Reconciling in Christ
Have you ever stood outside of a room and been unsure if it's the one you're supposed to enter? Someone gave you directions to your meeting, but you weren't certain you were in the right place? Even worse, have you ever ended up in the wrong meeting because of that uncertainty? It's difficult to know where to go when the directions aren't laid out in front of you.
Now, what if your meeting had a big sign on the door? Even better, what if the door had your name on it? That would leave no confusion that this is the door for you. Your meeting is on the other side and you don't have to be afraid of that awkward moment or worried about walking into the wrong thing at the wrong time. That's exactly what Reconciling in Christ aims to do.
Reconciling in Christ is a conversation, a way for churches to begin discussing whether a church should issue a public statement of welcome, inclusion, and affirmation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. In order for us to be able to move forward in this process, we wish to foster conversation within the congregation. No matter your opinion, we want to hear your voice in order to determine whether or not this is something we would like to pursue.
While Rocky Mountain Synod is already a Reconciling in Christ synod, it is up to individual congregations to determine their own position on the question. This meeting will continue the dialogue on Grace's attitudes toward the Reconciling in Christ journey. With a welcome statement that shows we are welcoming to ALL people, we hope to demonstrate new ways that we are in the neighborhood for good.
This Sunday, March 3rd, the Reconciling in Christ Core Team will host a Biblical and Theological Reflection on LGBTQ topics during Happy Hour at 9:30am in the fellowship hall. We hope to see and hear you there, and we welcome everyone's point of view.
If you have any comments or wish to hear more about the team, please feel free to reach out to Curtis Lingenfelter, Reconciling in Christ Core Team chair, at nh13.lingenfelterc@gmail.com.
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 Feel free to join any activity! Mark your interest on the Welcome/Action sheet in the weekly Grace Notes for any event in blue. Events in green have information below.
- All women of Grace are invited to a Church Women United meeting entitled "Come - Everything is Ready." This event will be held at First Lutheran, 1515 N. Cascade. Please park behind the church in the alley. Easter baskets for children in the local Social Service System will be collected at this event. Please remember to bring a filled and wrapped Easter basket for either a boy or girl. If you have any questions, please contact Cathie White at (719) 633-5643.
- Lectionary Reflection will study the upcoming lectionary texts in more detail. Copies of readings for all Sundays in 2019 and special days are available in the church office or after worship on the table in the narthex.
- The Reconciling in Christ team will be hosting a time of Biblical and Theological Reflection on LGBTQ+ topics during Sunday School.
- During Centering Prayer, we are watching a 20-25 minute DVD series featuring Thomas Keating, founder of Contemplative Outreach, followed by 20 minutes of Centering Prayer.
- The Red Hats will be going to Mi Mexico Restaurant. It is located at 3956 North Academy Blvd, just south of King Soopers on Austin Bluff Parkway. Special lunch options available for $6.50.
- Scrapbooking will be held in the library starting at 9:00am and ending around 5:00pm, but anyone can come and go as they please. Please bring a snack to share.
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February Soap Collection
Thank you for your donations! The Women of Grace have met their goal for Lutheran World Relief.
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Lenten Soup Suppers
A board will be in the narthex for anyone to sign up to bring soup for the Lenten Soup Suppers.
Anyone can bring soup - the groups listed at the top of each day are responsible for setting up and cleaning up, but they don't always have to bring something to share.
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Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous will be using our Grace building on Mondays from 5:30-6:30pm and again Tuesday mornings from 9:00-10:00am.
We are pleased that they will be utilizing our facilities. They will be making a monthly donation to Grace. The Monday evening group will begin on March 4th and the Tuesday morning group will begin the first of April.
Visit their website for more information.
The Coordinator for Monday evenings is Vanya Hauptli and she can be reached at 719-641-9213 or vanyadhauptli@gmail.com.
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40 Days of World Hunger
The World Hunger Team will kick off their fund raiser, "40 days of World Hunger" beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 6th. There will be study guides, devotional booklets and jar labels for collection of your donations at home. Good drinking water is crucial to combat hunger, and the team hopes to raise $2,500 to go towards the drilling of a well.
The Team is also looking for 2 or more world globes to assist with their donations. If you have one collecting dust in your basement, attic, or garage and would like to find a home for it - please bring it to church and Jan Whittet will pick it up.
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Council Changes
For personal reasons, Joe Schmidt has resigned from his leadership role at Grace. The Church Council thanks Joe for his many contributions to the mission of the congregation.
To maintain leadership as specified in our constitution, Council will be looking to appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy. We are interested to hear of your enthusiasm for serving Grace in this capacity.
In the interim, Vice President Sue Laabs will serve as acting president. If you have any questions, please contact her or Pastor Michael Tassler.
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Westside CARES Annual Banquet
Westside CARES is hosting an Annual Volunteer Appreciation event in gratitude for their volunteers at 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 12, at the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints, 150 Pine Ave. There is no cost to attend this time of fellowship and celebration.
Please RSVP to Maryann at Maryann.Stadjuhar@westsidecares.org or (719) 389-0759
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Westside CARES
As in years past, March is Grace's month to collect diapers for Westside CARES.
However, this March the request is for baby wipes, feminine pads, and tampons rather than diapers. Men's jeans, sizes 30-36 (new or gently used), men's underwear (new), and men's socks (new) are also needed.
Please place your donations in our tote by the elevator.
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About Grace
Office phone: 719-634-2478
Office fax: 719-633-0786
After-hours emergency phone: 719-445-6510
Grace Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As a partner with both local and national church organizations, we participate in many important ministries. Our partners include:
Rocky Mountain Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp
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