November 17, 2024
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.
FELLOWSHIP TIME Please join us in the Hillmer Center following the service today and enjoy a sweet treat and coffee or juice. Following the fellowship time we will have the adult Bible Class; we will be talking about Minor Prophets.
ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED Grace is asking for help with transportation for student at Valley Lutheran School. If you are willing to be an alternate or to take one of the other days, let the office know. It is our hope this will only be a short term as Janet is in the process of obtaining her driver’s license and buying a car. Also, if you know of anyone with a dependable car that is for sale for a reasonable price, please contact the Church office. Thank you.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Grace has 4 dedicated 2 person teams of counters (officially financial secretaries). They alternate counting each Sunday after church. We can always use more teams. If this is something of interest to you please contact Randy Eichelberger or the church office.
FROM THE BOARD OF STEWARDSHIP How quickly time flies! Here we are again into our annual holiday planning. And once again the Stewardship Board is asking for your assistance. If you know of a person or family in our congregation who is less fortunate or whom we should remember this Christmas with gift cards – please submit those names to the church office no later than Dec. 8th. Along with the request for names, we also request gift cards from Walmart/Target/Hy Vee/Fareway/Aldi’s/Casey’s or Quick Star or dollars with which the bard can purchase gift cards to be distributed. Donations can be left in the church office also by December 8th. We thank you for your generosity in Sharing the true Christmas Spirit.
SURVEY Your congregation, along with others in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, has been invited to participate in a national study of church attendance in the United States. You have an important role in ensuring that confessional Lutheranism is represented as part of the broader context of religion in America. This study is being conducted by an outside entity as part of the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) and Faith Communities Today (FACT). The LCMS has actively participated in other FACT and EPIC studies over the last twenty years and benefited from the insights their research has produced. Here is the link https://covidreligionstudy.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9GYI89a3NMOwuFw?congregation=19003 Please, if you can fill out this survey. It will be helpful in understanding where everyone is in their church and how to get more to participate.
KAYSIE STREFF FUNERAL A funeral for Kaysie is this afternoon at 2 pm here at Grace in the Sanctuary. This will be so we can say our goodbyes and remember what she brought to our congregation.
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 Sunday December 8 at 3:05 pm, 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.
A LIFE QUOTE “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity) – 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 Parents, grandparents and pew buddies – looking for a way to engage your young reader (or pre-reader) in the worship service? Select a word or common theme among the readings and hymns (or common “church words” like Jesus, Lord, amen) and encourage your child to find and circle it throughout the bulletin! Similarly, they can follow along in the hymnal or screen and make tally marks on scratch paper or in a notebook when each theme or word is used. Not only can this direct their attention to a quiet activity, but it also serves to familiarize kids with the structure of a worship service and call to mind common themes in our Christian faith. Lutheran Family Service www.LutheranFamilyService.org (515.573.3138 and LFSiowa.org)
MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE - This week the verse is:
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
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 60; Year 2 is page 119; Year 3 is page 178;
GRACE FOOD PANTRY
Anyone wishing to donate to the Grace Food Pantry, these are the top items needed:
Top Needs
shampoo/conditioner, dish soap, razors-especially ladies, 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
Thank you to all those that were able to Celebrate with Valley Lutheran School and Growing Generations on Thursday, November 7th. It was a great turn out! Thank you to the committees that put so much time and effort into making the night very special, YOU are truly appreciated!! We have raised $749,000 with a goal of $4,200,000. If you would like to learn more about giving or more about what we are using the money for, call Valley at 319-266-4565 and ask for Mr. Pahlkotter or Mrs. Scheele.
Valley Lutheran will be closed for Thanksgiving Break, November 25th through the 29th.
The Iowa Lutheran School Tuition Organization
exists to assist families who are Iowa residents who desire a K-12 Lutheran education in Iowa for their children. ILSTO would love to award more financial assistance but we need your help to do so. We are currently at 10% of our goal so please consider a donation at this time. There certainly is a great need in our LCMS schools so families can ontinue to send their children to an Iowa Lutheran Elementary/Secondary School even with the passage of the Student First Act (ESA).As you begin thoughts of end of year giving, RMD distributions, and other tax planning, please consider a donation to the Iowa Lutheran School Tuition Organization. Your donation can be cash, RMD, appreciated stock, or even grain. In addition, the benefit to you is a great tax credit of 75% on your Iowa state taxes. The 75% Iowa tax credit is the largest tax credit in Iowa and there are also added tax benefits to C-Corporations if that includes you or someone you know. All donations help whether it’s $500, $1000 or $10,000 that you would normally pay in state tax. For more information about ILSTO go online to www.iowalutheransto.com or call Dewey Torkelson at 712-260-2991.
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
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
2:00 p.m. Funeral for Kaysie Streff Sanctuary
MONDAY:
6:00 p.m. Exercise Library
WEDNESDAY:
8:30 a.m. Sewing Circle Rm 17
5:00 p.m. Confirmation Kitchen
5:15 p.m. Chancel Choir meets Music Room
THURSDAY:
9:00 a.m. Ladies Bible Study Hillmer Center
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
Check the Grace Greetings for the next Youth activity.
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.