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Volume 71, Number 5 May 2019

Grace Notes

Shane Koepke Lead Pastor

Jennifer Gonsalves Associate Pastor

Office Hours 8:30 am―5:00 pm

Mon, Wed―Fri 8:30 am―12:00 pm

Tue 507-373-6496

Worship Services

Sunday Morning 9:00 am and 11:00 am

Wednesday Evening 5:30 pm

Sunday School/ Confirmation

Age 4 through Adult Sunday Morning 10:05 am September through May

GRACE NOTES

is published monthly by Grace Lutheran Church

918 Garfield Avenue Albert Lea, MN 56007

www.gracealbertlea.org

www.facebook.com/

GraceAlbertLea

Grace Lutheran

Mission Statement:

Bringing People

Together and

Becoming Disciples for

Christ!

WELCOME

Spring!

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Pastor Shane Koepke Lead Pastor pastorshane@gracealbertlea.org

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4.13

Hi all, PShane here. This summer marks the ap-proach of my third year here at Grace. For some the pastor has seasons with the congregation. For some they say the first year is the honeymoon where everyone gets along. The second year gives way to criticism on both sides, where the newness wears off and the shine fades a bit. The third year, they say, the real work begins. Fruitful work where God is made the center, we let go of our individual particularities and own up to the fact that we are the church together. “Together,” what a wonderful word. My first three years at Grace have had glimpses of the stereotype I mentioned above, but overall I’ve been focused on listening to you, serv-ing you and in turn, I’ve seen the same in you, in the newness of a project and in addressing the cracks in the process of ministry together.

A wise uncle once told me to find a job that you like to go to every day. Thanks for letting me be your pastor, serving God by serving you, able to know that we can do all things through Christ.

Peace to you as we journey together. PShane

PASTORAL CARE To assist Pastor Shane and Pastor Jennifer in providing pastoral care for those hospitalized or homebound, please notify them of pending surger-ies, overnight hospital stays, or individuals who would like a home visit. Hospital personnel do not always notify our church of our members who are in the hospital.

The Pastor’s Pen

PASTORAL ACTS

FUNERAL

Larry Pearson Jean Severson

Albert Lea Art Center Presents:

Pastor Shane Koepke

on

ART AND

FAITH

May 16th

at 7:00 pm

Albert Lea Art Center

101 South Broadway,

Albert Lea, MN

A KEY INGREDIENT In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together and the music that brings harmony. —Eva Burrows

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Pastor Jennifer Gonsalves, Associate Pastor Associatepastor@gracealbertlea.org

Empty. The tomb was empty. Alleluia! What? Even though the

empty tomb is so central to our faith, it can still feel weird to celebrate emptiness. Empty isn’t usually a word we associate with good things. If you enter a room expecting people only to find it empty, you become concerned. An empty box is a disappoint-ment and an empty present feels like a cruel prank. When we described our own selves as empty, it means that we are tired, burned out and we need time to recharge and renew. Things, people, places aren’t supposed to be empty. Even Easter eggs are supposed to be full of candy or coins or a small little toy. Finding something empty when you expected to find something there is almost always bad news.

But on Easter, finding the tomb empty is what we celebrate and remember about this day.

We remember how Jesus’ female disciples, who stood at the foot of the cross and watched Jesus die, came to the tomb to honor and care for his body only to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. We remember the words of the angels who appeared and said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has ris-en.” And we remember how Christ’s resurrection means that we do not have to fear death or the grave for we trust that there will be a day when our grave will also be an empty one.

So during this Easter season, my hope is that when you find something empty that you expected to be full, that instead of being disappointed, that you will remember the Easter story and the good news that an empty tomb brings.

The Associate Pastor’s Corner

May 5th

Following the 9:00 am worship service

Join us for

Celebration Sunday!

Join us as we celebrate our CYF (Children, Youth & Family) volunteers, our summer programs and one another.

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Deacon Robert Tewes, Director of Worship and Music music@gracealbertlea.org

As I began writing this month’s article, I became aware of the fire

engulfing the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Par-is. My writing was interrupted, and I sat staring in disbelief at the images of fire destroying a centuries-old landmark. I joined with Parisians in gasping as the mighty spire plummeted into the crumbling trusses. Thankfully, by day’s end, the flames were extinguished and the two towers remained intact. Also preserved, miraculously, were relics from the Middle Ages, invaluable art, and the centuries-old pipe organs which have led the people’s song since the Middle Ages.

This tragic fire occurred on Monday in Holy Week, the time of the year when the church pauses to re-flect on the gift that is ours through the tragic death of Jesus. In the Holy Week story, the faithful follow-ers of Jesus stood awestruck, emotionally empty, but gathered together to try and make sense of the loss, to ponder what the next steps would be to search for hope in emptiness. So, too, did the Pa-risians as they watched their beloved cathedral burn. They gathered en masse outside its burning walls and raised up hymns together searching for meaning and hope when all seemed lost.

We know the outcome of the Holy Week story. Hope did survive. Life was restored to Jesus!

In the days after the Notre Dame fire, generous contributors immediately stepped forward pledging major amounts of money to fund the cathedral’s renovation and restoration. Assessments as to what was lost, what was repairable, and what was left intact were made. And in the spirit of determina-tion, the people of France and the world have pledged to restore that holy building to its former grandeur.

Hear the promise of Easter in this story. When all is lost, when all seems destroyed, God is at work heal-ing, restoring and bringing people together, giving life to the lifeless! May the promise of new life bring you comfort and assurance in this holy season.

SEEKING SPECIAL MUSICAL TALENT FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS As the summer season be-gins and our regular ensem-bles take a break for a few months, volunteers who would like to participate by sharing their musical talents in our services are once again needed. If you or a family member would like to share your talent this sum-mer, please either contact Robert Tewes or leave a note in the church office. We look forward to the vari-ety of gifts that each of you can share this summer.

Musings

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Ashley Kuhlman, Youth Director youth@gracealbertlea.org

Thank you to everyone that helped or came to our Easter Breakfast

this year! A huge shout out to The Brue Family, Tom Nelson & Mrs. Gerry’s for your support. Our youth have successfully raised the funds to go to Colorado this summer. Please pray for us these upcoming months as we prepare for our journey.

Summer is approaching fast, but here are some important dates for the end of the school year & summer events at Grace:

May 5: Celebration Sunday May 12: Baccalaureate June 5: 7th–12th Grade Valleyfair Trip June 9-14: Confirmation Camp July 5-13: Colorado Mission Trip August 5-9: Vacation Bible School & Local Mission Trip Week

Celebration Sunday will take place on May 5th from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Join us as we celebrate our CYF (Children, Youth & Family) volunteers, our summer programs and one another. We will have treats and outdoor games, including Gaga Ball.

Thank you to our volunteers who have helped with our Children, Youth & Family Ministry this school year. A special shout out to those who put in time helping with our Sunday School programming, Con-firmation, VBS, youth events, Halloween and more including: Stacy Adams, Tracey Ball, Bill & Sue Barber, Brandy Boettcher, Joann Bracker, Nick & Jessica Bremer, Dale & Paula Buendorf, Sheila Calderon, Mindy Carlson, Kate Dahl, Kathy Diaz, Pastor Joel & Pembie Erickson, Becky Freden, Kay Goodmanson, Julie Groeneweg, Tammy & Mark Grossklaus, Brenda Herr, Makenzie Herr, Angela & Alex Johnston, Sandra Jimenez, Brian & Randi Kelly, Riley Kelly, Matt & Tina Kermes, Sarah

Kocher, Janelle Koepke, Leah Larson, Kris Lee, Danette Meyer, Delany Meyer, Matt & Angela Moller, Maggie Moller, Jim Munyer, Angela & Tom Nelson, Nikki & Mike Olsen, Rita Olsen, Sandy Pe-terson, Lexus Saltou, Mercedes Saltou, Sherry Seberson, Hazel Spiering, Sarah Stay, Cole & Ni-cole Thompson, Steve & Julia Thompson, Becky

Tennis Hanson, Steve & Chris Vogt, & Jen Zoller.

Valley Fair Trip Grace Lutheran & First Lutheran are teaming up to take a trip to Valley Fair on June 5th from 8:00am – 10:00pm. This is open to 7th – 12th graders and cost $20/per person including tick-et and transportation. If you are interested, please contact Ashley or sign up by June 2nd. We are also looking for chaperones for this event!

Grace Children, Youth and Family Ministry

Sunday, May 12th

11:00 am worship service

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Lori Tuchtenhagen, Parish Nurse parishnurse@gracealbertlea.org

Greetings friends of Grace Lutheran. Reading the newspaper or listening to the daily news can often be dis-

couraging, stress producing, and cause us to feel hopeless. We are bombarded with negative events, sad stories, and much violence. We ask ourselves how we can possibly remain positive and make a difference. Following the April ice storms and power outages, I ran across this story. The following story from “Quiet Heart” by June Masters Bacher shows us clearly how we can be a light in this world. “A nobleman wondered what legacy to leave his townspeople. At last he decided to build them a church. When the people gathered, they marveled at the beauty of the church. But one man noticed

something was missing. ‘Where are the lamps?’ he asked. ‘How will this church be lighted?’ The noble-man smiled. He then gave each family a lamp. ‘Each time you are here, the area in which you sit will be lighted. But when you are not here, some part of God’s house will be dark.” Today we live in a world of much darkness. In spite of social conscience, all around us is evidence of ignorance, illiteracy, and dark imaginings. The world is so big and our lamp is so small but we can each light the part of our world where we live by doing one ran-dom act of kindness daily, and in so doing, bring Christ’s light into the darkness.

May God bless you as you let your light shine for others,

Lori Tuchtenhagen, Parish Nurse

Heart Notes from your Parish Nurse

Vacation Bible School & Summer Camp Is your child interested in attending Bible Camp?

Summer camp is a great exposure for youth to learn about God and grow in their faith through games, worships, bible study and more. Some of these camps include Good Earth Village, Ewalu and Lutheran Lakeside. Did you know that Grace will pay for part of the tuition, too? Grace Lutheran Church will pay for $150 towards a full week or $75 towards a partial week of camp. We also offer addi-tional financial aid for families. Contact Ashley for more information & how we can support your child! If registering for Good Earth Village, use these codes: Full Week: GRACE150-2019 & Half Week: GRACE75-2019

Vacation Bible School (4 year-olds – Completed 5th Grade) is August 5th – 9th. This is a week-long opportunity for children to explore and learn about

their faith through Bible stories, music, games, crafts and more. Pastor Jennifer will lead a half- day program (9:00am – noon) for our Pre-K kids while counselors from Good Earth Village will bring the experience of camp to Grace for our elementary- aged kids from 9:00am - 3:00pm. You can register online at www.gracealbertlea.org/youth/summer/starting in May.

Local Mission Trip (Completed 6th – 8th Grade) is August 6th – 10th. This is an opportunity for our teenagers to serve in the Albert Lea community and have fellowship with one another. Ashley will be leading a full-day program (9am – 3pm) with differ-ent activities each day. More information will be available in upcoming weeks. You can register online at www.gracealbertlea.org/youth/summer/ starting in May.

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Church Council Minutes April 9, 2019

1. Call to Order and Roll The meeting was called to order by President Tims at 6:30 P.M.

2. Opening Devotions: Julie Groeneweg Julie led the Council in devotions that stressed that God is present in all places and that we should praise him also at all times and places. With that praise, we can expect God’s joy, mercy, and forgiveness.

3. Open Forum – No Open Forum items

4. Approval of Today's Agenda – Action MSA (Moved-Seconded-Approved) by Munyer and Sorenson to approve the agenda for the meeting with one additional item, “Pastor Housing Allowance”.

5. Approval of Last Month’s Minutes – Action MSA by Sorenson and Thrond to approve the agenda for the meeting.

6. Reports Lead Pastor Report: Pastor Koepke

• Strategic Planning – Pastor Shane de-sires to have the Executive Committee of the Council and additional Council or congregation members to engage in stra-tegic planning for the next three years at Grace.

• Visitation process is being reviewed. • Pastor reminded us that the Synod As-

sembly will be electing a new bishop. There are at least seven candidates in contention. A thank you was extended to Carlyn Tufte for making a prayer shawl to be given to the new bishop once they are elected.

• An assessment of giving, non-giving, and attendance has been completed. In the next quarterly statement, inactive mem-bers will be invited to attend services at Grace and to tithe as they are able.

There will also be an invitation extended to revise our church rolls.

Associate Pastor Report: Pastor Gonsalves • Officiated at a funeral. • Scholarship Committee will be meeting

within a week to award scholarships. • Summer programming is being reviewed

and preparations are underway. • Mission Team has met and learned of a

Missions account balance that enabled them to award funds to food programs, including The Rock, Loaves and Fishes, the Salvation Army, the Backpack pro-gram, and the Ecumenical Food Pantry.

• The last day for education programming this spring will be May 5.

• Re-examining the Confirmation program. • Assessing the needs of various youth

segments at Grace, including very young nursery, 6th grade, and high school.

Commission & Committee Report Highlights • Building and Grounds: The Tool Kat has

130 hours of service to date. There is a need to consider a cover or garage for the unit to protect its hoses. Action steps have been taken to secure an architect for the bathroom remodel project associ-ated with the Capital Campaign. Larson Contracting and Freeborn Lumber have been approached.

• Health Commission: Suggestion was made for a healing service in the months that have five Sundays. Lenten Supper meal change was praised.

• Council President Report: The Backpack Food Program has secured a grant writer to explore additional funding sources. Applications are being considered with the Mayo Foundation, the Albert Lea Ed-ucation Foundation, and the United Way. The President will be having regular meetings with Pastor Shane.

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Church Council Minutes Continued 7. Old Business:

Budget 2019: Update • Dave Drommerhausen and Patty Tewes

reported that spending for the first quar-ter of this year is under budget but reve-nue is off $51,000. The month of March ended with a cash-on-hand balance of $8,000. Membership giving to Grace from their Thrivent Choice accounts was at a record high in March of $5,354.

Boiler/Engineering: Update • The boiler is 100% operational and

100% paid for by Capital Campaign funds. See below.

Capital Campaign: Update • The final payment of $61,000 was paid

on the boiler project, making the grand total $510,329.

• Campaign giving has reached a total of $925,691, with a balance of pledges remaining to be collected at $69,483.

• Campaign cash on hand is $34,087. Those funds will be used chiefly to cov-er the costs of the bathroom remodel project. Note: Work will not begin on the project until the funds are collected to cover the full cost projected to be $80,000.

Second Church Service on Sundays: Update • Attendance has been averaging 50

members a Sunday.

8. New/Other Business Lenten supper: Update

• The variety of food options from week-to-week has been appreciated. Attendance at the suppers has been between 60-70 each week. The volunteer response for the suppers has been positive.

Replacement for custodian • The position description has been re-

viewed. A temp agency may be used to provide services in the interim.

Other business • The Council Membership Information

Sheet was revised and handed out. • Pastor Housing Allowance: The provi-

sion in the December 2018 Council Meeting Minutes was revised to denote 2019 instead of 2018. See below from the revised December 2018 minutes:

Pastor’s Housing Allowance The Council, after considering the state-ment of Rev. Shane Koepke and Rev. Jen-nifer Gonsalves setting forth estimates of the amount expected to be spent for rent or otherwise provide a home during the peri-od January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. In light of the Federal Income Tax Law and of the established salary level, on motion duly made and seconded by Jerry Dahl and Julie Groneweg, and adopted by the Grace Lutheran Church Council the follow-ing resolution was made:

Resolved that the Rev. Shane Koepke re-ceive a housing allowance of $26,000 for 2019, with the housing allowance to be so designated in the official records. Be it fur-ther resolved that the Rev. Jennifer Gonsalves receive a housing allowance of $12,000 for 2019, the housing allowance to be so designated in the official records.

Tasks to Complete Prior to Next Council Meeting – No items

9. Prayer Intercessions – Pastor Shane led us in prayer.

10. Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned at 7:39 P.M.

Respectfully submitted, Gary Schindler Grace Church Council Secretary

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BACKPACK FOOD PROGRAMS In Memory Of: Wes Evans given by Sandy Godtland Delores Ost given by Faith Ryan Shirley Kindem given by LuVerne Godtland Bruce Arbic given by Ross & Shelly Peterson Larry Pearson given by Ona Meyer Gifts Given By: Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, Dale & Dorothy Baldwin, Max & Janece Jeffrey BOILER/BUILDING/ROOF/FURNACE FUND In Memory Of: Wes Evans given by Mildred Jensen Delores Ost given by Ray & Joyce Langerud Jean Severson given by Carlyn Tufte, Cheri Wehrenberg, Jean Hanson Gifts Given By: The Hardanger Group, Dale & Dorothy Baldwin, Carroll Hanson, Arlene Hobbiebrunken

DELORES OST SCHOLARSHIP FUND Gift Given By: Ron & Betty Mathews FOOD SHELF In Memory Of: Allen Menssen given by Judy Menssen Gifts Given By: Marjorie Dann, Arlene Levine, Robert & Bernice Moreau, Darin & Rebecca Passer

GENERAL FUND In Memory Of: Larry Pearson given by John & Kathy Knutson, Roy & Cheryl Page, Bill & Gwen Groskurth Ruth McKibben given by Bob Ball & Laura McKibben

LIBRARY FUND Gift Given By: Darin & Rebecca Passer LOVE FUND In Memory Of: Jean Severson given by Kenn & Gerri Breamer Gifts Given By: LaVerne Seberson, Ed & Julie Groeneweg, Richard & Darlene Jordahl, Marilyn Anderson

MARTIN LUTHER FUND In Memory Of: Wes Evans given by William & Jane Buege, Dex & Janet Henschel, Dale & Dorothy Baldwin Larry Pearson given by Jean Hanson, Cheri Wehrenberg, Dexter & Janet Henschel, Dale & Dorothy Baldwin Gifts Given By: Darin & Rebecca Passer,

MEMORIAL FUND In Memory Of: Wes Evans given by A. Gordon Johnson, Richard & Darlene Jordahl Larry Pearson given by Richard & Darlene Jordahl Gift Given By: Richard & Darlene Jordahl

MUSIC MINISTRY Delores Ost given by Sally Pratt Gift Given By: Carroll Hanson

PRAYER GARDEN In Memory Of: Larry Pearson given by Les & Mary Tufte Herbert Andersen given by Dorothy Michaelis QUILTING/SEWING GROUP In Memory Of: Delores Ost given by Lester Perschbacher

WORLD HUNGER FUND In Memory Of: Linda Weckwerth given by Ross & Shelly Peterson Rose Roell given by Ross & Shelly Peterson Gift Given By: Roxann Brue, Sharon & Arnold Pasche

YOUTH CAMPERSHIPS Gift Given By: Darin & Rebecca Passer

YOUTH MINISTRY In Honor Of: Burke Cichosz Birthday given by Mary Beese

PLEASE NOTE that any additional "Gifts of Love" recorded by the church office after April 28, 2019 will appear in the next issue. If you have given a gift and your name has not been recorded, please call the church office so the correction can be made. Thank you.

Gifts of Love

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FRIENDS May is here with a special day to hon-or all MOTHERS, Sunday May 12. A other is a protector, disciplinarian and friend. A Mother is a selfless, loving human who must sacrifice many of their wants and needs for the wants and needs of their children. For all

women who are mothers and those who are like mothers, FRIENDS will be taking a short road trip to the newly redecorated/owned Pizza Ranch located in the Northbridge Mall in Albert Lea. All attending should meet in the church parking lot to car pool.

WHEN: Sunday, May 12, 2019

TIME: 5:00pm in the parking lot, leaving for the Piz-za Ranch at 5:15pm, arriving at the restaurant by 5:30pm (Please note the time change from our nor-mal time of 6:00pm).

If you are single, divorced or widowed, join us for an evening of good food, great conversation along with honoring Mothers. Put it on your calendar, Friends meet on the second Sunday of each month. Join us for a relaxing evening spent with friends.

GRACE FOR WOMEN

The next Grace for Women gathering will be held on Sun-day, June 9 from 10:00am-11:00am in the lower level con-ference room. All young to mid-dle-aged women are invited to

grab a cup of coffee and join us for a casual chat about various interesting topics of conversation with the goal of building relationships, growing in our faith and supporting one another. If you have children, they can meet with Pastor Jennifer and volunteers in the Fellowship Hall for some fun summertime games during this hour. Questions can be directed to An-gela Moller at mollerangela@gmail.com.

Grace Activities WELCA (Women of the Evangelical Lu-theran Church in America) – We changed our meeting night to the second Thursday of the month. All women who are members of

Grace Lutheran Church are members of WELCA and are invited to attend the meetings each month. Your talents are needed to help us reach our goals to grow in faith, engage in ministry with service to the church, the community and the world. Please join us every second Thursday of the month in the Conference Room at 6:00pm. Next meeting will be Thursday, May 9th, 2019. Please call Jane Smith at 507-369-5644 if you have any questions.

GRACE SENIORS Grace Seniors will meet on May 8 at 2:00 PM in the Fireside room. Our speaker will be Linda Lares from Semcac and Jerry Gabrielatos. In addition to our finding out more about Semcac she will also fill us in on what is going on around Albert Lea on low cost housing. Please come and join us and bring a friend. We will have coffee and goodies afterward. See you there.

VOYAGERS EVENT Join Grace family members and friends on a trip to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater to see Mamma Mia. The details are as follows: When: Saturday, August 24th with the bus loading in the Grace parking lot at 9:00am; doors open at 11:00am; play begins at 1:00pm and ends at 3:20pm. Cost: $85.00 for tickets and bus transportation. There will be a sign-up sheet for this adventure in the Narthex. Be a part of the fun and fellowship. This will be offered to Grace mem-bers and friends for a few weeks. Depending on numbers, it will then be advertised in other churches to make sure the bus is filled.

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 9:00a Sewing Day 4:00p Mission Team Mtg. 4:30p Cherub & Chancel 5:30p Grace at the Table 6:00p Chew-n-Chat 6:30p Bells of Praise 7:00p Confirmation 7:30p Adult Choir

2

6:00a Early Bible Study 1:30p SAIL

3 8:30p Z-Tag

4

5 Celebration Sunday

9:00a Worship Service 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 10:05a Last Day Sunday School 10:05a Adult Forum 11:00a Worship Service

6 10:00a 500 Card Club 1:30p SAIL 4:00p Visitation Mtg. 5:15p Mary Circle 6:00p Hardanger Group

7 10:00a Staff Meeting 10:00a Ladies Bible St. 4:30p LEAD-Food For Backpack Celebration

8 2:00p Grace Seniors 4:30p Cherub & Chancel 5:30p Worship Service 6:00p Last Day Chew-n-Chat 6:30p Bells of Praise 7:00p Last Day Confirmation 7:30p Adult Choir

9 6:00a Early Bible Study 1:30p SAIL 6:00p WELCA Mtg.

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12 Mother’s Day

Baccalaureate (11:00 am) 8:30a Fair Trade Coffee 9:00a Worship Service 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:00a Worship Service 5:30p Friends

13 10:00a 500 Card Club 1:30p SAIL 6:00p Hardanger Group 7:00p MS Society Mtg

14 8:30a Hawthorne School 4th Grade Kindness Retreat 10:00a Staff Meeting 10:00a Ladies Bible St. 6:00p Ministry Teams 6:30p Council Meeting

15 Newsletter Deadline 9:00a Sewing Day 4:30p Cherub & Chancel 5:30p Worship Service 6:30p Bells of Praise 7:30p Adult Choir

16 6:00a Early Bible Study 8:30a Lakeview Elementary Choir Rehearsal 1:30p SAIL

17 18

19 9:00a Worship Service 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:00a Worship Service

20 10:00a 500 Card Club 1:30p SAIL 6:00p Hardanger Group

21 10:00a Staff Meeting 10:00a Ladies Bible Study

22 9:15a Martha Circle 4:30p Cherub Choir 5:30p Worship Service 6:30p Bells of Praise 7:30p Adult Choir

23 6:00a Early Bible Study 1:30p SAIL

24

25

26 9:00a Worship Service 10:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:00a Worship Service

27 Memorial Day

Building and Office Closed

28 9:30p Lois Circle 10:00a Staff Meeting 10:00a Ladies Bible St.

29 4:30p Cherub Choir 5:30p Worship Service 6:30p Bells of Praise 7:30p Adult Choir

30 6:00a Early Bible Study 1:30p SAIL

31 8:00a Synod Assembly

• National Day of Prayer, May 2, 2019 • Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019 • Armed Forces Day, May 18, 2019 • Memorial Day, May 27, 2019

• Ascension, May 30, 2019

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Prayers of Healing Evan Peterson

(Grandson of Lowell & Barb Peterson) Sabrina Preston

(Daughter of Pastor Milt Ost) Barb Swenson

(Mother of Julie Groeneweg & Jenny Swenson) Richard Anderson

Dick Haug Charlotte Anderson

Don Porter Ed Groeneweg

Gail Rasmussen Kay & Pat Adams

(Sister and brother-in-law of LaJean Westeng) Julie Henry Field

(Daughter-in-law of Paul & Dorothy Field) Julie (Linnes) Sternhagen

(Daughter of Pat Linnes & sister of Jean Smith) Renee Thorson

Kay Goodmanson Sally Skrlin Zita Smith

(Friend of Roger & LaJean Bjorklund)

Prayers for those Grieving Family & Friends of Larry Pearson Family & Friends of Jean Severson

Prayers of Joy For our 2019 Graduates For the return of spring

and all that it brings with it.

(If you know anyone needing prayers of our congregation, please let us know so we can

include them on our list. Requests for the Prayer Chain can be arranged by

calling the church office.)

Grace Prays MAY

(The list below is to remind us to pray for our Grace family members on the following dates.)

1. Gloria Ell, Julie

2. Sheryl Ellingson

3. Laura Ellis

4. Alexandra Elston

5. Dale & Charlotte Elvebak

6. Barbara Engebretson

7. Clifford Engebretson

8. Jeshua & Jennifer Erickson, Axel, Trixie

9. Pastor Joel & Pembie Erickson

10. Beverly Evans

11. Raymond Ewing

12. Dolores Feeley

13. Linda Ferguson

14. Paul & Dorothy Field

15. Robert & Beverly Field

16. Gary & Judy Fisher

17. Brady & Katelyn Flatness, Emma

18. Keith & Angie Flatness, Joshua, Dalton

19. Jay & Debbie Flink

20. Wynnette Flores, Joey

21. Tim & Becky Freden, Riley Knoss

22. Sandy Fredrickson

23. Scott Fredrickson

24. Gretchen Gade

25. Robert Gade

26. Dolores Gavle

27. Raymond & Pierrette Gavle

28. Philip Gehring

29. Mary Gilbertson

30. Melvin & Dawn Gilbertson

31. Jeanette Godtland

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Caring and Sharing

Chairwomen: Jean Bergo Cheryl Page

Marilyn Anderson Shari & Bill Anderson Jernelle & Chris Baas Rachelle Bizjak Renae Brackey Nancy Brandt Nancy & Michael Cottrell Angie & Keith Flatness Peirrette & Ray Gavle Kay Goodmanson Julie & Ed Groeneweg Linda Hanna Elaine & Milan Hart Charlotte Haukoos Carol & Dann Hustoft Randi & Brian Kelly Debra & Ricky Madson Sharon & Jerome Meyer Dee & Merrill Mielke Angela & Matt Moller Bernice & Robert Moreau Kari Oman Kristy & Roger Paul Nikki Schumaker Julie & Tom Sorenson Julie & Terry Stahl Gloria Ugland Shari & Charles Van Wey Terri & Warren Wichmann Marsha Wolfgram

OUR THANKS to Joyce Purdy and Melody Munden for serving as chairwomen for April Caring and Shar-ing; and to all who volunteered to help and/or provide food. Your help was appreciated.

STUDY OPPORTUNITIES for Adults at Grace

We invite you to join any of our regular Bible

study groups at Grace Lutheran.

Sunday Morning Adult Forum September — May Come join us at 10:05 Sunday mornings.

(Fireside Room)

Tuesday Morning Bible Study Tuesday mornings, 10:00-11:00am (Fireside Room) This study for women offers fellowship,

singing, and great discussion.

Thursday Morning Bible Study 6:00-7:00am (Kitchen) Consider joining this group where there is an opportunity for good discussion and good fellow-

ship, along with good coffee and treats!

Grace WELCA Women’s Circles

Mary Circle (meeting 1st Monday, 5:15pm)

Lois Circle (meeting 4th Tuesday, 9:30am)

Martha Circle (meeting 4th Wednesday, 9:30am)

New members are always welcome! Call the

church office, 373-6496, for more information.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR SUMMER TRAVELERS Would you find it helpful to have your offerings debited directly from your bank account as you probably do with other obligations? Grace offers electronic giving for those of you who wish to have contributions transferred electronically to the church’s account. If you have plans to travel this summer, electronic giving gives you a convenient way to keep up with your intended offerings. Simp-ly complete and return an electronic giving authori-zation form to get started.

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QUARTERS FOR WORLD HUNGER

In Nepal, it is not uncommon for a family of seven to have only 1500 square meters (a little over 1/3 acre) of land on which to grow enough food to survive. Quite often the production season lasts only for 6 months, leaving them to look for other means of support for the rest of the year. ELCA World Hunger sponsors an agricultural training program to help women become better farmers. (In Nepal, women do most of the farming). The program teaches the women how to cultivate vegetables throughout the year, not only to feed their families but also how to market the extra pro-duce to provide income for school and medical ex-penses. Thanks to your gifts to ELCA World Hun-ger, women can access resources that make it possible for their families to have a brighter, health-ier future.

THANK YOU for your generous response to the ELCA WORLD HUNGER 40 DAYS OF GIVING emphasis during Lent. You gave a total of $133.00 to ELCA World Hunger during Lent! Thank You!

FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS Thank you for supporting the Mission Team by buying Fair Trade products the first Sunday of each month. The coffee, tea, cocoa, olive oil, and choco-late is certified organic and produced without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides. We sell these products at cost. The church makes no profit, but by buying these products, you help the small-scale farmers control their own businesses on land they own. Through the cooperatives, they receive a fair price for their products. Thank you for buying Fair Trade!

2019 GIVING AT GRACE

Date Actual Offering Budgeted Offering Percent Above/Below Budget

March 31 $7,499.00 $13,845.31 54% -($6,396.31)

April 7 $17,831.00 $13,845.31 129% $3,985.69

April 14 $8,194.37 $13,845.31 59% -(5,650.94)

April 21 $16,804.12 $13,845.31 121% $2,958.81

April 28 $8,455.00 $13,845.31 61% -($5,390.31)

Year to Date $171.174.60 $235,370.23 73% -($64,195.63)

The Finance Ministry Team and Church Council appreciate your generous support. Your faithful stewardship is essential for us to continue to support our ministries at Grace Lutheran.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE

We will be selling coffee before and after our worship 9:00am service on

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Remember

your Coins

for Sunday’s

Noisy Offering

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CREATION CARE CORNER

Spring has sprung! Are you ready for a bee-friendly growing season? While native pollina-tors are not facing the colony collapse disorder that is threatening domesticated bees, they are still harmed by some of the same issues, including habitat loss, pesticide use, parasites,

and invasive species.

Here are some ways you can help pollinators (from the Minnesota DNR website): • Plant a variety of flowers, especially those that are native to your area. • Keep your garden blooming all season long; choose plants that provide pollen and nectar. • Provide nesting sites by leaving dead branches and logs in place, leaving bare earth for

ground-nesting insects, or installing bee nesting blocks. • Reduce use of pesticides. • Become a citizen scientist and help researches collect data about

pollinators and their habitat. • Tell your friends and family about pollinators and inspire them to

take action!

In the book of Genesis, God created plants and flowering trees on the third day and their pollinating partners on the fifth day. "And God saw that it was good."

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Grace Lutheran Church 918 Garfield Avenue Albert Lea, MN 56007 Telephone: 507-373-6496 Email: office@gracealbertlea.org

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Albert Lea, MN Permit No. 208

Summer Worship Schedule

Sunday Worship Service

at 9:00 am & 11:00 am Wednesday Evening Worship

at 5:30 pm

Join your Grace family each week in worship, study and fellowship!