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A S E A S O N A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F G R A C E LU T H E R A N C H U R C H
R e f o r m a t i o n 2019
Gra
ceN
otes
Gra
ceN
otes
Peace,
Rev. Matthew A. Smuts, Senior Pastor
SENIOR PASTORRev. Matthew Smuts
ASSOCIATE PASTORRev. Friederike Wekel
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN,
YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRYElizabeth Hood
DIRECTOR OF
MUSIC MINISTRYTim Getz
PRESCHOOL DIRECTORPenny McDermott
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGERGretchen Rauch
Next Issue:
Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2019/2020
Publication Deadline: Nov 14, 2019
GraceThey are now justified by his grace as a gift. —Romans 3:24
Grace is one of the most common names for a Lutheran church in North America. In some ways it can seem like a bland name when it becomes so common. However, as we approach the observance of the Reformation for the 502nd time I am palpa-bly reminded of its sweetness. We are ‘freed for’ this life in service towards others. There is a peace that comes through that gift, and we move through this life in away that different from those around us.
However, the real reason this comes to my mind right now is Grace Lutheran Church of Palo Alto. In the last few weeks, as we have started our Fall programing, I have seen countless elements of what makes this community of faith an outpost of Grace. The Spirit’s energy through this community is felt in many ways . . . in our song, our rela-tionships, God’s Work. Our Hands., in baptisms, new babys and visitors, generous stew-ardship, new connections, deep questions, comfort in tears, Confirmands and their mentors . . . . so, so many ways, you almost have to try to miss it.
In our community of Grace, the grace of God is made real for this life, and it is a joy to behold. ▣
Reformation & Fest!Reformation Sunday is coming soon! Pastor Matt Smuts
all kinds of food in the courtyard after the second service. See you there!
ALSO, don’t miss Dr. Barbara Pitkin’s Adult Forum between services:
The Reformation 500—Again? Zurich and the Swiss Reformation, 1519-2019
This 502nd celebration of the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther’s 95 Theses is a fantastic celebration of grace and fun! We will be receiving new members, bap-tizing and infant, worshipping with brass and choir, and celebrating with brats and
OCTOBER 25 | 6:00 PMPOTLUCK DINNER • COSTUME PARTYHAUNTED HOUSE • CRAFTS • TREATSGRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
AND PRESCHOOL
ReformationFestSunday, October 27 | 11:45 am | Brats, Sauerkraut, & Rootbeer
Bring your favorite salad or sidedish to share!Reformation themed games and puzzles. WEAR RED!
Apple Bobbing, Donut Eating, Bounce House Jumping, Conversation Having FUN!
Men’s Events @ Grace!WEEKLY: TUESDAY 7am | MEN’S BREAKFAST AT BILL’S CAFE
at the corner of Loma Verde & Middlefield in Palo Alto. Come whenever you can . . . the food is great, as well as the relationships you build for living this life.
3X/YEAR: MEN’S NIGHT OUT
on Sunday early evenings . . . recently brats at Wyatt’s was a huge hit!
Annual Men’s Work retreat at Mt Cross (private rooms or shared) with our inaugural event coming February 7-9. Keep your calendar open, and your eyes peeled for registration!
Escape Rooms?Prayer Experiments? Bible Crime Stories? Must be confirmation class! Pr. Friederike Wekel, Associate Pastor
C O N F I R M AT I O N
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C O N F I R M AT I O N
What are we doing in Confirmation class right now? As you are reading this, we have already had two interesting and fun-filled months of Confirmation Class. What did we do? We had a few classes on the bible—though as you might have realized, it’s a big book with lots of content, so we’re not done. (You never are, are you?!) We started with a so-called Escape Game about the bible, where you had to solve tasks and riddles to get to the key for a treasure. And it was a little tricky, as the confirmands had to look into Hebrew and Greek texts—but in the end: TADA, the big moment came to unlock the treasure chest!
We are also taking different approaches to get in touch with bible stories: Story telling, bible reading, bible study, bible crime stories (where you have to solve a criminal case of the bible by just asking questions that can be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – and there are a lot of them), bible skits and reconstructing scenes of a story.
In October, we started a new topic and an experiment: We were trying to figure out if prayers work or not. So everyone from the confirmation class prayed for someone else from the class for some-thing this person chose over three weeks. (And as the experiment is still going on, as I write this, I cannot yet tell you what the outcome is.)
As praying can be described as a very different thing, depending on whom you ask, the confir-mands were given the task to build prayer-stations. Here the fellow confirmands could see, feel, dis-cover, experience how this person or group felt about praying. Praying as “reflection”, as “an oasis of relaxation”, or “as being blank” (at this prayer station you covered yourself with a huge blank sheet of paper). We learned at one prayer station that sometimes praying can be meditative for one person and painful for another. And we discussed the most often spoken prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and tried to understand if it is universal or specific. I’ll keep you updated on the outcome of our prayer experiment.
So, what are we doing in Confirmation class right now? A lot! And having fun!
Pr. Friederike
If you are interested in Confirmation Classes or have any questions, thoughts, ideas, please, get in touch with me ([email protected]/650.494.1212).
G R A C E N O T E S 5
W O M E N O F G R A C E
Wonderful Women!We had some wonderful women's events at the beginning of this Fall!
In September, Gerrie Phillips and Amy Stock invited us to their home to hear about suicide awareness and paint rocks with Jennifer Turner. That was a very deep and moving experience. In October Miriam Teeter hosted a fantastic potluck (with a ton of desserts ;) - a great evening with lots of good conversation and laughter.
And there is more to come:
On the second Saturday of each month we meet in the Fireside Room at 8.30am for Women's Breakfast, a relaxing start to the weekend with good food and conver-sation. We take turns providing the food, so just come and enjoy. No need to RSVP.
Women's Night Out takes place every first Thursday of the month. For our November meeting Holly Lucke will open her home to us for a “Favorites Party. ”If you'd like to participate, here's how it works:
Before the party…
1. Pick one of your favorite things that costs between $5-$10 each. Some ideas are: your favorite book, your favorite lip gloss, your favorite pen, your favorite snack, your favorite candle, your favorite spatula. Get creative!
2. Buy 3 copies of your favorite thing to bring to the party.
At the party…
3. Share what you brought with the group.
4. Draw the names of 3 people who get to take your favorite thing home with them.
5. Go home with 3 favorite things from others at the party!!
We'll be having baked potatoes for dinner—bring a topping or a small side to share. Please join us, even if you don't want to participate in the Favorites exchange!
I am looking forward to seeing you at Holly's place!!
Our December meeting will be a cookie-exchange at Anne Ritchie's! More informa-tion is to follow!
Peace, Pr Friederike
P.S.: If you want to be a host yourself, log-in to MyGrace, on the left you'll find the 'Serve' heart, click there and under 'Needs' you will find "Grace Women's Night Out Host". Pick the date that works for you - and you're set. Send an email to me by the 15th of the month prior to determine the location.
Our annual Women's Retreat 2020 will take place from March 13-15 at Mt. Cross Camp up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Registration will start in December 2019. If you are concerned about getting there or accessibility, please, get in contact with Pr. Friederike ([email protected]). We want to make it work for every woman!
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G R A C E N O T E S 7
Service for Surviving FamiliesTo lose someone you love, is hard. To lose a child, sibling, or grandchild, can be even harder. Your loss becomes a part of you. And we at Grace think it is important to give room to this part of you.
Pastor Friederike Wekel
Worldwide, there are special days to commemorate the loss of a child. October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day. It is observed worldwide. On the 2nd Sunday in December at 7pm people all over the globe light candles in memory of deceased children. Both days usually are accompanied by worship services.
On All Saints Day, November 1, at 7pm we will hold a meditative service, here at Grace, where we sing, listen to texts, and light candles for EVERY parent, grandparent or sibling of any age, who has lost a child.
If you have questions or thoughts on this, please, don’t hesitate to send me an email to [email protected].
S O C I A L M I N I S T RY | W O R S H I P | L I F E TO G E T H E R
Wednesday evenings during Life
Together include a new conver-
sation/study series led by Pr Matt
called The Greatest Story. We meet
from 7-8pm in the Chapel and are
swiftly making our way through the
entire Bible, front to back. No experi-
ence necessary, and all are welcome!
The Greatest Story
Holly Lucke | Palo AltoThursday, November 7 | 7:00 pm
Service for Surviving Families November 1 | 7pm
C H I L D R E N YO U T H A N D FA M I LY M I N I S T RY
Your faith is all it takes and you can walk on the water too…
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied,“tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat,
walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
There is a song that I love written and performed by Britt Nicole called Walk on the Water, she talks about this bible story and whenever I hear it, it stirs something in me and makes me remember to have faith in Jesus and to trust completely, even when I am afraid and sure that I am about to fall. Here are a few of the lyrics:
You look around It’s staring back at you Another wave of doubt Will it pull you under? You wonder
What if I’m overtaken, What if I never make it, What if no one’s there? Will You hear my prayer?
When you take that first step Into the unknown You know that He won’t let you go.
So what are you waiting for? What do you have to lose? Your insecurities try to alter you You know you’re made for more So don’t be afraid to move Your faith is all it takes and you can Walk on the water too.
The church I grew up in is the oldest Lutheran church in Hawaii—a classic little white church up the hill from a sugar mill. Being a young child in church, I was often hot and bored out of my mind. I would skim the pew Bibles for any maps or pictures I could find, anything to catch my eye, or I would gaze up at the oil painting behind the alter. It was an image of a man with waves on a beach with a friend, at least that’s what I thought...Growing up in Hawaii why wouldn’t there be a picture of someone at the beach behind the altar?!
It wasn’t until I came home from college and saw the painting again for the first time after time away that I realized that it wasn’t just a man at the beach playing in the waves but that it was Jesus walking on water with Peter reaching up after he had fallen into the waves.
Text by Elizabeth Hood, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry
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A D U LT E D U C AT I O N & S P I R I T UA L F O R M AT I O N
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying,
“Truly you are the Son of God.” —Matthew 14: 25-33
“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This is my favorite bible story. I started to love this story when I was in college and I was trying desperately to hang onto my faith and my connection to the things I grew up learning and feeling. I wanted to be apart from that and try new things, but I also wanted to be held close to it at the same time. I had to wade through all the different faith options now available to me and yet felt a deep call to cling to what I knew I believed.
When I read in the story where Jesus says, “You of little faith? Why do you doubt?!!” to Peter, I felt a lump in my throat and and a thud in my chest. It was me. I was the one who was offered the chance to walk on water and it was me who let myself sink because I couldn’t trust, I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t believe Jesus would carry me. It was only me, standing in my own way.
When I think about this theme, FOCUS, I immediately think about taking a picture and making sure my camera is focused on the thing I want to capture. It isn’t always what you think it would be, maybe its the light reflecting in the background, there might be a beautiful flower right in front of me but what I want to capture is the light behind it that actually makes it shine! On my iPhone, which is my camera, the lens fights with me, it makes assumptions about what I want to focus on. For example at sunset if you are taking a picture of someone with the sunset behind them, it will try to focus on the person and not the sunset, I tap the screen on the sky forcing it to refocus. I want to see the colors and the clouds, but the phone will focus on the people and blow out the colors of the sunset. I know I can edit it later so that the person will not be a shadow, but I need the capture to be focused on the clouds and colors.
I think our challenge with this theme is to do two things: first this story reminds us that we need to have faith and focus on Jesus. Churches do a decent job of this, probably the focus of years of Sunday school and youth group. We have to do that
first if we have any hope for the second. Sometimes this first step can take a lifetime, some people never move past this. We get so focused on our own journey, we never take time to SHIFT.
But it you can trust, if you can focus, if you can take that first step into the unknown, then your job is to lose focus. To soften your gaze, to see the things that are not in focus by our media, our culture, our social circles, by what is easy and what is on our path. To see those who have been moved aside, just out of view, just out of focus, those who have been hidden from what is seen as acceptable or desirable. People move further and further out of communities—the outcast at school, the student who shows up to school hungry, the human on the corner who has no access to medical care, the person on the street who has been abandoned by their family, the children of God abandoned at borders and left with no place to call home —those in our history and culture who get pushed out of focus.
We need to fight to sharpen our focus on Jesus so that we can train ourselves to also shift our focus to the people that our cameras and our world don’t want us to see. Jesus was con-stantly refocusing his gaze on those people who were being moved out of focus by the rest of the world. Now we have to work harder to do the same.
IWhen was the last time you saw something again for the first time or were able to shift your focus to see something you had previously missed?
*This devotion was originally written for the Western States Youth Gathering Leadership Team, which I serve on.
G R A C E N O T E S 9
Text by Tim Getz, Director of Music Ministry
W O R S H I P A N D M U S I C
N O T
CHOIRThursdays @ 7 pm
We’ve been having great fun in our new NOT CHOIR group that meets on Thursday evenings. NOT CHOIR is not meant for perfor-mance, but for building basic musical skills that might help anyone participate more confidently and happily in worship on Sundays. We’ve been working on basic singing technique and music reading. We often “preview” the music that we will be singing in church on the upcoming Sunday. Most importantly, we laugh… a lot!
On the next page is a poem I shared on our first week in NOT CHOIR, by the blogger Lindy Thompson at lindythompson.net.
If having read it, any of this resonates with you, it’s not too late to join us in NOT CHOIR! We meet most Thursdays in the Chapel from 7:00-8:00 pm. Please do speak with me ([email protected]) if you’d like to come, just to confirm the schedule.
Christmas is coming! It always seems too soon to think about in October, but our music groups at Grace like to be prepared, and we will soon start rehearsing our music for the Advent and Christmas seasons. If you’d like to be part of a musical ensemble during the hol-idays, NOW is the time to join!
• Youth choir (grades 4 and up) 5:30-6:30 pm on Wednesdays,
• Adult choir, 7:00-8:30 pm on Wednesdays,
• Handbells, 5:30-6:45 pm on Thursdays.
Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing!
A special, short-term “Christmas Choir” for young singers in Kindergarten through Grade 3 will begin in November!
Older kids who are unable to attend our regular Wednesday after-noon rehearsals are also welcome. Christmas Choir will practice after church from 12:00 to 12:30 pm on Sundays with a perfor-mance at our children’s Christmas program on December 15th,
and at a service on either December 22 or Christmas Eve if people are available. Dates for rehearsals are November 10, 17, and 24, and December 1 and 8. ▣
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G R A C E N O T E S 1 1
W O R S H I P A N D M U S I C
I might be exhausted and the children might be cranky, but I will be going to church on Sunday. Don’t know who is preaching, doesn’t matter – the sermon may be helpful or not, holds my attention or doesn’t – it’s the singing. I go to sing.
I get up, get clean, get dressed, possibly get mad (at not-ready kids, at empty coffee pot, at traffic) get going, get there, get seated, get comfortable, get focused
and when the music starts,
get saved.
It’s the singing. I go to sing.
It’s the willingness to stand if you are able, the common agreement on page number, the voluntary sharing of songbooks with people on your row, even ones you rode there with –
but most of all, it’s the collective in-breath before the first sound is made, the collective drawing upon the grace of God, the collective, if inadvertent, admission that we are all human, all fragile, all in need of the sustaining air, freely dispensed, all in need of each other to get the key right and not sound discordant—
it’s the hidden life-celebration in the act of making a joyful noise, all together.
We don’t even have to sound that good. Singing together still brings home the we-ness of worship, the not-alone-ness of life in God, the best of all we have to offer each other.
When we are singing, I think that I might actually be able to forgive you for being so terribly human, and you might be able to forgive me for being so terribly not there yet, and we might be able to find peace now, not postpone it for some heavenly hereafter but live and breathe it today, drawing in the grace of God, voicing out our need and hope and gratitude and longing.
When we are singing, I can feel the better world coming, and if I get to be a part of it, you do too . . .
so sing with me, and we’ll make our way down that blessed road together, collectively better than we ever thought possible.
LINDY THOMPSON AT LINDYTHOMPSON.NET
C H I L D R E N , YO U T H , & FA M I LY M I N I S T RY
Mark your calendars now!October 25 | JamBOOree | 6 - 9 pm | All Ages | Potluck dinner | Brown Hall
October 25 | Middle and High School Movie Night | 9 pm – 11 pm | Youth Room
October 27 | ReformationFest | Lunch and Celebration | Noon | In the Courtyard | All are welcome
November 8-10 | Elementary & Middle School Retreat | Mt. Cross
December 1 | Advent Festival | 11:45 am | Brown Hall | All ages crafts and family fun | Soup and lefse lunch
December 22 | Christmas Program | 9:30 am
February 21-23 | High School Retreat | Mt. Cross
April 5 | Palm Sunday - Prayer sta-tions for all ages | 9:30 am
April 11 | Easter Vigil | Middle/High School Easter prep/pizza!
April 12 | Easter celebration and brunch | Egg hunt
May 17 | Senior Quilt Sunday | Last day of Sunday school
May 31 | Rite of Confirmation | 10:45 am
June 23-29 | High School Youth Summer Trip | Western States Youth Gathering
July TBD | Day Camp 2019 | Grades K-5
Christian Music Theatre Summer 2020 Dates for entering kinders through current sixth graders:
June 8 - 12 | 9-4: We Have a Right June 15 - 19 | 9-4: I’m Blessed June 22 - July 3 | 9-12: Sinchi Sacha July 27 - August 7 | 9-12: The Disappearance of Mirabelle Van deVeer
for seventh grade through high school:July 27 - 31 | 12-4: Ubuntu
LOOKING WAY AHEAD… 2021 | ELCA Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, MN | June 29-July 3 ▣
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Each Sunday at 9:35 am | Parents and children join us at
the front of the Sanctuary. We begin with singing and
music with our Director of Music Ministry, Tim Getz.
Offering is a big part of learning and growing in Sunday
School. This fall we are collecting money for Habitat for
Humanity and building a LEGO house during opening!
LITTLE LUTHERANS
We just recently had a great class about several upcom-
ing baptisms! We are planning on another Parent Class
on Celebrating Advent and Christmas with your little
ones on November 17th during the Sunday School hour,
and we will have childcare available so that parents can
learn. Elizabeth will be leading this class, should be lots
of fun and I have some giveaways.
MILESTONES
We love celebrating Milestones here at Grace and we
give Bibles to the 3rd Graders on Reformation Sunday!
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
Our middle and high school students play a huge role in
the JamBOOree celebration! Middle School youth are in
charge of our Trick or Treat house—handing out candy
and trinkets to our little trick-or-treaters. High School
youth are responsible for the Haunted House—a new
theme every year! After JamBOOree winds down, we
gather in the Youth Room for a Halloween Movie Night!
Middle School youth are welcome to stay for the first
movie, a PG rated Halloween movie. High Schoolers
are welcome to stay for a second movie, a PG13 movie
that is usually a little scarier. Followed by a Halloween
themed Sleepover in the Youth Room!! As always,
friends are welcome all evening! Don’t miss this night
of fun!
ADVENT FESTIVAL!!
December 1 Immediately after the 10:45 am service.
Prepare for Advent and Christmas by: • Making an
Advent wreath • Crafting • Eating warm soup • Getting
your fill of lefse at this lunch-time, conversation-filled
event for the whole Grace family! Mark your calendar
now! We hope to see you there.
OCTOBER 25 | 6:00 PMPOTLUCK DINNER • COSTUME PARTYHAUNTED HOUSE • CRAFTS • TREATSGRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
AND PRESCHOOL
ReformationFestSunday, October 27 | 11:45 am | Brats, Sauerkraut, & Rootbeer
Bring your favorite salad or sidedish to share!Reformation themed games and puzzles. WEAR RED!
Apple Bobbing, Donut Eating, Bounce House Jumping, Conversation Having FUN!
1 2 R E F O R M AT I O N 2 0 1 9
G R A C E N O T E S 1 3
S O C I A L M I N I S T RY
God’s work.Our hands.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Rick Steves & Bright Stars of BethlehemWow! What an event! Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Bright Stars of Bethlehem and the amazing work done with Pr Mitri Raheb in Bethlehem in Palestine was done with style and Rick Steves! Roughly $60,000 was raised to support this ministry and a great time was had. Thank you to Martha Meyer for her leadership and getting Rick to come down, and all of you for your support!
On September 7th, many Grace members volunteered for “God’s work. Our hands” projects. Along with congregations around the
country that weekend, it was an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
Service activities offered an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
Thanks to everyone who joined to work on projects at the Ecumenical Hunger Program, Habitat for Humanity, or at the church campus!
Grace hosted its final Tuesday evening Breaking Bread dinner in late August. LifeMoves, the sponsoring organization, decided to focus resources by eliminating dinners and providing breakfast and lunch at the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto.
Thank you to all the members of Grace, past and present, who volunteered over the many years of hosting and cleaning up the Tuesday evening meals.
Our prayers continue to be with homeless members of our community. The Social Ministry Committee is currently review-ing how best to serve the homeless in Palo Alto and our region. Please contact any member of the Committee if you have any suggestions.
Social Ministry
Committee
Gary Bea
Joanie Caroon
Bruce FitzGerald
Jane Garvey
Mary Hanna-Weir
Dale Loepp
Holly Lucke
Martha Meyer
Lee Taubeneck
Breaking Bread moves to the Opportunity Center
SpiritualityI’m writing this month about several books with the theme of adding to your Christian experience and enhancing your relationship with God and Jesus Christ. I’ve read snip-pets of all of these and feel they are worthwhile books.
A recent addition to the library is Just Begin: A Sourcebook of Spiritual Practices (D Wig), by Dann E. Wigner. It is a sort of how-to manual that covers 25 traditional and non-tra-ditional practices for spiritual development leading to a closer union with God. From traditional prayer, fasting, and meditation, to modern journaling, stargazing, mindful eating, and Pilates with mindfulness and Yoga with prayer, each “lesson” has some background, how-tos and questions and answers. There is also a ‘Resources for Further Study’ section at the back with books and media to explore each practice further.
I was interested in this book because I have been attending a Tai Chi class, mainly for exercise, but also absorbing some of the mindfulness and meditative aspects of that discipline along with the movement.
Another new book to be contemplated is the latest from Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, entitled Being Human: Bodies, Minds, Persons (T Wil). This is a short (about 100 pages) exploration of what it means to be human. After exam-ples from several disciplines, he examines the relation of faith to human flourishing and how the traditional Christian practice of silence can help us.
A timely book that you might be be interested in if you watched the recent Ken Burns series on Country Music on PBS is Fifteen Spirituals That Will Change Your Life (I Car), by Henry Carrigan Jr. This book will give you history and stories behind these songs that will enrich your enjoyment of the spiritual practice of singing.
Finally, a short and accessible book on what could be a multi-volume tome: A Brief History of Sunday: from the New Testament to the New Creation (C Gon), by Justo L. González. The author is a retired professor of historical theology and a United Methodist minister. This is a “good, informative and lively book” designed to help readers discover the joy and excitement of Sunday as early Christians celebrated it—Or at least as lively as a discussion of Medieval Sabbath practices can be.
These will be on display in the library with the new books for the next weeks, but then shelved in the section noted after the title, alphabetically by author. If you drop by the library, remember to return any books you have borrowed that might be overdue. ▣
Mary Ashley
1 4 R E F O R M AT I O N 2 0 1 9
L I B R A RY
G R A C E N O T E S 1 5
C O U N C I L | S O C I A L M I N I S T RY
Txt2GiveThere is a new way to give at Grace!
In addition to all of the other ways you have given to Grace, you can now give a gift from your Debit/Credit Card directly by texting from your phone. Simply text the word ‘Give’ to 650.262.6880 and follow the prompts. No app is required . . . only texting. The first time that you use this service, it will take you to a webpage to enter your card infor-mation, but after that, it’s as simple as the image you see here.
Txt2Give is partnered with MyGrace and all gifts will be recorded to your statement, like any others you might give. Give it a try right now!
StewardshipAutumn is a beautiful time where we live! It reminds us that in our church life it is a busy time! We look forward to our JamBOOree, the celebration of Reformation, Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas. It is also a time for us to remember our calling to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly in this world. We have many opportunities to reach out to those less fortunate, to offer a hand or a smile to a stranger, to remember those in our lives who need some extra atten-tion, to stand up for our beliefs. In the weeks ahead, we can be thankful for our many blessings and the gift and challenge of our calling!
Txt2Give from your Debit/Credit Card
• Text ‘Give’ to 650.262.6880 and follow prompts. QR code shortcut ------>>>>
• First time use requires credit/debit card details.
Scott Bandy
Susan Choquette, Secretary
Mary Cravens
Jane Garvey
Michelle Geris
Matthew Lungren
Holly Lucke, President
Gerrie Phillips
Erik Rausch, V. President
Wally Reiher
Ryan Riddle
Katy Siegel
Council UpdateHello Grace Family,
A quick update from the church council --
Each fall, our church council elects an executive leadership team for the new programming year. The executive positions are a 1-year term, with the option for re-election in subsequent years. For 2019 - 2020, we have new members in each of the three leadership positions:
• Holly Lucke, Council President• Erik Rausch, Council Vice-President• Susan Choquette, Council Secretary
We look forward to serving Grace in these roles. Feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions.
I also want to take this opportunity the thank the following leaders for their service to Grace and our church council.
• Ryan Riddle, who served as Council President for 2 years!• Katy Siegel, who served as Council Secretary for 5 years!
While Ryan and Katy have stepped out of their leadership roles, they will both continue on the church council.
Blessings, Holly
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