November 2015 Letter of Grace - Grace Lutheran Churchgracelutheranraleigh.org/WP_2013/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/LOG... · Page 3 Letter of Grace November 2015 Women of the ELCA News

Letter of Grace November 2015

Grace Lutheran Church, ELCA 5010 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609 Email/newsletter: [email protected]

Tele Number: 919.787.1815 www.GraceLutheranRaleigh.org

Fax Number: 866.430.7093 www.Facebook.com/GraceLutheranRaleighNC

Our Mission:

“To seek the fullness of life in Christ for all people.”

Dr. Michael W. Frye Pastor

Caity Stratemeyer Director of Children & Youth

Jan Decker Admin. Assistant

Janice Peery Organist/Accompanist

Ann Goldfinch Adult Choir Director

Covenant Choir Director Cherub Choir Director

Lynn Hess The School of Grace Director

From the Pastor ...

The year that I entered the ninth grade (it was still Junior High School then), the

band director called me into his office. That usually is not the best thing for a mu-

sician, but this happened to be quite a pleasant surprise. I played the trombone,

and the high school band was several trombone players short that year. Mr.

Turner was the director for both bands, which practiced on the same campus.

“Michael, how would you like to play for the high school marching band?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I vividly remembered Mr. Turner’s sending

me back to the fifth grade band when I was in the sixth grade because he felt that I

wasn’t taking my playing seriously enough. Now he is asking me to join the “big

band,” the band that every musician in Kannapolis wanted to be part of. I finally

got out the words, “Would I? You bet I would.” He laughed and said, “Fine, I’ll

see you on the football field for practice tomorrow evening.”Well, that was a

problem. My father worked two jobs, one at night; my mother had never learned

to drive; I lived three miles away, and there was no way I was going to get my

trombone to practice on my bike. So, I walked back and forth to marching band

practice with my trombone week after week.

When it came time for the first game, I donned my green and white uniform, put

on my tall hat with white plume and set off for the game. The weather hadn’t yet

turned cool, so by the time I got a mile down the road in that winter weight uni-

form, I was really feeling the stress and the strain. Suddenly a car pulled over, and

a couple I had never met offered me a ride to the stadium: “Can we give you a

lift?” What a relief! After that, the same thing happened game after game with dif-

ferent people so that I never had to walk the full way to the stadium under the full

weight of my uniform and trombone. I would like to think that it was that I was so

impressive in my uniform that people were compelled to stop, but that wasn’t it at

all. The A. L. Brown High School Band was the community’s pride and joy; peo-

ple had ownership in that band and the school. I later learned that I wasn’t the only

one who benefitted from such generosity on game night, and our benefactors al-

ways made it clear that they would be there to cheer us and our team on. That, of

course is what we think of when we speak about “team spirit.”

It is a “team spirit”, of sorts, that exists in church families, as well. Without team

spirit, we would find that little could get done in the way of congregational minis-

try and support. Our worship team relies on volunteer ushers, greeters, acolytes,

(Cont’d on page 2) lectors, choir members, altar

guild members.

Page 2 Letter of Grace November 2015

From the Pastor (Cont’d from page 1) crucifers, worship assistants and Our education team relies on volunteers as teachers and assistants, parents who

are committed to getting their children to Sunday School, and adult members who take their own education

seriously. Our share team is dependent upon volunteers to provide care to those in need in our community

through North Raleigh Ministries, PLM Families together, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, The Helen

Wright Center, and more. The unchurched and those seeking church homes depend upon the invitation of our

members who offer a warm welcome and provide opportunities for them to become involved in congregational

and community ministry. Members in crisis depend upon their church family to offer prayers, personal sup-

port, and encouragement.

It is so important that we are aware of one another’s needs and concerns, and that we are there for one another.

Thank you for noticing when someone could use your help or a kind word; and thank you for responding posi-

tively whenever you see that you just might make a difference in someone else’s life by giving them “the lift”

that they need.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Michael

Happy November! We celebrate all that October had to offer us, despite a ton of rain! Unfortunately, our trip to Vollmer Farms was cancelled due to the weather. However, we had a ton of fun during our youth trip to the Green Acres Corn Maze followed by our lock-in at Grace! Looking ahead, we will continue collecting food to help North Raleigh Ministries complete their Thanksgiv-ing Baskets until November 8th. Suggested donations include canned cranberry sauce, canned green beans, canned yams, boxes of instant mashed potatoes, gravy mix packets, graham cracker or regular pie crusts, canned fruit, evaporated milk, oil, corn bread mix, boxes of stuffing, chicken broth, two and a half pound bags of sugar or flour, and cream of chicken or mushroom soup. Drop donations off on the table in the narthex. Thank you for your support and all the donations you have already provided! All families with young children are invited to join us for our second fellowship event of the year. We will gather at Jumpin’ Jo-Jos (7500 Ramble Way) on November 7th at 10 AM to play on their giant, indoor, inflatable playground. If you were at the Waddell’s home for our BBQ in July, you know how much fun we will have. Spread the word! We look forward to our trip to the NC Synod event YouthQuake at Holy Trinity on November 14th. Current third through fifth graders will experience fun, music, games, prayer, and pizza amongst the fellowship of other third, fourth, and fifth grade Lu-therans from across the NC Synod! All students grades 6-12 are invited to join us for an outing to see the latest Hunger Games movie on November 21st. Stay tuned for time details once showtimes are released. High school youth group continues every Wednesday night from 6:45-8:00 PM. Anyone grades 9-12 is invited to gather for fel-lowship, games, service, music, and study. Come out to St. Philip Lutheran Church (7304 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC) to see what it’s all about! Sunday school classes continue every Sunday for all ages from pre-K through adult. The nursery is also open for younger chil-dren. Choir continues every Wednesday night as well. Cherub choir (preschool age) meets from 6:00-6:30 PM, Covenant choir (K-5) meets from 6:30-7:00 PM, and the adult choir meets at 7 PM. As always, feel free to come and see me, contact me by phone at (443) 797-2891, or contact me by e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or just want to chat. Blessings, Caity Stratemeyer Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries

Page 3 Letter of Grace November 2015

Women of the ELCA News

Dear Sisters in Christ,

October was the month we were planning to assemble Health Kits for Lutheran World Relief, and we were primed for action. We had a lovely luncheon with the Amazing Graces, brown bag being the menu du jour, and a triple chocolate cake being the dessert, provided by a member of both AG and WELCA. Fortified by this delicious decadence, we filed into the conference room, where the odor of soap filled our nostrils. There was a lot of soap. Fortunately, there is always a place in our ministries for extra soap, as well as extra toothbrushes and combs. As the supplies were taking up so much

room on the conference room tables, we decided to assemble the kits first, before any more equipment could be added and lost forever. We really are good at this: in half an hour we had put together 25 or so health kits, and were only limited by the amount of bath towels we had had donated to us. I don’t know what the final count was, due to the fact that the ladies in charge very often decide to purchase extra towels to make more kits, and I don’t know if this was done. But after it was all over and everything was restored to order, we looked at our watches and said, ”It’s only been half an hour! We are good!” Thanks, to all of you who donated supplies and to all of you who showed up to work.

Next meeting, in November, we are going to plan our Christmas Party, as well as a few other things. This year we are quite excited about it. We are going to ask one of our Grace parishioners, who runs a catering business, if she would put together a nice luncheon for us. A suggested price level for the meal was $8.00, which doesn’t sound too bad, and we are hoping the Amazing Graces will join us to celebrate the season. We are thinking of changing the theme of the Christmas Baskets for Shut-ins, too, but that decision will have to wait until we get together again with additional information. Any suggestions from you all will be welcomed. Our December meeting has traditionally been held in conjunction with a pot-luck dinner and gift exchange opportunity, as well as our Christmas card distribution. I am sure we will retain the best parts of the old party while we plan the new one. What fun! More next month!

Our Bible Study was on the theme of, “Make haste, O Lord!” This theme can be found, among other places, in the 31st psalm, verse 15. We pray and expect answers, which do not always come quickly. The study shows that God answers but in His own time, and when He thinks the time is right. Meanwhile, we are to use the time creatively, for the time is always right to do right, and God is always with us while we wait. Comforting thoughts, aren’t they?

Helen Hauser will obtain more information about a WELCA conference in Charlotte coming up in January, featuring Becca Ste-vens as a speaker. Watch for this information to appear on the WELCA bulletin board, and I hope to have it for publication in this space in December. Helen plans to attend, and would welcome your company.

We still are maintaining our two-time meeting schedule, although only two members of WELCA showed up for the evening meeting. I don’t know how much longer we will do this, as it is somewhat of a hardship on our leaders. Please plan to join us at one time or the other. We have a good time!

— submitted by Jean Gerald

Building Independence Project Information

— Call for Volunteers for Habitat Build —

Please signup, you’ll be glad you did!

The Building Independence Project is about to begin! Be a part of something special. This project is building affordable housing for 9 low-income adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Construction is scheduled on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in 8 separate weeks beginning November 19 and ending February 13, 2016. Area Lutheran churches are providing volunteers for this build. Your help is needed as volunteer to com-plete the three housing units by February 13.

Sign-up link: http://vhub.at/lakewheeler — There is a link on the Grace website. Simply connect to the site, register as a vol-unteer, and select those dates that you are willing to volunteer. Please note that volunteering is NOT restricted to men.

Site address is 2610 Lake Wheeler Rd Raleigh 27603

For questions please contact Wayne Cornelius or Vic Lebsock

The Building Independence Project budget is $459,174. The Project partners Lutheran Services Carolinas, The Serving Cup and Habitat Wake are collaborating to raise funds. Thrivent Financial is providing $76,529 and area Lutheran churches are raising $76,529+. Grace has committed to provide $7,500 toward the financial goal to complete these needed houses. Current-ly $5,200 has been received toward the goal.

Page 4 Letter of Grace November 2015

“HEADING HOME” CAMPAIGN – HELP US END HOMELESSNESS FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES This holiday season, we ask you to consider the phrase “I’M HEADING HOME!” You might use it casually all the time. But what if you didn’t have a home? What if your children were looking up at you asking, “Where are we sleeping tonight”? At PLM Families Together, our goal between now and

the end of the year is to raise $50,000 to help families who are living in shelters, in motels or in cars know the joy of “heading home.” Did you know there are approximately 4,000 children who experience homelessness each year in Wake County? To-gether we can take steps to change that.

To help our campaign succeed, The Stewards Fund has pledged a $19,000 all-or-nothing challenge match. So if you’re a cur-rent supporter who wants to give more, a new donor, or we haven’t heard from you in at least 18 months, your gift can be dou-bled. Your “Heading Home” donation will be used to help a family return to an affordable home of their own, and will support our long-term work with them. [Please visit our website to give (www.plmft.org), or reach us by mail at PLM Families Together, P.O. Box 14395, Raleigh, NC 27620.] Questions? Email [email protected] or 919-212-1123 ext. 231. We are sincerely grateful for any help you are able to provide.

Holiday Smiles – thank you! Thank you to the churches and individuals who’ve offered to help one or more families in our program with presents for the Christmas holiday. We are overwhelmed with your generosity.

Share and help us get the word out Do you use Instagram? Connect with us (PLMFT). You’ll also find regular updates on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/

PLMFT), and on Twitter (@PLMFT).

Grace Family,

Thank you, so much, for your cards and gifts commemorating Pastor’s (and wife’s) apprecia-

tion month! We were totally taken by surprise, at the 8:15 AM service, and we assumed that there

would be a mention of that presentation at 11:00 AM, as well. But, we were surprised, again, by the

singing of a hymn and a special blessing. We feel very fortunate to be among such loving and caring

people. Again, Thank you! — Pastor Michael and Judy

Dear friends,

Thank you for all the cards, phone calls and get-well messages during my recovery from back surgery. The many

meals delivered to Mike and myself were delicious and greatly appreciated. They certainly helped with making the first weeks

post-op much easier. Most of all, thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for me as I move forward in my recov-

ery. — Janice Peery

www.agapekurebeach.org

919.552.9421 [email protected] ACE Ed Hike-a-thon & Basket Raffle — November 7 — Camp Agapé Hiking, food, fun, and fellowship! Come out to Camp Agapé for a morning hike in God’s woods and help raise money for the Agapé Center for Environmental Education program. Enjoy a cup of hot coffee or cocoa

and browse the contents of our bountiful raffle baskets. Bring your family, friends or youth group! It will be a fun day for every-one!! For more info or to register, contact Mir at 919.552.9421 or at [email protected] .

O’ HOLY NIGHT — December 18 & 19 — Two shows each evening — Camp Agapé Looking for a unique way to celebrate Christmas this year? How about under the stars at Camp Agapé? Enjoy the story of Christ’s birth camp style! There will be Christmas carols, delicious food and a lovely starlit stroll around the pond. Shows fill quickly; contact the office at [email protected] to register soon.

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary oppor-

tunities into blessings.

—William Arthur Ward

Page 5 November 2015

We Believe in Prayer Prayers the past month

For praise and thanksgiving…

Elizabeth Eaton, ELCA Presiding Bishop, Tim Smith, our Synod

Bishop, for Pr. Michael, and for all pastors, teachers, and leaders in

the church

The ministries of this congregation, The School of Grace, PLM-Families Together, North

Raleigh Ministries, Helen Wright Center, Meals on Wheels, Food Bank, Kairos Outside,

Alliance Medical Ministries, Urban Ministries, Open Door Clinic, Joy of Discovery Luther-

an Church, The Universal Church, the Universal Christian Church of Haiti

The President, Congress and Supreme Court of the United States

Leaders of all nations, especially those entrusted with finding a lasting peace in the Middle

East

Those in our military and government service (especially Gabbi Althouse-Hicks, Alex Berry,

Griffin Burns, Michael Hicks, Cameron Krueger, Tom Lennon, Jr., Lauren & Dan Lewis,

James Marquardt, Brian Miller, Bridget O’Neill, Jamie Thomas, Tuanzo Verbal, Bryan

Wulff)

For people around the world in need…

Victims and families of those involved in terrorists attacks

Our neighbors who aren’t sure where their next meal will come from

Peace in the Middle East

For our homebound members…

Alice Lewis (4005 English Laurel Lane, Raleigh, NC 27612)

For illness, surgeries or injuries... (Members)

Pat Brown Lyman Howe George Richards Christine Camp Roy Krueger Logan Rodberg B.J. Christian Deanna Loesch John Russ Carol DeRupa Drew Linton Donna Sanders Steve Dieckhaus Darrell McNeill Gus Stefureac Michelle Freeman Valerie Mulvaney Sarah Wilson Emily Gassmann Joan Otto Ron & Joann Zechman Ray Gerald Janice Peery Mike Zumhagen Suzanne Hagen Lorrie Rhea

For illness, surgeries or injuries… (Family/Friends of Members) Nancy Aukamp Carol Richard’s sister

Melissa Brown Carole Urbanski’s daughter

Brotherton Family Tommy & Barbara Oates’ friends

Linda Hamlett Joe & Lorrie Rhea’s daughter

Laurin Long Barbara Stanford’s cousin

Larry Long Barbara Stanford’s brother

Stan Munson Barbara Rodberg’s brother

Ruby Porter Elizabeth Seabrook’s friend

Heather Rodriguez Becky Keithly’s friend

Jay Samuels Laura LeBlanc’s father

Lauren Seitz Joanne Keithly’s friend

Patty Straub Wilma Tannler & Suzette Duchene’s friend

Dave Sumner Carol Richards’ brother-in-law

Nancy Tombaugh Lauren Tombaugh’s mother-in-law

Don Wagner Wilma Tannler’s brother

Dick Wulff John Wulff’s brother

For families of…

Dean Brock Member of Grace

Bill Carlin Brian LeBlanc’s co-worker’s father-in-law

Letter of Grace

Grace Lutheran Church

Leadership

Congregational Officers

President

Al Mulnick

Vice President

Waylon Iddings

Secretary

Becky Smith

Treasurer

Barbara Rodberg

Financial Secretary

Jeff Wyatt

Our Mission:

“To seek the fullness

of life in Christ for

all people.”

As we

Celebrate

Becky Smith (Council)

Stephanie Cleary (Council)

Donna Sanders (Congregation)

Equip

Gray Handlon (Council)

Marika Yeh (Council)

Brian LeBlanc (Congregation)

Tim Chartrand (Congregation)

Brittany Notch (Congregation)

Connect

Waylon Iddings (Council)

Denny Murphy (Council)

Darrell McNeill (Congregation)

Invite

Al Mulnick (Council)

Matt Waddell (Council)

Lauren Ingall (Congregation)

Barbara Irene (Congregation)

Amy Koppen (Congregation)

Share

Charles Breeding (Council)

Michael Stanford (Council)

John Hefner (Congregation)

Pete Hauser (Congregation)

Susan Hatch (Congregation)

Year Round

Operational Groups

Finance

Barbara Rodberg (Council)

Sharon Herrmann, chair

Property

Barbara Irene, chair

Constitution

Brian LeBlanc, chair

November 2015

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 5010 SIX FORKS ROAD RALEIGH, NC 27609

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED DATED MATERIAL

NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 707

RALEIGH, NC

Canned Cranberry Sauce Corn Bread Mix Canned Green Beans Pie Crust (graham or regular) Canned Fruit Evaporated Milk Canned Yams Oil or Pam Box/Bag Stuffing 2.5 pound bag of Sugar or Flour Box of Instant Mashed Potatoes Cream of Chicken/Mushroom Soup Packets of Gravy Mix Chicken Broth

Bring donations starting October 1st until November 8th

See Caity Stratemeyer if you have questions!

Suggested Donations for North Raleigh Ministries Thanksgiving

Dinner Baskets