Coronavirus Precautions

The state of Arizona is now in a state of emergency, and the Corvid-19 is now declared a pandemic. 

First, hear these words from Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult...

God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;

God will help it when the morning dawns.

No matter what happens in the coming days and weeks, we will get through it together.

If you are sick, please do not come to worship or any other activities here at Grace.  Please let me know that you are sick, and we can, at the very least, pray together over the phone.

Please wash your hands with soap and warm water often!  Remember that you washing your hands helps not only you but everyone around you. 

We will gather for worship at the regular times this Sunday.  However, we will take the following precautions.

• We will pass the peace without touching one another.

• We will not have paper bulletins.

• We will not pass the offering plates but instead have a basket available in the center aisle in which people may place their offering. 

• We will not celebrate Holy Communion.

• We will leave doors open as much as possible so that we do not need to touch doorknobs.

• We will not have fellowship following worship.

For the next two weeks, we will not have a meal prior to the mid-week Lenten worship service.

The group already scheduled to serve the pancake breakfast will put together breakfast sacks to be handed out to those who come for the breakfast.  Those coming for the breakfast will be asked to take their sack to go and come back for worship at 8:30 am.

During the Monday morning clothing and hygiene product distribution, no food will be served except for non-perishables. 

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.  My hope is that these precautions will stem the tide of any virus transmission in our own community.

Please pray for all health care workers at this time as well as wisdom for those in positions of leadership.  And of course, pray for those infected with Corvid-19 and for an end to this pandemic.

Surely, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Much love and peace to each of you,

Pastor Sarah

Volunteering at the Rostered Leaders' Gathering

2020 is the year the Rostered Leader’s Gathering lands in Phoenix, and Grand Canyon Synod Lutherans will joyfully welcome our sisters and brothers from other parts of the church to the Grand Canyon Synod.

From July 18-22, 2020, we’ll have folks stationed at the Convention Center and the downtown official hotels (Sheraton, Hyatt, Renaissance). You can help with set up support, registration, event support, and assisting with welcome, directions, hospitality and general interaction.

We welcome individuals to take shifts. Please contact Pastor Chris Stoxen, 803-608-1970, chris@htlutheran.com, for more info and to sign up. The recommended shift for Grace folks to volunteer is Monday, July 20, 6:00-9:00 pm, but a variety of shift dates and times are still open.

Ministry Team Liaisons 2020

Each member of council serves as a liaison to a ministry team.  Here are this year’s liaisons.

Property & Finance: Roger Ark, Marty Dusenberry, and Renee Waterstradt

Worship & Music: Tim Gallen and Ken Ehlen

Outreach: Brian Flatgard

Hospitality: Joey Lay

Faith Formation: Fran Fry and Sheila Petry

Thank you for your leadership and service!

Space Available at Grace Lutheran Church

As good stewards of our church building, it behooves us to welcome groups whose mission complements ours to use our space at times when we do not.  If a group you are a part of or a group you know needs space at one of the following times and with the amenities described, please be in touch with Adrienne Kaye in the church office at officemanager@graceinthecity.com. Because of constant schedule additions and revisions, your particular day and time may not always be available. Because of the fluidity of the schedule, even if you don’t see your needed days and times available, please contact Adrienne.

Sanctuary

Handicap accessible, restrooms inaccessible

Comfortably seats 230 people

Available weekdays Monday-Friday and weeknights Monday-Wednesday

Hope Hall

Handicap accessible

Projection, chairs, tables, microphones

Chairs and tables to comfortably seat 120 people

Comfortable rowed seating for 90 people

Available weekdays: Tuesdays and Fridays

Available Friday and Saturday evenings

Kitchen

Handicap accessible

Certified to serve food to the public in Maricopa County

Renting this space requires everyone to follow health code procedures for Maricopa County (i.e. washing hands, wearing gloves, covering head, proper dishwashing procedure)

Available Monday evenings, Thursday daytime, and Fridays

North Room

Handicap accessible

Comfortable seating around table for 10 people, comfortable total seating for 20 people

Available weekdays: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

Available weeknights: Mondays, some Tuesdays, and Fridays

Basement

1 Classroom with TV monitor, couches, and desk

1 Classroom with small tables, chairs, floor rugs

1 Classroom with piano

All classrooms available for set up as needed with chairs and tables

Available weekdays Monday-Friday

Available weeknights: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays

Available many Saturdays

1 Room available for dedicated use, with locks on doors and cupboards

Save the Date...Easter Vigil!

Saturday, April 11, 5:00 pm @ All Saints Lutheran Church

Join Capital Conference congregations and Bishop Deborah Hutterer in a collaborative celebration of Christ’s passage from death to life.  We will gather in the courtyard for a bonfire, representing the light of Christ, and then move into the sanctuary for a candlelit service centered on the great saving stories of the Old Testament and the first Easter gospel, punctuated by dramatic interpretations and musical variety. Bishop Hutterer will preach and preside at this service.  Everyone is welcome!

Daily Lenten Prayer

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays @ 12 pm, Sanctuary

All are welcome at Daily Lenten Prayer in the Sanctuary on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 12:00-12:30 pm.  Each day, we will pray together, sing together, and read scripture.  This year, our theme is Right Now: How Do We See God Working in the World?  We will consider how God is at work and how God is calling us in our chaotic and complex world by reading and discussing news articles of that week. 

Mid-Week Lenten Worship

Wednesdays @ 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary

Theme: Sacred Failure

March 18: When failure is…sin

March 25: Failure is…a site of revelation

April 1: Failure is…common among God’s people

Please join us for mid-week Lenten worship each Wednesday. Due to the coronavirus, we will be suspending the mid-week Lenten meal preceding worship until after the virus has peaked.

An Invitation to a Lenten Discipline

Christians often either give up something during Lent that gets in the way of their faith (for example, gossiping, alcohol, or complaining) or add something during Lent that enriches their faith (for example, mid-week Lenten worship, Daily Lenten Prayer, or daily Bible reading). 

This year, ELCA youth are challenging the larger church to give up the use of single-use plastics because of the destructive nature of both the production and disposal of single-use plastics to Earth.  If you would like to accept their challenge, you may choose one particular single-use plastic you utilize regularly and identify a sustainable alternative that truly works for you—so that you can continue using it even after Easter.  Examples include substituting bamboo or regular silverware for the plastic silverware you get at fast food restaurants, substituting a hard plastic water bottle for single-use plastic bottles, or substituting clothe grocery bags for plastic grocery bags. 

Of course, you need not accept this challenge of reducing a single-use plastic in your life.  Instead, you may choose any discipline that enriches your life, especially your spiritual life, during the season of Lent! 

HIRING: Office Administrator Position at St. Andrew Lutheran Church

St. Andrew Lutheran Church is seeking a well-organized Office Administrator. This position will provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere to all who walk in the doors of the building and call to receive information about the congregation. This position will help to facilitate the ministries of the congregation and the day to day business of the congregation.

The Primary Responsibilities of the Office Administrator will be:

·         To provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere to all who walk in the doors of the building and call to

receive information about the congregation.

·         To help facilitate the ministries and the day to day business of the congregation.

·         To provide administrative support to the Pastor, music director and church leaders as they carry out

the ministries of the congregation.

·         To facilitate communications within the congregation and outside the walls of the congregation.

·         Be able to maintain strict confidentiality of all communications between Pastor, staff, and members.

Failure to adhere to confidentiality requirements may result in immediate termination.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

·         Maintain regular office hours and weekly staff meeting with Pastor and music director.

·         Maintain the master calendar of the congregation to ensure the use of both congregational

programming and community organizations. Paying special attention in making sure there are no

conflicts in scheduling.

·         Answer phone calls and emails promptly and politely. Take messages and deliver messages to the

appropriate recipients in a timely manner.

·         Process incoming and outgoing office mail for the Pastor, staff and church leaders.

·         Empower and coordinate volunteers to assist in the work and ministry of the church whenever

possible.

·         Organize and maintain an orderly filing system for all church records. Maintain reports that need to

go to the synod. Keep mailing list up to date. Maintain the computerized data bases as directed

(PowerChurch and ServiceBuilder).

·         Maintain Music Copyright records and file reports as required by Music Director.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications:

·         High School Graduate.  

·         Skilled interpersonal communications and relationship building.

·         Strong oral communications skills and personal demeanor.

·         Organized and effective time management.

·         Demonstrates computer skills and proficient with Microsoft Office.

·         Demonstrates and has knowledge to work on the St. Andrew website.

·         Demonstrates and has knowledge to prepare the Power Point presentations for Sunday morning

worship and other worship services at St. Andrew.

General:

·         This position is half-time, hourly employee, and as such, carries no benefits other than one week paid

vacation per year, after one year of service.

·         This position reports directly to the Pastor.

·         Must be eligible and maintain eligibility for a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card.

·         Shall be on probation for the first three months of employment.

·         St. Andrew Lutheran Church is a Drug Free Workplace.

·         St. Andrew Lutheran Church shall provide Workers Compensation Insurance and participate in the

Federal FICA/Medicare Program.

How to apply:  Submit a cover letter, resume, along with three personal references to officeadmin@saintandrewaz.org.

Pastor's Pen

Sacred Failure

The church season of Lent is upon us!  Wednesday, February 26 is Ash Wednesday, and it is on this day that we begin a journey toward the cross and ultimately the resurrection.  Christians often either give up something during Lent that gets in the way of their faith (for example, gossiping, alcohol, or complaining) or add something during Lent that enriches their faith (for example, mid-week Lenten worship, Daily Lenten Prayer, or daily Bible reading).  This year, ELCA youth are challenging the larger church to give up the use of single-use plastics because of the destructive nature of both the production and disposal of single-use plastics to Earth.  If you would like to accept their challenge, I suggest you choose one particular single-use plastic you utilize regularly and identify a sustainable alternative that truly works for you—so that you can continue using it even after Easter.  Examples include substituting bamboo or regular silverware for the plastic silverware you get at fast food restaurants, substituting a hard plastic water bottle for single-use plastic bottles, or substituting clothe grocery bags for plastic grocery bags. 

Each Wednesday at 6:30 pm beginning March 4, we gather for mid-week Lenten worship with Holden Evening Prayer around the theme Sacred Failure.  Because we are finite human beings, we have all failed.  While failure often feels scary and shameful, failure can lead to learning and growth.  In fact, in the realm of science and technology, failure is celebrated because it shows what is not true or what doesn’t work—which is revelatory and helpful!  Each Wednesday, a brave soul from our community will share a story of their failure as a way of encouraging us all and creating a space that is open to discussing failure.    

Weekly Themes

March 4: Failure is…common to humanity

March 11: Failure is…a way to grow

March 18: When failure is…sin

March 25: Failure is…a site of revelation

April 1: Failure is…common among God’s people

Please join us for mid-week Lenten worship each Wednesday as well as the meal prior to worship at 5:30 pm in Hope Hall.

During Sunday morning worship, we are invited to consider our failures, not as shameful deeds but as places of growth and revelation.  Each Sunday during both services, stones will be available for placement at the cross, stones that represent our failures.  Just as the cross was a symbol of shame and humiliation, we may feel that way about our failures.  But as Christians, we know that the cross is ultimately a symbol of new life—just as our failures give way to learning and growth.

Praying that Lent is truly a time of growth and discovery for all of us!

Pastor Sarah

Ministry Partner Spotlight: Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) is part of a larger network of Lutheran Social Services throughout the United States.  Here in Arizona, LSS-SW is celebrating 50 years of loving the neighbor in tangible ways.  Through its programs, LSS-SW tends the work of justice to which we are all called as people of God, including caring for children and our elders, resettling refugees and providing temporary refuge for those who seek asylum, and sheltering and empowering those without homes to seek a more stable future.  Though the programs of LSS-SW are staffed by professionals, many volunteers and donations from congregations and the community at large make this ministry possible.  Here at Grace, we have partnered with LSS-SW to provide diaper bags and toddler bags for foster parents.  For a time, we provided child care for foster parents, and we occasionally respond to emergent needs as identified by LSS-SW.  

If you are interested in going on a one-hour tour of LSS-SW to learn more about their ministry, Pastor Sarah and/or another Grace member who already supports the mission of LSS-SW would be delighted to set that up!  Please let us know.

We give thanks to God for the partnership and the ministry of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest!   

Capital Conference Collaboration

The Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA, of which Grace is a part, is broken into smaller “conferences” comprised of 8-12 congregations per conference.  Grace is part of the Capital Conference, and conference designations are intended to help people of faith and goodwill work together in ministry.  Here in the Capital Conference, we work together already through our shared confirmation program (CALL), our shared high school youth program (PhLY), our shared newsletter (All CAPS), our conference gatherings (next one: March 21 @ 9:00 am), and occasional events such as the conference-wide pulpit exchange and service project last September. 

Now, during February 2020, the synod is convening pastors and a few elected leaders from each congregation for intentional conversation about deeper collaboration.  Those who will be part of the process from Grace include Tim Gallen, Renee Waterstradt, Brian Flatgard, Vicar Beth, and Pastor Sarah.  We do not know what the Spirit will do in these conversations, but it is not a secret that many mainline denominations have too many buildings and too few people to pay for the upkeep.  And perhaps even more importantly, we know that we are church together for the sake of the world God loves, not isolated communities.  As this process unfolds, we will share the possibilities for deeper collaboration with the larger congregation.

Building Community

Greetings, Grace Community,

The Faith Formation Ministry Team is in motion. Thanks to all for carefully reading the excellent 2019 report contained in the annual meeting book. The team’s scope and sequence is now fresh in mind. Volunteer and participation opportunities abound with hospitality, GRACE TIME, planning/visioning VBS, Christmas Program, LSS partnership projects, and exploring new direction.

Right now, let’s focus on a new idea. Who among us is or might be isolated due to injury or illness? Who is isolated by location or lack of transportation? Who is concerned about their physical safety? Are you a fall risk? Do you have chronic medical concerns? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, let’s explore how the Grace community could help relieve or assist with this very broad need. Initially, the team has thought to develop a check-in system with those who wish to participate. This could be a scheduled phone call, text, or email. Participants might be openly signed on (as happens on the prayer chain), or they might be confidential. The check-in chat at its most basic premise is a chance to talk to a friend and connect with someone who cares. Going forward, this might expand to an assistance program for identified needs? Social/learning/wellness opportunities though classes or events? Do you see what we are getting at?

We ask for your thoughts and ideas to help this be realized. If you think it’s unnecessary, then share why that is. The team meets every second Sunday after 2nd service in the North Room. Pray about this, people of Grace, and join us for ministry.

In Christ,

Fran Fry, council liaison

WELCA Bible Studies

WELCA (Women of the ELCA) Bible Study

The WELCA Bible Study group meets every first Thursday of the month at 9:30 am in the North Room.

Women’s Biblical Equipping Bible Study

The Biblical Equipping study meets every third Thursday of every month at 9:30 am in the North Room.  Women of all ages are welcome to both!

The Holy Spirit

Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit is spoken of as God’s divine power. During the month of February, Grace Time (Sundays at 9:45 am in the North Room) will explore the power of the Holy Spirit.

GLOW (Grace Lutheran on Wednesdays)

Wednesdays in Hope Hall

5:30 pm Meal

6:15 pm Bible Study

During February, we will explore the theme Confounding Our Expectations: Rereading Familiar Biblical Stories.  Each week, we will welcome a person of faith from outside our community who comes from a different tradition to share their perspective on familiar biblical stories and characters.  All are welcome!

On the third Wednesday of every month, just after dinner and just prior to Bible study, at about 6:15 pm, we grieve the loss and celebrate the lives of those who died in the previous month but remain unclaimed at the coroner’s office.

Ash Wednesday is February 23, and beginning that night, GLOW attendees will participate in mid-week Lenten worship.