Pastor's Message

Grief, Gratitude and Generosity 

I just got back from spending 4 days with my dad and sister.  The house in Arizona feels lonely without my mom there.  My dad is doing a good job of getting out and taking care of things.  He thanked my sister and I for coming to visit him countless times.  It clearly means so much to him and it is a small gesture (especially since he paid for our plane tickets and everything while we are there).  He confessed to me on my final morning with him, that he just wishes he could be more grateful.  This puzzled me, “Dad you are the most grateful person I know!” I told him.  He explained, “If I were more grateful, I wouldn’t be hurting for what I don’t have.”  Ahh, it now made sense.  For some reason my dad’s grief seemed to cloud his ability to see his gratitude.   

Gratitude and grief are not one in the same.  The absence of my mom and those we love is something that cannot be replaced with gratitude, at least not yet.  My dad feels his grief acutely every day. Walking around a home that used to be shared with his best friend, loss is overwhelming. His grief is raw and real.  He can be grateful and is grateful for the years of marriage, but he is also deeply saddened by the loss.  And he should be.  Loving someone and losing them isn’t supposed to be easy.  It is hard and real.  In all of that there is gratitude.  Gratitude for the ways that people show up.  Gratitude for the memories that were shared. Gratitude for the simple things, like walks on warm days in Arizona, and for someone to watch a football game with on the weekend.  Gratitude for multiple invitations to dinner on Thanksgiving and there is still loss and grief.   

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks.  It is the first of the Holidays to kick off this season.   I am grateful for the time away last week to visit my dad.  I am grateful for my daughter coming home from college on Wednesday night and being able to spend time with her.  And I grieve too.  I grieve that my Christmas cactus is blooming, and I can no longer send a photo of the blooms to my mom.  I grieve that when I put up our ugly snoopy with antlers ornament, we won’t be able to tell my mom about it.  I grieve that she won’t be writing Grace checks this holiday season to say, “Use where you can.”  And I am grateful, because I shared that story of my mom’s generosity that someone gave a similar gift in her memory over this past year and reminded me of this recently allowing the legacy to continue.  My heart is filled with the kindness of this gesture, and I am oh so thankful.   

And so they walk together, grief and gratitude, gratitude and generosity.  In and through it all, I see God at work inviting us to share however we can, in our words, in our actions and with our love.   

I am grateful for you Grace Lutheran.  Thank you for holding me in love and care this past year.   

Blessings, 

Pastor Joanna Mitchell 

Wednesday Night Schedule of Events:

5:15-5:45pm-Family Pizza- Fellowship Hall

5:45-6pm-Children's Choir Rehearsal-Nap Room

6-7pm Kids Night Out-Nap Room

6:00-6:30pm-Catechism Large Group- Fellowship Hall

6:30-7pm-Catechism Small Group

6-6:50pm-"Inspired" Adult Book Study-Room 105/107

7:00pm-Worship-Sanctuary

Worship Times

-Sundays at 8:45am Traditional

-Sundays at 10:30am Contemporary

-Wednesdays at 7pm Contemporary

During the advent season, we will be using the Holden Evening Prayer for our Wednesday evening worship service.  Come and worship with us and share this beautiful service as we once again wait in hope for the birth of Jesus. 

We know this is a congregational favorite normally used during Lent.  We are currently looking at other options for our Lenten Wednesday services, so come and enjoy this beautiful setting of the Evening Prayer during Advent! Wednesdays at 7:00pm.

Christmas Camp-Out

Sunday, November 27th

Fellowship Hall

4:00-6:00 PM

A family event, all ages are invited. Gather around the "campfire," friends! It’s time to celebrate the season with a fun camping trip. The best part is . . . you don't have to go anywhere! Bring the great outdoors to you with a cozy, indoor Christmas Campout. Twinkling lights, pop-up tents, camp-themed snacks, fun crafts, and exciting activities help families spend time together learning about the gift of Jesus. No need to sign up! We can't wait to see you there!

If you have made an advent wreath in the past and want to make one again, this event is for you. We will have kits available to pick up and we are making advent wreaths during this event only! If you want to come for your advent wreath supplies, you are invited.

OK @ Play Event:

An Evening of Christmas Carols

Fri, Dec 16 @ 8:00PM — 10:00PM 

Heart of the City Music Factory,

2665 4th Ave, Anoka, MN

Join us for an evening of singing traditional Christmas carols, led by Dan & Sandy Adler and a group of local singers. This is a participative night, so feel free to sing along! Seating is general admission and doors open at 7:30 PM. Concessions will be available for sale during the concert. The Music Factory is located on the 2nd floor of the WWI era Old Milk Factory on the Rum River in Anoka. It is not a wheelchair accessible building, and there are some stairs to climb.

Register and pay for Advanced tickets by Wednesday, November 23, 2022 on REALM or drop off your $15 at the church office. Arrangements are being made to be seated together. A free-will offering will also be received to help with their on-going ministry. Contact Vickie Meade at 763-712-0496 or vmeade714@gmail.com with any questions.

Cost includes three meals, two nights lodging, fellowship and connection! 

The Grace Giving Tree 

Offering Grace upon Grace Families 

The Grace Giving Tree (TGGT) assists individuals and families in need, who worship at Grace Lutheran, through donations. It is the intent to help relieve the financial strain on individuals and families through intentional support, confidentiality, and grace.  

Over the past several years, we have been able to bless numerous children, youth, and adults who are struggling to provide for themselves and their families. We are opening the application process for the 2022 Holiday Season. 

This is a completely confidential program. The only person who will know the recipients is Annie (Andrea) Fitzl. Other Grace staff and volunteers will only know TGGT family confidential codes. 

If you need help during the holidays this year, please complete the application and return no later than Sunday, November 20th. (Note you need to complete the Information Sheet for EACH person.) 

If you prefer to receive a printed copy to fill out, please email Annie at andreafitzl@hotmail.com or call/text 715-225-9957. 

Wish List for the Holidays at Stepping Stone

Stepping Stone Emergency Housing in Anoka is also under construction! They are very excited to be remodeling their second floor to get all the residents back into their building and out of temporary hotels, to spread their residents out more to be safer from Covid and other viruses that have impacted them so very much in the past two years.

Because of this remodel effort, their traditional Santa Shoppe will not happen quite the same this year. However, we want to be sure the residents have the merriest of holidays! They have a group of Santa’s helpers sewing up a storm so each resident will have a handmade gift bag for their Christmas gifts. What we need is your help with is filling the 66 bags with gift cards and a few special items. We ask that all items collected are new and unwrapped. Your donations make their Holidays a little brighter!

Pick and choose from the list as you wish. Bring your items back to Grace and put them in the tote labeled for “Stepping Stone Homeless Holiday Gifts” by the weekend of December 11.

I will then get all items to Stepping Stone for their packing into the handmade gift bags.

Specific Items Requested (NEW AND UNWRAPPED PLEASE)

• $25 gift cards to Walmart or Target (plastic, not electronic)
• The following personal feminine/manly items ($10 or less per item):
• Jewelry/watch
• Wallet/purse
• Manicure set
• Nice facial moisturizer/lotion/foot crème
• Lip balm/Chapstick
• Donate at SteppingStoneEH.org and indicate “Holiday Gifts” and then Stepping Stone will use your donation to purchase items for the residents.

Thank you for your loving and generous gifts to those in need within our community! If you have any questions, please contact Ann Lange at 763-438-5623. 

Noisy Offerings gathered in November will go to Hope 4 Youth and Stepping Stone Emergency Housing.

Prayers of the Church 

Pray especially for: Richard Breyette, Avery Mattke, Leah Hadler, Shannan Gautschi, John Ketz, Gloria Kroeger, Rick O’Leary & Karen, Dylan Stanger, Terry Kalmi, Lisa Kalmi, Luke Bastian, Elaine Brown, Kristi Riley, Rose Spielman, Johnnie Tillery, Lisa Ritt, and Shirley Jacobson.

Those in need of long-term prayer: Marty Lukaszewski, Clint Trousil, Lois Vadner, Diane Rosky, Harland Johnson, Shirley Fystrom, Kathy Beckman, Jason Beckman, Alison Husak, Juleen Klawiter, Carroll Potter, John Malecha, Stephanie and Samantha Fernandez, Julie Swedberg, Linda Christiansen, Judi Wold, and Ralph & Colleen Wernimont.

Comfort the grieving, especially Time & Julie Trude mourning the death of Julie’s mother, Patricia Walstad, Sally McPhillips & family mourning the death of Sally’s mother, Charlotte Montei; Gary & Rose Spielman mourning the death of Rose’s mother, Martha Wilde 

Administrator's Corner

Attention Ministry Leaders:

Hello Ministry Leaders! We cannot believe another year of outstanding ministry has come and gone! Thank you for your leadership! As you know, each year we draft and publish an annual report that reflects what God and Grace have done throughout the past year. It is our hope that all of our ministries might have an article that celebrates what ministry was done and was provided but also looks toward the future and the hopes the ministry will fulfill in the coming year. I’m hoping you are willing to contribute to our report. Please email me back answering 1) yes or no to writing, and 2) if you would like help. Hard deadlines for articles and pictures is Thursday, December 15th. Please email to francesf@graceandover.org at your earliest convenience so we can start the layout. Let us know if you have any questions!

Blessings,

Frances