GRACE NOTES June 30 - July 7, 2020

We continue to offer two in-person worship opportunities this coming weekend on Saturday, July 4th and Sunday, July 5th. Importantly, online worship will continue when in-person worship resumes. We invite you to view our introduction to in-person worship, found by clicking here . To continue preparing in the meantime, we ask that you familiarize yourself with the "Granting Grace to One Another" guide that outlines all of the requirements for Stages 1-4. Please pay special attention to Stage 2 (that's where we are right now). Click here for the stage-based version and here for the table-based version of "Granting Grace." The information is the same in both (just presented in two different formats). As we move into this new Stage, 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, just deployed. The Holy Spirit continues to work in and among us, and we continue to share God's grace with the world. Stay up-to-date with the latest information by visiting our COVID-19 page: Click here for Grace's COVID-19 page

Signing Up for Worship Stage 2 of "Granting Grace to One Another" requires signups for attending in-person worship, to ensure that we limit attendance in each service to no more than 50 people total, which allows us to maintain necessary physical distancing. If you would like to attend in-person worship, you must sign up beforehand. After providing for our worship leaders and a handful of visitors, we will have a maximum of 40 spots available for members to sign-up and attend one of our worship services. To sign up for the service on Saturday, July 4th, at 7pm , click HERE . To sign up for the service on Sunday, July 5th, at 9am , click HERE . If you have difficulty using the signup links, please contact the church office. Also, when we find that we have more attendees than spaces, we will consider additional worship services.

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!

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shares two videos with us this week. First, the good news of an important anniversary for our churchwide body.

Bishop Eaton also shares an important word of appreciation for our sisters and brothers in Christ.

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, justice, taking trips, and more. The pastors have loved getting to know you better and hope you have, too! 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.

Graduation Milestone - At Grace, our Milestone Ministry recognizes the important events in the lives of our members. One of those important events is High School Graduation. This year, our seniors gathered with their families for their Graduation Milestone and received Quillows to remind them of the love that surrounds them as they go into the next step of their lives. We recorded these Milestones so that you, their Grace families, could celebrate with them!

Click the video image to see the Graduation Milestone and Quillow presentation for Sierra Bielenica, Coby Johnson, and Mark Pehling.

Visit Virtually With Your Small Group! Have you been missing spending time with your small group at Grace? Whether it's your Sunday School class, your card group, your volunteer cohort, or your unofficial coffee hour table, our small groups are an important part of our connections at Grace. While we are apart, we still want to find opportunities for fellowship. Grace's Zoom account is available for small groups! Join your small group online for fellowship, devotions, checking in, and more. Want to play games via Zoom? Pr. Rachel can give you some ideas! If you'd like to set up a Zoom visit with your small group, please email Pr. Rachel or Pr. Gregg to schedule your online fellowship time.

WORSHIP Click the video image for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost Worship Service Video from June 28. Click here for the worship guide.

Click the video image for the Children's Sermon from the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, June 28.

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

Billy needs a new home! Donna Wylie has shared a need: her dog, Billy, finds himself in need of a new home with a fence, where he can go on walks, share lots of love, and make some new friends. If you know of someone who might have a good home for Billy, please contact Donna Wylie directly, or call the Church Office. Click here to see a few more pictures of Billy in his current home.

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. If you will be attending worship in-person once it is available, we ask that you still utilize one of these three giving options, which will limit the virus exposure risk for our offering tabulators. Thank you for for continued faithful giving!

Gifts & Talents Pictures Our worship has been enhanced by your photos of projects, experiences, and joys these last few months - thank you for sharing! While we transition to adding in-person options for worship, we are going to be using fewer photos. However, we still invite you to send photos along, because we are going to try to incorporate them in the worship videos where possible. If you'd like to share your gifts by sharing your photos, please send them to our Video Editor, Craig Allen by clicking here .

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 June 28 Click here  for the week of July 5

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

Summer Children and Youth Programming at Grace

Young Youth and Grace Youth Ministry (GYM) Young Youth & GYM will meet via Zoom every-other week during the summer (June 14 & 28, July 12 & 26). We continue to enjoy each other's company & grow in our faith online. Please email Pr. Rachel with any questions. We give thanks that we can still meet in this way!

Congregation Connections

Click the image for our current Grace Prayer List

Click the image for Memorials and Gifts

Click the image for our June Birthdays

Click the image for our July Birthdays

From the Pastors

June Remarks from Our Pastors   In their reports to Council each month, Pastor Gregg and Pastor Rachel conclude with some personal remarks that summarize the most recent period of their leadership here at Grace.   Click here to read these remarks!

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.

Committee Meetings can be held on Zoom! If your Committee would like to use Zoom, the pastors can help. Please click here  to email the pastors if you'd like to set up a Zoom meeting. May Giving and Expenses May Received $66,883 May Expenses $48,640 Budgeted to Spend $50,852 YTD Received $277,989 YTD Expenses $234,882 YTD Budgeted to Spend $254,260

Stay connected! Click on the links below!

Most in-person activities at Grace Lutheran Church are suspended until further notice. At this time, please do not come to the church building unless you have signed up to attend worship. We are praying for the health and well-being of our community and world.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 426 Oakland Avenue Rock Hill, SC 29730 803.324.5295 www.gracerockhill.com parishadmin@gracerockhill.com  (740) 312-5774 (Pastor Gregg’s cell) (864) 230-3816 (Pastor Rachel’s cell) Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm