Interim grace notes for April 28, 2023

Almost to the "Finish Line" for Printed Picture Directory

We are still receiving edits for our Picture Directory on the way to a printed directory. We have set a dead line of Monday, May 15 to get all requests for changes. Here are some things to remember and links to use as we continue this process:

• You can view HERE a full-color PDF that is a photo image of what will be the printed directory. This online directory will be constantly updated with new information, and will be the best place to go for the most up-to-date information. Remember, this PDF is password protected. You can get the password from the church office, or email me and I will send you the password. If you haven't yet, view your information, and let us know of any changes that we would need to make before our May 15 deadline. Also remember that you can keep any of your information private, and will not show online or in print. Just let us know.
• We are taking orders for the printed directory so that we know how many to print. We are requesting a donation of $10 for each directory ordered, which will help cover the costs of producing the directory. An offering envelope will be included with the directory, which you can use to make your contribution. To order your printed directory, call the church office at (419) 332-1558, or complete a Google Forms Order Form, which you can find HERE.
• Many of you have created your own account with Instant Church Directory (ICD) to view the directory online, make your own changes, and even upload a new or different photo. Creating your own account allows you to view the directory on your smartphone or tablet. For Directions on how to set up your own ICD account, go HERE.

Attending Funeral for Pastoral Colleague Sunday

During my 2016 interim at Providence in Holland, Ohio, I had the privilege of working with Deacon Judy Atkins, who was a part-time member of their staff for many years. I also got to know her husband Ron, who was called as the full-time chaplain at Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek, a Genacross owned facility. After a brief bout with stomach cancer, Judy died on April 22. I will be attending her funeral at Providence this Sunday at 5:00 pm. You can read the obituary for Judy HERE.

LIFT Post-Easter Bible Study Continues

Pastor Paul has been leading a six-session study prepared by the The ELCA Task Force on Studies for Civic Life and Faith that has been meeting at Grace on Wednesday evening at 6:00 in the lounge. We have had about 15 persons attend each session, with reprenation from Grace, St. John's. St. Mark, and Trinity, so a good cross section of current and former LIFT member congregations. We meet on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm in the Grace lounge. This week will be session four of six, and our topic is: “What Are the Objectives of Democracy in the United States?" It's been interesting, and we've had good discussion. Not too late to join us for the remainder of our sessions!

Bishop Daniel's April 26th Email Message

You can read Bishop Daniel's latest email HERE. Highlights from this email include his running in the recent Owens-Corning Half-Marathon, and his planned trip (April 30 - May 11) to Tanzania for the installation of the new bishop of the Dodama Diocese of the The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Grace's own Becky Seibert is a part of the delegation from our Northwestern Ohio Synod. This trip will the the 12th trip to Tanzania for Becky, this time accompanied by her sister.

Conference Pastors

Eastern Conference Pastors held their usually monthly meeting on Thursday, hosted by Pastor Katie Suggett at Grace in Castalia. Some of our discussion centered around the shortage of pastoral candidates for the five congregations in our conference (St. John's Bellevue, Trinity Sandusky, Zion Sanddusky, Zion Huron, and Grace Fremont) and across our synod and the ELCA. Pastor Henry, who represents Eastern Conference on the synod Call Process Facilitator team, has reported that the team often interviews very good candidates, but many of these candidates are also interviewing in sometimes multiple synods and states. Some congregations in our conference that are geographically close have begun talking about future options for more collaboration and possible sharing a pastor.

LIFT Notes

You can read the latest issue of LIFT Notes HERE

Bishop Daniel' April 26, 2023 Email Mesage

 

Dear Friends in Christ, “They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).

Art "Road to Emmaus" by Robyn San Anderson Inspired by Josef Rheinberger's Abendlied called "Road to Emmaus". Listen to the music that inspired this painting. On Sunday morning, many of us heard the “Jesus Story” of the Walk to Emmaus, where the Crucified and Risen Jesus is revealed to two of His followers in the opening of the Scriptures and in the Breaking of the Bread. The Walk to Emmaus is a favorite Jesus Story for many.  I wonder if you have a favorite Jesus Story? If you do, could you share your Jesus Story “by heart”? Could you stop reading this email blast and just speak out loud your favorite Jesus story? Try it. How did you do? Our culture is primarily a written culture. Think of the books we read, the online posts we skim, and the contracts we carefully scrutinize before signing. The culture in which Jesus and His followers lived was an oral culture. These folks knew the Hebrew Scriptures by heart, and they could tell some splendid stories. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were great storytellers. And lest we forget… Jesus. Jesus could tell a great story, and while telling that story, Jesus could hold the crowd in wonder and in awe.   And that’s what great stories do. They cause us to wonder and keep us in awe. They challenge and they inspire. Stories have a way of moving our hearts, strengthening our souls, and transforming whole communities. Just 1 great story, and a small dash of people who believe the story, and live the story, can change the entire world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has. You and me, we get to tell. And we get to live the greatest story that has ever been told. The story of the Crucified and Risen Jesus. So, go ahead, and try it again. Take a moment to speak out loud your favorite Jesus Story. How did you do? I believe that you were simply splendid, so splendid that you might go and share that Jesus Story with another. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes.

A Few Comings and Goings

On Sunday morning, I was blessed to run the Owens-Corning Half Marathon in Toledo with a bunch of friends from the Toledo Roadrunners Club. A number of folks from our Northwestern Ohio Synod parishes also ran. It was the perfect morning for a run. Below is a photo of the 6:30 a.m. start. See if you can find me.

On Monday evening, April 24, I was at Peace, Bowling Green to participate in a Biblical Storytelling workshop called, “Stories from the Heart”. It was led by Pastor Doug Pretorius. On Tuesday afternoon, April 25, I met with the Conference Deans at St. John, Cardington. The Conference Deans include: Pastor Janine Shearer of the Maumee Valley Conference Pastor Mindy Elliott of the Maumee Valley Conference Pastor Will Stenke of the Central Conference Pastor Stacy Lauer-Scovanner of the Eastern Conference Pastor Shawn O’Brien of the North Central Conference Pastor Adam Sornchai of the Southeastern Conference Pastor Will Haggis of the Southwestern Conference Pastor Steve Bauerle of the Toledo Conference   On Wednesday morning, April 25, I will be joining many of the pastors from the North Central Conference for a day at Fifth-Third Field to watch the Toledo Mudhens play. I have been invited to throw out the first pitch. On Friday morning, April 28, I will be at Grace, Toledo, with members of the Global Mission Board to finalize our trip to Tanzania. On Saturday morning, April 29, the Northwestern Ohio Synod Council will be meeting at St. Paul, Jenera. From April 30-May 11, I will be traveling with a delegation from the Northwestern Ohio Synod, to attend the Consecration of Newly Elected Bishop Christian Ndossa of the Dodoma Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Please pray for us as we travel and build relationships with our Global Companions in Tanzania.

2023: The Year of Story Memory Verse “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The Story of Jesus Bible Study

2023 Daily Bible Reading Guide

NWOS Highlights

Grace Between the Lines

My Current Learning Book: The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa by Dayo Olopade Audio Book: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann Podcasts: The Bible Project A Bit of Optimism: A Podcast with Simon Sinek Apps: Pray as You Go Centering Prayer

Bless you, Bishop Daniel G. Beaudoin Third Sunday of Easter

Interim Grace Notes for April 21, 2023

Do You Want a Hard Copy of the Picture Directory?

If you want a hard copy version of the directory, please order one by May 15 with the online order form that you can find HERE. We are asking for a $10 donation per directory to cover the costs of production. An offering envelope will be included with the directory for your donation.

I hope that many if not most of you have checked out the online versions of our new picture directory. If you haven't, you can find the PDF version HERE. If you can't find the password, email me at mark@bogen.org and I will send it to you. If you find errors, let me know and I will correct them before we send the directory to the printer.

You may also want to create your own online account with Instant Church Directory. This enables you to make changes to your own account, upload a different photo, and download an app to view the directory on your phone or tablet. To create your online account, go HERE.

Non-Member Funeral

Maureen and I are sometimes called on to conduct a funeral for someone who is not a member of Grace. I did that this week for Sue Wetzel on Thursday. Sue was very active in Moose and VFW, and was a close friend of Pam Pephrey. She was also for 37 years the step-mother of one of my members at St. Peter Norwalk, Scott Wetzel. Scott was my council president at St. Peter for a number of years, and our children grew up together in church and in Norwalk Trucker sports. Sue's son Tim and his wife Kris are members at St. John's Bellevue, my previous interim. I didn't even know until now that Tim and Scott were step-siblings. You can read Sue's obituary HERE. It was good to connect again with Scott and his family, and also with Tim and Kris.

Death of Grace Member

Linda sent this information out this week concerning the death of Grace member Rosie Evans, who passed away Sunday, April 16, 2023. We pray for peace and comfort for her family and friends. There are no planned arrangements at this time.

Constitution Committee Met

John Avers and I met on Wednesday to continue our work on amendments to the Grace Constitution. We will continue to use the following documents in our work:

• ELCA Model Constitution for Congregations, 2022 edition
• 2022 Amendments to the Model Constitution for Congregations
• 2018 version of the Grace Constitution

LIFT Post-Easter Bible Study Continues

Pastor Paul has been leading a six-session study prepared by the The ELCA Task Force on Studies for Civic Life and Faith that has been meeting at Grace on Wednesday evening at 6:00 in the lounge. In providing this study curriculum and soliciting feedback, the task force invites you to join a conversation about religious liberty, the proper role of the church in relation to government, and many other critical topics. A response form after each session lets participants communicate with the task force itself on the material covered. The preparation of this study is part of the process toward developing a social statement on these many topics related to civic life and faith. Participants’ feedback is key in helping the task force as it moves into the next phase of its work, drafting a social statement. We had about 15 in attendance at Wednesday's meeting. The next session, April 26, will address the question "What are Lutheran views on civic life?"

Membership Class Meeting

I had my first session of a membership class for Ryan and Amy. Amy was raised Roman Catholic, and Ryan's family never attended church, and he has never been baptized. I have three more sessions with them, and then we'll plan a reception of new members Sunday which will also be baptism for Ryan and his and Amy's 15-month old son Liam.

Joy Circle Met Tuesday

On Tuesday I joined the Joy Circle monthly meeting, and had the privilege of leading the Bible study. The Circle, along with thousands of other WELCA groups across the ELCA are studying the Small Catechism this year. Our topic this month was commandments seven through ten.

Links for You

• LIFT Notes for April 20-26
• ELCA Seeds Monthly
• Just Three Things
• May Grace & Truth

OSTERHOLM UPDATE: COVID-19 Podcast

Episode 129: Not Out of the Woods Yet
April 20, 2023
In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the state of the pandemic in the U.S. and around the world, the end of the Public Health Emergency in the U.S., and the recent FDA approval of an additional bivalent booster dose. You can stream or download this episode HERE.

Interim Grace Notes for April 14, 2023

Interim Grace Notes for April 14, 2023

Pulpit Swap this Weekend

Pastor Paul and I will swap pulpits this weekend -- Pastor Paul will be the preacher at all three Grace services, and I'll be the preacher and presider at St. Mark for the 9:45 am service. Maureen and I have been alternating at being the one to cover St. Mark while Paul comes this way. Pastor Paul also occasionally swaps with Pastor Matt at Grace.

Easter Worship Attendance

We had good numbers for Easter worship - here are the details:

• Saturday - 4:00 - 59
• Sunday - 7:45 - 66
• Sunday - 10:00 - 154
• Total: 279

Picture Directory Update

Almost Ready for Printing

Our directory is almost ready for the third and final phase of the rollout - to send to the printer. We have found a supplier that can print and plastic spine bind the directories for less than $10 each. Our plan will be to take orders, and print as many as we need, plus some extras for late decisions and new members/friends. In our communications pieces we will ask for a donation of $10 per directory to cover all the costs of production. This will be received via a special offering envelope that will come with the directory. Our deadline for corrections and orders for printed directories is Monday, May 15.

Viewing the Directory Online

Many of you have already viewed the directory online, and may make the online version the primary one that you will use. There are two ways of doing this:

• Instant Church Directory Online Account -- The benefits of an online account are that you able to not only view all the photoes and information that is in the printed directory, but also make changes to your own contact info (phone numbers, email addresses) and decide whether or not to keep that info private (meaning seen only by Grace staff members). Having an online account also enables you to view the directory on a mobile device like a phone or iPad. For details on how to set up an online account, you can go HERE.
• A Password Protected PDF -- This option enables you to view the directory in the exact layout as the printed directory, and to view it online. This method is less desireable to use on a smaller screen, especially a phone, as you need to scroll back and forth and up and down to view, and pinch in or out to zoom. You can view the PDF version of the directory HERE. You will be asked for a password, which you can find in an April 6 email from Grace Lutheran Church, or just email me at mark@bogen.org and I will send it to you.

If you haven't viewed the directory using either of these options, I encourage you to do so, and to check your info for correct spellings, or preferences such as given name or nickname, and correct contact info.

ELCA Truth and Healing Movement

The ELCA’s Truth & Healing Movement is an opportunity for this church to increase our understanding of our colonizing impacts on Indigenous people in the past and present. Over the next several months, there will be opportunities to learn, raise awareness and engage in other ways to impact hearts and lives across this church. We believe that the truth, and our knowing and embracing it, is the first step toward healing for all of us. For more information, including an introductory video featuring Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, go HERE.

LIFT Notes

Check out the latest issue of LIFT Notes, which you can view HERE, for all the latest on what's happening across our LIFT congregations and ministries. Be sure to take another look at the info about our Wednesday night study on Civic Life and Faith, led by Pastor Paul. You'll also find info about a planned Ascension Service, VBS, and the first year anniversary of the worshiping community of Camino de Vida (Spanish for Way of Life) led by Pastor Mary Carmen Padilla.

Synod Transitional Leaders Meet

On Thursday I joined the mothly Zoom meeting of our synod transitional leaders. It's always good to touch base with this group to find out what's happening with other congregations in transition and the call process, and what's working for them.

Interim Grace Notes for April 7, 2023

Renewal of Vows on Tuesday

On Tuesday, pastors, deacons and SAM's gathered at Community of Christ Lutheran Church in Whitehouse to renew our vows, receive prayer and anointing, hear the Word proclaimed by Bishop Daniel, and gather afterwards for lunch and fellowship. You can view some pics of the event HERE. From Grace and LIFT, I, Maureen, and Pr. Paul and his family were in attendance.

Easter's Coming!

So far we've had a good Holy Week -- with about 60 at Maundy Thursday and 35 at Good Friday service, and a very good fish dinner. Thanks Linda, Keeter, and everyone that helps to make this a well oiled machine! It was very good!

Picture Directory Editing

I hope you all received the emails about the online version of the directory and received the link for the full-color pdf and the password. I will be running some monochrome printed copies of the directory for review by those who don't have internet and make them available on a table by the chapel and downstairs in the dining room, so that any desired edits can be noted and made. Once we're sure all our information is as correct as possible, we'll send it to the printer. In know that that's the end product many are waiting for. A reminder that it's not too late to send a photo of you and/or your family if you are not yet included in the directory. Just email your photo to me and I'll get it added.

Thanks Heather and Rob!

Last Saturday I arrived at the church office and discovered that wifi in the office was not working. I texted Heather to let her know, and she suggested I try resetting the router in the boiler room. I tried that but it didn't solve the problem. Heather and Rob drove over Saturday evening, and were able to get wifi restored by resetting the router behind the kitchen. So far so good - wifi has worked fine all week. Another problem we've been having has been with a flicker in the feeds from the camera to the computer in the balcony. Heather was working on that Thursday, including installing a new switching box. Rob was still troubleshooting the new box after Good Friday worship. Such are the frustrations with technology. Thanks, Heather and Rob, for all you do to keep the tech at Grace at its workable best!

Meeting with Lutheran Social Service Rep

A Week ago Tuesday, Maureen and I met with Jeremy Schneider, who is the Mission Advancement Coordinator (or public relations coordinator) for Lutheran Social Service of Northwestern Ohio (LSSNWO). Accompanying Jeremy was Grace member George Dupey, who is on staff at LSSNWO as a Case Manager. Jeremy brought brochures and other information to help us understand what LSSNWO does, both throughout the NW Ohio area as well as specifically in Fremont. We learned that the following services are offered by LSSNWO in Fremont:

• Substance abuse counseling
• Marriage counseling
• Couples counseling
• family counseling
• Case management

Case management, the work that George does, includes meeting with clients and determining their needs, and connecting them with resources and agencies that can provide the help they currently need.

LSSNWO is one of three agencies that make up a larger umbrella of service, including also Luther Home of Mercy in Williston, and Filling Homes in Napoleon. Along with Genacross, these four Lutheran sponsored agencies do important social service ministry in NW Ohio on our behalf. Grace supports LSSNWO with an annual grant of $4,500 from the Endowment Fund.

Possible Worship Time Change

There has been some discussion at Grace regarding the possibility of moving to one service during the summer months -- 9:00 am has been a suggested time. We will discuss this Monday night at Executive and Council. If you are not on Council and have some thoughts about this, let Maureen, me, or any council member know. If there is a change, information would have to go into the May newsletter, the deadline for which is Wednesday, April 12.

Links for You

• An Easter Message from Presiding Bishop Eaton
• ELCA World Hunger Newsletter