Staying Connected
Hi Everyone
 
Isaiah 43:19 says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

The last staying connected we started talking about the devotions that were done during the Adult Boundary Waters Trip. The first devotion as about Pause. Taking time to pause and what better place to pause than the boundary waters. Last week a staying connected newsletter didn't go out because I was on vacation with my family. We took a week long trip to Colorado and stayed a week in Estes Park. Being on vacation and not being allowed to take my work computer with defiantly gave me time to pause. It was time well spent with family.

The second devotion on the BWCA trip was about ponder. I chose that word after ponder because once you take time to pause you can truly ponder things. We talked about where and when are the best times to ponder. When at home I do my best thinking in the sunroom at my house. Normally in the mornings. I have a hard time sleeping in so many times I'll just get up and sit in the sunroom. Pre-Dog I would sit there by myself now the dog jumps up on the couch (the only one she's allowed to in the house) and we'll sit there together just thinking about life.

I chose the scripture from Isaiah for the devotion because it talks about seeing the new things happening. When you take that time to pause and ponder things you can see new things happening around you. If you don't take that time you may miss something. I didn't come up with anything earth shattering while taking that time to stare at the mountains and ponder but it was a good way to clear my head as we get ready into new things at Grace. As we continue to expand our feeding ministry and move forward into the school year. I'm back now from vacation and it's full speed ahead on everything new going on at Grace. I've got an energy inside me to tackle whatever comes up.

I hope you all have time and a place where you can sit, pause and ponder things in life and that it can energize you for everything ahead.

Peace,
 
Ben
Faith Night is returning September 15th. We will once again be holding programing for all ages this year. We are exciting to be having everyone return Wednesday nights at Grace as we gather together for a meal, education opportunities and worship. We are looking for folks that are willing to help with the evening. If you are interested in being a leader for our youth in the classroom our help prepare meals Wednesday night please reach out to Ben.

Wednesday Evening Schedule
Dinner - 5:15
Education - 6:00
Worship - 6:45

We will also be starting Sunday morning education time during our Sunday morning worship service following the Children's Message until the end of the service. This will be starting in September also. If you are interested in being a leader for this and leading a lesson and craft every few weeks please let Ben know and we can get you on the rotation.
Office Hours Have Changed
Please note, our staff is always adapting to meet the needs of each day, and so the office may be closed at times o:n short notice. Bear with us while we make changes to better serve the people of Grace and the community at large. Appointments are greatly appreciated. Call the church office at 507-345-4248. iIf you need to speak to the pastor, please call 507-327-6279 and leave a message. Rev. John will call you back. Thanks!

Current Office Hours
Monday - Thursday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Friday
9:0 am - 12:00 pm
Coffee and Doughnuts
are Back!
Following worship this Sunday please join us for coffee and doughnuts in the narthex following worship.

We are excited to gather in fellowship following the service each week. Stick around for some conversation or grab some coffee and doughnut holes to go.
We are looking for volunteers to help set up coffee and doughnuts as well as clean up afterwards. Please contact Sally Ann Smith if you'd like to help out.
Basement Update
The work on the basement is continuing to move along nicely. All walls have been painted and almost all the carpet has been installed. There's a few pieces left around the stage then all will be done. Trim on the walls is left to be completed as well. The space is available for use right now but we still have a small mess around.

Thank you for your patience while we are upgrading our space.
Food Ministries
As we continue to expand our Feeding Ministries here at Grace we expand or relationships with out community partners.

One community partner we'd like to highlight this week is the Blue Earth County Community Farm. The farm is located on the east side of old highway 66 on just north of Mount Kato. The farm has many vegetables planted that are used to help fill meal kits with FOCP. Recently they have reached out to Grace to let us know they had lots of extra basil. We were able to take that basil and turn it into pesto sauce that we will use in future meals that we will make for those in the community.

If you would like to help out at the community farm you can sign up to volunteer harvesting vegetables or weeding. There is never a shortage of things to do at the farm. You can learn more about the community farm or sign up to volunteer using the links below.
Thursday Night Zoom
Bible Study
Thursday August 5th 2021
7:00 pm

All Are Welcome!
We continue to meet every Thursday evening at 7:00 over zoom for our weekly bible study. We're always looking for more people to join. Most weeks will be lead by Ben but other weeks the study will be lead by another Grace member. The study is on Daily Faith Practices and the Bible Study material is provided by the ELCA. Each week we'll spend some time chatting and sharing some highlights and lowlights from our week as we fellowship. Following that we will spend time diving into a study each week. All the studies can be viewed ahead of time and can be found by clicking HERE. We will also have a few weeks of the studies shared in this weekly newsletter. So you can look ahead to help guide discussion. Each week we'll gather over zoom for about an hour.

We hope you will consider joining us for this time of bible study and fellowship. All are Welcome whether you've joined us in the past or not.

We hope yo see you soon
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Upcoming Studies
Mark your Calendar

August 5th

August 12th

August 19th



Clicking on the Study will take you to a PDF copy
Clicking on the scripture will take you to the reading for the study
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Thursday Bible Study


Zoom Meeting ID 857 5766 8823
Meeting Passcode: grace


Time 7:00 pm Thursday
Every week will have the same meeting ID and Passcode
Worshiping Together
Our Facebook live stream is a great way to gather with others(although virtually)as we are all part of this assembly as we gather as the one body of Christ to chat, share a greeting of peace and worship together. A live stream of our worship is broadcasted every Sunday morning at 10:00 and is 50-60 minutes long.

If you do not have Facebook worship is will still be available on KTOE Sunday mornings at 10:00 and the rebroadcast on KTV Tuesday at 1:00 pm and again Wednesday at 7:15 pm. Past worships can also be found on YouTube and our Website. Our goal is that everyone will still have an opportunity to worship with us at Grace.

All the past worship services can be found by going to
August 1st , 2021 Worship
In-Person Worship
We acknowledge that the risks of this pandemic are not over, and if you are unsure about being in the building, we encourage you to stay home and worship with us from a distance. If you enjoy worshipping from home, we encourage you to continue to do just that. We have opened our doors again but we encourage people to do what is best for your family right now. We want to offer the opportunity for everyone to connect with their faith in ways that are meaningful and meet you where you are. For now, we are glad you can be here with us, whether you are watching live on Facebook, listening on KTOE radio, following along on YouTube or KTV in Mankato. Even as we have returned to holding worship in our building, we will continue to provide these means of participating with us from a distance including a livestream on Facebook. 

However you participate, now and in the future, we believe you are a part of this assembly, gathered as the one body of Christ to worship and celebrate our life of faith together.
Christ in our Home
Devotional
Christ In Our Home are still available here at Grace. You can stop in and pick on up anytime during church office hours.

You can access a digital copy by clicking HERE
Fair Trade Coffee
New Fair Trade merchandise is now on the cart.

All items are prices as marked

Sister's Blend Ground Coffee and Toffee Caramel Flavored Coffee are back!!!

Items are located near the narthex and can be bought during church office hours and Sunday mornings.
Find more information about Mankato Fair Trade Products and their Mission by clicking the link below
Serving the Community

Echo Food Shelf - Echo is still looking for volunteers to commit to one 2-4 hour shift/week. You can email echofoodshelf@yahoo.com to get involved.

CADA House - Committee Against Domestic Abuse, Inc. (CADA) is a nonprofit victim advocacy and emergency shelter organization based in Mankato, Minnesota. CADA’s mission is to provide safety and support to victims of domestic and sexual violence through education, advocacy, and shelter.


Mark your Calendar
Pillow Cleaning - August 30th - 31st 2021
Build Your Own Bouquet Family Event - September 12th 2021
Chili Feed for Habitat for Humanity - October 24th 2021
ELCA National Youth Gathering - July 24th - 28th 2021
Fall Highway Cleanup - TBD


Watch for more information on all events listed above in future Staying Connected Newsletters
Pray Together
Lord God

Open our hearts and minds to see everything that's going on around us. Let us find new ways to honor you and serve others in our community.
Amen
Check out this Video!
Glory I Couldn't See by Mike Donehey
Amazon Smile
Many of us has been spending more time shopping online. When shopping with amazon there is an easy way to help raise a donation go to Grace. When shopping through a web browser you can follow the link below and it's easy to set up. It's also super easy to get set up on a mobile device through the Amazon App. When signed into your account in the app in settings there is a section called "Programs and Features" in that sections you can click on AmazonSmile. I that section you can select your charity. You can search Grace Lutheran Church Mankato or type 41-6006451.

When you #StartWithaSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Grace Lutheran Church. Bookmark the link   http://smile.amazon.com/ch/41-6006451  and support us every time you shop.

You still get the same prices and you can still use your Prime account, but when you start by using this link above, Amazon will donate a portion of the price back to Grace.

Thanks for supporting Grace.
Contact Us
Pastor
Rev. John Odegard - pastor@gracemankato.org

Director of Spiritual Growth

Interim Organist and Music Director
Chuck Hoogland - music@gracemankato.org

Worship and Media Technology Coordinator

Maintenance and Grounds
Jordin Johnson - grounds@gracemankato.org
Grace Lutheran Church Office Hours

Monday - Thursday 9:00a.m - 12:00p.m and 1:00p.m - 4:00p.m
Friday 9:00a.m - noon
Is there news you're wanting to have included in future staying connected newsletters? Reach out to Ben with the details and he'll be sure to included in an upcoming newsletter. New newsletters are emailed out every Monday and can also be found on Facebook or the Webpage under the At Home Resources tab.