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Haikus for you

We are preparing
For our pastors to depart
We're both sad and glad

That's the biggest news
Of course we will still go on
being grace-filled Grace

This Sunday we splash
Andy with water, Spirit
welcome, precious child!

Some folks graduate
And should send in this info
Jill is awaiting

Nancy's podcast link
Is about beauty this time
We should listen in

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During Live: Stories & Songs at 9:30 am this Sunday, Andy Carlson - the son of Meghan and Joe Carlson - will be baptized in the Peace Garden!

A reminder: if you or a family members are graduating, please send that info in to Jill soon! We'll like to list graduates in our June newsletter.

THANK YOU & FAREWELL EVENT
Saturday, May 15, 7:00pm
Join us on Zoom for an evening of music, good humor, and tons of gratitude and love for Pastors Dan and Mary. To make it fun and lively, plan to:

come in special attire — a fancy or funny hat, your Sunday best, the color of your favorite church season, whatever you wish
join with a computer/laptop/tablet if possible for best viewing
interact online during the event — expect polls and chat questions to respond to
make a big THANK YOU sign to hold up on cue during the program
choose a fun Zoom background or hang something up behind you on the wall to make Dan and Mary smile

Arrive early to enjoy a 10-minute slideshow of the Grace community over the years.

Connection for the celebration: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83977471002?pwd=WTRxNjdQODdRSWl5eDZBZU5pTVlKZz09
Meeting ID: 839 7747 1002
Passcode: DanMary

If you have technical difficulties joining the Zoom meeting or during the event, call or text Alex Sneed Miller at 651-274-7957.

Questions about the May 15 program? Contact Liz Andress,
liz@solbrack.com.

Note: The program will be recorded and accessible afterwards.

FAREWELL WORSHIP
Sunday, May 16 — 10:30 am
We’ll Gather Live via Zoom
Please join us for Pastors Mary and Dan’s final worship service at Grace. This service will include Holy Communion — prepare at home by gathering bread and wine or grape juice. (The service will be recorded and the video uploaded to YouTube post-service for those who are unable to attend.)

Connection for the worship:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85633072499?pwd=WnVub1kvSjNacHIxdmNibUZoeGY5Zz09
Meeting ID: 856 3307 2499
Passcode: 986008

If you prefer to call in to this Zoom gathering using your touchtone phone, please contact Jill in the office for instructions.

WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP - APART TOGETHER
May 9, 2021
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Table of Mercy Setting

Live: Stories & Songs is at 9:30 am - includes Andy Carlson's baptism this Sunday!
This is on Grace's Facebook page, and is about 15-20 minutes. All are invited to tune in! (This is a Sunday School week.)

Pre-recorded Worship any time**
The links directly to the service on YouTube and the bulletin will be sent in the worship email on Saturday at 5 pm.

Coffee Hour
Coffee hour is held via Zoom beginning at 11:30 am Sunday. The link to join is included in the worship email on Saturday and in the bulletin (www.gracecoffeehour.com).

**Karen Van Norman is coordinating our lesson readers for pre-recorded services. If you are interested in doing this, please reach out to Karen: karenvn@bitstream.net**

SEEKING GRADUATE INFORMATION
Submit information to the office by Monday, May 17
Some of you (or your kids) are graduating this spring...will you tell us who you are? High school, college or university, graduate school, PhD program...we’d like to know about it! Please contact Jill in the office to say who is graduating, in what program from what school, if there’s a near-future plan post-graduation (no pressure) and we’ll share the news in our June/July newsletter. info@graceattheu.org

EASTER SEASON DAILY DEVOTIONALS
You are invited to contribute photos to this season's Day by Day with Grace emailed devotions!
Please send photographs that show "new life" to Jill in the office (info@graceattheu.org).

SEEKING: quality photographs (Jill may edit and crop as needed) that you or a family member have taken, jpg or png file, and if a human is included in the composition, please gain their permission for it to be used. Indicate in the subject line of your email "New Life Photo".

Each week that we are unable to gather in person, Nancy Laskaris (our Adult Education Chair) offers content for your contemplation and to inspire hope.

THIS WEEK FROM NANCY...

A podcast episode:

Thank you to Marcia Carlson for sharing this interview with John O’Donohue on the beauty around us and within us.

On Being - John O'Donohue

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our website holds the full version of each announcement:

Celebrating Our Pastors - May 15 & 16
Seeking Graduate Information
Easter Season Devotionals - submit photos under the theme "new life"
Addressing Hunger during the Pandemic - Grace's Twin Cities Aid fund, Calvary Lutheran's food shelf, Community Emergency Service, and the Racial Justice Network are tending needs in the community

ANNOUNCEMENTS (full version)

FROM THE RACIAL EQUITY TEAM:

Join in prayer daily at 8:00 AM Central Time for the Healing Our City Virtual Prayer Tent (a zoom gathering), an approximately 20-minute prayer experience which begins with a timely reflection by a different religious/spiritual leader each day. The reflection is followed by a period of 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silent prayer/meditation, and an invitation to offer your own prayers and thoughts in writing. The virtual prayer tent will continue daily until May 25 (subject to change).

CONNECTION SECTION
Here are some ways we will stay connected while physically distant:

GRACE STAFF ARE AVAILABLE
The pastors are available by phone for pastoral care: call the church (612-331-8125) and choose the “pastoral care emergency” option (no. 5) and follow prompts to connect directly to Pastor Dan or Pastor Mary. You may also email, pastordan@graceattheu.org or pastormary@graceattheu.org, to share concerns or schedule time to talk. Church voicemail messages are checked regularly.

EMAILS
We will continue to send Wednesday “Letterbox” announcements, “Pastor’s Reflections”, bulletins and worship information (Saturdays by 5 pm), and occasional emails with specialized information as necessary or appropriate. Want to receive them? Contact info@graceattheu.org.

MAIL
Please contact Jill in the office by email or phone if you would appreciate a printed Sunday bulletin mailed to you. (The bulletin will probably not reach you by Sunday if mailed on Friday.)

FACEBOOK
We manage one Facebook page (Grace University Lutheran Church) for sharing community-wide information from the leadership, and a Facebook group, Grace University Families, for anyone in the group to share information and dialogue…about your worship and activities at home, ideas about how to manage home life, to lift each other up and connect in ways that are mutually beneficial. Visit that page and request to join the group.

WEBSITE
We’ll work on keeping the website current.

GIVING
We appreciate your generosity in continuing to make donations as you normally would. Please mail your contribution or visit our online giving page on the website—http://graceattheu.org/giving-online/

Here are instructions for getting Grace emails from MailChimp to go to your personal folder in Gmail:

Click on the down arrow that shows details in the top left corner of the email. It should say: Grace University Lutheran Church on one line and on the 2nd line: to me. The arrow is right next to the 2nd line.
Click on “Filter messages like these”.
Type info@graceattheu.org in the “From” line. Delete the line that says: has the words. Click on “Create Filter” in the bottom right hand corner.
Choose a category: choose “personal”. And then save.

The emails should go into the main folder then!