Pastoral Transition Update for August Newsletter

Peace and Greetings.

My name is William Willcoxson and I’m the team leader for the Pastoral Transition Team.  I want to share monthly updates on the transition process: where we are at, what to expect, and what help is needed.

What does the transition look like?  The Grand Canyon Synod has documented the transition process and has identified 4 phases to the transition

1.)    Exit of the Rostered Minister – complete

·         Sending of the Rostered Minister to their next calling

2.)    Intentional Interim and Self Study – we are here

·         Confirming an Interim Pastor - complete

·         Completing a Transition Report and Ministry Site Profile – in progress

3.)    Calling of a new Pastor – not started

·         Getting Candidate names from Synod

·         Call Committee Interviews the Candidates

·         Call Committee recommends Candidate for approval by Council

·         Council recommends Candidate for approval by Congregation

4.)    Installation of the new Pastor – not started

As you can see, we are in the Self Study phase.  This is anticipated to be completed in early 2026.

The Self Study phase will consist of 

·         All Church Cottage Meetings (Aug-Oct) – we plan to meet in small groups with the entire congregation to get your feedback on your history with Lord of Grace, what’s important about who we are as a church, and where do we want to be in future. 

·         All Church Survey (Aug – Oct) – we will be sharing an electronic survey to collect answers to these questions as well to ensure no feedback is lost

·         Review of Church’s Job Descriptions, Policies and Procedures

·         Review of Church’s Strategic Plan – Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Core Values, Demographics

·         Review of Church’s Stewardship, Finances, and Assets

·         Completion of a Transition Report of all the above to be approved by the Council

·         Use the transition report to complete a Ministry Site Profile, which is essentially “who we are” and “what we are looking for” for potential pastoral candidates to review before applying for the position

Who is on the transition team?  Besides myself, the transition team includes Joy Folkvord, Sue Justis, Richard Green, Cindy Stein, Laura Tanem-Hernandez, Sam Lyth, and from the Grand Canyon Synod, Pastor Phil Gustafson

What can you expect:

·         Sign up in August for a Cottage Meeting.  Signup sheets will be available before and after both services.  Cottage Meetings will be held at a variety of locations and times.  There should be a time and location that works for you

Where we need help:

·         Participation in the Cottage meetings and the all-church survey.  Your input is critical to this self-study phase

·         Someone who feels comfortable reviewing policies and procedures would be of great benefit to us.  We want to ensure that these are updated before the new pastor is called to ensure we have a clean house.

·         Your prayers.  All the work of the Transition and Call Committee needs prayers for the following:

o   The committee seeks God’s will and not our own during this process.

o   The committee listens to the congregation and tries to objectively document who we are without putting their own spin on it.

o   The congregation to participate in the Self Study process through attendance at cottage meetings and completing the survey.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments – please free to reach out to me at – wwillcoxson@comcast.net

Yours in Christ,

William

Prayer Log August Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners at Lord of Grace,

Grace and peace to you! 

Thank you, Lord of Grace, for the beautiful music that speaks to us every week! 

This week, the music reminded me of the blessings of this Prayer Chain. We are all pilgrims together, and we help each other walk the mile and bear the load. Thank you for being part of this ministry! 

Our Weekly Prayer Log for July 28, 2025, with requests, concerns, and thanksgiving from the last four weeks (June 27, 2025-July 27, 2025), is posted below. As our Prayer Team and Prayer Chain Partners, I invite you to join in praying for these people and situations. 

As always, the Full Prayer Request Log (a compilation of present/past requests) may be found in a spreadsheet at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fyPZpVAoj4sA6vwEuiE2WhSEX2zdeAaib2fybICEQTE/edit?usp=sharing.You can access it and view it anytime during the week. 

Blessings,

Dianna Repp

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Weekly Prayer Log: July 28, 2025, covering June 27, 2025-July 27, 2025: Prayers Requests and Concerns, and Prayers of Thanksgiving:

Date

Pray for

Concern

Notes

7/27/2025

Greg G. (Janette C.'s son-in-law)

"job search"

Submitted in Prayer Journal, Narthex

7/27/2025

Megan G. (Janette C.'s granddaughter)

"heart issue"

Submitted in Prayer Journal, Narthex

7/27/2025

"all travellers"

"safe travels for all travellers"

Submitted in Prayer Journal, Narthex

7/27/2025

Emily

"new job - Emily starts 7/28; new path"

Submitted in Prayer Journal, Narthex

7/20/2025

Danny R.

Please pray for Danny.

Submitted in Prayer Journal, Narthex

7/12/2025

Miky A.

Please pray for Miky.

Submitted in Prayer Journal, Narthex.

7/6/2025

Darlene W.

"Darlene W. Is having Hip Replacement Surgery in August. Please prayers!"

Submitted by email, Darlene W.

7/3/2025

Steve B. (husband of Candy)

"For repair of the aortic valve [surgery on July 8, 2025]. For Jesus' healing presence."

Submitted by email, Candy B.

7/3/2025

Roger R. (husband of Dianna)

Lung surgery in July, 2025. For Jesus' healing presence.

Submitted by Dianna.

Stewardship August Newsletter

Humility as tool of Stewardship

 Humility is a word used often in ethical leadership discussions. In the Christian context we recognize we do not own any resources. Genesis teaches us that we are all human beings created in the image of God, and God created the heavens and the earth and all within it. And God put us here to be stewards of all He created. God entrust everything to us, and we use all God’s resources for service to God and the greater good of all in Christ.

 Humility requires us to put God and others first, not ourselves. We are all human beings created in the image of God. Now our utter importance and love of God does not give us credence to exert our self-importance to the detriment of God’s creation or each other.

When we consciously commit our lives to Christ in humble stewardship, we give praise and honor to God and to each other. Stewardship is living with humility; for the word humility means “down to earth” or “of the earth”. 

Stewardship and Humility are indeed interconnected.

A few examples of this connection: 

Service Oriented. Putting others first, serving others rather than you being served, omitting personal gain.

Knowing Who We Are Before God. Accepting the expectations of caring for God’s Creation.

Managing Resources. Whether they are financial, human or material, we use our gifts, talents, knowledge wisely for long-term benefit.

Caring For Others. Stewardship is relational, nurturing the talent, opportunities for growth and supporting those entrusted to our care.

Accountability. Good stewards are responsible for their decisions and actions in management of God’s resources entrusted to us. 

In closing we have a call to action, as we understand the relationship between Stewardship and Humility. May God bless us in our commitment and relationship to God and each other.

Forgiveness 

(I use “he” here to represent abusers, just as we use He or Father to represent God/Lord). 

This is meant to be an understanding of stewardship and it is. How can you be a “cheerful giver” with a hardened heart? What would have happened if Peter didn't forgive himself for denying Jesus 3 times, or felt himself unworthy because Jesus asked Peter 3 times if he loved him and to feed His sheep/lambs? 

So you see, forgiving others and ourselves for being duped by others frees up our hearts for loving kindness, the basis for all things Christlike. 

Don't get me wrong, forgiveness is not magic. It doesn't come in an instant, but neither did the abuse or wrong you suffered. You've heard songs of passing on God's love, but never songs about passing on abuse or wrong. To pass on wrong can never be right. In a society where it takes time to build up trust, it also takes time to build up forgiveness. I ask you to unburden your hearts and start to forgive the he that hurt you and yourself so your loving heart returns and you can become the “cheerful giver” that stewardship implies. 

Gail Nicewander

for the Stewardship Team

Via de Cristo August Newletter

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

Presidents Message August Newsletter

President's Message -  

There will be much activity here at Lord of Grace in August! 

First, we have said our Farewell to Pastor Jim Dew who has so faithfully shared the Good News with us since June 15th. We now are sharing our own talents by having services let by Lord of Grace members for the first two Sundays. William Willcoxson will be providing the sermon on August 3rd and Cindy Stein will be preaching on Sunday, August 10th. Both have served before and have given us a spirit filled message. We thank them for taking on this task. 

Sunday, August 17th is the first Sunday our intentional interim pastor, Pastor Randy Winsand, will be with us as our pastor. He will be with us until the transition/call team makes a recommendation to the congregation to call a new permanent pastor. That day is also out LOG's Got Talent Showcase. This is your opportunity to share your hobbies, collections or what-have-you with not only our congregation, but our new interim pastor. What a fun way for him to learn about us!!! The Showcase will be between services (so be sure to come early) and time will be available to set up your display either on Saturday between 10 and noon or Sunday morning after 7:30am. 

You definitely will want to come early on Sunday, August 24th. A Meet & Greet for Pastor Randy is being planned with a continental breakfast. If you would like to assist with decorations or food, please talk to me or Jan Carollo. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about the transition process or any other issues, please don't hesitate to ask me or any other Council member. If we don't have the answer, we'll do our best to find out for you. 

Last but not least, PLEASE BE SURE TO START WEARING YOUR NAME TAGS!! If you don't have one, or you need a replacement for any reason, please leave a note for Karen. It will be especially helpful for Pastor Randy as he navigates his way through these first several months.  

On behalf of the Council, I want to say Thank You to each and every one of you for your willingness to help and most of all, for your patience during this period of transition. 

Betsy Boorse,

LOG Council President

Pre School August Newsletter

Preschool is Off to a Great Start!

I am so excited to share that our preschool has started a brand-new school year, and we are off to a fantastic start! Our enrollment has doubled since the beginning of last year, and with the updated tuition rates, we are now in a strong financial position for the year ahead. This growth is such an encouragement and a blessing as we continue to serve families in our community.

Teachers have returned, ready and eager to pour into the lives of our students, and we officially welcomed students and their families at our “Open Doors, Open Hearts” Open House Event on July 31st. It was such a joy to connect with families as they met their teachers and explored their classrooms. I want to give a special thank you to the Preschool Advisory Board for providing a wonderful time of fellowship for families with delicious refreshments during the event.

I am also deeply grateful to the Preschool Advisory Board, the Property Team, and everyone who volunteered to help open up the preschool this year. Your support and dedication truly mean so much. To me, it symbolizes that the preschool is a ministry that belongs to all of us, and together we are building a place where children and families can grow, feel loved, and experience Christ’s presence in our community.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for this ministry. The preschool staff and I are looking forward to an incredible year ahead!

August 2025 Stewardship

 Humility as tool of Stewardship

 Humility is a word used often in ethical leadership discussions. In the Christian context we recognize we do not own any resources. Genesis teaches us that we are all human beings created in the image of God, and God created the heavens and the earth and all within it. And God put us here to be stewards of all He created. God entrust everything to us, and we use all God’s resources for service to God and the greater good of all in Christ.

 Humility requires us to put God and others first, not ourselves. We are all human beings created in the image of God. Now our utter importance and love of God does not give us credence to exert our self-importance to the detriment of God’s creation or each other.

When we consciously commit our lives to Christ in humble stewardship, we give praise and honor to God and to each other. Stewardship is living with humility; for the word humility means “down to earth” or “of the earth”. 

Stewardship and Humility are indeed interconnected.

A few examples of this connection:

Service Oriented. Putting others first, serving others rather than you being served, omitting personal gain.

Knowing Who We Are Before God. Accepting the expectations of caring for God’s Creation.

Managing Resources. Whether they are financial, human or material, we use our gifts, talents, knowledge wisely for long-term benefit.

Caring For Others. Stewardship is relational, nurturing the talent, opportunities for growth and supporting those entrusted to our care.

Accountability. Good stewards are responsible for their decisions and actions in management of God’s resources entrusted to us.

In closing we have a call to action, as we understand the relationship between Stewardship and Humility. May God bless us in our commitment and relationship to God and each other.

Come and support our presenters at the Lord of Grace Talent Showcase on August 17th after the services.  You will see a beautiful showcase of arts, crafts, hobbies and collections.

Outreach August Newsletter

Outreach Team – August 2025 Newsletter Article

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, 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 ready-to-eat meals, canned mixed veggies, canned tomato sauce or Alfredo sauce, jelly, pancake mix, syrup, cereal/oatmeal, and canned tuna/chicken.

Summer is an especially difficult time for families since kids are out of school and missing some essential meals.  Let’s help lighten their burden and make sure they all have enough to eat.

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 http://mfb-crc.org

Your monetary gift goes a long way.  Every $10 helps provide 50 meals.

 Upcoming Events

Past Events

Sister José Women’s Center Supper

Sister José Women’s Center sent a message to all Sister José Supper volunteers asking for help to prepare meals for the women during the month of June. Outreach members stepped up and prepared a meal of lasagna, salad, bread, and dessert for the women on Wednesday June 25th. There were about 55 women who enjoyed!

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) – update on status of refugees

LSS-SW held an online meeting where they recapped the status of refugees in Arizona. An outreach member was able to attend.

Due to the change in federal funding for refugees, LSS-SW appealed for help in raising money to support refugees. The result was that 456 individuals raised over $600,000 to support newly arrived refugees in Arizona.

Episcopal Migration Ministries ended its refugee services contract with the federal government, this affects Tucson operations. Due to this change, no new refugees will be resettled in Tucson. Current refugees in the U.S. are here legally and are safe from deportation. Some of you may have heard of founded accusations of misconduct against LSS-SW. These have been assessed with no findings of wrongdoing.

How can we help? They have ongoing needs for volunteers in a variety of roles included co-sponsors, English tutors, First Friends, child care and job mentors. In addition, they also need in-kind donations such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, and gift cards.

Churches can help in a variety of ways:

·         Pray for refugee families facing hardship and instability

·         Donate to LSS-SW if able

·         Advocate for compassionate policies and fair access to benefits

·         Volunteer to help organize local donation drives

Prayer Connection August 2025

Prayer Connection for August 2025 Newsletter

 You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning, my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28

A serious operation was long awaited for my loved one.  All the tests accomplished over time with lots of prayers along the way for success.  Other accomplishments met by asking for thoughts and prayers of prayer partners, friends and family.  All set and yes, I was not the patient….however, I could have been fearful.  I could have been nervous.  With confidence meeting the day and time.  All is good.  Thank you, Lord.

 The above paragraph represents over a year. With many doctor appointments, numerous tests, and delays in the road.  This verse speaks to me on this day.  I did not feel frightful even with unexpected occurrences.  What did I find?  Nurses with personality to ease discomfort.  Welcoming people serving in all different ways at the hospital and on the phone.  Meeting even a cafe server who had her own story.  Seeing a gift of home grown flowers in a vase on the Volunteer desk with a sweet thank you from some grateful person.  Doctors explaining things in the best of terms for a lay person to understand.  What did I see or experience?  God’s people serving Him and giving me His Light, His Goodness.

 Further in the Psalm is the verse “with my God I can scale a wall.”  Let’s remember King David’s words as we face challenges in the coming months at Lord of Grace.  We have God’s light and with God we can do anything.

 Dear God,

In times that test us, You are there.  Thank you for your everlasting strength and for the Light of the World.

 Through our Lord Jesus,

Amen

 Peace be with you,

Candy Borstad

Prayer Connection - June

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning, my God turns my darkness into light.  

Psalm 18:28 

A serious operation was long awaited for my loved one.  All the tests accomplished over time with lots of prayers along the way for success.  Other accomplishments met by asking for thoughts and prayers of prayer partners, friends and family.  All set and yes, I was not the patient….however, I could have been fearful.  I could have been nervous.  With confidence meeting the day and time.  All is good.  Thank you, Lord. 

The above paragraph represents over a year. With many doctor appointments, numerous tests, and delays in the road.  This verse speaks to me on this day.  I did not feel frightful even with unexpected occurrences.  What did I find?  Nurses with personality to ease discomfort.  Welcoming people serving in all different ways at the hospital and on the phone.  Meeting even a cafe server who had her own story.  Seeing a gift of home grown flowers in a vase on the Volunteer desk with a sweet thank you from some grateful person.  Doctors explaining things in the best of terms for a lay person to understand.  What did I see or experience?  God’s people serving Him and giving me His Light, His Goodness. 

Further in the Psalm is the verse “with my God I can scale a wall.”  Let’s remember King David’s words as we face challenges in the coming months at Lord of Grace.  We have God’s light and with God we can do anything. 

Dear God,

In times that test us, You are there.  Thank you for your everlasting strength and for the Light of the World.  

Through our Lord Jesus,

Amen 

Peace be with you,

Candy Borstad

Fifteen Good Years - My Final Pastor's Column for Lord of Grace

So this is my last pastor’s column at Lord of Grace. I get a tear in my eye writing it. 15 years of ministry have gone by faster than I thought it would. What started as a Hail Mary to prevent closing turned into growth and rebuilding through different phases of our church’s life.

As I look around the congregation on Sundays, I see a lot of faces that weren’t here when I started – probably a majority. Church hopping is a fact of life these days, and every time a new pastor comes some inevitably decide they just can’t stay. It breaks my heart, of course, because the church is the people, the ekklesia, the community of believers. It’s not supposed to be a collection of individuals who come to see a pastor. Our bonds should be with each other – the people we worship with, pray with, sit in small groups and Bible studies, the people we learn with and even help clean up the property. The church is all of us, which is why it broke my heart all those years ago to see so many people march out when we had to change things around. But, I wish them all well and hope they find a closer relationship to God where they moved. In that time many came, many whom I baptized as kids and watched go on to jobs and college – as well as adults who came to faith here. This is a special place.

One of my hopes is that history does not repeat itself. Transitions are hard, and no pastor is going to do things the way I do. This will feel both good and bad. You will get someone who will have strengths where I had weaknesses, and new ideas and visions for the church. Take these as opportunities to grow, not disappointments at things not how they used to be. Remember that just about nothing now is the way it was 15 years ago. But you still have each other, and, I believe, a mission from God to be a light in this place, to keep living and teaching an open and inclusive Gospel message in a sea of legalism. Our ELCA teachings and theology are a gem, a strength, and an opportunity to reach those not interested in hard-line religion. The area is growing, and Lord of Grace is positioned to reach whole waves of new people. I pray for this.

Some of the big changes I look back on . . .

• Redesigning the contemporary worship and getting new music

• Adding new families and growing our youth and family numbers

• Updating our building and redesigning our sanctuary

• Painting the mural by the playground

• ·The Lent services in different formats: Holden Evening Prayer, Taize, sanctified art

• Sending kids to SALCA Bible camp and seeing faith formation

• Restarting our preschool (twice) with new staff

• Adding some big fellowship events – like the community days and the July Fourth BBQ

• Adding new Bible studies for men and women

• Starting and restarting SuperYouth – the combined youth group of the ELCA churches in town

• Covid – and all the pain that went with it.

• Adding livestreaming and technology

• All the baptisms of kids. All the baptisms of adults.

• The outreach projects and drives for local agencies

• And on and on. So many things have come about here through the Spirit’s work. You forget about all them, or take them for granted, as the years go by.

To have a church where my son Johan can get up and dance and people don’t furl their brows and grouse is invaluable. You show through your inclusion the love of Jesus. And that fact that my kids still have faith after growing up at Lord of Grace is a testament to you and the Lord working through you.

To have leaders who have backed me up and supported me, even when I sometimes was doing my job better than others, is invaluable. I pray you support the next pastor as well, so he or she can have a long and fruitful ministry.

To have worship assistants who take care of the details week after week, and provide the music from their hearts, fills us all up. It’s made my job easier, when the worship leaders around me are so great.

It’s one of those protocol things that needs to be said, but when I go I pass the torch, and the new pastor is the one you turn to for spiritual and leadership matters. I won’t be doing weddings or funerals or swinging by for visits. That’s for the next pastor. For me to be involved would undermine them, and make it harder for the church to move forward. I know being in Washington State will make some of that obvious, but this is the digital age.

I want to thank again everyone for all your years of support for me as your pastor, and for my family. It has been a blessing to be your pastor, and to serve here in Marana, and to be with you all through everything.

God Bless, 

Pastor Lars

Prayer Connection May 2025

God’s Gracious Chain of Loving Care: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up"

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Dear Friends in Christ,

  As we move into May, many of us think of Mother’s Day. It is a day to celebrate and remember the blessings of mothers, and all those who have cared for us. It can be a joyful day, but sometimes also difficult.

 This day is fraught for me, as it may be for some others. I have learned to focus on three things. First, gratitude – to remember, honor, and express gratitude for the time I had with my child. Second, thankfulness to God -- for my mother, and all the people our Lord of Grace has put into my life who nurtured and mentored me along life’s way. Third, a call to action  -- I am reminded that I am part of God’s gracious chain of loving care, and God calls all of us to support and nurture those He brings into our lives. As we read in I Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” – on Mother’s Day and all through the year!

 In this spirit, we offer two Mother’s Day prayers, as well as links for more inspiration for your prayer life.

 Prayers for a Mother’s Day: A Prayer to Help Me Enjoy My Children

(Sometimes in the midst of a busy life, all we have time for is a simple, heart-felt prayer!)

 “Lord, help me to put down the work

and play with my kids.

Help me to enjoy them more,

laugh a lot

and be fun to be around.”

To the Moms Who Are

 To the Moms who are struggling, to those filled with incandescent joy.
 To the Moms who are remembering children who have died, and pregnancies that miscarried.
 To the Moms who decided other parents were the best choice for their babies, to the Moms who adopted those kids and loved them fierce.
 To those experiencing frustration or desperation in infertility.
 To those who knew they never wanted kids, and the ways they have contributed to our shared world.
 To those who mothered colleagues, mentees, neighborhood kids, and anyone who needed it.
 To those remembering Moms no longer with us.
 To those moving forward from Moms who did not show love, or hurt those they should have cared for.
 Today is a day to honor the unyielding love and care for others we call 'Motherhood,' wherever we have found it and in whatever ways we have found to cultivate it within ourselves.

 Prayers taken from:

“Prayers for a Mother’s Day: A Prayer to Help Me Enjoy My Children.” Deb Weakly. https://helpclubformoms.com/prayers-for-a-mothers-day-a-prayer-to-help-me-enjoy-my-children/

“To the Moms Who Are.” Hannah Kardon, Pastor at Elston Avenue United Methodist Church. https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/mothers-day-prayers

 Looking for more inspiration?

 “12 Beautiful Prayers for Mother's Day.”

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/beautiful-prayers-for-moms-this-mothers-day.html

 “Beautiful Mother's Day Prayers to Honor and Bless Your Mom!” Crosswalk. https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/mother-s-day-prayers-to-encourage-and-uplift.html

Outreach July 2025

Outreach Team – July 2025 Newsletter Article

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, 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 ready-to-eat meals, canned mixed veggies, canned tomato sauce or Alfredo sauce, jelly, pancake mix, syrup, cereal/oatmeal, and canned tuna/chicken.

Summer is an especially difficult time for families since kids are out of school and missing some essential meals.  Let’s help lighten their burden and make sure they all have enough to eat.

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 http://mfb-crc.org

Your monetary gift goes a long way.  Every $10 helps provide 50 meals.

Upcoming Events

Roadrunner Elementary – Backpacks and School Supplies Drive

We will be collecting backpacks and school supplies as part of Roadrunner Elementary’s Backpack and School Supply Drive to help collect essential and urgently needed items for vulnerable students that attend Roadrunner. The drive will start on Sunday June 29th and run until Sunday July 27th. Needed items include:

·         Backpacks

·         Reusable water bottles

·         #2 Pencils

·         Colored pencils

·         Pencil box or pouch

·         Expo dry erase markers – fine-tip or thin

·         Crayola markers, broad

·         Crayola crayons

·         Highlighters

·         Glue sticks

·         Scissors

·         Erasers, regular and pencil top

·         Two or three Pocket folders

·         Composition notebooks

·         Spiral notebooks

·         Wide-ruled paper

·         3 ring binders

·         Ear buds (with cord) or headphones

·         Post-it notes

Also please consider donating Ziploc bags, Kleenex, and Clorox wipes.

There is a handout with the needed items in the Narthex. Please return all items by Sunday July 27th. Thank you!

Any questions, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net.

Interfaith Community Service (ICS) Peanut Butter Drive

ICS is holding their peanut butter drive for the month of July. Please consider donating 1 or 2 cans. There will be a donation box in the Narthex. Thank you!

Past Events

Sister José Women’s Center Supper

Sister José Women’s Center sent a message to all Sister José Supper volunteers asking for help to prepare meals for the women during the month of June. Outreach members stepped up and prepared a meal of lasagna, salad, bread, and dessert for the women on Wednesday June 25th. There were about 55 women who enjoyed!

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) – update on status of refugees

LSS-SW held an online meeting where they recapped the status of refugees in Arizona. An outreach member was able to attend.

Due to the change in federal funding for refugees, LSS-SW appealed for help in raising money to support refugees. The result was that 456 individuals raised over $600,000 to support newly arrived refugees in Arizona.

Episcopal Migration Ministries ended its refugee services contract with the federal government, this affects Tucson operations. Due to this change, no new refugees will be resettled in Tucson. Current refugees in the U.S. are here legally and are safe from deportation. Some of you may have heard of founded accusations of misconduct against LSS-SW. These have been assessed with no findings of wrongdoing.

How can we help? They have ongoing needs for volunteers in a variety of roles included co-sponsors, English tutors, First Friends, child care and job mentors. In addition, they also need in-kind donations such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, and gift cards.

Churches can help in a variety of ways:

·         Pray for refugee families facing hardship and instability

·         Donate to LSS-SW if able

·         Advocate for compassionate policies and fair access to benefits

·         Volunteer to help organize local donation drives

Looking Back - pastor's column May 2025

It’s amazing how time flies. This January rolled around and I realized that I have been the pastor here at Lord of Grace for 15 years. It doesn’t seem that long, but certainly much has happened.

I remember that first council meeting, coming in through the back door, and sitting down in the conference room as everyone looked at my Rostered Ministers Profile (ELCA-speak for resume), and looked up, and asked, point, blank, “Why do you want to come HERE?”

The church had been going through a lot at the time, and people had been getting down on Lord of Grace and its future. There was talk at the synod level of just closing it down, that the problems were too much, but I didn’t see that. I told the council I saw potential, and gifted people, and no reason to not give it another try. In the midst of hard times, it’s hard to see the light. So I came on as an interim, a temporary fill-in, with the option to stay, if voted in. Well, here I am 15 years later. We didn’t close, we thrived.

This is not to say we didn’t have struggles. The first couple years saw both a huge number of people leaving and joining. In the process we became younger, and less from Lutheran backgrounds. Many people here I baptized as adults, and then baptized the kids. Our Sunday school grew, but then had to close because of a lack of teachers. And we kept going. The preschool was turned around and the contemporary worship updated.

I remember so many special events, because we’ve never been good at long-term programs. But we are good at big socials. We had the Chili Cook-Off, the Fall Festival (complete with pumpkin smashing), Oktoberfests in different incarnations, and movie nights with kids. Of course, July Fourth was always fun when we could do a party for that too.

My kids have grown up at this church. Only the oldest two even remember previous congregations. The church has been the nurture of their faith, even while we’ve struggled to get an organized youth group off the ground. Here is where they came to know Jesus, and how to light candles, and play the tambourine during the last song. This church is for them a place of faith, and it warms my heart, as a pastor-dad, to see that.

We had a good run in the 20-teens: good worship attendance and giving, preschool full. Then Covid hit, and things got rough. But we were not alone. We pulled together, developed new technologies, and regrouped. We’re not as big, but no less active. Visitors still comment on the energy and warmth in the room. The room, of course, that we remodeled in 2023, and now gets ooohs and aaaahs from visitors.

There is something about being in one place for a while, so long that you become familiar with each other enough to be able to joke and know how far to take it, and know to apologize if it’s too much. There’s something to be said for growing together, to use a marriage analogy, where we aren’t the same people we were when we started, but we stayed and changed and grew at the same time.

Lord of Grace has been my life, and my family’s spiritual life, for 15 years. And I wouldn’t trade it. There’s a lot I’d do differently, but hind-sight 20/20 etc. I came here when I was 36, old enough to think I was wise, but young enough to not always see around corners. Now I’m 52, with kids graduated. It’s a different time of life.

And like every tenure for every pastor there comes a time when you have to discern whether you are still the most effective person for the call, and whether God might be needing you somewhere else. It’s not an easy conversation to have with yourself, God, your family. Tucson’s a great place. We love our house of 21 years, and the Flowing Wells school system where Kristie’s on the board. We love our back yard and the hiking and biking trails. But these things have to be balanced with the sense of call. Where does God need me now?

And after a lot of praying, I came to the conclusion that it was time for me to start looking, to see if there was somewhere else God and the church needed me. So I went back to the ELCA and filled out my forms, and, long story short, ended up accepting a call to a new church: Christ Lutheran Church in Walla Walla, Washington.

Many pastors leave feeling pushed out or bitter at something. I have no such feelings. This church has been a blessing to me, and you have all been wonderful. Yes, I have a few detractors around, but they were not the reason for my decision. I simply feel it’s time to pass the torch to somebody else, someone with new ideas, new vision, new energy, someone who can help you figure out how to reach all these new families in Marana, all the unchurched youth at Marana High, all the growth. I like to think that I set things up well for the future, with a good group of people and a newly redone building. Things are good, covid is over, everything is in a good place for the next pastor to start with all the advantages I didn’t have.

And, it should go without saying, but I will not return in two years, start a new church down the road, mail invites to all the LoG members telling them the Spirit has called me to start a new church just like Paul going back to Thessalonica, and that people need to come to my church because those people don’t believe in the Bible.

It’s been a joy and gift to be the pastor here, and there is nothing I want more than to see Lord of Grace grow and thrive in my absence. This church means too much to me, and I know it does to you too. You are the church, not me. Pastors come and go, but the community you have here is a priceless treasure. Support it and the new pastor like you did me, so I can come back for a visit in a couple decades and see it going strong.

My last Sunday will be June 15th, so we have a few weeks. During that time I will be (finally) doing the sermon series on the Minor Prophets I’ve been wanting to do for years, but never got around to. Our activities will continue as they always do in late spring-early summer, winding down the year and moving into Pentecost (June 8th), and, hopefully, get to pull out the new hanging hexagons in the sanctuary – cover them in doves or flames or something.

You also have an election coming for new council members on May 4th. Make sure to be there to vote and hear about the progress of our ministries. We also will vote on delegates to the Grand Canyon synod assembly June 12-13th in Las Vegas.

So our ministry continues, as it will. I look forward to these last 6 weeks here, and hope I can see everyone before moving.

God Bless,

Pastor Lars

Kinder Confidence: Helping You and Your Child Thrive

Join us for an informative and encouraging workshop designed to help parents feel confident and prepared for this big transition. You’ll learn what to expect in the classroom, how to support your child’s learning at home, and tips to build routines that set the stage for success. This workshop will provide practical tools and answer your questions so both you and your child can thrive from day one!

April 24th, 6-7pm

Free childcare available

helpful tools for parents

April and Holy Week - Pastor's Column March 2025

This Saturday (March 22nd) we had our first yard sale in a long time. A fund-raiser for our preschool, we raised over $3,000!! I give a huge thank you to everyone who gave all their time and effort to pulling off a project on this scale. The Preschool Advisory Board (PAB) and preschool staff, thank you all. The funds will offset costs and cover some of the expenses of advertising and marketing for fall.

It has been fun this year watching as we have increased our commitment to making it a more explicitly “church” preschool. It always was, but the connections were not as visible. Now we have art in the sanctuary, more flyers going out to parents with invites to church events, church members doing special presentations, such as Rick’s special music days. We also have more faith instruction in the classroom, beyond the weekly chapel times. It’s all part of our long-range plan to make the preschool more of a church ministry and less of a side-hustle. Again, our director Laura Tanem-Hernandez and the PAB are doing a great job with our new program.

With all this our liturgical year keeps moving towards Easter. I’ve enjoyed the Lent sermon series on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship. I will admit that sometimes he gets a bit intense, leaving you feeling like you’re never a good enough disciples. And while I understand that intellectually – that I can never reach Jesus’ levels of love and obedience to God – it still can feel heavy. Of course, Jesus also says his burden is light, so while the challenge to discipleship is there, we can also view it as freeing us from serving the other things of our lives that pull us away from Godly lives.

Palm Sunday is April 13th, where we will walk with the crowd as they cheer Jesus on for being the earthly revolutionary he never claimed to be. They call it the “triumphal” entry, but it’s only so on the surface. The subtext is darker, knowing that Jesus knows the people will be disappointed when their dreams for him don’t come true.

Then comes Holy Week. Maundy Thursday will be a traditional worship service this year, not an agape meal. We end, as we always do, with the stripping of the altar.

Good Friday will feature the stations of the cross liturgy from last year. From 11am-1pm you can come in and walk through the art in the sanctuary at your own pace. Then at 6:30pm is the full service. One change I will make is to shorten the musical interludes between stations, just to keep things moving better. I still love the black-and-white graphics that come with each part of the story.

Holy Week is the highlight of our year as Christians, the time of spiritual focus, of walking through the last days of Jesus, of walking through his final dinner, his farewells, and his suffering, before the big celebration of Easter. It always sees thinner crowds, to the chagrin of many clergy. And I get the challenge with scheduling (I had to run from a dance practice to worship one Good Friday. That was the day they all learned what I did for a living 😊). I also get the desire to avoid the “downer” parts of the week and skip to the “happy” part. Who wants to sit and wallow in sin and death. Of course, that’s part of why I like doing the stations liturgy, and having music and art, to make it more of a spiritual journey than an exercise in self-flagellation for our moral failings. I avoid the dirgiest songs, like “Go to Dark Gethsemene” that literally ends with “teach us Jesus how to die”. Ouch. That’s all part of that “heavy religion”– where it just makes you feel sad and guilty, instead of living into the mystery and meaning of what Jesus did for us. The cross is not to induce emotional guilt, but a life of discipleship.

And, of course, we will end it on Easter, April 20th, with the first service and easter egg hunt and continental Easter breakfast and second service. If you have friends maybe looking for a church, it is a good day to invite them.

Finally, I have my usual gripe about how Holy Week is so counter-cultural. In a world where everything is marketed as being happy and fun, our culture has lost its ways to deal with grief and loss. They happen, to all of us, a lot, but yet when they do we lack the rituals and structure for them. We haven’t spent time allowing ourselves to be sad when we’re sad, to admit there’s emptiness, to dwell in the moment even when the moment is horribly unfulfilling. Then, when it happens, we’re uncomfortable and rush to make it “fun” and “celebratory” again. Our faith does not try to sugar coat what happened to Jesus, or hide from it, and, in fact, brings us to a healthier and more authentic faith by giving us spaces, at least one week of the year, to just dwell in the journey of betrayal and suffering before the rising again.

Peace,

Pastor Lars

Prayer Connection April 2025

Prayer Connection 

 Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news.” 

 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you: yet do it with gentleness and respect.”  

Those commands are difficult tasks for me and many of my Lutheran and Episcopalian friends and other congregants of liturgical denominations I’ve known. It is easier to tell people what church I attend and give it a rave, 5 star review than to tell them about the spiritual journey I’ve been on during my 85 years of life; tell them how my faith has grown; sharing what it’s like to have Jesus in my life; talking about how I was healed from several potentially fatal diseases and  saved after a horrible car wreck. 

Why is that?? What am I afraid of? Is it weak faith?  Is it fear that no one will believe me? Or I may be ridiculed, or will they deny the possibility of divine intervention? Is it that I don’t have a list of biblical verses stored in my memory bank or theological wisdom, and I’m not gifted in apologetics to back up my story.  Perhaps it’s my pride, not wanting to sound uneducated, silly, prideful, foolish, or lacking in confidence.  

Clearly, I need to work on this; to always speak from the heart, to pray that Jesus will present the opportunity to share my story, to be bold and seize the opportunity, and to trust the Lord to give me the words. 

Do you have a faith story to share?  Can you dare to share? 

Holy Spirit, inspire us to be bolder in sharing our faith.  Set our hearts on fire to share God’s love with those you put in our paths. Help us to be witnesses to your power and grace.  Amen 

Faithfully, Sue Justis 

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.