Last Sunday Worship was Inspiring!
I heard many positive comments on last weekend's worship, particularly Sunday, which was our first joint 9:00 am service. The attendance was good, with graduation recognition,having children and youth participate, and the choir/instrumental ensemble all adding to our numbers as well as overall inspiration.
Liberty Center Cleanup
On Tuesday, members of Grace Missions/Outreach descended on the Liberty Center with and array of garden tools combined with enthusiasm and a desire to serve to trim and cleaned up landscaping and playground at the Liberty Center of Sandusky County. You can view a Facebook post of the crew HERE.
Stewardship Team Attends SAS Kickoff
The Stewardship Team was busy this week, as we had our Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS) Introductory Zoom meeting on Monday evening, and our monthly first Wednesday meeting. There were about a hundred persons in attendance in the Monday Zoom meeting, representing all the congregations across the US who are enrolled in the current season of SAS. Our next Zoom meeting will be on Monday, August 21, and will be involve only those congregations in our "cohort," which, besides Grace include (all ELCA):
- Berkeley Hills, Pittsburgh, PA
- First, Britt, IA
- Christ, Valparaiso, IN
- Grace, Rochester, PA
- St. John, Louisville, KY
Our cohort leader is GSB Fundraising partner Jennie Wolf Smith, whom some of you met when she visited Grace in February to provide advice regarding our bequest.
After a biblical/theological message on stewardship led by GSB partner Mike Ward, we reviewed some of the basic concepts and procedures for the program using the Stewardship for All Seasons Handbook, of which all of our Grace team members will receive a copy. We were oriented to an online tool called Basecamp, a common website for our cohort which will enable us to access resources, including videos of our Zoom meetings, and brochures that we will design for our fall campaign that we will upload to the site.
This program is both inspiring and challenging, and will seek to include engage you as leaders and eventually the entire congregation, with the goal of increasing our giving to fund our visions for ministry at Grace.
VBS Planning Meeting
On Wednesday afternoon I joined a LIFT VBS Planning meeting at St. Mark, where VBS will be held this year. Our theme is God’s New Creation, and is offered at no cost by the ELCA Hunger Program. In the sessions and activities, your group will have the chance to learn about an important part of our work: animals! By helping farmers access animals and learn new ways to care for them, we can take an effective, sustainable step toward ending hunger. Each day of “God’s Good Creation” will offer large- and small-group activities, crafts, games, snacks and more. A special feature of our VBS will be live animals! You can view the Facebook flier HERE, which I encourage you to share freely on your own Facebook or send to your friends with kids.
ELCA Hunger Go and Do News
Our ELCA does amazing work through its World Hunger program. Leaders interpret the work of this program through a quarterly newsletter called Go and Do News, recalling Jesus' words to follow the example of the Good Samaritan. You can view and read the latest issue HERE.
Sympathy to Family of Jim Streeter
We extend our sympathy to Susan Streeter on the death of her husband Jim, to son Geoffrey and his family, and to daughter Tina and her family, Jerry, Megan and Anne Marie Moses. Visitation will be Sunday from 2-4 at Wonderly Horvath, and the funeral will be on Monday at 10:00 am. Pr. Chris Young, a close friend of the family, will preside. You can read the obituary HERE.
SAMs Focus of Transitional Leaders Zoom
On Thursday I joined the monthly Zoom meeting for synod transitional leaders. The focus of our discussion was on the ministry of SAMs, as several SAMs serve as interim pastors in our synod. Synod Staff person Sherry Krieger shared the ELCA Constitution paragraph on SAMs, along with the ELCA Council of Bishops' (COB) elaboration on the purpose of SAMS, as well as the guidelines for identifying, training and supporting these leaders in our ELCA I was able to share how Maureen functions as a SAM in our LIFT Parish. You can view the ELCA Constitution paragraph and its interpretation by COB HERE. We noted that there is a discrepancy in the names for this program. Here in Northwestern Ohio Synod this ministry program is called "Synodically Authorized Ministry." In the ELCA Constitution, the moniker is "Synod-authorized Ministry." Either way, we are grateful and thankful the the ministry these persons provide in our synod, including here at Grace.
Bishop Daniel on Sabbatical
Bishop Daniel announced in his most recent email that he is on Sabbatical leave until September 5. Here is his message:
I am grateful that the Northwestern Ohio Synod Council has granted me a Summer Sabbatical that will begin on June 5 and end on September 3.
This Summer Sabbatical will be a time for rest, renewal, and retreat. I'll begin with the Trappists in Kentucky and end with the Benedictines in southern Indiana. In between, I'll spend time in Quebec on a geographic pilgrimage tracing the path of my French-Canadian ancestors who landed in Quebec in 1658. I will also spend some time camping in the backyard (on July 4) with the grandkids, taking a class at the Lilly School of Philanthropy, engaging in intentional reading and planning for the future of our Synod, and hiking / camping in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan with Rachel. I am not afraid of bears.
Please know that I am grateful for the dedication of the Synod Staff and for the gift of your prayers as I take this time of rest, renewal, and retreat. If you need assistance during this time, please call the Synod Office at 419-423-3664.
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