Pastor's Pen October 2023

OCTOBER PASTOR’S PEN

This will be the last Pastor’s Pen article written by someone in our congregation, as Pastor Lars will be returning from sabbatical in a few weeks.  I would like to take this opportunity to look at what I’ve seen at Lord of Grace in the last couple of months.  Obviously, there have been changes during this sabbatical period.  Changes in our sanctuary, changes in responsibilities for worship duties, administrative duties, spiritual duties, etc.  But what I’ve noticed most is the change our congregation.  Good changes I guess you could say.  Or maybe it would be better to call them spiritual growth changes.  I’ve seen a wonderful amount of spiritual growth in our congregation.

Before Pastor Lars left on his sabbatical, I think many people were worried about who would take up the slack, who would handle any problems, who would be the leaders, who would be the teachers, and what would that all look like.  Could we do it?  Could we all, as a congregation, pull together and really be a church???  But isn’t that what we are always supposed to be? 

Our Pastor, Pastor Lars, has an incredible amount of responsibility for our congregation, as many of us covering some of his responsibilities have found out.  But I want to point out that nowhere in the bible does it say that a Pastor should be solely responsible for our spiritual growth and for bringing the love of God to the world.  Spiritual growth is something we all should be seeking for ourselves in our own walk with God, along with the spiritual guidance we receive from our Pastor.  It is also the responsibility of each of us to help others in their walk with God in our congregation and in the world.  Yes, we have a spiritual leader in our Pastor and God does speak to us through him.  We are very blessed to have Pastor Lars.  However, we are all called to be the church.    

So, what did I see in the last few months?  I saw people face difficulties with fear that were overcome by prayer and trust in God.  I saw people learn they could do things they were afraid to do before, but learned that God was with them through it all.  I heard people say, “hey we’re all doing this church thing pretty well”.  They were excited to see how God has been working through all of us.  People have seen they can trust in God and see that He is with us no matter what.  So, yes, I have truly seen spiritual growth here at Lord of Grace and I’ve seen people really excited about it.  So, shouldn’t we want to continue that?

This is my challenge to all of our congregation.  Really seek God, with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind.  The minute you start doing that, God will be showing you how to overcome fear, how to trust in Him, and how to love others.  If we all truly seek God and His ways, we will truly be the church. 

Blessings,

Cindy Stein

Prayer Connection October 2023

Prayer Connection: October 2023

HEADER: Peace through prayer? Our daily lives are woven with moments of joy, glimpses of beauty, and sometimes a dose of anxiety.  How can we experience peace when we are anxious?

INSIDE:

We read in Paul's Letter to the Philippians (4:4-7): 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! It is so important to express joy that Paul repeats it! Experience joy and wonder in the little things in life – a sunset, a baby’s smile, watching tadpoles emerge during the monsoon. God’s creation is amazing!

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Be gentle to everyone, and that includes yourself. Our God is Emmanuel, God-With-Us. Even when we don’t feel God (and perhaps especially then), God is with us. We can trust in God. We can rest in God and lean on God.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Notice how thanksgiving is woven into our prayer time? When I thank God for what God has already done, I move beyond my present moment, and begin to see and feel the scope of God’s power and presence. I can trust God in every situation.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Thankfully, God’s peace does not depend on our human understanding of a situation or of His working in our lives. God’s peace guards our hearts and our minds in an ongoing process: When I feel anxious, I present my requests to God with thanksgiving, and God’s peace slowly fills my life, one moment at a time. When anxiety returns, I breathe a short prayer again. Beyond my understanding, this act draws me deeper into God’s presence, and offers calmness, peace, and rest from anxiety. Thank you, Lord. I trust in You, I rest in You. God, You are with us, with me. 

Please know that the Lord of Grace 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. We strongly believe in the power of prayer and that a continual connection with our God will keep us all closer to Him. Remember, God can bring the peace you seek. Seek Him in prayer.

Outreach News October 2023

OUTREACH Ministry – October 2023

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, and Laurie Acker.

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.

Marana Community Food Bank

The Marana Resource Center would like to request that we collect peanut butter, jam, ready-to-eat meals, canned tuna/chicken, mac & cheese, and canned fruits.

In order for our October food donations to benefit folks around Thanksgiving time, they need all donations by the end of October. Let’s show our thanks for God’s love by giving our neighbors a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Donated food can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the Narthex.  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 prefer to make cash donations, they are always welcome, and can be

mailed to Marana Food Bank, 11134 West Grier Road, Marana, AZ 85653. 

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

Past and Ongoing Activities

God’s Work/Our Hands – Rally Day

We offered two projects as part of God’s Work/Our Hands during Rally Day, September 10, 2023. We assembled hygiene bags for the homeless. We collected hand wipes, hand sanitizer, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, disposable razors, sunscreen, small Kleenex packs, band-aids, and lip balm. We delivered them to the Marana Community Food Bank the following day.

The second project was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Sister José Women’s Center. We made about 175 sandwiches that were delivered to Sister José the following day. They were very thankful!!

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

For more information and to volunteer, please see the bulletin board in the hallway before you go into the Fellowship Hall. We also need donated plastic hangers as we are out at the current time. There will be a box for donations.

Upcoming Events

Thanksgiving Boxes – Roadrunner Elementary

We will be collecting food for Thanksgiving boxes this year that will mainly go to families of students at Roadrunner Elementary. We will collect food from October 15th to November 3rd. We’ll put the food collected in decorated boxes on Nov. 4th, so they can be delivered the week of November 6th. Look for a handout in this newsletter and we will also be handing them out in person on Oct. 15th. Please let us know of any additional families that need help. Carol will take the lead.

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.

Lutheran World Relief’s Baby Care Kits

In the last newsletter, we said that we would collect items for baby care kits to send to Lutheran World Relief during the month of October. Due to the changes in dates for collecting food for the Thanksgiving Food Boxes and Adopt a Child for Roadrunner, we’ve decided to postpone this drive until January or February of next year.

Thanksgiving Baskets 2023

Thanksgiving Food Baskets

The holiday season is just around the corner and Lord of Grace is preparing for our annual Thanksgiving food drive.  As you know we collect food not only for a Thanksgiving meal but also to stock the pantry. The pantry items help families feed their children during the holidays when schools are closed.  This year the majority of food boxes that are collected will be given to support needy families at Roadrunner Elementary School. Due to the school holiday schedule, the boxes need to be delivered to Roadrunner by November 9,2023 which means we need to start collecting food in October.

Here are important dates to note:

October 8th and 15th -Bags and food lists will be available at both services

November 2nd –Deadline for donating food and money

November 3rd- Food will be sorted in the fellowship hall

November 4th- Boxes will be packed

Times for sorting and packing will be determined so keep your eyes open!

Lutherans love to feed people and Lord of Grace is no exception. Year after year, your generosity overflows and God’s love and grace are shared with the community. Thank you for participating in this ministry.

If you want to get a head start on shopping, the food lists are listed below.

Pastor's Pen

The Pastor’s Pen - September 2023

When I was first asked to write the September issue of the “Pastor’s Pen”,  I hesitated and wondered how I would do that.  I recalled some previous writings, and remembered  what a wonderful writer Pastor Lars is.  He has an amazing and creative writing style and although I can write, I certainly cannot write like he does.  But, knowing that it was an important question, I said “sure.”  I tucked the writing project into the back of my mind – after all, there were so many other things going on at Lord of Grace that needed attention.      

And here we are – I find myself sitting in my kitchen, drinking coffee, and staring at my open laptop. I ask myself over and over “what should I write about?”  And then I found something online that I thought would be perfect.  I did not write it but found it inspiring.  It has a message that I would like to share with you. 

THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP

As a part of an assignment for a doctoral thesis, a college student spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. As he did his research he lived with one family, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, working with them, and generally living the life of a twentieth-century Indian.

The old grandmother of the family spoke no English at all, yet an awfully close friendship formed between the two. They spent a great deal of time sharing a friendship that was meaningful to each, yet unexplainable to anyone else. In spite of the language difference, they shared the common language of love and understood each other.

Over the months he learned a few phrases of Navajo, and she picked up a little of           the English language. When it was time for him to return to the campus and write his thesis, the tribe held a going-away celebration. It was marked by sadness since the young man had become close to the whole village and all would miss him.

As he prepared to get up into the pickup truck and leave, the old grandmother came to tell him good-bye. With tears streaming from her eyes, she placed her hands on either side of  his face, looked directly into his eyes and said, “I like me best when I'm with you.”

Isn't that the way we feel in the presence of Jesus? He brings out the best in us. We learn to see ourselves as worthy and valuable when we are in His presence. The hurts, the cares, the disappointments of our lives are behind us when we look in His eyes and realize the depth of His love. Our self-esteem no longer depends on what we have done or failed to do; it depends only on the value that He places on us. To be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is to generate in other people the Indian grandmother's simple statement: “I like me best when I am with you.

Pastor Lars will be proud of how we have stepped up during his time away – we have overcome obstacles, solved problems, and accomplished so much!  It is evident that Jesus is with us, and he continues to bring out the best in all of us! 

God’s blessings,

Linda Merritt                                                                                                                   Council President

–James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988) p. 228.

Parking Lot Resurfacing

The church parking lot will be closed to all  traffic the week of October 9, 2023.  All asphalt areas are being cleaned and repaved.  There will be no access to the church building during this week.

Outreach News September 2023

OUTREACH Ministry – September 2023

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, and Laurie Acker.

We would like to welcome Laurie to the Outreach team! She started attending Lord of Grace about a year ago.  Laurie is married with three grown kids and a very active puppy named Pesto! We’re looking forward to Laurie joining Outreach!

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.

Marana Community Food Bank

The Marana Resource Center would like to request that we collect peanut butter, jam, canned tomato sauce, canned tuna/chicken, mac & cheese, and canned fruits.

The food bank is experiencing a 20% increase in demand over this time last year.  Our neighbors are really in need.  Let’s be there to give them a hand up, put a smile on their face and show God’s love.

Donated food can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the Narthex.  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 prefer to make cash donations, they are always welcome, and can be mailed to Marana Food Bank, 11134 West Grier Road, Marana, AZ 85653. 

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

Hunger Walk 2023

The Community Food Bank is sponsoring 2023 Hunger Walk to raise funds for the food bank. It’s taking place on Saturday September 9th at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Quail Creek-Veterans Municipal Park in Sahuarita, or remotely for a 1-mile stroll. For details and to register, go to http://communityfoodbank.org/HungerWalk. There will also be flyers out in the Narthex. Their theme this year is: Get Out, Get Active, and Give Back.

God’s Work/Our Hands Service Projects

Outreach will be offering two projects as part of God’s Work/Our Hands during Rally Day, September 10, 2023. One of the projects is assembling hygiene bags for the homeless. During the month of August, we will be collecting hand wipes, hand sanitizer, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, disposable razors, sunscreen, small Kleenex packs, band-aids, and lip balm. A flyer on what we are collecting and a collection box has been placed in the Narthex.

The second project will be making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Sister José Women’s Center. Sister Jose aids and transforms the lives of women experiencing homelessness. Their low-barrier day center provides unaccompanied women who are unhoused with a stable and safe environment to recuperate from the daily struggle of homelessness and extreme poverty. This will be the third year we’ve provided sandwiches for Sister Jose, they are very thankful for the help.

Butler’s Pantry is Open! – A Partnership with Roadrunner Elementary

After a busy spring and summer of sorting and organizing donated clothing, hygiene items, housewares and food, Butler’s Pantry has been opened for business!!  Lord of Grace volunteers have spent the last 6 months working with Roadrunner Elementary in the Marana Unified School District to create a wonderful community resource center that is located on the school campus at 16651 Calle Carmella in Marana.

Butler’s Pantry is a very special place as it is named after a dear school employee, Mary Butler.  Mary was the Health Aide at Roadrunner for many years and someone who always looked after the needs of Roadrunner students and families.  She passed away a couple of years ago and it is in her generous spirit that this new resource center was born!

Butler’s Pantry was opened for the first time on Monday August 21st!

Lord of Grace volunteers are needed to work one Monday evening and one Saturday morning along with two additional school days each month.  We will also be collecting specific items that we see are needed as the year moves along.  If you are interested in helping volunteer with this ongoing outreach project please give Phyllis Teager a call or email.  520-906-1837  pteager3@comcast.net   You can also check out the volunteer sign-up schedule and pictures of the pantry on the bulletin board near the fellowship hall.

Christmas Shoe Boxes 🡪 Lutheran World Relief’s Baby Care Kits

Lord of Grace has participated in Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoe Boxes for several years, with Tim and Mary Murphy organizing the drive. Thank you, Tim and Mary! During the strategic planning process, the Outreach team reviewed each organization we partner with to make sure they are in alignment with Lord of Grace values. After discussion and reviewing their website, we decided that Christmas Shoe Boxes is not in alignment with LOG’s values. We have decided to discontinue our partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. We will replace Samaritan’s Purse with another organization and have decided to support Lutheran World Relief, http://www.lwr.org. They have three drives that they sponsor – Baby Care Kits, Personal Care Kits, School Kits, and Fabric Kits. For the month of October, we’ll be collecting items for the Baby Care Kits.  The list of what is needed will be available in the October newsletter and as a flyer in the Narthex starting in October.

Prayer Connection September 2023

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.  Psalm 17:6

Isn’t it a wonderful blessing that we have someone who is always there to hear our deepest concerns, worries and needs.  But more than that, he is there to talk to about anything.  Even everyday concerns.  When I first started praying, I was worried that my some of my prayers were not important enough to bother such a mighty individual as God.  As my prayer life deepened and grew, I learned that God wants to hear from us about everything and anything.  For me, this began with “Thank you” prayers for everyday blessings I encountered.  This then led to conversations with God to talk over my day and hopes for myself and others.  If you are feeling restless, unsettled, or even the opposite… very blessed and excited about an event or promotion for example, reach out to God.  He is ready and willing to listen to everyone at any time. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  Psalm 145:18

Please know that the Lord of Grace Prayer team continues to pray over all prayer petitions sent our way, including the requests entered in the prayer journal in the Narthex.  Prayer teams are available in the conference/classroom across the hall from the office on the 4th Sunday of the month right after BOTH the 8:30 and 10:30 services.  If you are in need of prayer, please ask a team member to pray with you any Sunday or anytime.  We are here for you.  Prayer Team: Candy Borstad, Carlene Hugues, Gail Nicewander, Sue Justis, Kris Pierce, Diana Repp, and Cindy Stein.

LOG Communion Bread

Communion Bread at Lord of Grace

Where does our communion bread come from?

The recipe came from Luther Seminary via the internet way back in 2007 or 2008. It uses whole wheat flour, white flour, water, olive oil, honey, molasses, salt, and baking powder.

Lord of Grace has a bread baking team – Paulette Claver, coordinator; Carol Buuck; Catie Witten; Jamie Chapman; and Patty Clymer – who rotate the responsibility of baking our bread for each Sunday.

What is the symbolism on our bread?

Typically, one will find a cross on communion bread, but not always. Ours has an eight-spoke wheel that divides the loaves into wedges. But the wheel is not just for the convenience of dividing the bread into wedges.

Most Christians are familiar with the fish being a very early symbol of the Christian church, when it was not safe to be Christian. The Greek word for fish is ichthys, an acrostic from Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior. It’s also the source of our wheel.

Before coming to Lord of Grace Jack and I did a trip to the eastern Mediterranean. One place we visited was a tiny ancient church in the ruins of Kaunos, Turkey, which is up the Dalyhn River Delta on the mainland opposite the northeast tip of Rhodes, just up the coast from Ephesus. There, inscribed into the stone of the entry to the church, we saw an eight-spoke wheel. We had also seen this on some doorjambs in Ephesus. They were never large, 2” to 3” diameter. So, I asked our guide about this.

The wheel is formed from the letters that spell ichthys – Ι Χ Θ Υ Σ, the first letters in the Greek phase above. Now, if you superimpose these letters one on top of the other, you get an eight-spoke wheel. This was code to identify themselves as believers. (We never saw a fish symbol used.)

When we bakers make the communion bread, we impress each loaf with ‘Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.’

Rally Day 2023!

Rally Day – Ministry Fair – 11:30AM – Sept. 10, 2023

         YOU DON’T WSNT TO MISS THIS ONE!      

Join us for a fun filled day and celebrate God’s Work Our Hands with fellow church members         

Enjoy hamburgers - hot dogs – cookies

 Kona Shaved Ice

 Games, Face Painting & Balloon Art

           Help Make PB&J Sandwiches For A Local Women’s Shelter

  Enjoy fellowship - learn about our wonderful Ministries!

Back to School Back Pack Drive

Roadrunner Elementary School Backpack Drive

Thank You

We would like to thank everyone that donated for the backpack drive. We collected 20 backpacks with all the materials to fill them.

Outreach Team

Pastor's Pen August 2023

When I was asked to write an article for the newsletter during Pastor Lars’ sabbatical, I had several ideas. But one stuck with me: What Do You See?

What do you see when you come to Lord of Grace? A Mission-style building to welcome us. Clean and well-kept. Cars in the parking lot. With people, most of whom are smiling: adults of all varieties, children of all ages. Busyness. Maybe this doesn’t seem attractive to you, but I have been to churches where all is quiet, very quiet; people come and go, but no one is talking. Strange.

What do you see when you are in church? Right now we are undergoing exciting, new changes; but there are constants: The Altar decorated for the church season, Holy Communion elements, banners, perhaps special decorations. Pastor Jim Dew or a lay person leading the worship. Musicians -- depending on which service: pianist and perhaps a small singing group, or the Praise Team and instrumentalists -- adding life to our worship. And the congregation of us: people of many varieties and young to old. We sing, we pray, we worship our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ! I ask myself, how am I adding to the life of this worship service? or am I just sitting there, listening, but not participating?

To our on-line worshippers, what do you see? You see the same things we see. We are very glad to have you! If we are an in-person worshipper, there are times when we can’t; and we are grateful to be able to worship online. We are grateful for Caleb who runs the booth, Leif who can fill in for him, and Angie who gets everything ready for them and you, the online worshipers.

When we leave Lord or Grace for the day -- whether it be from worship, Bible study, a meeting, a rehearsal, a social function, or whatever brought you – what do you see?

Here’s what I have seen, at various times and throughout the years. I see a beautiful sky. There’s nothing like the Arizona sky! Usually cloudless, but many times with beautiful puffy whites, and sometimes with threatening grays. Occasionally flashes of lightning and rain. Awesome sunsets with silhouetted saguaros. Vividly clear, dark nights adorned with stars, the milky way and planets, and, on occasion, the ISS (International Space Station). Birds of so many different kinds, owls in the dusk, bats at night. (Yes, we have bats in our ‘belfry’!) Lizards, snakes. (Be careful!) Assorted insects and butterflies. Wildflowers and saguaros in bloom. Even snow, but very rarely.

On the way out, what do you see? There’s a very important message on both sides of the driveway: You Are Entering a Mission Field. Have you ever thought about that? Maybe you didn’t or don’t want to be a missionary; I know I didn’t. Well, we all are, whether we aware or not. What do others see in us? It’s not just what we say, it’s also what we do. No matter where we are. Even if we are hospitalized or homebound. Are we seen as someone who’s just a bit different? That’s a good thing. It’s what we are called to be, in a good way. We are called by Jesus to be his ambassador to those who don’t know him. We pray for them. We pray for us, the LOGers (loggers?), to be good ambassadors, to be lights shining in the world.

God is at work. All around us and in us.

Let us go in peace and serve the Lord,

Paulette Claver

Outreach News August 2023

OUTREACH Ministry – August 2023

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, and Patty Clymer.

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.  

Marana Community Food Bank

The Marana Resource Center would like to request that we collect canned tuna/chicken, mac & cheese, canned ravioli, boxed pasta, canned sauce, and canned fruits as we head back into the school year.

Thank you for giving our neighbors a helping hand.  Providing a meal, or sharing a meal, is a wonderful expression of God’s love. Donated food can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the Narthex.  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 prefer to make cash donations, they are always welcome, and can be mailed to Marana Food Bank, 11134 West Grier Road, Marana, AZ 85653.  Your monetary gift goes a long way.  Every $10 helps provide 50 meals.

God’s Work/Our Hands Service Projects

Outreach will be offering two projects as part of God’s Work/Our Hands during Rally Day, September 10, 2023. One of the projects is assembling hygiene bags for the homeless. During the month of August, we will be collecting hand wipes, hand sanitizer, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, disposable razors, sunscreen, small Kleenex packs, band-aids, and lip balm. A collection box has been placed in the Narthex.

The second project will be making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Sister José Women’s Center. Sister Jose aids and transforms the lives of women experiencing homelessness. Their low-barrier day center provides unaccompanied women who are unhoused with a stable and safe environment to recuperate from the daily struggle of homelessness and extreme poverty. This will be the third year we’ve provided sandwiches for Sister Jose, they are very thankful for the help.

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

There will be opportunities this fall to volunteer to staff Butler’s Pantry at Roadrunner Elementary School and to continue to organize the Pantry. Sign-ups will be available after the first week of August.

Any questions, contact Phyllis Teager or Carol Buuck.

"The Gifted Life"

“The Gifted Life”

August Interactive Presentations with

Pastor Josh Acton

Lord of Grace Fellowship Hall

August 12, 19 and 26

As part of our ongoing Book Study of, The Gifted Life By Joseph K. Acton (Josh) we are welcoming the author to Lord of Grace, via Zoom, for 3 different on-line presentations.   We will be gathering in the LOG Fellowship Hall for 3 Saturday mornings, August 12, 19 and 26 from 10:00am-11:30am for the interactive presentation.  Pastor Acton will present information based on his book in each session and there will be a time for questions and answers.  If you are not able to make it over to Lord of Grace to attend the Saturday morning presentations you can use the links below to zoom in from your home.  Everyone in the Lord of Grace community is welcome to join these presentations whether you are part of a small group book study or you are just wanting to learn more about the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts from Pastor Acton.

This is a wonderful  opportunity to learn directly from a minister who has been ordained for over 33 years and serves as the Director of the North American Order of St Luke’s the Physician an international, non- denominational (Ecumenical) Christian organization dedicated to the healing ministry of Jesus, and is in great demand as a speaker, seminar leader, and retreat leader all over America. We are blessed to have him assist Lord of Grace with our spiritual growth and begin to fulfill our goals as stated in the grant during our sabbatical time.

Sessions will be from (10:00am-11:30am) Zoom Link/Sign in are below with each session

Session 1 August 12, 2023

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81809604209?pwd=NlZ3RzhqTExXNlRGMkNPUlFLd0pjQT09

Meeting ID: 818 0960 4209      Passcode: 005371

Session 2 August 19, 2023

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84577864908?pwd=SEtLQWlOcWQwRWNLSCtIOEkwNGxWdz09

Meeting ID: 845 7786 4908       Passcode: 212368

Session 3 August 26, 2023

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85810082807?pwd=Z3pvTldFd05IaDZGZmlTdnFVNjhOUT09

Meeting ID: 858 1008 2807       Passcode: 894448

Playground Remodeling

The preschool applied for a grant a couple years ago, and was awarded a good substantial amount of money to redo our entire playground. We are getting rid of the sand, we got rid of the shades, and we are adding lots of new things. We have added a very large shade covering to the entire playground. We are adding a draining system to help with monsoon rains and gathering of the water near the playground and the church entrance right outside in the breezeway And we are putting in beautiful green turf. We also were able to purchase new playground equipment. Unfortunately, our timeline was pushed back a few weeks. So that means the playground is not going to be ready by the time school starts. But that’s OK, because it’s going to be amazing! The church and the preschool will enjoy it for a long time to come!

​April McDaniel

Playground Shade Structure Construction Photos

LOG Prayer Connection August 2023

Psalm 63:8 - My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me.

How many of us take the time each day to think about our souls clinging to God?  Can you picture it?  I would like to challenge you to try something.  Sit with your eyes closed and think about how God is in you, how you belong to Him, and how he will never let go of you.  Now, while you are envisioning this, take the time to acknowledge that He is God and has power above all other things.  Meditate on his greatness and all that He can do.  Then, listen to God speak to you about the plans He has for you and cling to Him in confidence.  Trust that God will help you through those things.  I’m believing this will be the most amazing thing you do today.

Please know that the Lord of Grace Prayer Team continues to pray over all prayer petitions sent our way, including the request 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.  We strongly believe in the power of prayer and that a continual connection with our God will keep us all closer to Him.

Remember, God can bring the peace you seek.  Seek Him in prayer.

Back Pack Drive

School supplies and Backpacks – Roadrunner Elementary

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 the beginning of July and run through the entire month. 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

·         Crayola crayons

·         Highlighters

·         Glue sticks

·         Scissors

·         Erasers

·         Two Pocket folders

·         Composition notebooks

·         Spiral notebooks

·         Wide-ruled paper

·         Ear buds (with cord) or headphones

Please return all donated items to Lord of Grace by July 30th. Thank you!

Sabbatical News July 2023

Sabbatical Information Station

            Pastor’s sabbatical starts this month.  It is a time that we show support for our pastor by allowing him this time for rest, renewal and reconnection.  We as the congregation will also have opportunities for growth and reconnection.   Our goals for the congregation during the Sabbatical Leave will be 1) Grow our intimacy with our Lord; 2) Deepen our connection to the family of Lord of Grace; 3) Explore our spiritual gifts and talents; 4) Grow our gifts and talents as we minister to one another; 5) Gain the courage to use our gifts and talents to help Lord of Grace and the community that surrounds it to THRIVE.  On behalf of the Sabbatical Team, I wanted to share some information on congregational activities which include worship, pastoral support, fellowship and education.

            Worship services will continue at regular times under the leadership of Pastor James Dew.             He led services for us in the past and is looking forward to being with us for the next three months.   During those months, four services will be led by members of the congregation.  Worship committee has found a team of members to act as worship leaders and provide the sermons for those services.  It is a wonderful opportunity for our members to spread their spiritual wings by providing worship opportunities for us.

            Pastoral support will be coordinated out of the church office.  Please call or send the office an email if pastoral support is need during the sabbatical.  Angie will contact Cindy Stein with the request.  Cindy will contact the member and they will decide together if the Prayer Support Team can meet the members need for spiritual support or if Pastor Dew needs to be called in. Cindy and her team have been training with Pastors Lars for several months and are well equipped to support us in pastor’s absence with the back up support of Pastor Dew. 

            A variety of Fellowship activities are planned to help us stay connected and perhaps make new connections within the congregation.  On July 4th is the annual 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks watching.  August will be busy with the small group studies on Spiritual Gifts. Sue Justis, Phyllis Teager and Cindy Stein have coordinated a combination small group study around the book Gifted Life by Joseph Acton.   We will learn how to explore our spiritual gifts and talents and how best to use those in serving the Lord and one another.  There will be a series of Zoom seminars by Pastor Acton to compliment the small group studies.  Council will be having their annual retreat in August as well.  Rally Day will be September 9th and provide another fun activity for food, fellowship and an outreach activity.  There will be a welcome home reception when Pastor returns in October.

            The next three months will be a fun and exciting time for the congregation.  As Pastor takes this time to reconnect and relax with his family, we can all look forward to the worship, educational, and fellowship activities that have been planned.  This will be an exciting time for all of us to grow and reconnect!

             Sabbatical Planning Team

Outreach News July 2023

OUTREACH Ministry – July 2023

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, and Patty Clymer.

Major news for the Outreach team and the church is that Corliss Jenkins-Sherry is leaving Lord of Grace. She’s decided she wants to find a church that’s closer to her home. She’s been such an integral part of Lord of Grace and Outreach for years and we all will miss her. We hope that she will come back to visit. Thank you, Corliss for all your work and fellowship!

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.

Marana Community Food Bank

 The Marana Resource Center would like to request that we continue collecting peanut butter and jelly this month.  In addition, Ready to Eat meals are great for families in the summer.  Items such as Chef Boyardee would be terrific.

“The summer months can be especially challenging for many families. Please join us in our

effort to end hunger in Southern Arizona – one child, one senior, one family at a time.” -

Community Food Bank.

Donated food can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the Narthex.  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 prefer to make cash donations, they are always welcome, and can be mailed to Marana Food Bank, 11134 West Grier Road, Marana, AZ 85653. 

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

Upcoming events

School supplies and Backpacks – Roadrunner Elementary

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 the beginning of July and run through the entire month. 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

·         Crayola crayons

·         Highlighters

·         Glue sticks

·         Scissors

·         Erasers

·         Two Pocket folders

·         Composition notebooks

·         Spiral notebooks

·         Wide-ruled paper

·         Ear buds (with cord) or headphones

Please return all donated items to Lord of Grace by July 30th. Thank you!

God’s Work/Our Hands

We plan to have activities during Rally Day on September 10th for God’s Work/Our Hands, including making peanut butter/jelly sandwiches for Sister José Women’s Shelter and hygiene bags for Marana Community Food Bank.

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

There will be opportunities this fall to volunteer with Butler’s Pantry at Roadrunner Elementary School, details to come next month.

LOG Prayer Connection News July 2023

Hebrews 4:16     Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was tempted on earth, and we realize that sometimes we are weak also.  To strengthen our faith, we are called to submit prayers to our Father.  He created us and loves us.  Therefore, He listens to our prayers and holds them.  When you find yourself “in time of need”, remember you can pray to the Father and get release from your worries. 

Over time, I have found that if those thoughts come that seem to tear down my strength, if I just remember God’s love and pray about it, things are easier.  Replacing those thoughts with prayer is the way to find peace.

Please know that the Lord of Grace 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.  We strongly believe in the power of prayer and that a continual connection with our God will keep us all close to Him.