Interim Grace Notes for November 4, 2021

Spring Forward, Fall Back

Just a reminder that we all gain the hour of sleep back that we lost last March when Daylight Savings Time went into effect. Set your clock BACK one hour before bedtime Saturday night.

MSP Still Under Construction

Work on the Ministry Site Profile continues -- it is mostly completed and we are now reviewing all of the elements to be sure they are as clear, compelling, and as accurate a description of Grace as possible. Once submitted, it will be reviewed and approved by Bishop Daniel, and then when the written recommendation from Pastor Matt arrives, the 75-word Site Summary will go live on the ELCA website, making known to all who are searching for a new ministry site, that Grace is looking for a new senior pastor.

LIFT Leaders meeting

I reported in last week's post about the meeting of LIFT leaders with Bishop Daniel and Staff. Sue Peck from St. Mark's took detailed notes about our conversation and shared them with us. You can read them HERE.

Stewardship Letter With Intent Card Sent

The Stewardship Team met on Monday to process the second mailing in our 2021 Stewardship Campaign, Live Generously. This mailing included a letter (which you can view HERE), an Intent Card, and a return envelope pre-addressed to Grace Lutheran Church. Announcements this weekend will include encouragement to complete the intent card and bring it to worship next weekend (November 13-14) at which time it will be received. The Stewardship Team is still planning the details of the logistics of this, although we are considering having members pass them to the center aisle, and have some congregation children collect them and bring them forward.

Our Zoom meetings with Jennie from GSB Fundraising have stressed the importance of making this a festive event, so that those who encouraging others to join in following the example of others. Speaking of example, I'm asking those who are reading this to be among the first to complete your intent cards. Of course you will not bring them to worship until next weekend, but I'm asking you to complete them, and then, if you would, send me an email at mark@bogen.org or a text at 419-239-8444 to say "Yes, I've completed my Intent Card." No amounts, just that you've completed the Card. My plan would then be to announce at this weekend's services that x number of Intent Cards have been completed by Grace's leadership as an inspiration for others to do the same.

Keep in mind that you can also complete your Intent Card online in a Google Form that, when submitted, will go directly to the church office where the information will be received. You can find, complete and submit that form HERE, and if you do, you might also want to bring your card with you next weekend, and just write on it "Intent submitted online."

LInda placed the following announcement in the Just Three Things email which you should have received this morning:

LIVE GENEROUSLY
Your generosity has enabled so much ministry to happen that touches and brings hope to so many lives! All of this ministry that happens in and through Grace is made possible because you have chosen to LIVE GENEROUSLY. We encourage you to continue to grow in your financial generosity in 2022. Statement of Intent cards mailed earlier this week will be received in worship the weekend of November 13-14. For your convenience, you may also use this link to complete and submit directly to the church office your intent for the coming year.

Thank you for all you do to bless this congregation! Thank you for considering how you can grow in generosity in the coming year!

Nominations For Call Committee

A form for nominations for Call Committee from the congregation will be included as an insert in the bulletin this weekend and next, with a stated deadline of November 15. Several were submitted last weekend, and hopefully we'll get some more. My suggestion is that Council should decide the size and makeup of the committe at the November meeting on Monday, and then use the December meeting to vote on appointing the Commmittee members. If you still plan on nominating someone for Call Committee, be sure to do so, either using the paper form bulletin insert, or the online form HERE.

Not a Decline, a Pruning

In 1997, Dr. Mert and Irene Strommen founded The Youth & Family Institute in memory of their son David, a young seminarian and youth worker who was killed by lightening while leading a youth trip in the Colorado mountains. The organization was renamed Vibrant Faith Ministries in 2010. The Strommens’ vision was to take the best research and academic insight, ground and deepen it with Christian theology, and instill an evangelical spirit of ministry to help congregations strengthen families to nurture faith. The call across the Christian church to claim the role of the family in the formation of faith actually began from this small organization.

Over the years I have used some of the resources of this organization and attended some of their workshops and trainings which focus on the family to help strengthen faith. I know that this is part of what we are trying to accomplish with our intergenerational Sunday School.

Vibrant Faith's new Executive Director, Rick Lawrence, writes a weekly blog post, and this week he speaks about the decline that so many congregations have been experienced in terms of pruning, a practice which helps growing things become stronger. You can read Rick's post HERE.

Latest Osterholm Podcast

Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. In this episode, posted on November 4 and entitled "Vaccines in the World of Delta," Dr. Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss the international state of the pandemic, the unpredictability of events to come in the US, recent vaccine data, a COVID query on "mix and match" booster doses, and the approval of the Pfizer vaccine in 5- to 11-year-olds. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.