GRACE NOTES
December 21 - 28, 2021
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For Worship services and Children's sermons please visit our YouTube channel.
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A Christmas Surprise:
Grace's "How Great Our Joy" concert video!
Many thanks to Dr. Jeremy Mims for directing, to our choirs for performing, to our musicians for playing, to our a/v team for recording and editing, and everyone else who supported this concert, so that we might all enjoy beautiful music in celebration of the Christmas season!
Click the video to enjoy the concert,
which was performed on Dec 11th!
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Our last Advent
Mid-Week Worship
is tomorrow!
Join us Wednesday
at 7:00 PM
December 22
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Several Christmas Eve Worship Assistants Needed! |
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We have several openings for Christmas Eve worship assistants, click on the service times below to add your name to the worship assistant schedules for Christmas Eve.
Click HERE for the current schedule.
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Join us on Sunday, December 26 for one service at 10:00am.
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We will also have one service at 10 am on January 2, 2022. |
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2021 Giving & the Plan for God's Abundance
As 2021 comes to a close, we are grateful for the financial gifts you give toward God's mission here at Grace. We are still doing ministry work this month (a lot, in fact! For example, large strides toward the finish line are being made on our Youth Room & Nursery projects in these final weeks of the year). Your gifts are making 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!
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A NOTE ON END OF YEAR GIVING
As the year comes to a close, we look back on the wonderful ministry we have done together in 2021, and we give thanks for the financial gifts that were given to make this ministry happen. Your continued faithful support of our ministry will enable us to finish this year’s work strong and position us well to begin next year’s ministry in January.
Please remember that for financial donations to be counted towards 2021 tax
deductions, they must be received in 2021. Grace will make its final 2021 deposit on Friday, Dec. 31, so please have your giving to the Church Office by 5pm on Thursday, December 30 if you would like to make it count for this fiscal year. Thank you!
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Thank you for supporting this year's Giving Tree and the Hat, Mitten, and Cold Weather Accessory Drive! All the slots for the Giving Tree were filled and numerous cold weather accessories were donated. Thank you to the Outreach Committee for coordinating these projects. |
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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:
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provided assistance for more than 6,300 families (an increase of almost 20% from the previous year)
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helped more than 900 families in the month of June alone
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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!
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We give thanks for the many ways our congregation uses gifts and talents to the glory of God!
This week, the Stewardship Committee highlights three areas of ministry at Grace. Click HERE to read this week's Caught You Caring.
Click HERE to read last week's Caught You Caring.
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Thank you to everyone who has made their 2022 Commitment!
As of today, 94 households have made their commitments and together have committed $352,247!
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.
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Needs for this week:
+ Body wash
+ Shampoo
+ Toothpaste
+ Toilet paper
+ Paper towels
+ Clothes detergent
+ Dish detergent
+ Cereal
+ Pancake Mix
+ Syrup
+ Dog food & Cat food
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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.
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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! |
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Sunday School will be on break until Jan 9th for Adults, Jan 16th for children/Youth.
Families with children, please be looking for an email about Sunday School options in the next few days.
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Click the image for our
current Prayer List
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Click the image for our
Memorials & Honor Gifts
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Click the image for our
December Birthdays
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Click the image for our
January Birthdays
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The Sanctuary Candle for the month of December is given by
Elisa and Ron Gordon to the glory of God and for the gift of His son.
The Altar Flowers for December 26 are given by Theresa Miller
in loving memory of Ed Miller and in celebration of
Matthew Miller's birthday.
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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.
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2022 Altar Flower Sign-Up |
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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.
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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.
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Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church is hiring for two positions:
Administrative Assistant (click HERE for more information) and Director of Communications (click HERE for more information).
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Offering Our Gifts to God
Part of our worship is offering our gifts to God. You can give in several ways:
- Give via the offering plate in the Sanctuary
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Give online by clicking HERE (you have the option to offset the cost of giving online)
- Set up giving though your bank
- Mail your offering to the church office.
Thank you for continued faithful giving!
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November Giving and Expenses |
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Received $65,628
Expenses $53,257
Budgeted to Spend $57,902
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YTD Received $549,982
YTD Expenses $536,942
YTD Budgeted to Spend $636,922
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Can We Help?
If you are in need of help (of any kind), or simply want to connect, please reach out to the pastors. We want to walk with you.
Please call or email us.
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Stay connected! Click on the links below! |
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In-person activities at
Grace Lutheran Church are beginning again. All in-person activities need to be scheduled in advance at this time.
Please contact the church office if you need to schedule an activity.
We are praying for the health and well-being of our community and world.
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GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
426 Oakland Avenue
Rock Hill, SC 29730
(740) 312-5774 (Pastor Gregg’s cell)
(864) 230-3816 (Pastor Rachel’s cell)
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
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