Family & Youth Ministries At Lord Of Grace

We're forming a new focused ministry area at Lord of Grace called Family & Youth Ministries. If you've been waiting or hoping for more programming in this area, here's your invitation to join in making a difference.

Two ways to serve:
1)  Join the Family & Youth Advocate Team - this team will meet together 4 times a year to evaluate how we're doing and consider ways we can do an even better job reaching out and serving families and youth. This team cares about details, safety, policies, and ministry excellence too. Help develop a long-term strategy to keep kids & families connected to the church for life.

2) Join the Family & Youth Action Team. If the thought of sitting through another meeting leaves you a little queasy, join our Action Team. This team is more boots on the ground in coming up with ideas and making them happen. Serve around your schedule with ideas that you're excited about. We'll meet as needed over text, coffee, or while we're doing what we're doing.

So, which one seems like a fit for you? Email or text Laurie at laurieacker@gmail.com or 520.370.7106 to learn more.

Outreach December 2023

OUTREACH Ministry – December 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 pasta, mac ‘n cheese, jelly, peanut butter, canned tuna/chicken, beans, canned veggies, soups, and cereal.

Let’s show our thanks and share God’s love by re-stocking their shelves after Thanksgiving.

Donated food can be place in the wooden cabinet located in the Narthex.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that has 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 Activities

Thanksgiving Boxes – Roadrunner Elementary

Thank you for all of the donations to support our Thanksgiving Boxes and a special thank you to the Preschool. Roadrunner Elementary families appreciate your help!

Ongoing Activities

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

We have sign-up sheets to volunteer at the Butler’s Pantry for December on the bulletin board in the hallway before you go into the Fellowship Hall. Also, a reminder that we need cereal and canned meat, for example, beef stew, canned chicken, and tuna. The donation basket is in the hallway near the fellowship hall. Any questions, contact Phyllis Teager or Carol Buuck.

Upcoming Events:                  

Adopt a Child – Roadrunner Elementary

We have the Christmas tree up for Adopt a Family. Last we checked there were only 3 tags left on the tree! The gifts will need to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 10th.  Roadrunner has asked us not to wrap the gifts, but instead to consider donating wrapping paper and tape so that the parents can wrap the gifts themselves. We are also collecting food to provide holidays meals for the families. The food donations are also due back by December 10th. Thank you for your help!

Lutheran World Relief – Baby Care Packs

We plan on holding a drive in the new year for baby care packs to send to Lutheran World Relief. In 2022, they provided baby care packs to Angola, Burkina Faso, Guatemala, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Poland, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Ukraine. More information to come.

Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children will be coming up at the beginning of February, dates have not been set yet. The sign-up sheet will be available by December 31st. Stay tuned for information about this wonderful event.

Sister José Women’s Center

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

Prayer Connection December 2023

December Prayer Connection

‘Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.’ Isaiah 40:31 NASB

My husband and I are preparing our home to welcome our son, his wife, and our infant grandson for an early Christmas. We are excited to decorate the house, set up the tree, and borrow a port-a-crib for the baby! In the midst of this preparation and the holiday season I am finding myself dealing with a long time health challenge causing need for immediate rest anytime of the day or evening! I’ve dealt with this before occasionally but now it seems to be every day! The scripture above tells us that in our time of waiting we can renew our strength. Through daily prayer and quiet time I can place my faith in Jesus to renew my strength. Prayer does make a difference! For me it can change my attitude, release me from anxiety, and strengthen my faith.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for coming down to Earth to be ‘God in us’. May we sit with you this Advent season to feel your presence and renew our strength. Let us remember that YOU are the reason for the season! In your precious name we pray, Amen

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.

Clean-Up Day - Dec. 2 2023

Cleaning Day

List of cleaning needing to be done.

1. Trim bushes/trees around entire property. Includes trying to get all the dead branches and mistletoe out.

2. Cut down the small dead tree in parking lot island.

3. Cleanup up the patio area and entrances (sweep up, blowoff or suck up the leaves and cobwebs; sweep/blowoff rocks in patio)

4. Put up the big Christmas sign at corner of Cortaro and Ina (requires installation of pvc pipe, ropes, and stakes). Put small Christmas sign on existing sing on entry to parking lot.

5. Sweep up floor in the electrical room.

6. Cleanup the storage room. a) Tools need to be put back in the correct labelled tool box drawers, b) determine what paint is no longer needed and throw it out. (for example the old sanctuary wall paint is no longer needed as we changed colors? Another example is paint that is no longer usable. However, need to identified the paint color and where it is used and document it, so can get replacement if needed later.) recommend Sam do this. c) if possible move the communion rails and spare cushions currently stored in electrical and storage room to alternate location d) move spare exit sign parts to alternate location. e) update light list in property book to include what we have where and do inventory of what we have in storage room. Get rid of spare bulbs we no longer need. f) determine if need the remaining dvd/ vcrs. if not take to Best Buy for free recycling. more????

7. Cleanup and clean out the shed. Need assistance to determine what can go and what has to stay for various other groups.

8. Wash outside windows. ????

9. Clean ventilation louvers and exhaust fan suction louvers??

Confirmation Classes - 2023-2024

Now that Pastor Lars is back in town we have the schedule for the remaining confirmation classes for the 2023-2024 school year. All sessions are 5:30pm-7:30pm on Sunday nights in the fellowship hall. Contact Pastor Lars if you’re interested or would like to know more.

December 10

January 21

January 28

February 18

February 25

March 10

March 24

April 21

April 28

Prayer Connection November 2023

Matthew 6:33-34

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,   and all these things will be given to you as well. 

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.   Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Being a morning person, I tend to launch into the day with this and that.  Seems all the little chores and list items get in the way of starting off in a centered way.  If we can begin a day with being grateful to God for what he has done for us, the worries of the day seem not as important.  We can pray to Jesus to help with those immediate concerns which demand our attention. 

Sometimes in the evening,  if the troubles of the day or worries about what will come tomorrow come to mind,  I just say a few prayers to my Lord and the troubles fade away.  

“Father, thank You for your invitation to give up anxiety and embrace the abundant provision You offer me each day. “

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. 

Outreach News November 2023

Marana Community Food Bank

The Marana Resource Center would like to request that we collect stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, soups, canned chicken or tuna, ready-to-eat canned meals, and the ever popular peanut butter & jelly.

Let’s show our thanks and share God’s love by giving our neighbors a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Donated food can be place 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.

Ongoing Activities

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

We have sign-up sheets to volunteer at the Butler’s Pantry for November and December on the bulletin board in the hallway before you go into the Fellowship Hall. We also need plastic hangers, children’s socks, and canned meat, for example, beef stew, canned chicken, and tuna. The donation basket is in the hallway near the fellowship hall.

Upcoming Events

Thanksgiving Boxes – Roadrunner Elementary

We will need help sorting food that was donated and assembling boxes on Friday, November 3rd starting at 3pm. We will also need help packing the boxes on Saturday November 4th starting at 9am. Thank you! Any questions contact Carol Buuck.

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. The gifts will need to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 10th.  

Lutheran World Relief – Baby Care Packs

We plan on holding a drive in the new year for baby care packs to send to Lutheran World Relief. In 2022, they provided baby care packs to Angola, Burkina Faso, Guatemala, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Poland, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Ukraine. More information to come.

Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children will be coming up at the beginning of February, dates have not been set yet. The sign-up sheet will be available by December 31st. Stay tuned for information about this wonderful event.

Sister José Women’s Center

For the past several years, as part of God’s Work, Our Hands and Rally Day, one of our service projects has been to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for women who receive services at Sister José Women’s Center https://sisterjose.org/. I attended a tour this past week to see their Center and find out more about the services they provide. They offer two programs, the Overnight Program and the Day Program. The Overnight Program provides 42 beds where women can safely sleep. They are provided with 3 meals, showers, and a place to do their laundry. The Day Program provides guests with breakfast and lunch, showers, clothing, and a place to do their laundry. Both programs provide women with case management to help them access a variety of services, including housing and employment. One area that we could help them with is to volunteer to cook their evening meal. Outreach will provide additional information on this new opportunity in the new year. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.

Pastor's Column - November 2023

It’s good to be back. And I really do mean that. I enjoyed the sabbatical immensely, and I will say another “thank you” to everyone who got it set up – the sabbatical team – as well as everyone who stepped up to cover for me while I was gone. I know you were in good hands with Pastor Dew.

It was, of course, a wonderfully relaxing time. I feel detoxed, now, from the stresses of the last few years, and am ready to look at new things. While some people would do one thing on sabbatical – say, meditate at a Scottish monastery for three months – I couldn’t do that. I was busy, but none of it was church work. Moving is enjoyable to me, and reduces stress.

In case you’re wondering what all I did, here’s the recap again:

Took the boys to Show Low for a week. Saw the Renaissance Faire there, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, and some of the lakes and woods around.

Flew to Michigan for a Hammar family reunion. Caught up with my sister and all sorts of Hammars I hadn’t seen in a while (or ever).

My old apartment in Sweden - the first floor to the right of the door.

Flew to Sweden for two week, just me and Kristie. We landed in Stockholm, went north to Uppsala and Gävle, where Kristie was an exchange student. Saw her old high school and her host family. Then went to Dalarna for a day (where they make the orange horses), and down to Kalmar where I lived for two years. I got to see the old apartment building, the old church, and the castle I used to bike to as a kid. Went back to Stockholm and home. Did everything by train, bus, and foot.

Got the boys (the two youngest) on the bus for the first day of school.

Kristie and me on Grand Mesa

Jumped in the 4Runner and went to Colorado. Originally, we were going to camp Colorado and Utah, but when we saw the temperatures in Utah, decided to stay in the elevation. Our first stop was to Colorado Springs to visit Kristie’s mom in a nursing home. We then camped in state parks for three weeks (with a few hotel nights to cleanup), and came back home in time to bring Karl up to NAU.

I stayed home for a few days, then, watching the boys while Kristie had to go back to Colorado Springs when her mom was dying. She passed on September 1st.

Then I took off to Mesa Verde National Park for four days, before driving back to Colorado Springs to meet up with the family for Kristie’s mom’s funeral on September 15th. From there I took the 4Runner and my two bikes and headed to the family cabin in northern Minnesota.

Got to try out some kayaking this fall. The lakes were mostly quiet, as it was after Labor Day and all the weekend warriors and jet skiers had gone home.

All in all I got to spend a lot of time outdoors, in woods and parks, places I find a lot of peace. Minus taking care of Kristie’s mom, most things went as planned.

I took a ton of pictures, of course, and am busy uploading them to my account on flickr.com. When that’s done, I’ll give you links to the particular albums with sabbatical pictures, and do a couple forums on a Sunday with a super-abbreviated slide show.

Of course, it was a huge joy to see the sanctuary renovations finished. I really had planned to have them almost done before I left. Things came up, of course, that weren’t predicted, delaying everything. A big thank you to everyone who managed that – especially Sam Lyth who was the project manager – and to everyone for their patience in worshiping in the fellowship hall and moving chairs, and to everyone for your generosity in the capital campaign that made it all happen.

We still have some finishing work to do. The mural on the back wall is undone. I’m working on lining up the artist. We have some things to build – kneelers, banner poles, music stand etc. – that should get made in the next few months. The big dragon to slay at this point is the audio system.

The sanctuary is 21 years old now, and changes have been made in several waves over the years. Most of the time, the solution was to keep adding more cables to more mics and more boards and more speakers. This has left us with a jungle of cables under the front altar area, many of which are unused. In addition, the mass is picking up electrical interference from lights and power cables, and a lot of National Public Radio. The solution, in the short run, was to re-route the speakers and cut out the line from the band to the computer. This stopped the awful buzzing sound, but it means no sound from any instruments goes directly to the computer to go online. The podium and pastor’s mics, however, go straight to the back, so they’re unaffected. What we’ve been doing is putting portable mics in front of the instruments to pick up the sound through the air. Not a great fix, but it at least allows people online to hear. This is why we had a couple weeks of really weak musical audio.

The solution is probably going to involve a laborious cleansing and inventorying of cables and wires, followed by some re-stringing. Our techies have been hard at work, but it could take a bit to fix 20 years of accumulated cable. Thanks for your patience.

But these are just the fine tunings of a big project. The carpet looks wonderful. The lights are bright. The band and choir sit up and can be heard so much better. The shortened pews give us more reasonable seating capacity and flexibility. It all turned out about as well as planned.

Now I move on to things in the future. I’ll be catching up with people, making visits, and planning Advent and Christmas (we have to be early in the office with these things). We have a new strategic plan to start implementing, and a new member class coming up this month. Things keep moving, our church keeps moving, and the Spirit keeps moving.

Pastor Lars

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