Outreach December Newsletter

Outreach Team – December 2025

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, Ruth Gross, Carlene Alegria and Gail Nicewander.

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank

The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, dental floss, ChapStick, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, deodorant, feminine pads, and razors.

These items are necessary not only for one’s health, but confidence and overall wellness.  Let’s help our neighbors experience God’s grace through these donations.

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please, no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC. You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

Upcoming Events

Adopt a Child – Roadrunner Elementary

Thank you to everyone who took gift tags from the tree, all gifts were signed up for! The gifts need to be returned by Sunday, December 7th. Please don’t wrap the gifts, the parents would like to see what’s being given and wrap the gifts themselves. Instead donate wrapping paper and tape. Thanks to everyone for supporting families at Roadrunner! And don’t forget to include the tag so we know who the gift is for.

Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children will be coming up February 7th from 8-10am. Sign up is online, use the following QR Code or http://ovcn.church/fmsc and select packing event. Or you can go directly to https://myovcn.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2931977. You will need to select Shift 18, then select Lord of Grace. We will need to sign up by January 12th, when they open up registration.  

Lutheran World Relief – Baby Care Packs

We plan on holding a drive in the new year for baby care packs to send to Lutheran World Relief. In 2026, they provided baby care packs to Angola, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, United States, and Zimbabwe in 2025. More information to come in 2026.

Sister Jose Women’s Center

We plan on offering to cook an evening meal for the residents of San José Women’s Center. Outreach will provide additional information in the new year. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.

Council News December 2025

Dear Lord of Grace Family,

The following are council highlights from the November 18, 2025 council meeting:

·       MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 

--The congregation meeting for reviewing and approving the 2026 Lord of Grace budget has been scheduled for February 1, 2026.

--Our January 4th Fellowship Sunday will include a chili cook-off contest.  Sign-up sheets for entries and judges are in the narthex.

·       Two outstanding young adult members of Lord of Grace were awarded $1,000 Pastor Hammar scholarships – Caitlin O’Brien and Jaret Marquez.  Congratulations to you both!

·       A $400 Preschool grant from the ELEA was approved for LOG Preschool to have a Little Free Library.  Our Property Team will soon build the box to hold books, and additional information will be provided in the coming months.

·       Council will soon announce the May date for the annual meeting.  At this meeting, our congregation will select new/continuing council members and review all of the wonderful things we accomplished during the past year.

·       All church ministry teams and committees are preparing written charters that describe the primary duties of their group – this information will be used to update our Church Ministry Handout. 

·       Our November 15th clean-up day was a huge success – approximately 40 church members participated. 

·       Our final mortgage payment will take place early next month.

·       The last cottage meeting for our “snowbirds” has been scheduled for November 23rd.  Church members are completing the All-Church Survey that will help get a good read on demographics and opinions. The Transition Team hopes to have a written report in January 2026.

·       Our Thanksgiving drive resulted in meals for 21 families (approximately 84-92 family members), and all of the tags on our “Adopt a Family Christmas Tree” have been taken. 

We encourage you to attend a council meeting in person; meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month.  You may decide that you have a calling to run for a council vacancy in May 2026.  And, if there is anything you would like to share or discuss with the council, please let us know.

Blessings,

Linda Merritt, Council Secretary

Stewardship December

Rod and I recently were guests at the 37th Annual National Philanthropy Day luncheon hosted by the  Association of Fundraising Professionals of Southern Arizona. Yes, there is such an association. The theme of the event was “Change the World with a Giving Heart.” Talk about a stewardship message. We certainly couldn't walk out of there without being uplifted. The honorees ranged from Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy to Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser to Outstanding Professional Fundraiser. Each award winner spoke from the heart about the joy they find in giving back. One mentioned that he considered himself a “match maker”, pairing donors with projects and/or charities they are passionate about.

 I couldn't help but think about our recent Mission Investment campaign. Yes, for many of you who have been in the church for years, you may remember it as Pledge Sunday, or maybe Commitment Sunday. More recently, it has been called the Generosity Campaign. Pastor Randy encouraged us to consider our annual giving as an “investment” in the mission and programming here at Lord of Grace.

The Stewardship Team based our theme this year on Romans 12:10-13. We focused on joyful, hopeful, faithful, grateful, and generosity. To put that in perspective we

• Joyful for the Spirit here at Lord of Grace;

• Hopeful for all that God has in store for us as we move forward;

•  Faithful that God is working here to help us carry out our mission statement;

•  Grateful for the leadership of Pastor Randy during this interim period; and through the

•  Generosity of the congregation, we celebrate the advantage of no mortgage as we look

• toward 2026 and all we can accomplish.

 On behalf of the Stewardship Team, I want to thank those of you who did fill out a Mission Investment card. This helps our financial team to have a base income budgetary projection. More importantly, it helps you and me focus our intention to give our meager offerings back to God. I say meager because He has blessed us all with such an abundance that what we offer back is meager in comparison.

 It is through God's abundance to each of us that we can truly Change the World with a Giving Heart. Each day brings new blessings and new opportunities to change the world. I pray that Lord of Grace embraces this slogan and that as we move forward in transition we all joyfully return a portion of those blessings to Him.

 Wise men (and women) do still seek Him. May you find peace and joy in the preparation of Advent and in the stillness of Christmas Eve, may the Christ Child come.

 Betsy Boorse,

Stewardship Team Co-Chair

Pastor Hammar Scholarship application 2025

                           PASTOR HAMMAR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION - 2025

                                                  Lord of Grace Lutheran Church

                                 APPLICATION DEADLINE DATE: October 31, 2025

Applicant’s name (first, middle, last):____________________________________

Applicant’s home address:_____________________________________________ Phone:______________________ Email:________________________________

Parents’ names: Father:_______________________________________________ Mother:______________________________________________

Grade point average in: High School:___________________________________

                                                 College: _______________________________________

Name of College (attending/applied to):________________________

Class Standing (please check)                           Enrolment Status (please check)

Entering first year __________                               Part-time_________

Sophmore              ___________                                Full-time_________

Junior                       ____________

Senior                      ____________

 On an attached sheet, provide a statement of your faith, your relationship with the church, and your perspective on God’s involvement in your life.

Signature of Applicant:_________________________________ Date:___________

Signature of Parent/Guardian:___________________________ Date:__________

Prayer Team December Newsletter

Genesis 1:31:
“Then God looked over all He had made and it was excellent in every way. This ended the sixth day.”
In the first chapter of Genesis, God tells us about the creation of the world and how He made the heavens and earth from a chaotic mass.

Being a newcomer to Tucson, the time that I cherish most is a quiet morning watching a magnificent sunrise. I look to the East and see the sunrise, beaming with bright, celestial color as the sun begins to rise over the mountain. I know that God’s plan was for us to honor, appreciate, and enjoy the world He created.
The creation of the world was not an accident, but a well-orchestrated plan. God knew where He would place the mountains, the plains, the rivers, lakes, and streams. God didn’t need a blueprint to follow for the wonders of the world. So if God can create this beautiful world from a mass, He can work wonders in our lives. 

Matthew 19:26:
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Dear Lord, please encourage us to see beauty in each day and bring honor and glory to your name. 
All are welcome to join the Lord of Grace Prayer Team members for personal prayer after services on the fourth Sunday of the month in the prayer room. 

May God be with you,

Norma Suchomel

Mortgage Reduction Challenge Status

We met and exceeded the $10,000 Mortgage Reduction Challenge in August. A heartfelt thanks to the congregational donor who made the $10,000 donation to challenge the Lord of Grace congregation. Also, a thank you to all of you who have made donations to make the challenge a success. We also wish to thank Patty Clymer, our Treasurer, and Linda Lyth, our Financial Secretary, for their effort in orchestrating the financial gymnastics involved in the challenge effort.

The amount of $21,685.56 was submitted to the ELCA Mission Investment Fund, the mortgage lender, on September 5th and was posted on September 9th to pay down the mortgage principal. As of September 22nd there has been an additional donation of $1,000 received.

Please note that the mortgage has not been paid off completely, only the principal portion of the mortgage was reduced which lowers the number of monthly payments required to pay off the mortgage in early 2026.

During the challenge I was approached by a member of the congregation who asked “When does the challenge end?” My answer was “the goal is to pay off the mortgage before the new pastor is called.” That still remains the Lord of Grace goal.

Therefore, there still is the opportunity to make donations to the Mortgage Reduction Challenge. There is a convenient method using the Lord of Grace website- Click on the “Contribute” tab followed by the “Mortgage Reduction Donate” tab and follow the instructions or using the specially marked “Mortgage Reduction” envelopes located in the Narthex.

After the mortgage is paid, looking forward, Lord of Grace has a unique opportunity to evaluate how the retired mortgage payments income can be invested, channeled to a special ministry/mission or used to launch a new ministry/mission. If you have ideas please forward them to the Church Council and/or Transition Team.

Submitted by Rod Boorse, Finance Committee 

Church Office Changes

Three months into the Pastoral role at LOG has provided some familiarity with the practices, habits, and traditions of the congregation, though I have much to learn across the span of an entire year’s cycle.  From administration to individual ministries, each have their own ‘characteristics’ and I give God thanks for your faithfulness.

            Karen is experiencing a similar transition in her office role.  She has yet to live through a full year’s cycle in the life of LOG, meaning she continues to learn her role and expectations. During the transition, we have initiated a few tweaks to help the process move along more smoothly.  One of the necessary tweaks that I am implementing immediately is meant to provide Karen more opportunity to focus on her responsibilities. 

            Beginning today, outside of counters and regularly scheduled meetings, I ask that if you have need to visit with Karen, please schedule a mutually agreeable time in advance. It may take some time to adapt, but I think the change can occur quickly. I believe that walk-ins have good intentions in their visits.  However, they require a shift in attention from the important work she has to complete during specific timelines.

            Thank you for understanding and respecting this important change.  My hope is that Karen will benefit with more time to focus on details and the congregation will benefit with improved communications across our ministries.

Peace,

Pastor Randy

Pastor's Pen

Hurry Up and Wait

          It is a phrase attributed to the military.  Mention “hurry up and wait” to anyone who has served in the armed forces, and they will agree.  We would hurry up to prepare for a deployment and then wait…and wait, and wait for the orders to go.  Hurry up and prepare for this mission!  And then came the painful wait for it to actually begin.

          “Hurry up” is a characteristic of our culture.  With the aid of technology, we have made waiting a thing of the past. Order an item on Amazon and you might have it the same day.  A trip to the grocery store can result in pre-made meals that don’t even need a microwave. Stores are filled with Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving! There are fewer reasons to wait and our ability to be patient is the victim.

          Advent, however, is a season grounded in waiting. Consider the words of Job (believed to be the oldest writing in our Bible), written around 1,800 BCE. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” Jesus arrived nearly 2,000 years later, and now another 2,000 years later, we await His coming again. That’s hardly a quick turn-around.

          In our world of hurry up, we are challenged to slow down and wait…to appreciate the here and now and to be grateful.  We cannot change the past. The future is out of our control.  Living in the present, let us be fully present in trusting God’s future and living lives of loving hospitality, generosity, humility, and grace.

          I pray that you, your families, and the faith community of Lord of Grace will be blessed in our waiting as we seek to faithfully follow the coming Christ Child.

Peace,

Pastor Randy

Pastoral Transition Update

Lord of Grace Family and Friends

 Where are we at with the transition efforts?

 Church Survey is still live – As I write this, we have 54 responses to the survey.  We really need 70-80 to get a solid read on the congregation, so if you haven’t completed it, please do.  If you have, thank you!  The sooner we complete this step, the sooner we can complete the transition.

 Who should take the survey? Any friend, staff, or member of Lord of Grace who is over 14.  Each person should take the survey, not the household.  In my house, it’s Denise, Jimmy and I, so we should complete 3 surveys

 Where are the survey’s?  The survey is online, and can be accessed by going to https://tinyurl.com/LOGTsurvey

 If this is a problem for you, we will have paper copies of the survey in the office to be completed.  Please note, any paper surveys, will have to be manually entered online, so if you can do it online, that will save us some work.

 Transition Report – We will be summarizing the data in the survey and the cottage meetings to determine the top themes about who we are, what’s going well, where we struggle, where we want to be, and what we are most looking for in a pastor.  This information will be used to create a Transition Report to the Council, and once approved, to the congregation.  In addition, we will be including information about Church finances, time and talent, strategic vision, church and Marana demographics.  Assuming we get enough survey responses in November, this could be completed by end of December.

 Updating Policies, Procedures, and Job Descriptions – as part of completing the transition, we need to update our policies, procedures and job descriptions.  I want to thank Rod Boorse, Carol Buuck, Candy Borstad, Carolyn Bernheim, Erica Yngve, Cindy Stein, Sam Lyth and Joy Folkvord for stepping up to help us complete this work.  Hopefully we can complete these updates by the end of December as well

 Ministry Site Profile – The approved transition report will be used to generate a Ministry Site Profile (MSP).  This is the final step in the transition process.  The MSP is submitted to the Synod and is used by the Synod to post our position for potential pastoral candidates.  It is similar to the transition report and tells the story of who we have been, who are now, and who we want to be.  Once this is submitted to Synod, the work of the transition is complete, and the process of calling a new pastor begins

 1st Call to evaluate – Once the MSP is complete, if Pastor Randy is feeling called to apply to the position, he will be our first candidate to evaluate.  Fortunately, we have a lot more feedback with Pastor Randy than we would get for most pastoral candidates, so it should make the process of evaluating him much faster and easier.  To help pave the way for this, ensure you are providing feedback to the church leaders on how you have been impacted by Pastor Randy, both positively and negatively.  Church leaders include Council members, Committee/Ministry Leaders, or members of the transition team (myself, Cindy Stein, Laura Tanem-Hernandez, Sam Lyth, Sue Justis, Joy Folkvord, or Richard Green)

 Thanks for your continued prayer and support –

 William Willcoxson

wwillcoxson@comcast.net

Via de Cristo October Newsletter

Lord of Grace is a part of the three-day spiritual renewal movement known as Via de Cristo. Also known as Cursillo, Via de Cristo is a movement for training church lay leaders through three-day weekend retreats and ongoing group connections. Via de Cristo weekends are open to both men and women who want to learn more about Lutheran theology.

The Three-day weekend will be held at Tanque Verde Lutheran Church on Oct. 10-13, 2025.  If you would be interested in attending this 3 day retreat talk to Tim Murphy, Parish Rep at  Lord of Grace for Via de Cristo, or other members who have been through the Week-end – Mary Murphy, Cindy Stein, Lori & Kevin Brown, Darlene Wager, Janette Carollo, Sam & Linda Lyth.

The three-days involves faith formation, music and singing, learning Lutheran theology, good food at every meal, and is FREE to participants.

Lord of Grace Via de Cristo Rep. – Tim Murphy – 520.780.2214

For tickets to the Gaslight Theater show contact:

LOG Parish Rep

Tim Murphy 520-780-2214

Or in the Narthex after each service.

Presidents Message December Newsletter

President's Message -

It's hard to believe that another year is drawing to a close. I must admit that it has certainly been a year of change. Change isn't easy. Change isn't fun.

 It was difficult to say goodbye to Pastor Lars and his family. They had been an integral part of the Lord of Grace family for 15 years! Pastor Lars was our friend. He was our shepherd. However, this flock hasn't gone astray. We are well into the procedural steps necessary to formally interview and call a new pastor.

 Have we experienced bumps along the way? Of course. Air conditioner replacement during the summer and new telephone system craziness. Oh yes, we cannot forget the flooding in the Fellowship Hall. Yes, it's been bumpy. But we continued. Each and every one of you continue to enjoy worship here on Sunday mornings. We have been spiritually fed and nourished. We hold each other up when one requires assistance and celebrate the joys of new birth and continued aging.

 Soon we will start a new year. We should begin 2026 with no mortgage! We will be well into the Ministry Site Profile and the procedures necessary to formally call a new pastor. It will be a time of diligence for all of us as we move forward, discerning as best we can what God's plan is for Lord of Grace. Do we increase our focus on the preschool? Should we be focusing more on our aging community? What about our youth? How can we best serve their needs? These questions and more will be key as we move forward. It is more important than ever for you and me to “step up” and give of our time, talents and treasures.

 But for now, we enter the season of Advent. Advent is the season of preparation, preparation for God's son's arrival. Here at Lord of Grace, we are in our own season of advent; preparation for the arrival of our new self. Of course, our “new self” may be just like our current self, or it may be changed. In any instance, the Lord of Grace family has the opportunity to take a good, long look at ourselves in a mirror.

As you prepare for Christmas, remember to stop and take a breath. Remember that the stable didn't have Christmas lights or dozens of Christmas cookies. The only thing wrapped was the baby. I saw a post on FaceBook, “According to my wine Advent calendar, Christmas is tomorrow.” Remember the true joy of Christmas. That is my wish for each of us.

Betsy Boorse

Pre School November Newsletter

This month, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude from the outpouring of love, support, and generosity from our church family. Your prayers, encouragement, and donations have not only sustained our preschool but have truly enriched the lives of our children and teachers.

        Because of your generosity, we were able to purchase much-needed classroom supplies — from science materials and learning manipulatives to everyday essentials like paper towels and Clorox wipes that help keep our preschool clean and safe. Your gifts also reminded our teachers and staff how deeply they are valued, uplifting their spirits and supporting the meaningful work they do each day with our preschoolers. And above all, your faithful prayers continue to strengthen our teachers and families, filling our school with peace, patience, and purpose.

        We are continually reminded that this ministry is not just ours, but a beautiful part of our entire church community. Through your generosity, prayers, and support, you are helping plant seeds of faith and learning that will continue to grow for years to come. Thank you for being such an important part of our preschool’s story. We are truly blessed by your partnership and grateful for the many ways you help our children experience God’s love in action each day.

 With grateful hearts,

The LOG Preschool Staff and LOG Preschool Advisory Board

Outreach October Newsletter

Outreach Team – October 2025 Newsletter Article

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Carlene Allegier, Gail Nicewander, Sandy Mitchel, Ruth Gross and Janette Carollo.

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank

The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect instant rice, mac and cheese, canned tuna or chicken, pancake mix, syrup, tomato sauce, ready-to-eat meals, and cereal or oatmeal.

 1 in 7 people (and 1 in 5 children) are currently facing hunger.  Let’s remember that God calls on us to help others every day.  We can do that by helping make sure our neighbors’ cupboards aren’t bare when mealtime arrives.  Let’s celebrate God’s goodness, every day.

 Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please, no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

o/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC.

You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

 Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

 Upcoming Events

 Thanksgiving Boxes – Roadrunner Elementary

We will start collecting food for Thanksgiving Food boxes from October 26th to November 16th for families with students attending Roadrunner Elementary. On Sunday, November 16th, we’ll have a fun day organizing the food and decorating the boxes. We’ll organize the food collected after 1st service, then pack the boxes after 2nd service. The boxes will be delivered to Roadrunner the week of November 17th. We will give out handouts of what to collect on Oct. 26th, there will be additional handouts in the Narthex. Please let us know of any additional families that need help.

 Adopt a Child – Roadrunner Elementary

We are having Adopt a Child again this year, partnering with Roadrunner Elementary School. We are waiting to hear from Roadrunner the names of the students and their needs and wants for Christmas and when they will need to be delivered to the school. There will be more information in the November newsletter.

 The sandwiches were delivered to Sister Jose Women’s Center the following day and the hygiene items were taken to Butler’s Pantry at Roadrunner.

 We made our goal for toothpaste for the drive-the kids were so excited!!  Here are the totals: 

135 tubes of toothpaste

75 toothbrushes

82 bars of soap

40 bottles of shampoo and conditioner

40 razors

39 deodorant

8 dish soaps

4 laundry soaps

2 hand soaps 

Kleenex

Thanks to everyone for your support.

Prayer Connection October 2025

Prayer Connection 

Who is your caregiver?

            Can you tell a caregiver by looking at them?

 The only wrong answer I know of to this question is – “I am totally independent and I don't need a caregiver!”

 This type of person has not entered the real life world that tells you we are all interdependent. For instance, if you fall or are pushed backward into a cactus, who do you call for help? If your car goes off the road because you are momentarily distracted, who do you call? If that off-road incident just happens to be out of cell service, now who do you call for help? (Think box canyon in Saguaro National Park West.)

 I don't know your answers, but since my main caregiver is also handicapped, I call on God first. That is why prayer is so very important to me.

 Gail Nicewander

Prayer Team

Outreach April 2025

Outreach Team – April 2025

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, Gail Nicewander, and Sandy Mitchel. We have a recent addition to Outreach! Ruth Gross will be joining us on the Team. She is a new congregational member, we are excited to have her join our team. Welcome Ruth!

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank
The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect canned tomato sauce, instant rice, mac and cheese, jelly, cereal/oatmeal, tuna/chicken, and instant mashed potatoes.

Spring is a time for renewal and renewed hope.  Let’s do our part to serve our neighbors in need.

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC.  You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

Upcoming Events

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

Lord of Grace will be collecting personal hygiene items for Butler’s Pantry, to support our friends at Roadrunner Elementary throughout the month of April. Personal care items are essential for maintaining good health and hygiene. These items may seem small, but they can make a significant impact on a person’s daily life.  Maintaining adequate personal hygiene is among the biggest challenges of those living with limited means. When we donate these items we allow individuals to feel appreciated and valued, which can help boost self-esteem and confidence!

 The items that we will be collecting include:

●     Bar soap

●     Deodorant

●     Shampoo

●     Body wash

●     Feminine hygiene products

●     Toothpaste and Toothbrushes

Help us reach our goal of 100 bottles of shampoo during this spring drive!  Thank you so much for supporting this important outreach in our community!

Past Events

LSS-SW Zoom meeting on 3/19/2025 – Update on status of refugee support

Chris Kollen attended a Zoom meeting on the status of LSS-SW with the loss of federal funding for refugee services. 

Refugee resettlement was paused with the new administration. LSS-SW and all other refugee resettlement organizations received a stop work order; no expenses will be paid. During the 90-day review, there will be no reimbursements. Just in January, LSS-SW had 180 refugees (116 refugees were settled in Tucson) that LSS-SW needs to support. In the last 90 days, 388 refugees were settled in Arizona. LSS-SW is owed $1.3 million for refugee services provided in December and January. As a result of a lawsuit by an LSS sister organization, half of the payment has now been made to LSS-SW for December and January.

There are two phases of services for refugee resettlement. All Phase I services (reception/placement) have been paused. Phase II (employment etc.) will continue, but the money will be sent to states directly if states want to continue the services.

In January, LSS-SW asked the community for support and received about $300,000 in funds from 436 congregations and individuals. They are also looking for privately funded sponsors.

As a result of these cuts, on March 30th they will be stopping one of their services – IHELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program) that is offered in Phoenix.

How can we help:

·         Advocacy – contact senators and representatives for support.

·         Become a co-sponsor for a refugee

·         Help identify employment opportunities, talk to employers about hiring refugees

·         Volunteer with LSS-SW to help refugees find jobs

Lutheran World Relief Baby Care Kits – A great group of volunteers put together the baby care kits on March 9th! We were able to collect enough items to send 11 baby care kits. Last year they distributed baby care kits to Angola, Lebanon, Peru, Senegal, Turkey, Ukraine, Zambia and the US.

Sister Jose Women’s Center - We cooked a wonderful evening meal for the residents on March 12th. We served lasagna, salad, bread and dessert to about 50 women. They were all very appreciative! Thanks Norma Suchomel, Gail Nicewander and Phyllis Teager for volunteering! We were a great team!

Lotsa Pasta results

We received a note from Interfaith Community Services (ICS) about the Lotsa Pasta drive we participated in.

The ICS Outreach team would like to extend a huge THANK YOU for donating Lotsa Pasta this year! We received approximately 7925 packages of pasta and 4387 cans of sauce! Your contributions allow our food bank to continue serving those who need it most in our community.  We truly appreciate the time and effort you devoted to our food drive. 

Time to Help our Neighbors at Roadrunner

Lord of Grace will be collecting personal hygiene items for Butler’s Pantry, to support our friends at Roadrunner Elementary throughout the month of April.

Items Needed:

●     Bar soap

●     Deodorant

●     Shampoo

●     Body wash

●     Feminine hygiene products

●     Toothpaste and Toothbrushes

Help us reach our goal of 100 bottles of Shampoo!

Thank you so much for supporting this ongoing outreach in our community! 🙂 

Holy Week Schedule 2025

Hiring: AV Coordinator for Sunday Services

Lord of Grace Church is looking for someone to operate the audio and visual for Sunday services. Duties include:

• Running the audio

• Running the visual software and slides

• Operating the three PTZ cameras for the livestream

Skills preferred: knowledge of audio and video livestreaming.

• Propresenter

• Resi

• Soundboards

• PTZ cameras

Pay: $100/Sunday and $50/special service

Hours: 8am-12noon Sundays

Contact Pastor Lars Hammar if interested.

Preschool Enrolling

Lord of Grace preschool is enrolling for fall 2025. Classes for 3-5year olds with options for 2 day, 3 day, and 5 day. 8:30am-12noon. Small classes, new playground, great teachers, kindergarten prep, and Christian values. check us out at lordofgrace.org/about-log-preschool

email preschool@lordofgrace.org or call 520-744-7400 to arrange a tour.

Outreach March 2025

Outreach Team – March 2025

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, and Gail Nicewander. We have a recent addition to Outreach! Sandy Mitchel will be joining us on the Team. She has been providing us with monthly updates for the Marana Food Bank. Welcome Sandy!

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank
The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect canned spaghetti sauce, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, tuna/chicken, Spam/ham, mac and cheese, and instant rice.

 What a great way to show God’s love – by providing a nourishing meal to our neighbors in need.  

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC.  You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

We will continue to have a work day each month and to staff the pantry the first Saturday of each month during 2025. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this ministry.  If this is something that you would be interested in getting involved in, please contact Phyllis Teager 520-906-1837.  Thanks to all at Lord of Grace for your support.

Past Events

Feed My Starving Children – A group of 11 members from LOG participated in one of mobile packing event for Feed My Starving Children at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene. Our group packed 234 meals. It was great to be able to work together with Lutherans! Overall in the span of 5 days, there were 1.55 million meals packed at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene.

Lotsa Pasta Food Drive – we participated in the Interfaith Community Services Lotsa Pasta Food Drive during the month of February. We delivered 50 boxes of macaroni and cheese, 78 packages of pasta, and 39 cans of pasta sauce. Thank you everyone!

Upcoming Events

Lutheran World Relief Baby Care Kits – The drive ends on March 2nd and we will put together the kits on March 9th, volunteers are welcome! We’ll organize the items between services and put the kits together after the 2nd service. Last year we were able to collect enough items to send 11 baby care kits. Last year they distributed baby care kits to Angola, Lebanon, Peru, Senegal, Turkey, Ukraine, Zambia and the US.

Sister Jose Women’s Center - We plan on cooking an evening meal for the residents on March 12th. There is a signup sheet in the Narthex starting next Sunday. We need 4-5 people to volunteer. We also plan on signing up to cook another evening meal in May. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.

Prayer Connection March 2025

Prayer Connection

Psalm 75: 1

1 We Praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near, people tell of your wonderful deeds.

 There have been so many things to be grateful for.  I try to remember to thank God for the blessings that I have experienced lately when I start to pray. And then sometimes thanking God for the goodness I have experienced in the past.   With the 20-20 view, one can see where God was right there beside a person and it is good to remember those blessings. 

I remember learning the Parable of the 10 lepers years ago.  There were 10 lepers, or people infected with a skin ailment, who asked Jesus to heal them.  And they received the blessing.  Jesus told them to go to the temple for cleansing.  They were healed as they went.  And one came back to thank Jesus.  I suppose there are many truths to learn from that story. 

Lately, I have witnessed special blessings to friends and to myself.  I try to come back to my Lord, like the one that returned, and thank Him for those blessings. 

Dear Gracious God, thank You for the good news of friends who are healed.  Thank You for being near and always listening to our prayers.  Amen

The Lord of Grace Prayer Team is always here to help you with any prayer requests you may

have!  The Prayer Team continues to pray over all prayer petitions sent our way, including the

requests entered in the prayer journal in the Narthex.  The Team will also continue to offer

individual prayer times after each worship service on the 4th Sunday of each month.