GRACE NOTES

October 17 - 23, 2023

What's Going On At Grace

+Oct 22 - Beer & Hymns at Elk's Lodge - 4pm

+Oct 26 - Seniors @ Grace - 11.30am

+Oct 29 - Fall Festival after 10am service

Many of these events have more details in other sections. This section is updated each week, so keep checking in. You can also see the full church calendar HERE.

Family Promise - THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who helped host Family Promise this past week. We were able to provide good meals, safe space, and warm beds for 2 families.

This note was left on the dry erase board in one family's room on Sunday morning. The work we do to care for our neighbors matters!

Thank you to our choirs, musicians, and Dr. Jeremy Mims for a beautiful 100th Anniversary Concert!

Joined by the Winthrop Chamber Singers and a string quartet, the group performed numerous gorgeous pieces celebrating 100 years of Grace!

You can see the concert recording by clicking on the video.

Thank You from the Endowment Committee

The Endowment Committee would like to thank all of the congregation members who contributed to the Endowment Fund in the first three quarters of 2023. A total of $5,408.64 was contributed to help grow the fund. Thank you!

While the Endowment Fund maintains a local account, most of the funds are invested with the ELCA Endowment Fund Pooled Trust. As of the end of August 2023, Grace had $169,939.22 invested in the fund. The interest from this fund provides grants for many kinds of ministry.

Today, Tuesday October 17th, Grace is serving as a local polling location. On Sunday, our Young Youth created sidewalk chalk messages for citizens exercising their right to vote! They came up with their own ideas, which included words of welcome, thanks, and encouragement. The group talked about how voting matters and how our faith is part of everything we do, including voting for community leaders!

The Grace Quilters will be starting back up in a new way starting October 26th!

Join Becky Evans and other quilters of all experience levels on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month.

This group will meet from 9:30am to 12pm in Room 103.

Contact Becky Evans for more info!

Click HERE to order!

Please stay in your car and a volunteer will deliver your order to your car.

If you have any questions, contact Nora Sliney 803.493.5001.

We are getting a headcount to be prepared for the crowd!

Please click HERE to RSVP for Beer & Hymns.

Fall Festival 2023

with Trunk or Treat

The whole congregation is invited to join us on October 29th, after the 10am service, for our annual Fall Festival!

We'll have food, games, a costume contest, and of course, Trunk or Treat!

We'd love for your households to be part of Trunk or Treat - this part of the Festival involves popping your vehicle trunks and decorating them for our kids to 'trick or treat' car to car! It's so much fun to see how everyone decorates their trunks - some are traditional fall theme, others go with fantasy, and others are out of this world! The more trunks we have, the more fun there is!

Let us know if you'll be decorating a trunk for Trunk or Treat HERE.

We could also use donations of individually wrapped candy for this event. If you'd like to donate candy, please drop it off at the reception desk outside the church offices. Thank you!

More Fall Festival details will be coming next week!

Seniors @ Grace

Seniors@Grace will meet in the Fellowship Hall on Thursday, October 26th for our annual Octoberfest celebration. Come at 11:30 am for fellowship, German food, a beer and pretzel tasting and a special Halloween treat.

Please let Annie Laurie Wheat know by Tuesday, October 24 if you can make it. (Call 803 517-0626 or email: wheatannielaurie@gmail.com)

Other upcoming events include: November 9 (Luigi and Sons) and

December 14 (Christmas gift exchange and potluck lunch)

6-Month Partnership Updates

We are 6 months into our 2023 Grace Outreach Partnerships, which means it's time to share an update on how things are going! Read on to see what great ministry Grace is taking part in as we learn from our Partners!

Life House Women's Shelter

Among other great partner moments, Courtney Denton highlights:

"We were encouraged by the attendance of nearly 20 Grace Lutheran members to attend our celebration event on September 24th. Ron and Dawn did a great job rallying the troops from Grace to attend. The event was a tremendous success!"

Click HERE to read more about our LHWS Partnership!

Bethel Shelters

At the 6 month mark, Rev. Emily Sutton lifts up:

"12-18 different members of Grace Lutheran have volunteered an estimated 350 hours of service at Bethel Shelters thus far in 2023... We are grateful for our partnership together. Each of the Grace Lutheran volunteers has given valuable time, energy, and resources to Bethel Shelters."

Click HERE to read more about our Bethel Shelters Partnership!

Palmetto Community Heath Care

PCHC is in the midst of a staff transition, with Tiffany Morrison serving as Interim Executive Director. As they navigate this change, PCHC continues to serve our community faithfully!

Tiffany writes about our Partnership:

"This grant has provided valuable resources which enabled the clinic to provide services to patients who need screening and diagnostic breast cancer screenings. We realize that there are many worthy agencies providing much needed services to others and we are grateful that Grace Lutheran Church chose to support Palmetto Community Health Care."  

Click HERE to read more about our PCHC Partnership!

Thank you for your ongoing support of our Grace Outreach Grant Partners!

Grace Outreach Partnership Connection

Palmetto Community Health Care, one of our Grace Outreach Partners, is hosting a fundraiser at Legal Remedy on Monday, October 23, and the community is invited!

Tickets include food, drinks, and an exclusive Hank Futch musical performance. To purchase tickets, please click HERE.

Grace Outreach Partnerships

Click on the buttons below to learn more about our 2023 partners and how you can offer support through volunteering and donations

Biggest needs this week at HOPE:

Diapers size 3, hygiene products (all kinds), laundry detergent, cleaning products

Pasta, mac 'n cheese, jelly, breakfast items, baking items, baked goods, coffee, tea, bread and green beans.

On Sunday, November 5, we will commemorate members of Grace Lutheran Church who, in death, have joined the Church Triumphant during this year. Then, during the prayers we will name other loved ones who have died, yet remain close to our hearts.

If you would like us to include the name of a loved one who has died in the bulletin, click HERE.

National Depression Awareness Month

by Traci Quinn, MSW, LCSW

Every year in October, National Depression Awareness Month is observed in the United States to raise awareness about depression. The goals of awareness month are to educate, reduce stigma, and encourage individuals to seek help if they are struggling with depression, a common and often misunderstood disorder that effect mental health and emotional well-being.

Signs and symptoms of depression include:

· Feeling of sadness

· Emptiness or hopelessness that lasts for most of the day, nearly every day

· Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed

· Withdrawal from family and friends

· Feeling tired and having low energy, even after a full night’s sleep

· Significant weight loss or weight gain

· Irritability

· Difficulty concentrating

· Thoughts of self-harm or dying

Mental health is important, and help and hope are available for those who need it. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or in crisis, call 800-273-TALK (8255), text 988, or chat Lifeline. Help is available 24/7 and it’s confidential. If you think you or someone you know may be struggling with depression, free mental health tests from Mental Health America are available.

100th Anniversary Slideshow

We give thanks for Chris Sherk, Melissa Tucker, Anne Cline Johnson, Sabrina Blanks, and so many others who contributed to this extensive project!

To watch the slideshow, click the video image.

100th Anniversary Apparel is available for order again!

Did you forget to order your 100th anniversary gear last time?

Do you love your short-sleeve tee so much that you want it in another color and long-sleeves?

Does the cooler weather have you dreaming of a celebratory sweatshirt?

You're in luck! You can order any and all of these items and have them delivered right to your door for your wearing enjoyment!

Click HERE to order your 100th Anniversary Apparel!

It's time to get tickets for

Peter Mayer

Our final 100th Anniversary Event will be the Peter Mayer: Stars & Promises concert!

This concert will be at Grace on Friday, December 22nd, and it is open to the public - we expect to see many community members and we're excited to welcome them to Grace!

Tickets are now on sale, and they could go quickly - Click HERE to learn more and purchase your tickets for the show!

NOTE: These tickets are only available through the above link - we will not be selling them through Grace.

100 Connections

We have 46/100!

We are constantly making connections in our lives - as part of our 100th anniversary, we are making at least 100 new connections as a congregation! To share a connection you've made, please click HERE!

The Sanctuary Candle for the month of October is given by

Elisa and Ron Gordon in honor of our Pastors, Gregg and Rachel, for their love and leadership to our Grace congregation.

The Altar Flowers for October 22nd are given by

Windy and Doug Cole in celebration of our 11^th Anniversary

This fall, the SC Synod is offering a ministry leadership program called Ministry Toolbox.

The 2023 Ministry Toolbox days are opportunities for all congregational leaders to learn together actionable information for ministry. Covering a wide variety of relevant topics, the courses will equip attendees with new skills to take back and put in place in their congregation. The day will be capped off with the kickoff of the South Carolina Synod’s year of intentional Bible Study. All are invited to attend.

There are two opportunities to participate:

October 28th at All Saints Lutheran Church, Mt Pleasant

November 18th at Messiah Lutheran Church, Mauldin

Each day will start at 9:45 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. The cost is $20.00 per person. To learn more and register, click HERE