Grace Notes Weekly Update

GRACE NOTES

May 26 - June 2, 2020

Grace's Congregation Council met again this past Sunday, May 24th, and continued the discussion surrounding when and how we might begin to resume some in-person activities.

Council will continue weekly check-in meetings in order to discuss the situation in real time as new information becomes available each week. In this discernment, Council continues to consider input from the CDC, SC DHEC, SC Synod, ELCA, Grace's Health & Wellness Committee, and other experts. As of today, we do not yet have an in-person return date . However, we continue to move closer to that point.

Details of a multi-stage plan will be shared with the congregation next week, that way everyone can know what to expect. Our 'normal' in-person activities are still a long way off, but we hope to offer new ways of being together soon.

In order to make this happen, Grace's Re-opening Task Force needs your help! If you are interested in assisting this task force, please let Pr. Gregg know by clicking on the sign-up button in the next section.

As we continue getting things ready, know that we are deeply grateful for the many ways that you, Grace members, have continued to be the church while we are apart. Our church has never been closed in this time, just deployed. The Holy Spirit continues to work in and among us, and we continue to share God's grace with the world.

We will share more updates as they are available. In the meantime, please continue praying for all those affected by the pandemic. If you have any questions, please contact the pastors.

USHERS: please click here if you are willing to serve as an usher, assisting in opening doors for people and helping to maintain social distancing for all

SANITIZING: please click here if you are willing to serve as a part of the group that will be sanitizing contact surfaces between worship services

TECHNOLOGY: please click here if you are willing to serve as a part of the group that will be recording the worship services and maintaining sound

MASKS: please click here if you are willing to help us provide masks for those who do not have one in order to attend worship

Feeding Our Neighbors - During the school year, Grace members help feed our neighbors through the Hunger Outreach Program. Over the last several months, the usual process of cooking and distributing food together has been interrupted, leaving Grace with several hundred meals' worth of food undistributed. Rather than let that food sit, the Outreach Committee decided to donate this food to the Rock Hill Children's Attention Home .

Last week, the pastors met CAH staff members Tammy and Dick in the Grace parking lot and loaded hams, hot dogs, spinach, green beans, corn, baked beans, and peaches into their van. They shared that there are currently 21 children at the home, and their budget has been significantly impacted by this pandemic - they are operating on about 1/3 of their usual funding. Tammy and Dick shared that they were trusting in God to provide in the midst of this uncertainty, and they felt that Grace's generous gift was part of God's provision . If you'd like to learn more about the CAH, click here .

Thank you, Grace members, for continuing to feed the hungry!

While we are physically apart in the coming weeks, there are still many ways for us to be church together. We invite you to connect with one another by phone and make use of the resources in this publication, too!

Coffee Hour on Facebook Live

Many of you have joined in the Sunday morning Facebook Live Coffee Hours, sharing your thoughts on the worship service, sermon & Scripture, favorite food combinations, local restaurants and more. Thanks for taking part!

Our pastors will continue to host these online Coffee Hours on Sunday mornings at 11am . If you've never been, we invite you to join us on Facebook this week! If you've joined before, we hope you'll keep coming. Bring your coffee and your comments to take part in this community gathering!

We'll also continue to launch our worship service on Facebook Premiere at 10am on Sundays, so that those who wish can worship at the same time and even say hello. We'll continue to post the worship service on YouTube and the website at 7:30am for those who prefer to access it that way.

We invite you to share the links to our services and coffee hours; though we are apart, we can still share the Good News of God through worship and fellowship.

Click on the video link for the latest message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, who shares with us a word about all of creation giving praise to God and invites us to delight in creation, too!

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.

WORSHIP

Click the video image for the

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Worship Service Video

from May 24th.

Click here for the worship guide.

Click the video image for

the Children's Sermon from

the Seventh Sunday of Easter,

May 24th.

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

Liturgy is the work of the people, our way of praising God as a community. YOU are invited to lead us in this holy work! If you would like to send us a video for this Sunday, May 31, click here to volunteer and Pastor Gregg will contact you.

Each Sunday we continue to worship together online.

These services are posted on the Grace Facebook page and on our website .

We will also send an email to invite you to participate.

Offering Our Gifts to God

Bird sculpture courtesy of Coby Johnson

Gifts & Talents Pictures

Share your work and activities with us! During this time, many of us are busy with projects, using our gifts. Sharing your projects, large or small, is one way to present offerings to God at this time & we want to see what God is doing through you!

If you'd like to share what you're doing, please send pictures to Pr. Gregg so we can include them in our worship videos. We may also use these on social media & at church when we return.

NOTE: If you can, add a signature to your visual offering!

Monetary Offering

When we worship together, 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

-You are also still welcome to mail your offering to the church office.

Thank you for giving!

Updates for Children and Youth Programming at Grace

Young Youth and Grace Youth Ministry (GYM) - Young Youth & GYM are going to meet via Zoom every-other week during the summer beginning May 31st. While we remain apart physically, we will continue to enjoy each other's company & grow in our faith online. Keep an eye out for further details to be sent in a direct email to YY & GYM families, & email Pr. Rachel with any questions.

We give thanks that we can still meet in this way!

Vacation Bible School - We have made the decision that we must cancel Vacation Bible School for the summer of 2020. This is disappointing to us, as we know it will be disappointing for many others. We are looking forward to the day when we can gather safely in person again for Learning activities. In the meantime, we invite and encourage Young Youth and Youth-aged members to continue to participate in their online get-togethers this summer.

FAITH FORMATION RESOURCES

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 May 24

Click here for the week of May 31

Pentecost Coloring Page

Illustrated Ministry has shared a fun coloring page for Pentecost! Click here to download this page to color yourself!

Click here for previously featured (and still available!) resources.

Congregation Connections

Click the image for our

May & June Birthdays

Click the image for our current Grace Prayer List

Click the image for

Memorials and Gifts

An Update From Our NovusWay Camps

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On Friday, NovusWay shared the following:

"To honor our commitment to providing the healthiest and safest environment possible for our campers, counselors, staff, and guests, and after prayerful and informed consideration, our executive team and the NovusWay Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision to suspend all scheduled camp programming for summer 2020 at Lutheridge , Lutherock , Luther Springs and Lutheranch . With campers, parents, counselors, and congregations, we share the disappointment and loss this painful news brings." Click here to read the full announcement and find answers to questions you may have about the summer and fall at camp, as well as ways to support NovusWay.

Are You

Passionate about RECYCLING?

Click here for a message from Dan Polito about the future of recycling in Rock Hill and how you can influence this city's care of creation.

April Giving and Expenses

April Received $52,731

April Expenses $52,864

Budgeted to Spend $50,852

YTD Received $214,001

YTD Expenses $186,242

YTD Budgeted to Spend $203,408

Committee Meetings can be held on Zoom! If your Committee hasn't met recently and would like to, the pastors can help. If your Committee doesn't currently have business to discuss, this could still be an opportunity to check in with each other and share in fellowship. Please click here to email the pastors if you'd like to set up a Zoom.