Visit our website / Facebook page to worship online on Sunday morning.

We will be having a worship service on Christmas Eve(24th) at 7pm

We will not be having an in-person service on Sunday the 26th.

Our small, but dedicated team of volunteers and staff are in need of a well-earned day off, and this abbreviated weekend seems like the best time to do this. We will be making a service provided by the Minnesota Annual Conference available for viewing on our website and through our Facebook page.

Phased Re-Gathering Plan for Churches (minnesotaumc.org) https://www.minnesotaumc.org/regatheringplan

"You will notice the COVID numbers are increasing to an all -time high in Minnesota. We are keeping our phasing in Yellow, mostly because so many folks are vaccinated so the risks are different than they were a year ago. But we do strongly urge, if you are not already, masking indoors and limiting congregational singing until the positivity rate drops below 5%. If the positive case number is over 5% we should follow all of the yellow protocols."

At this time (12/23), Crow Wing county is at 10.8%, Cass county is at 11.1%. If you are following along, the numbers change daily, but have not dropped below 10% in months. These are some of the best numbers that Crow Wing county has seen though! As the numbers continue to rise and fall, please prayerfully consider how to keep yourself and those around you safe.

Masking is the easiest thing that we can do. Everyone is still expected to wear a mask within the building please. We are monitoring the county numbers closely and changes may happen rapidly.

Monday, December 20th was the last evening that the very regular, dedicated team of volunteers from Grace UMC served dinner at the Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen in Brainerd.

It was announced a few months ago that this group would pull back from monthly serving. At that time, the hope was that another group would step-up to take the regular monthly spot. For the last 3 months the Grace Team has shadowed a new group of volunteers, and last Monday the reins were officially handed over. We are very thankful for the almost 27 years that our volunteers served this mission so faithfully! If you see any of these folks, let them know how much you appreciated the way that they represented our church. There have been many who have helped, but this is a list of the "Regular" team.

-Ginny Arvig, John Luce, Wayne Holtmeier, Nancy Adams, Marlowe Fortune, Art Prinsen, Sherry and Jerry Swenson.

*Pictured from December 20th, Marlowe Fortune, John Luce, Ginny Arvig, and Wayne Holtmeier.

Many thanks to some awesome Grace volunteers who have helped to create a "Christmas Card Caring Blitz" this holiday season. Elaine Leach, Shirley Robideaux, Ruby Berg, Patti Erickson, Jill Macnamara, Kathy Bochman, Peggy Johnson, Millie Amundson, Dorothy Rollins, and Linda Corbett have been busy sending notes of cheer to our Grace family by Christmas Day. Sending lots of gratitude to each of them for keeping us connected in this meaningful way!

Our Missional giving for the month of December supports three different areas. The gifts will be split between The Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen in Brainerd, Mid-Minnesota Women's Shelter, and the Pastor's discretionary fund.

Please note on your offering to direct your gift for December missions or UMCOR relief.

We want to keep in touch and keep everyone updated as best we can. To help us, please let us know if your address, phone number, or email has changed.

If you have a student living away from home that might like to receive church news, please let us know (with info), and we will add them to the lists.

We know too, that some people, for a variety of reasons DO NOT want to get mail or updates from church. We don't know, if you don't let us know. We never remove anyone unless they have asked to be removed from contact lists.

A quick note or call to the office can take care of any updates.

graceumc@tds.net

218-568-5755

As the year closes out, we still have some copies of the December Upper Room daily devotionals. If you have not picked one up, we would encourage you to do so, for some special prayers and wisdom before the new year begins.

Please check out the beautiful article about hospice care and her personal experience with them by our own Eileen Springer, reflecting on the help received for her husband Bob. Hospice Care

On this page, you can also read about the need for more hospice volunteers from Heartland Hospice.

Upcoming Red Cross Blood Drives- Thursday, January 13, 2022,

Essentia Health urges people to donate blood if possible! Blood donations needed

Confirmation meets every other week, alternating with Youth Group. The next class will be January 5th.

We will be having a service of story, carols, and candlelight on Christmas Eve December 24th at 7pm.

There will not be a church service on Sunday the 26th.