committing to

ministry in 2021 by mailing your Commitment Card to Grace,

or using the electronic form here to send it in.

Some have asked if they should turn in a card if they are giving automatically, or if their giving will remain the same - YES, please!

Every commitment matters.

Every offering is a vital part of fulfilling our ministry at Grace.

The generosity of our congregation is truly a blessing!

We are so grateful for your ongoing giving to Grace in 2020! Thank you for continuing to faithfully offer your gifts back to God and God's work here at Grace. Our ministries are continuing to adapt and find ways forward, thanks to your support.

At the end of 2020, financial gifts exceeding our 2020 expenses will be a surplus. At our Congregation Meeting in November, we voted to designate that surplus in the percentages you see above. We are excited about the additional ministry we will be able to carry out this year because of your generosity! Thank you!

WORSHIP ASSISTANT VIDEOS CONTINUE

We have been blessed to see one another in worship through our online worship assistants!

If you are interested in providing a worship assistant video, please click here to sign up for this Sunday, December 13, and Pr. Gregg will contact you with the details you'll need.

Thanks to all who have helped lead us in worship so far and all those who will be leading us in the weeks to come!

This Christmas Eve, we will offer four in-person worship opportunities, to enable us to worship in a reasonably safe way. These services will be similar to our Sunday in-person worship service (spoken, masked, distanced seating).

We will also have an online service available beginning at noon that day, with all of our favorite Christmas Eve songs! We encourage those worshipping at home to have a candle ready for Silent Night and to join in as we sing praises distantly this year.

Click here to signup for in-person Christmas Eve worship at 11:00 am.

Click here to signup for in-person Christmas Eve worship at 2:00 pm.

Click here to signup for in-person Christmas Eve worship at 4:00 pm.

Click here to signup for in-person Christmas Eve worship at 7:00 pm.

What's Happening with Hospitality?

Painting Progress:

We are down to the final rooms to be painted!

Just 3 rooms are left, and we are so grateful to everyone who has participated in this project so far.

There is still time to be part of this exciting work! Priming and painting is a great family activity, if you're looking for something relatively safe to do out of the house but still indoors (it's getting chilly out there!)

We also have volunteers that would love to pair up with you if you don't have a group handy.

We would love to have the painting done by the end of December

If you can help us reach this goal, please sign up for volunteer times HERE

Updates on our 'Equipping Ourselves for Hospitality' Goal for 2020.

In the last week:

-Room 103 was finished

-the TV base cabinet for the Conference Room was assembled

-Chairs for Room 101 were ordered

Click here to see updates and photos of some of our projects!

Your continued generosity this year has paved the way for us to complete these projects, knowing we have the financial and faith-filled support we need to make our Hospitality goal a reality! Thank you!

Toys for Tots - Cub Scouts Give Back - Thank You!

Our Cub Scout Pack 540 collected in excess of 50 toys from friends, neighbors and church members and then took them to the packing center in Rock Hill.

Thanks to our own Sarah Hrabovsky for arranging this community service project. We had 4 Cub Scout families participate in packing bags at the collection center for countless children, with 5 Cub Scouts, 6 parents/leaders and 2 siblings. Thank You to those who donated toys to this worthwhile cause.

Cubmaster - Walker Stockley

Christmas Greetings to Our Grace Family

Click on the image to read a letter from John Grogan, Grace's Council President.

Click on the video image for a

message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.

This week Bishop Eaton lights the second candle of her Advent Wreath and shares a prayer with us.

Lighting Advent Wreath - Week 2 | ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton | Dec. 06, 2020

The Stewardship Committee apprecites and recognizes people and groups within Grace that continue to Equip Grace for Today, Tomorrow, and the Next 100 Years! Click on the image to read November's Caught You Caring.

Men's Bible Study

Join us for a Men's Book Study on Sunday mornings at 9:30am via Zoom - note the new starting time!

Beginning Sunday, November 8, we will be studying "Unafraid " by Adam Hamilton. Each week we are led by a different member of our group of 'Men-in-Training' and the conversation has been meaningful. Those interested in participating should contact Pr. Gregg to get added to the Realm group where the meeting link is posted. There's always room for one more!

Offering Our Gifts to God - Monetary Offering

Part of our worship is offering our gifts to God. While we are apart, it is still faithful to offer our gifts. You can give in several ways:

Give online by clicking here (and you have the option to offset the cost of giving online)
Set up giving though your bank
Mail your offering to the church office.

Thank you for continued faithful giving!

Taking Faith Home carries the previous Sunday's themes throughout the week. These devotions include daily Scripture readings, prayers, hymn suggestions, milestones, conversation starters, service opportunities, and at-home rituals.

Click here for the week of December 6

Click here for the week of December 13

Gifts & Talents Pictures

Our worship has been enhanced by your photos of projects, experiences, and joys - thank you for sharing! We would love to see more of what you're doing - please send photos to our Video Editor, Craig Allen by clicking here.

Our Daily Bread Devotionals

If you would like us to mail you a copy of the December, January, February devotional, please email the church office.

Congregation Connections

Click the image for

our current

Grace Prayer List

Click the image for

our current

Memorials & Honor Gifts

Click the image

for our

December Birthdays

Can We Help?

This pandemic has affected each of us, but may have affected us in different ways. If you are in need of help (of any kind), please reach out to the pastors.

We can find connections to resources and/or support together.

We want to walk with you.

Please call or email us.

October Giving and Expenses

October Received $44,604

October Expenses $43,120

Budgeted to Spend $50,852

YTD Received $547,774

YTD Expenses $448,845

YTD Budgeted to Spend $508,520