Grace Notes Weekly Update

GRACE NOTES

January 4 - 11, 2022

For Worship services and Children's sermons please visit our YouTube channel.

Sunday School will be on break until Jan 9th for Adults,

Jan 16th for children/Youth.

This year, the Outreach Committee is continuing our updated grant program, the Outreach Partnership Grant. Grace has long supported giving to the needs of the community, as well as connecting with our neighbors, because we believe we are called to serve our neighbors, following the example of Jesus.

This Partnership Grant program enables us to do just that, as well as to have a greater and more intentional impact on and with our community. Through this program, we partner financially and experientially with local non-profit organizations which serve to assist those in need in greater Rock Hill and York County area.

Each year, Grace will make Partnership Grants to local non-profit aid organizations. As part of this partnership, a member of Grace’s Outreach Committee will work with each recipient organization to facilitate a partnership plan for that year, centering on ways that Grace can learn about, connect with, pray for, support, and work alongside the organization, its staff, and its clients. It is our hope that through this partnership, we will all grow in community.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!

There will be many ways to be a partner with these organizations throughout the year, but first, we have to find our partners. The Outreach Committee invites you to submit the names of local non-profit aid organizations that might benefit from our partnership and funding, especially at this time. We will be collecting names through January, and in February, we will begin contacting organizations to invite them to apply for a Partnership Grants.

To submit an organization's name, please click HERE.

For more information, please contact Pr. Rachel or any member of the Outreach Committee.

Thank you for helping us begin this Partnership Program!

2021 Giving & the Plan for God's Abundance

As 2021 ends, we are grateful for the financial gifts you give toward God's mission here at Grace. Your gifts are make this ministry possible, and we thank you for continuing to give faithfully!

At the close of the year, the financial support that exceeds expenses will also be used for God's mission. Here is this year's plan:

+10% of these funds will go to the SC Synod, as a tithe of our abundance to God's work in the larger church.

+The remaining 90% will be given to the Good Samaritan Fund, which is the fund used by Grace's pastors to offer immediate emergency assistance to members of the congregation and community. Just this past weekend, Pr. Gregg was able to pay for needed medication for a member of our community, thanks to donations that have been given to this fund.

Thank you for your ongoing giving; you are making a difference each day!

OUTREACH WRAP-UP

2021 was a dynamic year for Outreach at Grace. We kicked off our new "Grace Lutheran Church Outreach Partnership Program" aligning ourselves with HOPE of Rock Hill, Pilgrims Inn, and The Community Café -- offering both grant money and volunteers.

Already we have seen about a dozen members of Grace embrace the opportunity to serve the Lord next door at HOPE on a weekly basis, where they are supplying a week’s worth of food to between 20-50 families a day! Many thanks to all of you who have volunteered as having the help necessary to reach these numbers would not have been attainable without your participation!

In the past year, HOPE has:

provided assistance for more than 6,300 families (an increase of almost 20% from the previous year)

helped more than 900 families in the month of June alone

distributed more than $60,000 in utility assistance to more than 350 families

It’s going to be a difficult winter for many in our community and HOPE expects the number of families they serve to continue its upward climb — which means they need even more volunteers.

Please consider devoting a short window of your time to sharing God’s grace in this very easy, fun, and fulfilling way by helping our neighbors who are in need of food and utility assistance. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Rachel Bell at HOPE (803) 493-5840 or Ron Hartman (Grace's liaison with HOPE) (330) 620-4711.

May God continue to bless you and we look forward to seeing you at HOPE!

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Click here for an update on our partnership with Community Café!

2021 ANNUAL REPORTS due by January 31. ALL COMMITTEE CHAIRS, please submit your report by January 31. Contact the church office with any questions or if you need a form.

Click HERE for information on plastic bottle caps and aluminum can tabs from the Stewardship Committee.

Dear Grace Family,

We are so grateful for the ways you have shown your love this Christmas season. Your gifts of time, treats, and treasure surely helped to make the season as festive as it could be. We are touched that you thought of us in this time. Know that you remain on our minds and hearts always. We give thanks for the opportunity to serve Christ with you in the coming year, whatever it may bring!

Peace in Christ, Pastors and Staff of Grace

Thank you to everyone who has made their 2022 Commitment!

As of today, 95 households have made their commitments and together have committed $354,047!

Thank you for your generosity!

If you've not yet had the chance to make your 2022 commitment,

we invite you to do so now!

You can mail your card to the office, or use one of our two digital options.

To make your 2022 commitment via:

+ Commitment Google Form, please click here.

+ Realm, please click here for instructions on how to do so.

Every commitment matters! Every commitment strengthens the ministry of Grace. We give thanks for your commitment to God, Grace, and CONNECTING in 2022.

Needs for this week:

+ Cereal

+ Pancake Mix

+ Syrup

+ Jelly

+ Individual snack packs

+ Dog food & Cat food

+ Body wash & Shampoo

+ Toothpaste

+ Toilet paper

+ Paper towels

+ Clothes & Dish detergent

Our partner, HOPE, has changing needs each week based on what is and isn't delivered to their food pantry. If you'd like to help with food donations, you can check this list each week to see what they need most!

HOPE is now open on Tuesday nights from 6-7:30pm for individuals needing assistance.

Please take your donations to HOPE. Click HERE for drop-off times.

Finance Chair Needed

Click HERE to read an invite from the previous Finance chair, Terri Schavey.

Please let the Church Office know if you are willing to be that someone!

Worship Assistant Rotations

Click HERE for the January - March 2022 Worship Assistant Schedule.

Schedule Conflicts:

If you are scheduled for a Sunday when you'll be unavailable, we just need you to make a quick phone call to swap with another volunteer. Then, let somebody at the Church Office know about the change (so we can update the schedule). It's as easy as that!

Don't see your name? Want to join the rotation?

Email the church office today!

Congregation Connections

Click here for our current Prayer List

Click here for our Memorials & Honor Gifts

Click here for our January Birthdays

The Sanctuary candle for the month of January is given by Terri and Bob Schavey in memory of Bob's mother, Elaine Schavey.

If you would like to sponsor the Altar Flowers for Sunday, January 9, please click here.

2022 Sanctuary Candle Sign Up

Grace continues to keep our Sanctuary Candle burning every week, a sign of the continuing presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. Members are able to sponsor the candle in memory or honor of someone.

Click HERE to sign up.

2022 Altar Flower Sign-Up

It has been a long-standing tradition at Grace for members to sponsor the weekly flowers to honor or in memory of family and friends.The cost is $45.00 for one (1) or $90.00 for both (2) vases. Each date on the sign-up form has two (2) spaces, check the number of vases you wish to sponsor, please check both if you are signing up for both vases, and scroll to the very bottom of the page to submit. You will also be asked to add the dedication of the flowers and to let us know if you will be picking up the flowers after the 11:00 service or another day of the week. If you do pick up the flowers, please return the liner(s) to the Church.

Please click HERE to sign up.

You will receive an email confirming your choice. Contact the Church office with any questions or if you wish to make changes to your chosen date.

Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church is sponsoring a two hour program on dementia on Saturday, January 29.

Click HERE for more information.

2022 Offering Envelopes

Offering envelopes for 2022 are now available and may be picked up in the Fellowship Hall. At this point we have prepared sets only for those we expect to be using them. Therefore, those of you that have been giving electronically or are having your financial institution send checks directly to Grace will not find a set with your name. However, we do have extra sets and will happily provide them to anyone that asks. Just let us know (either contact the church office or financial secretary Bob Stonebraker or 803-980-1834) and we’ll get a set for you.