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Weekly e-News from Grace Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO
 
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GRACE to You...
October 24, 2018
In the Neighborhood for Good

Acting in Generosity


 This Sunday, October 28, is Commitment Sunday. Our stewardship campaign "Living in Grace, Growing in Gratitude" encompasses three ministry initiative programs designed to expand our faith horizons and broaden our approach to giving: experiencing Rainbow Trail as a way to grow in grace and faith; growing in ministry excellence through support of our staff and programs; and One Nation Walking Together, as part of the church-wide emphasis on the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery.

Statements of Intent have been mailed to all members of Grace. This week, please prayerfully consider how you want to support God's work through our ministries. Then this Sunday all members will have the opportunity to complete their Statement of Intent during worship. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Michael or any member of the Stewardship Team.

Quick Contact Links


Grace Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Office phone: 719-634-2478
Office fax: 719-633-0786
After-hours emergency phone: 719-445-6510

Email the church office here: gracelutheran2010@gmail.com
Email news items here: news@gracelutherancos.org
Visit our website here:
http://www.gracelutherancos.org. Visit us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/661992113863388/

We partner with both local and national church organizations for many important ministries. Our partners include:
Rocky Mountain Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp
Join us Wednesday, October 31, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the parking lot for Grace's annual Trunk or Treat! This community-wide event is a gift to our neighbors. All are invited to dress up in your favorite costume and decorate your car. Snacks and warm drinks will be available. If you are unavailable to participate on Halloween, a collection box is in the narthex for donations of candy or other trick-or-treat items.
This year, in addition to our traditional trick-or-treat goodies, we will offer special stations hosting a Teal Pumpkin, which signals those who have food allergies that nonfood treats are available. As you donate traditional candy treats this year, consider also supplying a bag of clementine oranges, stickers, or other Halloween gifts so all kids can join in the fun!
Check out this video of the Trunk or Treat activities from previous years. Don't you want to join in the fun?

Voting with the ELCA


As people of God, we believe in promoting faithful and non-partisan voter participation. All members of ELCA congregations are encouraged to use the rich faith-based resources of the church to guide their voting on measures that affect all people: https://www.rmselca.org/sites/rmselca.org/files/documents/2018_voter_guide_pdf.pdf

Be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 6!
 

Blessed Pets


After a blustery week of cold and snow, Grace's annual Blessing of the Pets hit the jackpot with a perfect weather day! Check out the video below with highlights from the event, including Pastor Michael blessing (via cell phone) a potbellied pig.
 
Officer Jacquez of the Colorado Springs Police Dept was one of our guests and wrote a very kind public post about us: "October 13, 2018 from 0930 hours to noon, Grace Lutheran Church (located at 1128 East Boulder Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80903) held their Community Blessing of the Animals Event.  CSPD thanks Pastor Michael Tassler and all his good people for their warmth and hospitality.  A special thank you to the cats and dogs who were very well behaved for the activities!!!"
It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Grace's Pet Blessing.

Succeeding in Baseball and in Life


Thrivent Member Network of the Rocky Mountain Region will host a free breakfast and discussion with special guest speaker Gregory Bancroft, author of Swing for the Fences. Using his career in professional baseball as a metaphor for success in life, Bancroft will talk about how people struggle with a need to be perfect. Striving to "measure up," be "good enough," "deserve" their accomplishments often creates a sense of shame. Bringing out the best in others and helping them become the people they already are in the eyes of God is central to Bancroft's mission.

The breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, November 1, 7:00–9:00 a.m. at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center, Castle Tower Room, 3rd Floor, 3820 N. 30th Street, Colorado Springs. Breakfast is free but preregistration is required. To attend, email rockytmn@thrivent.com or call (720) 530-0169. To learn more about Gregory Bancroft, visit www.ggregorybancroft.com.
 

Get Good Karma with Your Beer


Bristol Brewing Company will hold a special Karma Hour fundraiser for One Nation Walking Together on Tuesday, November 6. From 6:00-8:00 p.m., Bristol will donate $1.00 to ONWT for every pint purchased. The special Karma Hour is held at Bristol Brewing Company, 1604 S. Cascade Ave.
 

Refugee Resettlement Movie


Lutheran Family Services and the Greenberg Center for Learning and Tolerance will present a free screening of the film This is Home: A Refugee Story. The film follows four Syrian refugee families' resettlement journey in 2016. With much-needed empathy, filmmaker Alexandra Shiva reveals the inherent decency of a displaced community desperate for help within a country increasingly hostile to principles of inclusion and opportunity.

The screening will be on Monday, November 12, 6:30 p.m. at Stargazers Theatre and Event Center, 10 S. Parkside Drive, Colorado Springs. There is no cost to attend the film showing, and doors open for seating at 5:30 p.m. Find out more about this special screening and LFS at https://www.facebook.com/events/1946251469011896/.
 
Click here to see all the October events and activities on Grace's monthly calendar.

Love Day Quilters

Have you seen all the quilts displayed around the church? The quilters always need help sewing blocks together or hemming the quilts. Regular meeting days are the second and last Mondays of the month to make these quilts that are functional as well as beautiful. We also do requests for quilts if you need a gift. Call Pat Ballensky at 502-6920 for more information. Stop by on Monday, October 29, and visit with us.

WELCA Chili Cook-Off

Join us for the hottest event of the season! The Chili Cook-Off / Harvest Party date has been changed to Saturday November 3, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall. This event is sponsored by the Women of Grace to raise funds for the 2019 Mission Support Giving. A list of all supported missions will be on display at the cook-off.

ALL members of Grace can participate in the cook-off. Do you happen to make the BEST chili? Two categories of chili--red and green--are available, and there is no entrance fee to participate. Those in attendance will vote on the best entry in each category, so enter your favorite chili, and you may win a prize! First-place prizes have been donated by local restaurateurs Bonny and Read and The Rabbit Hole.

A Harvest Party will run concurrently with the cook-off, including games, prizes, and a quilt raffle. Join in the pumpkin walk, and if your number is called you can take home a plate of homemade goodies. Cost to enjoy the chili tasting, corn bread/crackers, and a drink is $5.00.

More Books on Stewardship

This week three fine treatments of stewardship have been added to the library table. The first is T. A. Kantonen’s classic, A Theology for Christian Stewardship. This thin volume is a solid Lutheran presentation that will yield many insights to the careful lay reader. John Alexander’s Your Money or Your Life: A New Look at Jesus’ View of Wealth and Power is a happy combination of new insights that are brought to the reader in highly readable prose. The final volume, God’s Stewards: A Theological Study of the Principles and Practices of Stewardship by Helge Brattgard, is excellent, but it is a bit more challenging to the reader. Pick up any book on the library table and your reading will reward you. Check it out!
Click here to see all the October events and activities on Grace's monthly calendar.

Movie Night

Film buffs will meet again this Saturday, October 27. The movie for this month is The Forgiven.

This drama centers on Bishop Desmond Tutu’s work as president of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa, as he struggles with brutal murderer Piet Blomfield over concession and redemption. A timely and powerful film, and the ultimate testament to the power of forgiveness and finding common ground in our humanity.

Join us for an evening of fun, fellowship, and refreshments. We always have popcorn and drinks and we will meet in the sanctuary. The movie showing will begin at 6:00 pm.

Happy Celebrations!

Please join us for special celebrations this Sunday, October 28, during Happy Hour, 9:30-10:30 a.m., in the fellowship hall. In addition to the 8th anniversary of Grace Lutheran Church, we will be celebrating Clergy Appreciation Day. We will have a basket to collect cards and notes for Pastor Michael and the Tassler Family, and cake for all!

Red Hat Divas

The Red Hats will have their monthly luncheon on Friday, November 9, at the European Cafe & Restaurant, 2015 West Colorado Ave. Parking is available in the back of the house. The group is open to all women of Grace, and we encourage you to invite a friend as well. Most of us are over age 55, but don’t let that scare you off! Join us for an afternoon of fellowship and fun. Please indicate your interest on the Welcome/Action sheet in the weekly Grace Notes, or call Lorraine Ramsey at 322-9454.

Thanksgiving Dinner, Anyone?

Is anyone interested in joining a Thanksgiving dinner potluck at the church on Thanksgiving Day? In previous years, we've had a great crowd. Everyone pitches in together to put on a great dinner with lots of delicious food. We need a volunteer to cook the turkey this year. If you are interested in participating in this annual community event, contact Lorraine Ramsey at 322-9454. She will put out a sign-up board for dishes soon.

Children in Worship

Do you have a handful of wiggle in worship each Sunday? Look for the children’s bulletins to help keep small hands busy and young minds engaged. Bulletins are available from the ushers or on the small table at the back of the sanctuary, both for children who are reading and for preschoolers who have not yet learned to read. The bulletins will follow the weekly worship theme. Crayons and pencils are available in the “busy bags.”

Candle Dedication

The sign-up sheet to sponsor the sanctuary candle is in the narthex, on the bulletin board by the stairs. Several months are still available for you to recognize a special occasion, honor a loved one, or celebrate the glory of God. Cost is $15.00 per month.
Are you receiving this newsletter every week? Subscribe by going to the Grace website newsletter page at https://gracelutherancos.org/e-newsletter/ and filling in your contact information.

All submissions to this newsletter are welcome! To subscribe or to submit news and announcements, send an email to news@gracelutherancos.org or call Ginny Ruths at 687-7039. Deadline for submissions each week is Tuesday at noon.

To have the print version of Grace to You... mailed to you each week, call Karleen Cotton in the church office at 634-2478.
Visit the Grace Lutheran Church Website
Visit the Rocky Mountain Synod Website
Visit the ELCA Website
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