Reminder that New Worship Schedule Begins June 4
Beginning June 4, our worship schedule will move to one service at 9:00 am. The Saturday service continues at 4:00 pm.
Last Call for Picture Directory
Our plan is to send the picture directory to the printer the week of May 14. I have prepared text for an email that Linda will send out next week via Mailchimp with reminders for members to check their info in the directory, and to submit their order for a printed copy of the directory. You can read a preview of that email HERE.
New Member Class
I have one more meeting this Sunday with a family that will become members of Grace. In this family there is a husband and wife, and a toddler. Amy will be received by affirmation of faith, and Ryan and little Liam by baptism. We have one other couple, Steve and Vi, who will be received by letter of transfer. I'm hoping to receive both these households on the same day, perhaps yet in May.
Retreat at Henry and Becky's House
Since the early 2000's I have met with a group of pastors from our synod twice a year, spring and fall, at Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center for fellowship, learning, prayer, support, and wandering the beautiful grounds at "The Pines." In recent years we have have been met for the spring retreat at Henry and Becky's house, and the fall retreat at The Pines. Our fall meeting was this past Monday at "The Farm." Since Becky is in Tanzania, our violin virtuosos Helen and Barb prepared a delicious lunch. It is good to gather with this group - only two of us, I and Bishop Daniel, are not yet retired.
Prepare Workshop
On Tuesday, I led a training workshop at Grace from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm for Prepare-Enrich, a scientifically developed and tested instrument for evaluating a couple relationship, for both marriage preparation and enrichment. The training includes instruction on how to administer a 165 item online survey, how to interpret a multi-page report summarizing a couple's responses, and how to provide feedback of the results to a couple. Couple feedback includes teaching communication, conflict resolution and other relationship skills. I had two synod SAM's (Synodically Authorized Minister) for the workshop, Maureen and Deb Noll, currently serving St. Paul Jenera in her SAM capacity. I've been a Prepare-Enrich trainer for over 35 years, and lost count how many workshops I've led and facilitators I've trained. This instrument also works well for marriage enrichment (making a good marriage better!). If you're interested, contact either me or Maureen! Cost is $35.
Stewardship Team Met -- SAS Starts in June
The Stewardship Team met on Wednesday. We have Grace Stories planned for the next several months. We are always on the hunt for more Grace members to share their faith stories with us. Interested or willing? Let us know!
On another note, the Stewardship Team will begin our participation in Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS), a program of GSB Fundraising, with Jennie Wolf Smith as our leader. We will be joining several other congregations in this program. From the SAS flier that I received from Jennie today:
The purpose of Stewardship For All Seasons (SAS) is to guide pastors and congregation leaders to learn tried and true basic principles and effective methodologies to carry out productive stewardship programs. Learn how to do year-round, on-going stewardship resulting in more money for ministry, more energized stewards, and a culture of generosity.
The same flier lists the benefits of SAS:
- Prepare your congregation’s story
- Educate people to tell that story
- Focus attention on your congregation’s mission
- Inspire people to give generously
- Learn tools and methods that really work
- Build a team that enjoys leading stewardship efforts
- Become confident and skilled in stewardship development
- Apply biblical principles to gain more resources for mission
- Experience the joy of asking and giving
- Avoid searching for the latest hot stewardship program
- Increase annual giving by 10 – 15% or more each year
Our introductory Zoom meeting will be on Monday, June 5 at 7:00 pm. You can see the remainder of the schedule, and the agreement that we will have with GSB Fundraising in the flier mentioned above which you can view HERE. A bit of good news is that the cost is $200 less than what we previously expected.
No Rite of Confirmation This Year
There will be no Rite of Confirmation this year, originally scheduled for May 21. Grace has one confirmand this year, Libby, and she has elected to wait until next year and affirm her faith with current members of the 7th grade class, Mya, Brenden, and Tommy.
Worship Team Met
Worship Team met Wednesday, and we reviewed our Worship Planners for the balance of May and June. We will be starting a new setting of the liturgy (With One Voice, Setting 4) beginning in June, which we will rehearse prior to worship for the next three weekends. We also discussed purchase and use of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, available since 2006. Grace is one of only a few congregations in our synod that are still using the Lutheran Book of Worship, which was published in 1978. The "green books” are really shabby, and do not present a positive, forward looking image for either new prospective members, nor pastoral candidates.
Cornerstone Chorale and Brass Asking Grace to Host
On Wednesday afternoon Tom and I took a meeting with Dr. Bruce Vantine, founder and conductor of The Cornerstone Chorale and Brass, "a nationally recruited, paid professional touring ensemble, performing fine choral music augmented with narration." They tour every year in the fall for two weeks, bringing professional vocals and a quintet of brass musicians and present a program of music and narration which captures "the essence of the teachings of the Apostle Paul who wrote of faith, hope and love – the greatest being love. Love is the first mark of the true and living church: of a living, caring community."
Dr. Vantine is in the process of putting together his 2023 tour, and wants to know if Grace (or LIFT, perhaps) would sponsor. Sponsorship includes at minimum an evening meal and housing with host families, and a free-will offering at their concert. Dr. Vantine is asking for a concert at Grace on Wednesday, October 18 at 7:00 pm. There are about 28 total people in the touring group. Many of the hosting organizations, usually a Christian congregation, combine the concert with a fundraising drive for a local ministry. I told Dr. Vantine that I would bring this to Exec and Council on Monday night and get back to him on Tuesday morning. Please review the information about this group and their ministry/program on their website which you can find HERE.
Tanzania Group Arrives Safely
Becky Seibert was joined by others from NWOS in their trip to Dodoma Diocese of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, one of our companion synods. Pr. Sarah Schaaf, synod staff posted some pics publically on her FB page. You can view them HERE.
Bishop Daniel: "We are a part of a global church."
In his May 4 email message, Bishop Daniel reminds us of the global reach of our Church (Grace Fremont, Northwestern Ohio Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) with some interesting and inspiring facts about the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania as he and a group from our synod have traveled to Tanzania this month. You can read Bishop Daniel' email message HERE.
LIFT Notes for Week of May 4
Pastor Paul had an excellent message in this week's edition of LIFT Notes. You can read Pr. Paul's message and news and info about current and upcoming LIFT events/activities HERE.
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