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It's That Time
of Year Again...
Grace's annual congregational meeting will be held during Happy Hour between services this Sunday, November 11. The agenda includes a vote on our proposed mission and ministry plans for 2019, as well as the election of new Council members.
Click here to download a copy of the proposed mission plan, or here for the proposed ministry plan. Copies are also available in the church office. Remember that to vote, you must:
- Be a confirmed member of Grace,
- Have communed at Grace during the current or preceding calendar year,
- Have made a contribution of record to Grace during the current or preceding calendar year, and
- Be present at the meeting.
We hope that all members will attend and participate in this important part of our life as a community of God.
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Be a Blessing
Have you seen the latest at Grace? At the foot of the stairs leading up to the sanctuary, stop by our new Blessing Board and grab a one of the slips that indicates a current need. The board supports three of our biggest ministry initiatives: One Nation Walking Together, Westside CARES, and our Blessing Box. As you shop during the week, pick up the item and put it in the basket next time you're in the church. Thank you for your generosity!
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A Community of Grace & Generosity
A big thank you to everyone who has turned in their Statement of Intent!
If you haven’t turned yours in yet, please do so by this Sunday, November 11. All those who don’t turn in a Statement of Intent by then will receive a follow-up phone call, because we want 100% participation in our Living in Grace, Growing in Gratitude financial stewardship campaign. Even if you feel you can’t financially contribute, or have only limited ability to contribute, go ahead and fill out your Statement of Intent. This is NOT a contract, but rather an indication that you’ve prayerfully considered how you want to respond to the many blessings God has freely given you.
Now the good news: Based on the 52 Statements of Intent Grace received by the end of last week, our goal of a $30,000 increase in committed gifts for 2019 has been exceeded, totaling around $35,000! This is great news! However, please don't take this news to mean that you should not fill out and turn in your own Statement of Intent. Every person at Grace is part of our mission, and the ministries at Grace need YOUR help to succeed.
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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 South Parkside Drive, Colorado Springs. There is no cost to view the film, 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/.
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Holiday Events at WSC
Open House & Social
Westside CARES invites all to a gathering of gratitude and celebration with our friends on Tuesday, November 13, 4:00–6:30 pm, at the Westside CARES office, 2808 West Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs. RSVP to Maryann at 389-0759 ext. 104, or Maryann.Stadjuhar@westsidecares.org.
Thanksgiving Eve Service & Pie Social
Join us to commemorate the inception of Westside CARES and share in thankful fellowship with the WSC member faith communities, our neighbors, and the community as a whole. Held at the Sanctuary Church, 1930 West Colorado Avenue, on Wednesday, November 21, 7:00–8:30 pm, the Thanksgiving Eve worship service will be led by the pastoral staff of Sacred Heart Church. A pie social will follow the service. Pie donations will be gratefully accepted.
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Chili Cook-off Highlights
Thanks to everyone who made our first Chili Cook-off a big success! We had 70+ people in attendance, including the wonderful cooks. The chilis were all delicious! First place and a gift card for the Rabbit Hole Restaurant was awarded to Vicki Maketa for her green chili. First place and a gift card for Bonny and Read Restaurant was awarded to Pete Eddins for his red chili. Second-place awards went to Joel Laabs for green and Cathy Benson for red. Third-place awards went to Ginny Ruths for green and Paul Ruths for red. Roxanna Schultz was the lucky raffle winner who took home the beautiful fall quilt.
Money from the cook-off, quilt sales, and game tickets totaled $442.00. All proceeds will be used for the 2019 Mission Support giving through Grace's WELCA organization. Thanks again to all for your support!
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Coming Soon!
As part of the Media Team's continuing efforts to keep you informed and up to date on what's happening at Grace, the newsletter will soon have a new, streamlined format, and more of a focus on our ministry programs and special events at Grace. We hope it will help you find the information you need more quickly and easily, so you don't miss out on anything. The electronic version will still be sent out every Wednesday morning, with the print version available for pick up in the narthex or mailed directly to your home on request.
As always, if you have information you'd like to include in GRACE to You..., feel free to submit items to news@gracelutherancos.org. You can sign up for a subscription on the Grace website newsletter page at https://gracelutherancos.org/e-newsletter/, or have the print version mailed to you each week by calling Karleen Cotton in the church office at 634-2478.
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WSC Thanksgiving Baskets
Westside CARES will be assembling 80 Thanksgiving baskets again this year. Grace's item to donate is 80 cans of chicken broth, including 20 large-size cans. Each of the Member Faith Communities who provide care and compassion to our neighbors in need have been assigned the items to be included in the baskets. We have also been asked to donate up to four turkeys.
Recipient families are chosen by Columbia School counselors. The deadline to bring in your donations is this Sunday, November 11. Please place the cans of broth in the Thanksgiving collection bin next to the large WSC tote. Contact Cathy Irwin at 576-0539 or 930-7823 if you wish to donate a turkey.
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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, November 12, and visit with us.
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WELCA Events
Thanksgiving Meals
Remember to sign up to help WECA fill our Thanksgiving baskets. The sign-up poster and a collection bin are in the narthex. So far we have 12 families from Columbia School and 5 families from One Nation Walking Together as recipients of a Thanksgiving meal. We also need help assembling the baskets on Saturday, November 17, at 9:00 am.
Thankoffering Sunday
Sunday, November 18, is Thankoffering Sunday. All women of Grace will find offering envelopes in your mailboxes. Thankofferings are gifts made in gratitude for blessings received and are a long-standing custom in the church. Your generous thankofferings go to support the ongoing ministries of the church-wide expression of Women of the ELCA, making many benevolences, scholarships, and publications possible.
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Shoeboxes Filled with Love
Operation Christmas Child collects shoeboxes filled with gifts and delivers them to children around the world. Every one of these shoebox gifts is an opportunity to share God’s love with a child in need.
Again this year, Grace Lutheran will be collecting filled shoeboxes to send to children around the globe. Please fill a shoebox with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies, and most importantly pray for the child who will receive the shoebox. New this year: Please do not include candy, toothpaste, war-related toys, or liquids. You are also invited to include a $9.00 donation to cover the cost of shipping.
Shoebox labels and other information are in the narthex and on the Community Spotlight bulletin board in the fellowship hall. Please bring your boxes to church by Sunday, November 18, when we will bless these gifts and send them on their journey. Contact Sharon Pope at 637-9115 with any questions.
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Red Hat Divas
The Red Hats will have their monthly luncheon on Friday, November 9, at the European Cafe & Restaurant, 1015 West Colorado Avenue. 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.
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Men's Fellowship
The Men's Fellowship group will hold its next meeting on Saturday, November 17, beginning at 9:00 am. Meet at the "White House," 1424 East Columbia Street. Breakfast will be served, along with lots of fellowship and sharing. Bring a food item to share, and contact Randy White at 633-5643 to see what you can bring or with any questions. Please mark the Welcome/Action Sheet in the weekly Grace Notes if you plan to attend, so Randy can be sure to have enough food and places at the table.
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WELCA General Meeting
All women of Grace are invited to general meeting of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America this Saturday, November 10, at 1:00 pm. Come and hear our own Cathy Irwin share about Westside CARES and what it means to be thankful while serving in the community. As Jesus came to serve and not be served, let us serve by feeding those in need. Bring your Thanksgiving basket donations on Saturday if you haven’t brought them in already.
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Girls' Night Out
The ladies of Grace will meet at Solos/The Airplane Restaurant, 1665 Newport Road, Colorado Springs, on Tuesday, November 13, at 6:30 pm, or at the church at 6:00 pm to carpool. If you are interested in attending, please fill out the Welcome/Action Sheet in the weekly Grace Notes or call Tammi Clawson at 719-471-2445 so we have an accurate count.
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Thanksgiving Dinner, Anyone?
Is anyone interested in joining a Thanksgiving dinner potluck at the church on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22? 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. Watch for the sign-up board in the narthex.
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Sermon Links
Did you know? Many of Pastor Michael Tassler's sermons are available on the Grace website as audio files. If you missed a Sunday, would like to listen to a message again, or want to share one you heard, visit the website at https://gracelutherancos.org/sermons to download or share the link.
Some sermons from previous years are in PDF format for you to read and download. Click the link above to see if one of your favorite sermons is there!
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Worship Assistant Volunteers
The sign-up sheet for December worship assistants is on the table in the narthex. Please put your name down to help out. And be sure to check the board when you arrive for worship each Sunday morning for specific jobs that need to be filled. Your participation keeps this church and its many activities running smoothly!
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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.
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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.
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