See what's happening at Grace this week
July 23, 2020
This is a quick reminder of what is happening at Grace this week in Worship and in ways to connect and serve in the next seven days.
Grace Happenings
A Note from Pastor Joanna
Being Fed

I have not eaten inside a restaurant since March. Our family has gone to restaurants on a few occasions since things have opened but only if there is an outside patio. For the most part, we eat take out and dine from home. I miss the dining out experience. I miss gathering in a busy restaurant: the exchange between the waitstaff, the feeling of being in community and the chance to run into someone I know. We feel safer as a family refraining from this communal dining experience and it’s okay.

Last Sunday, the community from Grace that gathered in our parking lot, shared Holy Communion for the first time together since March. While, we offered Holy Communion virtually on Easter Sunday, we have not celebrated Holy Communion even virtually since then. It has been a long time. I missed it. I know many of you did too. In our survey results, 85 out of 94 people listed Holy Communion as being something they miss. I have had numerous people in the last week tell me how much Holy Communion means to them, and how much they miss it. I am glad to hear this (maybe that is strange to say), because it shows how important this practice is in your faith. Holy Communion is more than just a practice, it is something that feeds you and nourishes your Spirit. In Holy Communion, we believe that God is truly present. We can taste on our tongue the love and forgiveness of God. It is one of the ways God feeds us in our faith. 

During this pandemic, we are fasting in a variety of ways. Fasting from life as usual, fasting from going to restaurants, fasting in who we interact with, and we have been fasting from Holy Communion for a while. I believe the yearning to be fed by God is abundant. We have a God who looks upon a hungry crowd and says, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). Today I believe this is our call, to nourish each other in faith, to be fed through the gift of bread and wine, and to remember the promise of forgiveness and love poured through this sacrament. 

This week in Virtual Worship, you will be invited celebrate Holy Communion by gathering bread and wine or grape juice and crackers. When worship moves to Holy Communion, I invite you to raise your bread in the air, and to hold up the cup and then to be fed by God who says these words to you: This is my body given for you. This is my blood poured out for you.  Taste the goodness of our God. 

We will also be celebrating Holy Communion in our Outdoor Worship as well. We will provide individual communion cups and wafers for you when you enter the parking lot. Going forward we plan to celebrate Holy Communion the first and third Sundays of the month both in-person and virtually (and perhaps more often) so that all might be fed. 

Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
B.Y.O.L.C. (Bring your own lawn chair) and Parking Lot Worship at 9 am at Grace Lutheran:
Starting this Sunday, we are inviting you to leave your car for Parking Lot Worship and sit in your own lawn chair (if you want). The first two rows of the parking lot are reserved for people to sit in their lawn chairs while assuring social distancing. We will also fill in the places in front of the parking rows for you to put your chairs in designated areas (6 feet or more apart). For those who are getting out of their cars we are trying out our speaker system, but you might want to bring a radio as a back-up. 

Young families are invited to sit on the grass and use the sidewalk to keep their kids physically distanced and safe. We have chalk for your kids to use during worship.

In case of rain, we encourage you to stay in your cars.

Parking:
If you are going to get out of your car for outdoor worship, we ask that you park in the back of the parking lot or in the dental office, so that those who stay in their cars can have a better view of worship. If you need to park closer and still want to get out of your car, please use the parking for people with disabilities, or speak to a parking attendant who will direct you on where to park. 

Following worship there will be a chance to mingle outside with each other. We do ask if you decide to converse with people after worship that you please wear a mask .

Staying in your car:
If you would like to stay in your car, you are invited to do so and tune in on the radio on 91.7. Parking lot attendants will park you behind our lawn chairs to give you the best possible view. 

Future Sundays:
Our hope is to keep worshiping outside so that we can be together for worship going forward this summer (until we move inside). Each week, we are trying new things and experimenting to improve our worshiping experience. We recognize that there will be things that go well and parts that need to be changed. Thank you for your input and patience.

Outdoor Worship, Saturday August 1 st at 5 pm:
Join us for outdoor worship starting in August on Saturday nights. We will gather on the lawn in front of the church. Please bring a blanket or a chair to sit on. We will use speakers for you to hear. We will not be broadcasting Saturday Night Worship on the radio.

Please wear masks and abide by social distancing recommendations if you plan to mingle with others.  

Bible Study

 Join us for Thursday Morning Zoom Bible Study at 10 am with Pastor Joanna (or the Sunday preacher).
 
Join us on Thursday mornings at 10 am for a bible study. Bring your bibles, yourselves and your questions. If you don’t have a bible, bring your phone or your computer and we will navigate through bible gateway to help you find the scripture.

The Sunday scriptures that we will be studying over the next couple of weeks:
July 23rd: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, 8:16-9:10
July 30th: Ecclesiastes 1:4-11, 3:1-11
Aug. 6th: Lamentations 1:8-22, 2:10-22
Aug. 13th: Lamentations 3:1-3,17-32; 5:1-3, 18-22

Join Zoom Meeting by clicking the link below.
Youth Events This Summer! 

After thought, prayer, and planning over the last couple of weeks we are excited to announce a few events for our young people to participate in this summer! Throughout July and August, we have events planned for High School Students (completed 9th through 12th grade) and middle school students (completed 5th grade through 8th grade).   

We have missed seeing our kiddos and hope that families that are comfortable gathering in small groups will be able to join us! All events will be held outdoors with various safety precautions listed on our website and on the event registration. If you have any questions, concerns or have any special needs please contact Kristi Larson at KristiL@graceandover.org . Check out what we have planned below! 
Our “Conversations on Race” Continue!

Our “Conversations on Race” will continue on four Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30 pm during the months of July and August. July 29th and August 12th and 26th. If you didn’t participate in any of our initial “Conversations on Race” or you missed some of the meetings, please don’t let that stop you from joining us.

Our discussions in July will be independent of our past meetings in June. In August, we will be discussing a podcast by Brene Brown with Austin Channing Brown on August 12 th and a movie (TBD) on August 26 th . Links to join the zoom meetings can be found on the Grace website or below.

Please contact Pastor Joanna Mitchell with any questions.  
We are excited to announce our partnership with Luther Crest Bible Camp, who will be helping us, with our NEW free Summer Evening Bible Camp (formally known as Vacation Bible School). Because the program this summer will look different than in years past, we wanted to change the name to reflect the new camp. Our theme is still Go! Make Disciples! We will study Matthew 28:19-20, which we will lean into this great commission given by Jesus to his disciples even if "going" looks a little different right now.
 
This new Summer Evening Bible Camp is for kids ages 5 years old thru 5 th grade. This year the camp will be held 2 WAYS - virtually with supplies for crafts and games available for pick up at church. BUT for those kids and families that want to attend LIVE – we have that option now too! Starting Monday evening from 6 pm-8 pm August 10th thru Thursday August 13th , we are planning to meet in the front lawn of church – move into the sanctuary for a brief welcome and introduction to our theme, then enjoy all the camp activities under tents in the front lawn of the church. We will do a bible lesson, make crafts, sing songs, play games, and eat a prepackaged snack. Masks will be required to be worn when we are inside and we will have hand sanitizer and safety measures in place for safe learning. Because we want to stay safe, WE ARE LIMITING THIS CAMP TO 40 KIDS! That means you must register to be able to attend.  These spots will go FAST so SIGN UP TODAY! It is very important for you to register so we can plan accordingly.
 
Also, we are encouraging parents to stay and be a part of this new fun camp! With that said, We need 5 adult volunteers to help lead a small groups of kids (8 max in your group) and we need 10 youth helpers who will also help with a small group of kids and the adult leader. (As a youth leader – you will get service hours towards catechism!) We need you to volunteer 1, 2 or all 4 nights and we will provide all the supplies and FUN! No training necessary! If we do not have volunteers - we will not be able to put this amazing new Summer Evening Bible Camp on live.  
 
If you would like to volunteer – please call the church office and let us know if you can be there all 4 evenings. You MUST REGISTER your children on GraceLink REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY OR LIVE. Please indicate how you will be attending (live or virtual); how many kids you are registering and their ages. We are also keeping siblings together to decrease the risk of possible spreading of germs. Safety is very important to us at Grace, but understand that meeting live does increase risk so that is why we are offering 2 options. We understand this won’t work for everyone but we hope you and your family will consider committing to this free program at Grace. 
 
If you choose to join our Summer Evening Bible Camp virtually - you will still receive the same components that the families joining live will get. These include: daily worship, camp activities, craft supplies and more. We will have several pre-recorded videos for your day camper, including worships, songfest, arts and crafts, and game ideas to play with their family. Also note, the live camp sessions are “weather permitting” because if it is raining on the evening of camp – you will be able to still do the “virtual” option of our camp at home! That way we will not have to cancel any of our camp activities due to rain!!
 
We are so excited for you to join us for this fun, new Summer Evening Bible Camp ! See you in August!
Noisy Offerings  

Noisy Offerings received during the last two weeks of July will benefit Jack Zirkle, who grew up in our congregation and is the son of Grace member Lynn Zirkle. Jack suffered severe injuries in August, 2019 when a drunk driver crashed into the car Jack was driving. He has had numerous surgeries in the past year, and the road ahead still requires extensive therapy. The medical bills continue to add up. If you would like to help Jack, please write a check to Grace (with “Noisy Offering” written in the memo line) OR click on the link below and select “Noisy Offering.” Thank you! 
Donation Items Needed for Minneapolis

We are continuing to bring your donated items to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis. If you would like to donate, please bring them to church and put them on the table just inside the entry doors. Here is the list of items currently most needed:

Body Soap
Shampoo (especially for curly hair)
Hand Soap
Gatorade
Maxi Pads
Baby wipes
Diapers (All sizes, especially size 6 and pull-ups)
Cooking Oil
Laundry Detergent
Dish Soap (no dishwasher soap)
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Masks
Prayers

We remember, John Robert Lewis and C.T. Vivian, civil rights leaders who died last week. We thank you for their wisdom, courage and self-sacrifice to bring about positive change through non-violent means. Raise up competent, courageous, and compassionate leaders in our country and across the world, and help each of us to work for justice and peace so that all of your beloved children may live the abundant lives you want for them. Lord hear our prayer.   

As cases of COVID-19 grow and the death toll climbs, we ask you to bring healing to those stricken by the virus. Give strength and encouragement to doctors, nurses and all who are caring for the sick, and grant wisdom to scientists everywhere who are working on a vaccine to end this pandemic. Lord hear our prayer. 

God of mercy, be with those who are affected by mental illness, and lift their depression and anxiety. Bring restoration to those who struggle in body, mind and spirit. Today we pray especially for Elsie Weisenberger, Max Carlson, Nancy, Daniel Davidson, Timothy Hannemann, Darlyn (Darlene) Weber, Karen Swedberg, Emma Krom, Pam, Sheri, Rodney Kirkendall, Randy Wieden, Carol Alloway, Shannan Gautschi, Arden Kirkendall, John Malecha, Jack Zirkle, Carroll Potter, Joe Bailey, Julie Swedberg, Christopher Sluis, Kathy Lovik, Judi Wold, and Zachary Elsenpeter.  .  Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Today we pray especially for Rochelle, Steve & David Poore upon the death of Rochelle’s mother, Adeline Farmes. Surround them with your love and comfort them with the promise of the resurrection. Lord hear our prayer.  
Worship

Worship will be posted by 5:00 pm on Saturday. Please join us for worship on our webpage, Youtube channel, or on our Facebook page. We invite you to take pictures of your family worshipping together and posting them in the comments, so that we can see you and imagine being together.
Devotions

The staff at Grace Lutheran are providing regular devotions through our website and Facebook page.

If you would like to write a devotion to share with the community at Grace please contact Pastor Joanna Mitchell at joannam@graceandover.org   Thank you!
Consider electronic giving on GraceLink. It’s a convenient way to give consistently throughout the year. If you have any questions, contact Frances or Marie in the Church Office or Click on the GraceLink logo below.

If you are wondering where your giving is for the year, please log in to GraceLink. Find Giving on the tool bar. Then select My Giving History.  
Registration Now for

To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and out of love and concern for our church family and community, all worship services, program organizations and activities are cancelled until further notice.
Links to Grace Lutheran's YouTube Channel
Virtual Worship will be posted online at:
www.graceandover.org

We hope that you will join us at a time that works best for you.