January 19, 2025
WELCOME! We praise God for giving us the ability to worship in fellowship today! Please remember that if you wish to social distance there is room, if you want or need to wear a mask we will support you.
Please sign the registration books that are in the pews, please pass them to the next person. If you are worshipping from home and watching on Facebook please leave a comment (even if it is just Hi), it would be appreciated.
OFFERING ENVELOPES Because of a minor mix-up please contact the office with the number on your envelopes. Thank you for your help.
FELLOWSHIP TIME Please join us in the Hillmer Center following the service today and enjoy a sweet treat and coffee or juice. Bible Study will start at 10:30 am and we are studying the minor prophets.
COME ENJOY SOME DELICIOUS WAFFLES!! It's that time of the year again for the Knights of Columbus Dad's Belgian Waffle Brunch! It is today from 8:00am to 12:00pm, St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Cedar Falls. The proceeds from this brunch will go to Alternatives Pregnancy Center and Birthright. This is a good way to get out of making lunch.
FLOWER CHART is now posted in the Narthex if you are wanting to bring fresh flowers to the sanctuary. Please let me know if this is to celebrate a special occasion, remember someone, or if you just want it to God’s Glory. The cost is $37.
J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth): On Tuesday, January 21st, Valley Lutheran School as a family ministry is going to host our first monthly J.O.Y. gathering from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Multi Purpose Room (MPR). This is a great opportunity for retired seniors to come out and have fun and fellowship with Just Older Youth, like themselves, and to take a little time to prayerfully support Valley Lutheran School. Executive Director, Rev. Henry Pahlkotter, will be facilitating the afternoon event with a short devotional, games, discussion of the vision of J.O.Y. and a time to lift up the students, families and staff of Valley in prayer. It is a ministry designed for senior adults. If you know of someone…Grandparents, family and friends…who would love to participate, please invite them to come and to bring a friend. They need not be directly connected to Valley to participate! Rev. Pahlkotter started a J.O.Y. group at Peace Lutheran Church in Saginaw, Michigan, which is still highly successful today! Come and have some Christ-centered JOY with us. All seniors are invited!
MARCH FOR LIFE On Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison and other Lutherans, including a leader from your district, will attend the National March for Life in Washington, D.C. As they march for life, they stand boldly together in the public square and confess our beliefs about the sanctity of life. If you are interested in participating or more information contact the office.
CONGREGATIONAL POTLUCK The fellowship board is inviting you to bring a dish to share for a potluck dinner on Sunday January 26th at 11:30 am. This time you can pick whether you want to bring a meat dish, salad or dessert. The board will provide drinks and table service. If the weather is good and there are people interested, we might even play some games before we leave.
INVITATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS The college students of College Hill Lutheran Church & Brammer Student Center in Cedar Falls invite high school students to a weekend retreat with the LCMS U campus ministry near the University of Northern Iowa campus. This will be held January 25-26, Saturday starting at 1 pm to Sunday around noon. The high school students will get a taste of a collegiate life and learn what it means to be a Lutheran student on a secular campus. For more information check out the bulletin board or in the office. This sounds like a fun weekend.
WE HAVE GREAT NEWS, we will be hosting a Life Line Screening event on February 25. Life Line Screening is the premier provider of stroke and cardiovascular disease risk screenings since 1993. As the host of the event, Life Line Screening is extending a special offer to all of our members for a screening package that enables you to get peace of mind with early detection.
A LIFE QUOTE “No amount of scientific progress can defeat death. No political ruler can promise eternal life. Only Jesus can make and keep that promise. The promise of hope and life is ours to proclaim. It is the promise that a world without hope needs to hear. In Jesus we have hope for the future, the living hope of life in His presence forever.” Dr. Carol Geisler, Lutheran Hour Ministries – A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life • lutheransforlife.org
“Hurting from abortion? Word of Hope can help. word-of-hope.org; 888.217.8679.”
BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES Someone somewhere counted, so now we know that on average, a child smiles about four hundred times each day. Smiling - and a happy heart - are known to bring health benefits such as decreased stress hormones in your bloodstream and lower blood pressure. Smile often and enjoy the many benefits! “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.” Proverbs 15:13 Lutheran Family Service www.LutheranFamilyService.org (515.573.3138 and LFSiowa.org)
MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE - This week the verse is: Colossians 2:8–9
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
CATECHESIS – This week for those using the Catechism Study Guide you should be on the following page number according to what year you are doing.
Year 1 is page 12 Year 2 is page 71 Year 3 is page 130;
ONLINE GIVING We now have the option of online giving available on our website: www.gracewaterloo.org You will enter a secure site and can setup weekly or one time gifts to your regular giving or to special funds like the building repair fund. Giving can be setup with either a credit card or your bank account. You can create an account that will remember your information for future use. This is a very secure site so you can setup giving with confidence that your information will be safe. You can also setup giving using an app on a cell phone. Just search for Vanco in your App Store. Using this you will need to create an account with your information to allow the app to communicate with Vanco.
Grace Food Pantry
Anyone wishing to donate to the Grace Food Pantry, these are the top items needed:
Top Needs
Hair conditioner, body wash, deodorant (men & women), canned veggies (no baked beans), ramen noodles, hamburger helper, Pancake mix, syrup, stick butter, spaghetti sauce and noodles, peanut butter and 32 oz. juice. Also we are in need of empty egg cartons that are for a dozen eggs.
We can always use money too. The committee would like to thank all those who have given generously to the Grace Food Pantry!
Anyone needing assistance with the Grace Food Pantry please contact either the church office or one of the following people: Nancy McHone or Judy DePaepe. Anyone interested in helping with the food pantry please contact the office or the people listed.
VALLEY LUTHERAN UPDATE
Valley Spring Musical:
Three thousand years ago, a shepherd boy faced an overwhelming enemy on a battlefield, armed only with a sling, a staff, and a courageous faith in God. The message is still fresh: Though we may tremble in our weakness, there is no darkness that God cannot overcome.”
Performances will be Friday, March 28th @ 6:30 pm and Saturday, March 29th @ 2:00 pm and will be presented by elementary grades 3-5, middle school and high school singers, as well as some fabulous actors & actresses grades 4-12. Auditions for acting parts will be held Wednesday, January 15th, and Thursday, January 16th during both lunch periods and after school from 3:20-3:45 pm. If your student is interested in a speaking part, sign up sheets will be posted outside of the music room on Monday, January 13th. We need a big group of enthusiastic presenters for the amazing retelling story of “The Rock Slinger and His Greatest Hits!”
J.O.Y: January 21st from 1-3, Valley Lutheran School, as a family ministry, is going to host our first monthly J.O.Y. gathering for our Senior adults in the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR).
John 2:5 – “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’” What must Mary have thought when Jesus replied, “What does this have to do with Me?” But she knew this: whatever her Son said to do would be a blessing, so she knows what advice to give to the servants: Do whatever He tells you! That’s still good advice for us in every aspect of our lives — including in our generosity toward the Lord’s work in the church.
The Schedule this Week:
The following events have been planned for this week.
TODAY:
9:00 a.m. Worship Sanctuary
10:15 a.m. Fellowship Hillmer Center
10:30 a.m. Bible Hour/Sunday School Hillmer Center/upper level
MONDAY:
6:00 p.m. Exercise Library
WEDNESDAY:
8:30 a.m. Sewing Ladies Rm !7
5:00 p.m. Catechesis Kitchen
5:15 p.m. Choir practice Music Room
THURSDAY:
6:00 p.m. Exercise Library
NEXT SUNDAY:
9:00 a.m. Worship w/Holy Comm. Sanctuary
10:15 a.m. Fellowship Hillmer Center
10:30 a.m. Bible Hour/Sunday School Hillmer Center/upper level
11:30 a.m. Congregational Potluck Hillmer Center
BLACKHAWK HOCKEY TEAM has some nights that are called Faith nights. Churches, youth groups, and other groups in the church are encouraged to come those nights for $10 if we get a group of 10 people wanting to go. The dates are Friday January 31 at 7:05 pm, Saturday March 15 at 6:05 pm and Saturday April 12 at 6:05 pm. Let me know if you are interested and maybe we can get a group together.