Prayer

Gracious God,

With joy and thanksgiving we gather as your people.

We have come to hear again the timeless story of Christ's birth.

In the excitement of this night, quiet our hearts

that we may know the peace and fullness of this holy time.

Shine, O Light, in the darkness of our world.

Sing, O angels, in the stillness of our hearts,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those God favors."

This we pray in the name of the Child of Bethlehem. Amen.

Call to Worship:



L: Rejoice, for God is with us — Emmanuel.

P: In the darkness of our world shines God's holy light.

L: Now there is reason to hope, to love, to laugh, to live.

P: God is truly with us. We are not alone.

All: Thanks be to God!

Christmas Services at Grace



Saturday, December 24th--4pm

Sunday, December 25th--9am



Sunday, January 1st--9am

Children's Shop Day

The annual "Shop Day" was held on Saturday December 10th, from 10-1.

Thank you to everyone who made this event a success!



Watching gifts get wrapped.

Lots of gifts to choose from!

Waiting to get gifts wrapped.

The weather has certainly been frightful! Please call ahead if you are planning to drop by church during the week if the weather is "iffy". Ann and Pastor Jen may need to be plowed out to make it into the office.

If you have a group that regularly meets and you need to cancel, please let the office know. We can help let your members know, and we will not heat portions of our building unnecessarily.

We pray for the family of Gertrude "Debby" Pollack--mother of Judy Brogle. Debby passed away on Sunday December 18th. Her service will be held at Grace on Friday December 23rd at 12pm, with a visitation two hours prior.

We are also saddened by the sudden passing of Candy McLaughlin, who died on Monday, December 19th. Her service will be held at Grace on Thursday December 29th at 11am.

Grace email changes--Important



Joan Oscarson--Grace UMC Treasurer---gracetreasurer2014@gmail.com.

Ann--Grace office email--graceumcpequotlakes@gmail.com

Pastor Jen -- jenmatt20@gmail.com

OFFICE HOLIDAYS: The church office will be closed for the holidays on Friday, December 23, Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2. 

--Thank you, Staff-Parish Relations Committee.



Reminder--the office is open 9-12 Monday through Friday, if you are in need of assistance from Ann, please reach out or stop by within these scheduled hours.



Schedule Update



There will not be Confirmation or Youth Group over the holiday break. Wednesday, January 4th will be a Confirmation night.

Jan. 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Youth grades six-12 across Minnesota, come for a half-day of serving, learning, an epic large group game, and a hip-hop concert!



Grace UMC youth, we will be going to St. Cloud for the Event. Mark your calendars now, speak to Abby Jacobs, Sheena Rick, or Pastor Jen about signing up.

Last week, the Youth Group went shopping to help a local family celebrate Christmas. Thank you to those who voted for our pumpkins in October, and for some additional donations to fund this effort!

Upcoming Event in 2023

Fun couple's night with author and speaker Phil Gungor dealing with keeping fun and laughter in your relationship!

Tickets are available at church for pre-sale now. Great stocking stuffer!

Sunday mornings we have returned to live streaming our Sunday services, but we realize that there are still some issues popping up many Sundays. On our website you can usually watch the recorded service after 10:30am or so. There is a link to our site at the end of this newsletter.

We continue to work on making the online experience better and appreciate both your grace and feedback as we make improvements. Soon, we will be updating our internet capabilities and are hopeful that this will fix some of the issues.

We are grateful to be able to offer our services online and appreciate any gifts received to help this ministry grow and continue.

*We are aware that we have had some streaming issues over the last few weeks, we are working on resolving the problem.

If you have something that should be added to this newsletter from your group or mission, please speak with Pastor Jen or email the details to her at jenmatt20@gmail.com. The E-Grace is generally completed by noon on Thursdays, so articles need to be received by Thursday 10am at the very latest.



If you wish to connect with me directly and it is not an emergency, please know that I will respond as needed during pretty regular office hours. I am in the church most weekdays from at least 10-12, call the office to be sure, as my weeks vary. Ann has my detailed schedule and can find me if needed. I check my emails frequently throughout the day, and this is the best way to contact me.

-Pastor Jen

Important note

If you are mailing something to the church, you must use our P.O. Box for the address. We do not receive mail at the church, and if you use the physical church address it will get returned and could delay your notices to us or offerings.

P.O. Box 276

Pequot Lakes, MN 56472