We may have changed to a new calendar and yet, I think I am more aware than ever of the new year being a continuation of life. Of course, this is always true! This year, however, it just feels more real. There are number of reasons I believe this to be true.

First, we are moving into our Transforming Inside & Out generosity campaign and looking forward to wonderful opportunities to share the vision we believe God has for Grace's future and how you might be a part of that journey. I believe God is inviting us to really important opportunities in the future. This is a vision that God has been inspiring for a while now and has been cultivated through worship, listening to God's word as well as our own pondering of how God has invited us to serve the community. It didn't begin this year, but has been at work for a long, long time in and through many of you and it definitely began before I was even at Grace.

The second reason the calendar change feels less dramatic for me is for personal reasons. As many of you know my mom was diagnosed with cancer this past July. Her treatments continue this January and there isn't an end insight. (My parents spend their winter in Arizona and summers in Minnesota and so the distance right now has been more difficult. I wish I could continue to stop by and drop in and see them weekly, like I did all summer. I am thankful that they are not dealing with the snow and ice, and instead can enjoy the nice weather.) Somehow my mom's illness doesn't make this year feel like a fresh start, but more like an ongoing marathon, a new mile to run. Thank you to so many of you who have asked me about my mom, for those of you praying for her, and for your continual support. I am so grateful! I invite you to pray for both my mom and dad: Margret and Larry Olson. As many of you know, an illness impacts everyone in the family.

Finally, I feel the non-linear sense of God's presence. For Christmas this year, I received two pieces of art (see above). The picture on the left is of Mary Magdalene outside the tomb and the one on the right is Mary and Elizabeth pregnant with Jesus and John. Kristi Larson pointed out to me they should be in different order, after all the birth came first. I explained to her the larger picture is hiding a hole in the wall (previous art work I'm sure) and so it needed to be this way. However, as I reflect on it I recognize that death and birth are happening all the time. When something in us dies, something else is born. Sometimes these things are good, and other times it is hard and painful. But death and new life walk hand and hand and just as we might experience the end of our last year, God is birthing something new in us at the same time. This doesn't mean that the tomb we are facing isn't still there. This doesn't mean that the pain doesn't just go away. This doesn't mean that the wait is over. It just means that God is with us in it all. Loving us, transforming us, resurrecting us and giving us new life, and new hope even though there are things we continue to carry on even as the calendar page changes.

Blessings to all of you as our calendar changed to this new year,

Pastor Joanna Mitchell

We do not require masks but it is strongly encouraged for unvaccinated people at in-person worship. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please feel free to do so. We do ask if you are not feeling well or ill please stay home. We will continue to live stream worship services for those who do not feel comfortable coming to worship or those who are out of the area.

Help is needed for the Family Table Drive Thru meal on Sunday, January 16th.

If you can help, please contact Lynda Wilde lrwilde@comcast.net or 612-418-6444. Or simply click on the link below.

What a joy and privilege to provide a meal for those in need! Grace will be serving another Family Table “take-out” meal on January 16th. There are plenty of opportunities for you to help, whether it’s making food, or donating bottled water! We also need assistance packing meals and bringing the meals out to our guests in the parking lot. If you can help, please sign up!

Noisy Offerings support outreach in our community and in our world. Currently, all funds collected will be given to a local family who have experienced some hardships recently and are in need of our help.

On December 22nd, our custodian Mark Kempenich will celebrate 13 years as custodian at Grace. He started his ministry in 2008 and those who have met him or interacted with him know that he always has a smile to share as he goes about his tasks. You could see him with his equipment on walking around the church, making sure our hallways, rooms and sanctuary looked ship shape. He embraced the new challenges of 2020 with increased sanitizing of all common areas and made sure our offices, classrooms and doors were cleaned and sanitized. Thank you for rolling up your sleeves and helping with the chaos of COVID cleaning, Mark!  You set up rooms, took tables down, and made sure the church building was secure after countless community and ministry meetings over the years. We will miss the happy sounds of the Golden Rule/Seeds of Grace kiddos calling for him: Mr. Mark! Mr. Mark! - he always had time to talk with them and make them smile. You will be greatly missed by them. You will be greatly missed by all of us. Join us during our January 15^th services as we honor his 13 years of ministry at Grace as he enjoys retirement with his wife, Terry. Mark’s last day at Grace will be December 29^th.

Thank you, Mark and God Bless!

We pray especially for: Gayle Pacholl, Cathy Stoll, Jim, Sandy, Harland Johnson, Jason Beckman, Amber Turner, Baby Dylan Salfer, Lu Henning, Jeffrey Kintzler, Alison Husak, Juleen Klawiter, Carroll Potter, Clint Trousil, Luke Galland, Margret Olson, John Malecha, Stephanie and Samantha Fernandez, Christopher Sluis, Julie Swedberg, LaDonna Lilyquist, Charlotte Montei, Lynn Zirkle, Elsie Weisenberger, Linda Christiansen, Judi Wold, Ralph & Colleen Wernimont.

Please have all articles for the January/February Grace Notes Newsletter into Marie Kolar at mariek@graceandover.org in word format by 5pm on Jan. 14th.

Every year, Grace takes a day to review what we've done in the last year and discuss what we will do in the next. This year, the annual meeting for Grace Lutheran Church will be held on Sunday, January 30, 2022, at 9:30am to 10:20am in the Worship Center. We will review the 2021 Annual Report, and the 2022 Budget as approved by your Vision Board.