Grace Notes Email Newsletter

May 25, 2023

Please notes there is only one service on Sunday at 9:00 am during the summer. For those who cannot worship with us in person access our live stream and recorded worship in its entirety here Recorded sermons each Sunday can be accessed online here

Current Events/Info

Monday: CLOSED Tuesday: 9am-2pm Wednesday: 9am-2pm Thursday: 9am-2pm Friday: CLOSED Saturday: CLOSED Sunday: CLOSED Sorry for the inconvenience. As always please call or email if there is anything you need. Thank you for your patience!

Meet Our New Pastor & Congregational Meeting

Mark your calendars for two very important upcoming events as we begin the next chapter in Grace's faith-filled history! --Thursday, June 1 Meet & Greet at 7:00pm: Stop by church to meet our new pastor and his wife. We will begin in the worship center immediately following Thursday evening worship where he will provide a brief group introduction, and then we'll all enjoy snacks and fellowship in the gathering space. If you can't be there right at 7:00, stop by when you are able! Come for a few minutes or stay a while, whatever works for your schedule. He will not be able to attend on June 4, so please make sure to introduce yourself on June 1. --Sunday, June 4 Congregational Vote at 10:00am: Join us for a congregational meeting immediately following the 9:00am worship service. There will be a short video from the new pastor and then we will hold a congregational vote.

Fun Facts about Our New Pastor     Our new pastor is asking we withhold his name until after our June 4 vote, so he can notify his congregation on his own and not hear it through the grapevine. We want to respect that request! For now, we'll call our new pastor "PC." Here are a few more fun facts about PC and his wife: --PC has won an amateur car racing contest. --This will be our first time living in Wisconsin, but we have visited it often.  --PC has a goal of visiting every continent.  --We believe every Tuesday is better with Tacos.  --We love quiet nights around a fire.  Check out next week's Grace Notes for a few more fun facts! Please continue to keep our candidate and his wife in your prayers throughout this process!

Add a Message on Our Prayer Wall

We want everyone to leave a welcome message or prayer for the new pastor and his wife on our prayer wall. Add a post it to our prayer wall next to the hospitality counter. We want to fill the wall with well wishes and prayers from our amazing Grace family!

Worship Updates

SIGN UP GENIUS AVAILABLE THROUGH JULY FOR BOTH WORSHIP SERVICES   Sunday worship volunteer positions are now available for both services in Sign Up Genius through June. Look the positions over carefully and please take a moment and sign up for at least one volunteer spot. Your help is greatly appreciated. You can use the following link:   Volunteer Sign-up Genius   If you have any questions on the volunteer positions needed for either worship service, you can contact Lori Mathias at 262-825-6632, or by email at:  lmathias31@outlook.com

Council Updates

Grace Lutheran Church Financial Summary

We as a Church Council have decided in the spirit of continuous improvement and transparency to the congregation to begin publishing a summary of the church's financials on a monthly basis. We feel this is in everyone's best interest to be transparent and aligned upon the financial health of the church. In these monthly reports, we will include: Income & Expense Results from the Most Recent Month Income & Expense Results on a Year-To-Date basis A Summary of Cash Balances A Summary of Debt Balances A Summary of Year-To-Date Giving vs. Prior Periods We welcome any feedback or suggestions as we continue to find the best ways to engage with the congregation. Thank you Thrivent Members!  Below are links to most current financial documents that will tell you how you have impacted Grace Lutheran Church! Click here to view March 2023 Financials 2021 Thrivent

Children and Youth Info

Register Now for VBS! Join us for "Food Truck Party" VBS at Grace August 7-11 from 9am-noon each day. Register online HERE. VBS is open to students in 3K-6th grade. We also need lots of volunteers to make VBS a success! Sign up to volunteer on the board outside of the worship center or email Erica at erica@gracegrafton.com. Sign up your family and invite friends to join you as well!

Other Updates/Events

Crossways Summer Staff: A Life-Changing Job Summer is coming fast and we need your help! Crossways is in urgent need of male cabin leaders! The faith development, adventure and fun are only possible because of our summer staff. Through the summer the staff learn leadership skills, develop a strong community of their peers and have a whole lot of fun! If you know of a high school graduate, 18 years old or older who would be a good fit, please send him to www.crosswayscamps.org/employment.   If you have any questions or would like more information on Crossways Camping Ministries, please contact    Kim or Chris Beloin at Beloin@att.net or by phone at: 262-376-0259 (Congregational delegates to    Crossways) or contact Chris Eippert or Kim Beloin (Members of the Crossways Board of Directors)

Quilters Always Need Sheets Including Flannel The word is out about the wonderful quilts we make. More and more organizations locally need our quilts, not just Lutheran World Relief. So please think of us as you attend rummage sales or mention to your friends when they are getting rid of sheets in useable condition. You all know the sizes – twin flat, full flat and fitted, queen flat and fitted, king flat and fitted in cotton or cotton blend and flannel. Please no microfiber or polyester.    Again, thank you for always responding to our requests. Remember the Grace Quilters when donating for memorials. We could not continue without your help, monetary or otherwise.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Mt. Meru Coffee Project Board of Directors is now in search of new volunteers committed to our mission: Living the Gospel by building economic justice and respect together with Mt. Meru coffee farmers. We are seeking volunteers with various skills, from operations to board level positions. Of particular interest are volunteers with skills and experience in marketing, internet marketing e-commerce, and sales.  If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Bob or Jeanne Dries (262.375.0997 or rdries@wi.rr.com) The Mt. Meru Coffee Project started 25 years ago as a partnership between the Greater Milwaukee Synod and the coffee farmers of Mt. Meru. The premise is simple: coffee is grown there, purchased from the farmers at rates above the market rate, imported, roasted and then sold directly to coffee drinkers within the congregations of the Synod. The farmers receive a fair price for their coffee, and the extra income allows them to pay school fees for their children and invest in their farms. Through ups and downs, different leaders here and in Tanzania and a global pandemic, the Coffee Project has continued to improve lives for the farmers, their families and communities. The Coffee Project is but one of the many ways in which our Synod partnership with the Meru Diocese is manifest.

Please Pray For:

Pray for our members in nursing care, home bound & assisted living: Janet Trapp & Phyliss Barber   Pray for: Master Sgt. Matthew Wilkerson (son-in-law of Cindy Silverbrandt), Seaman Matthew Kulczyski (grandson of Grace Smaxwill) & Chief Jennifer Kurneta (daughter of Richard & Charleen Breest) who are serving our country in the U.S. Military. Ron Simon (Friend of Katy Peterman) USAF in the middle east   Bill and Kathy Bahrke - Health & healing Hannah Bulgerin – Health & healing Alex Koenitzer – Health & healing Gerry and Shelley Zvara – Health & healing Pastor Dale Erickson – Health & healing (Dale has often been our guest pastor) Stephen Peltonen – Encouragement Jim Scott – Health & healing Cindy Silverbrandt – Health & healing Jane Johnson – Health & healing   Gloria Cmeyla (friend of Janet Sladky) - Cancer Len Lapacz (friend of Bob & Jeanne Dries) - Cancer Sharon Larson (friend of Joan Tuttle) - Health & healing Barbara Papamarcos (friend of Sarah Newell) - Health & healing Chris Robinson (friend of Kathy Kehoe) – Health & healing Kim Saffran (friend of Christy Loeffler) - Cancer George Zajicek (brother of Kathy Braun) - Comfort & strength Mike Winter (brother to Cheryl Herboek and Sue Carlson) - Cancer Debbie Cappelli (daughter of Arlene Liebenstein) - Cancer Nancy Klaas (mother of Brandon Langer) - Cancer Nadene Kramer (friend of Kate Peterman) – Health & healing Rob Pasbrig (friend of Kate Peterman) – Cancer Joan Eippert (mother of Chris Eippert and Heidi Martinez) - Heath & healing Liam Rice (Friend of Jim and Trudi Biefeld) - Childhood Cancer Thomas Eifert (Father of Jon Eifert) - Health & Healing

Office Info

Grace Calendar Please call prior or check Grace Calendar to make sure someone will be in office. Thank you!

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Grace Lutheran Church | [gracegrafton.com]

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