Worship Changes
Linda reported this in the Three Things email today, so this is just a reminder; we will return to traditional distribution of Holy Communion beginning this weekend. Those serving the host will use gloves, and Altar Guild will make sure that wine glasses are spaced in the trays, with communicants lifting their own glasses from the tray. We're also planning to remove the strings which have indicated closed pews, and substituting signs at the end of the pew seat indicating pew is closed. So for now, even though the mask requirement has been removed, we will still encourage social distancing.
Summer Park Tour 2021 Gets Underway
On Wednesday morning I joined the first of the Summer Park Tour events that Heather has planned for summer 2021. The first event was at Birchard Park, and several families and children were in attendance. To see some pretty intense parachute action, go HERE, and for more info on the program along with a complete schedule on the Grace website, go HERE.
VBS Planning Meeting on Thursday
I attended the LIFT sponsored VBS planning meeting on Thursday at 1pm at Hayes Memorial UMC, which will be the site for VBS this year. In attendance were Heather and I from Grace, Sue from St. John's, Pastor Paul form LIFT, and Tricia from Hayes UMC. The dates are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26-28 evening from 6:00 - 7:30, and the theme is "To Mars and Beyond." Daily themes are:
- Day 1: Go Beyond with Faith
- Day 2: Go Beyond with Kindness
- Day 3: Go Beyond with Hope
Looks like the team is putting together an excellent experience for our VBS kids!
Fed Well by Fremont Soup Kitchen!
On Thursday I visited Fremont Soup Kitchen, and I ate very well: mashed potatoes with meatball gravy, peas and carrots, watermelon chunks, and a peanut butter brownie topped with whipped cream. It's always inspiring for me to witness these kinds of ministries, which provide not only nutrition but also community to relieve both kinds of hunger.
A "New" Computer for the Pastor's Office!
One of my immediate needs on moving into the pastor's office was a computer. For the first week I used my personal laptop, but asked at my first staff meeting last week if there might be an extra computer somewhere in the building that could be utilized. Lo and behold, there was. Heather located a laptop that was no longer being used, and still using Windows 8 (now an outdated operating system). Heather's husband installed CloudReady software on this computer, which transforms it into a fully functioning Chromebook, which now works very nicely. Thank you!! If you'd like to know more about transforming an older Windows computer into a Chromebook, go HERE.
2021 Is the "Year of Generosity"
Many of you are likely aware that Bishop Daniel has centered the spiritual leadership of our synod around annual themes, for which he has written Bible Studies which support those themes. 2017 was the Year of Grace with a study in Ephesians. 2018 was the Year of Prayer with a study in Nehemiah. 2019 was the Year of Scripture with a study in Matthew. 2020 was the Year of Mission with a study in Acts, and 2021 is the Year of Generosity, with a study on The Jerusalem Collection.
This year's theme actually got a start last year, during the pandemic, when Bishop Daniel and the synod staff offered regular Zoom meetings to provide synod leaders with support and resources to meet the challenges of the pandemic and continuing do "do church" remotely. One of those early Zoom sessions featured Pastor Mike Ward, on the staff of GSB Fundraising, a firm which offers fundraising and stewardship leadership and resources for congregations and other non-profit organizations. Mike's message provided inspiration and excellent ideas for doing stewardship during a pandemic.
Bishop Daniel, along with our ELCA bishops in NE and Southern Ohio synods, brought Mike back in January of this year to be the key presenter in our annual All-Ohio Rostered Leaders Gathering, where he continued to provide excellent messages and inspiration for our stewardship programs. Our synod has now partnered with GSB Fundraising for them to provide Stewardship resources for year-round stewardship with a program called "Stewardship for All Seasons." You can read GSB's June newsletter "Fundraising Insights" HERE.
Meeting with Doug on Wednesday
On Wednesday I met with Doug to review the pastor's compensation package to make sure that all the necessary details are in place for payroll and taxes. Doug was in contact with Portico (ELCA Pension and Benefits manager) to get Grace registered as my new employer. Thanks, Doug, for all your excellent financial work for Grace!
Snail Mail gets Sent Every Week
I'm sure that most of you are aware that the Grace office sends out a Snail Mail every week to a list of home bound members and members residing in care centers. What a wonderful outreach ministry! Each issue includes a cover letter message from Linda, announcements, a devotional reflection, an activity page, one of the scripture reading for the coming weekend, and a hard copy manuscript of the sermon that all will hear proclaimed from the pulpit on Saturday and Sunday. (This has challenged me to get my sermon done earlier in the week -- this is a good thing!) There are currently 34 member households that receive this mailing. If you'd like to take a look at what they receive, I've included a link to last week's maining HERE.
Thriving After Covid
Early this year, I registered for a series of monthly webinars entitled "Ignite the Church," under the theme "Adapting to a New Reality: Living into a Fresh Vision for God’s Church". The monthly themes included:
- January - Encouragement Beyond Fatigue
- February - Justice and the Common Good
- March - Hybrid Community: Virtual & In-Person
- April - Creative Expressions of Church
- May - Thriving Beyond Covid
As a follow-up to the May webinar, a free post-covid re-gathering/renewal resource for congregations is being offered:
If you're looking for a resource to encourage, inspire, and challenge your members and get them in the right frame of mind for your post-Covid journey ahead, consider Thriving Beyond Covid, a scripture-based small and large group study. The days ahead will be challenging but they can be managed with faith and a plan. Check out this two-minute video and the website to see if this resource is something your congregation might want to use. A leader guide, small and large group participant guides, and videos, are available for free download at www.ThrivingBeyondCovid.org.
June Calendar
You can view the June, 2021 Calendar of events HERE
Moving Forward Post Covid Vaccination
Here are some helpful opinion pieces on how individuals might consider making decisions moving forward post vaccination:
- Opinion: The vaccinated will make different choices about what they can do now. That’s OK.
- You Can’t Rely on the C.D.C. to Make Your Pandemic Decisions
Podcast with Rev. Mark Hanson
This past week I followed a link to a podcast of an interview with Rev. Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA from 2001 - 2013, in which he shares stories of his interfaith leadership and peacebuilding work locally and globally—from the United States to El Salvador, Mexico, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Indonesia that show hope, courage, and a vision for long-lasting peace. About 42 minutes, very much worh your time. You can find the link to listen HERE. An interesting aside - Bp. Hanson's father, Rev. Oscar C. Hanson, and I graduated from the same high school in Hendricks, Minnesota, that I mentioned in last Sunday's sermon to the graduates.
Bishop Daniel's Weekly Email
You can read it HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment