| Grace Notes Email Newsletter |
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This Week's Message: "Turning to God"
The first of Martin Luther's ninety-five theses states, "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in saying 'Do penance . . . ,' wanted the entire life of the faithful to be one of penitence." In this week's gospel, Jesus calls us to "repent, and believe in the good news" (Mark 1:15). Lutherans teach that repentance is not a feeling or a sudden stop to one's sinning, but is rather a turning back to God, effected by the Holy Spirit, who continually calls us to Christ. If Christ is not present first, proclaiming to us the kingdom of God's grace and full pardon for our sins, there can be no true repentance.
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Ash Wednesday Interactive Worship:
The Seven Symbols of Ash
Ash Wednesday is February 17. The Worship Planning Team wanted to offer a safe, in-person worship for Ash Wednesday. We are excited about this unique and interactive chance for our members to worship and reflect called "The Seven Symbols of Ash." There will be stations set up throughout the church, each with a different self-led reflection based on a Biblical reference to Ash. The service will end with time for individual communion and reflection in the Sanctuary.
The stations will be open from 12-3 and 6-8, and also from 4:00-5:30 with some modifications for families with young children to come through.
For those who would like to sign up for a time, we will be offering staggered sign up times from 12-1. Everyone else is welcome to come at will, and we will make sure people start staggered so that the stations have one person/family at a time.
We look forward to welcoming you into the building for this time of worship. This will be a special time to reflect, to repent, and to return our hearts to God as we begin Lent.
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Personal Products Donation Drive
Grace is a drop off site for Bridge the Divide's collection of personal products for social agencies in our area. Bridge the Divide is a group that hosts community conversations and events around issues of racial justice. This is part of their acts of service for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The goods collected will go to Advocates, Family Sharing, Family Promise, Saukville Food Pantry and others. You can put them in the bin in the office entryway. Thank you for your support of those in need!
We will be collecting the donations through the end of the month.
We have already filled the bucket up once!! Thank you for your support of those in need!
Items needed are:
*Ethnic hair products (cocoa butter, Shea butter, shampoo, conditioner, hair oil, silky bonnets)
*Shampoo/conditioner (full size)
*Body wash/soap
*Deodorant (full size)
*Face Wash/Acne Care
*Feminine hygiene (sanitary pads & tampons)
*Bath Towels
*Laundry detergent (Liquid and Pods)
*Kitchen cleaning supplies (dish detergent, etc)
*Paper Products (toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels)
*Toothbrush/toothpaste
*Hand Sanitizer
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Outdoor Fun & Fellowship
Sunday School Families--Join us for some winter fun and fellowship at Grace on Sunday, February 7 from 11-12. We'll have some fun activities like snow paining, frozen water balloons, freezing bubbles, snowman building competitions and sledding (please bring your own sled). Dress warm and stop by for some good old-fashioned Wisconsin winter fun! As a friendly reminder, students in 3K-5th grade must attend with an adult. Sing up for the event on our Family Faith page: http://www.gracegrafton.com/family-faith.html
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Annual Reports and Annual Meeting
The church council is working on plans to hold a safe and successful annual meeting on Sunday, February 21. The council is discussing the best option for holding the meeting, whether in-person, online or a combination of the two. You will be kept informed on these plans and how you can participate in the meeting.
We will mail copies of the annual report to all members in early February.
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Christmas Eve Barn Ornaments
Whether you joined us for Christmas Eve in the barn in person or online, we hope you took a special 2020 nativity ornament to remember this most unusual celebration of Christ's birth. We have a few left over, so if you would still like one, stop by the area outside of the office and grab one. They'll be available until they run out!
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Dried Flowers Needed
We are looking for dried flowers for part of our Ash Wednesday Worship. If you have any that you no longer need, we would be happy to take them. You would not get them back. Any variety is welcome. Contact Pastor Heidi if you have some to share.
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Boundary Waters Registrations
We will email registration forms next Monday for our July 8-15 high school Boundary Waters canoe trip. The trip is open to all Grace kids in grades 8-12. Friends and relatives, who don't go to Grace, are welcome to join us. We are also looking for a few adult leaders for the trip. If you have any questions, just talk to Pastor Paul.
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5K Students Lord's Prayer Event
Kindergarten students and their family are invited to join us for a virtual Lord's Prayer learning event. Teaching our children The Lord's Prayer is a promise we make them at their baptism. So, we will continue to live out that promise, even in these unusual times! We'll meet virtually on Sunday, January 24 from 11-12, with the opportunity to share the prayer with the congregation in March. Please email Katie ( Katie@GraceGrafton.com) if you would like your 5K child to participate. There is also a bag of supplies you will need to pick up at church prior to the meeting. |
Help Us Show Our Grace Health Care Workers Some Love!
We're collecting individually wrapped snacks for healthcare workers now through January 31. Granola bars, breakfast bars, bagged snacks, pre-packed cookies or sweets are all great options. You are welcome to leave a thank you card or picture as well. Drop off your donations at Grace during office hours. If you can't stop by during office hours, drop them off at the Eippert's: 541 5th Avenue, Grafton (just down the street from church).
If you are a healthcare worker and would like us to send some snacks to your clinic or hospital, please email Pastor Heidi ( pastorheidi@gracegrafton.com) or Katie ( Katie@gracegrafton.com). We want to share some thank you treats with you and your co-workers.
Our healthcare workers (and their co-workers) are so incredibly grateful for the love and support from their Grace family. Thank you in advance for supporting them during this unprecedented time!
--The Grace Office Staff
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Blood Drive January 21
Grace will be hosting a blood drive on January 21. If you would like to donate please sign up at bit.ly/gracelutheranjan21 or call 877.232.4376. |
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This Week's Gospel Video
Jesus Calls the Fishermen
Last week's video, and my sermon, focused on the stories in John 1 about Jesus calling his first disciples. This week we get to hear Mark's version. Mark, as well as Matthew and Luke, tell the story differently than does John. This week we hear the more familiar account of Jesus walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and calling those fishermen to follow him and learn to catch people for the kingdom of God. The video will be included in the email you receive with the bulletin for this Sunday's worship.
Pastor Paul
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Vanco Is Up & Running
Starting on January 1, 2021 Grace expanded our giving opportunities for the congregation. We switched our ACH donations (E-Giving) to go through Vanco. Vanco works directly with the ELCA & together they have worked out a special program for the ELCA churches.
One of the new opportunities Vanco provides is texting in your offering. To make your donation via text use this number 844-205-5129. Then add your donation in the text message line. Donations must be $3.00 or more in order for the transaction to work. If this is your first time texting in a donation, you will need to fill out a bit of information to complete your transaction. But once that is done you will not need to do it the next time you text. Another exciting opportunity with this program is online donation through our Grace website. On the site there is a Make A Donation button on our main page that will lead you to a donation page. On this page you are able to donate to our general fund & all of the missions of Grace. Each one has their own donation button. Again, if it is your first time, you will need to fill out a bit of information to complete your transaction. What will this mean to all of the families at Grace that have already been using e-giving? Nothing! Everything has already been changed over for you & your e-giving donations will continue as normal. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Lisa Bernd at di@gracegrafton.com.
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New Family Faith Kit Available
We often don't take time to explore Epiphany, the celebration of the Wise Men visiting the Holy Family. But this year is the perfect time to explore some different cultural traditions surrounding Epiphany. This month's Family Faith Kit focusses on a few new ways to celebrate Epiphany including baking a Three Kings Cinnamon Roll Crown and participating in a home blessing. You can pick up a Family Faith Kit at Grace whenever the office is open or grab one from the box outside of the worship center anytime you drive by! The instructions are always on our Family Faith page: http://www.gracegrafton.com/family-faith.html |
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Holy Land Trip - October 2021
One of our parishioners, Sherry Bublitz, is planning a trip to Israel in October of this year. Watch this video for more information!
https://youtu.be/gtbB9qiRA0M
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Flannel Sheets for Grace Quilters
A few of the quilters have been busy at home sewing quilts for the homeless, Lutheran World Relief and many other organizations. We have found this year the price of flannel that we use for a filler has doubled in price! We come to the people of Grace to help us out. If you have usable flannel sheets in twin flat, full flat, queen and king fitted, we would be most appreciative if you could send it our way. The sheets could be left in the entry way or in the office at church. Thanks in advance for helping us out.
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Bless Your Home This Epiphany
Many cultures around the world celebrate Epiphany by blessing their home. Since we're all spending more time at home this year, 2021 is the perfect year to join in on this fun and meaningful tradition of blessing your home! You can stop by the office and pick up a piece of chalk and instructions for the Home Blessing, or find the instructions online here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G1BnpDnnShHO9UnVXzoI-CWk0Tr0Rn6y/view All Grace members are invited and encouraged to bless their home! (Please Note: If you are picking up a Family Faith Kit, this activity is already included in the kit.)
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Register Now for Summer Camp!Looking forward to summer? So are the staff at Pine Lake Camp! Now is the time to sign up to attend camp this summer. Pine Lake offers week-long and half-week camp options for students in 1st-12th grade along with family camp, grandparent/kid camp and Piece Together Camp for families with a child on the autism spectrum. Camp is an awesome way to spend some time outdoors, make new friends and grow in your faith! At this time, camp will be running at 50% capacity, so we encourage families to sign up early! Find our more information about the various programs and camp dates online: https://www.crosswayscamps.org/summer-camp
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Mt. Meru Coffee Available!
Mt. Meru coffee can be ordered directly through Jeanne Dries. Just call 262.375.0997 or email your order ( rdries@wi.rr.com) and it will be delivered directly to you with payment received upon delivery. Price remains $10/12 oz. bag or $8/box of 12 single-serve cups. Thank you for your support of this worthwhile project!
If you prefer to order online, please note that the price of coffee on the website has increased to $12.95/12 oz. bag. Additional funds will be used to cover increased costs and to add to programs in the Meru Diocese. There has not been a price increase since 2011. This coffee is less expensive than other online fair-trade premium coffee.
Thank you for your support of this worthwhile project!
You can stay up to date at the Facebook page
Facebook.com/MtMeruCoffeeProject
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Grace Members That We Are Praying For:
Trudi Biefeld - Health & healing Justin Brogni - Health & healing Judy Hahn - Health & healing Bobby Koppa - Love & support Liz Lueck - Health & healing Mike Luettgen - Health & healing Joyce Radtke - Health & healing Jim Scott - Health & healing Janet Sladky - Health & healing Don Westby - Health & healing
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