The News of Grace

Volume 36, no. 5 May 2013

Pentecost Power
Jesus said to His disciples: These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:44-49) The month of May is here. It is always a very busy month. We honor our mothers on the Second Sunday of May and so we remember with thanksgiving to God that we were blessed with our mothers, who bore us, cared for us and nurtured us. Those whose mothers are still with them have an opportunity to once again show them their love and appreciation for what they have meant to them through the years. Many of us can also be thankful that our mothers were examples of the faith and made sure that we were taught the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Happy Mothers Day to all of our mothers. May is also a time of celebration for all of our graduates, those graduating at various different levels, pre-school, elementary school, high school, college and beyond. After each graduation we are relegated once again to the lowest level of entry. It seems that with each level of graduation we return to the bottom of the ladder to once again start anew. Such is life for us as we mark these kinds of milestones along the way. We will also celebrate Confirmation this month on Pentecost Sunday, May 19th. Confirmation is not graduation but marks the process by which one becomes a communicant member of our congregation. It is also in keeping with the Great Commission mandate of making disciples by baptizing and teaching. Four young men of Grace will make their public confession of faith in the 10:45 Service on Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost Day is a moveable feast day as it is determined by the day upon which Easter falls, so while we usually celebrate Pentecost in May it could also fall in the month of June. It was on this day, fifty days after Easter, that power from on high was poured out upon the disciples and those gathered with them in Jerusalem. The Lord chose this time when many Jewish pilgrims were gathered in the city observing the Old Testament feast of Pentecost to clothe His church with the Holy Spirit. St. Peter preached a powerful Law and Gospel sermon on that first Pentecost and the result was that about 3,000 souls were added to the church that day as they repented of their sins and were baptized. The power to add any soul to the church is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit, Gods power from on high. The Lord has given to His Church the command to make disciples of all nations and He has also given us the tools necessary to make them. We know those tools to be the Means of Grace. Those means are Gospel power unto salvation. They are the Word of God, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. It is that Word of God that gives power to simple water in Holy Baptism and to the elements of bread and wine in Holy Communion offering forgiveness and eternal life to those the Lord brings to faith. On that first Pentecost there were gathered in Jerusalem Jews from every nation under heaven. Do you think the Lord knew what He was doing? He definitely had a captive audience. After witnessing the outpouring of power from on high, hearing Gods Word preached by Peter and receiving Holy Baptism, these Jewish pilgrims returned to their homes and bore witness of what they had seen and heard. That sharing of the Good News continues even unto this day and the Lord chooses to use us to share that Word with others. This means that we all have to be prepared by Gods powerful Word to give a reason for the hope that we have in Jesus. It is our responsibility as members of the Body of Christ to reach out with Gods love to others. As we share this Good News we have the promise of Jesus that as we do so He is with us always, to the very end of the age. This is the power for your witness. Believing in His promise, may the Lord continue to bless our witnessing in His name. Finally the last weekend of the month of May is Memorial Day weekend. That Sunday we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday and on the following Monday we remember those that have gone ahead of us, relatives and friends, as well as those who gave their lives so that we might have freedom and its peace. Every weekend we have an opportunity to remember that this is exactly what Jesus did for us as we gather in His name.
Pastor Walter

Notes From Our Vicar

Grace congregation, Thank you for all of the support that you continue to give me as I continue in my distance learning studies at the Seminary in St. Louis. I am coming up on having three out of nine classes completed as I continue my vicarage here at Grace. Additionally, our young adult Bible Study is progressing very well as we are almost finished with the book Family Vocation: God's Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood by Dr. Gene Veith. We will have the book completely read by our next meeting on May 6. However, this does mean that we will be choosing a new book to read that night at 7:00 PM and would love to have any new attendees to join us and participate in planning the next study we do. Please E-mail me at vicar@glclr.org if you are interested in joining us and I will make sure you are updated on the location of where we will be. We continue to meet every other Monday night. Thank you! Vicar Witte

30 Years of Grace
I would like to thank our church and the Boards of Endowment and Evangelism for hosting our Financial Peace Class. We averaged 15 people each week. About half were Grace members and half were from outside our church. Over the nine weeks the class met it was a privilege to work with class members and hear their stories. The members were very appreciative that our church would take the effort to reach out and help. We live in a difficult economy with high unemployment or underemployment. All it takes is one event such as a job loss or serious medical issue to place a family in crises. We learned how to prepare for these life events. We learned how to get on a budget. We learned how to save money. We learned about the critical role of having the right insurance. We learned about saving for and buying a house. We learned about saving for college for our children and how to save for our own retirement. What we were really learning during the 9 weeks was God's way of handling money. We learned that everything we have is a gift from God and belongs to him. Just a few statistics from the last class, we had 7 families reporting this data. The seven families reduced their debt by $8000 and increased savings by $7800. Furthermore 9 credit card accounts were cancelled and 2 families were able to increase their giving at church and one family was able to start giving for the first time. Did you know that the Bible talks about money more often than it talks about love and grace? Think our attitude toward and how we manage money might be a big deal to God? What a blessing it is for our church to reach out and teach Gods ways regarding money. In His Service Randy Middaugh Chairman Grace Lutheran

OUR GRADUATES
High School and College In the June Newsletter we will be publishing the names of all those who are graduating from junior high, high school or college this spring. We would also like to know of any awards or scholarships you have received, and if you are graduating from high school, please share your plans for after graduation. Please call the church office with this information or e-mail it to Pat at patfunk@gracelutheranlr.org.

Director of Parish Music

Greetings in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ! Did you know that we have some Gregorian Chant hymns in the Lutheran Service Book? In fact, we have several. One Id like to talk about today is this one:
Public domain

The melody is still very similar to the chant tune, but it now has a discernable beat, making it much easier for the untrained musicians who make up the majority of a congregation to sing. Now I know this looks strange, but this is the first stanza of the Latin hymn Veni Creator Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit). We actually have almost exactly the same music and an English translation of the Latin text in our hymn Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest (LSB 499). Here is the first stanza of that hymn: So, what is the point of all this? First, I wanted to show you a really great Pentecost hymn in Lutheran Service Book. We usually sing Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest (LSB 498) on Pentecost just before the Rite of Confirmation begins. Secondly, I wanted to show you how an ancient hymn, text and tune both from the Ninth Century, were adapted by Lutherans at the time of the Reformation to allow it to be sung in German by the congregations gathered in their churches. We now sing English translations of those German versions in our churches. Martin Luther, as well as many others, saw the great value in the ancient hymns of the Church and so adapted them to bring these great texts forward to the people of their time. Remember, Veni Creator Spiritus from the Ninth Century was just as old to Martin Luther as Ein Feste Burg (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God) from the Sixteenth Century is to us in the Twenty-First Century. So we continue to sing the great hymns of faith, ancient and modern, together with other Christians throughout the world today, and across the centuries. Have a blessed Eastertide as we bring the season to a close on the Festival of Pentecost.

Public domain

This hymn may still not be familiar to you, because we usually sing it according to a Reformation era versification (taking a chant tune, which had no regular beat, and giving it one, making it easier for a congregation to sing), which we find at Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest (LSB 498). Here it is:

Peace in Christ, Nathan Beethe, Director of Parish Music

.THOSE

WHO SERVE in MAY

STEWARDSHIP POINTS
What shall I render to the Lord, for all His benefits to me? (Psalm 116:12)
Do we really have anything that the Lord needs from us or is this something that we need to do? We have an obligation to support the ministry He has entrusted to us here at Grace. Since the Lord is truly the owner of all things there is really nothing that we can give Him that He doesnt already have. Our giving to Him shows that we acknowledge His gifts to us and that we trust Him to continue to provide for us.

ACOLYTE SCHEDULE 8:15 a.m. Service Ethan Andrews 10:45 a.m. Service Lauren Faulkner COMMUNION ASSISTANTS May 5th 10:45 Service John Calvillo May 12th 8:15 Service Frank Royster th May 19 10:45 Service Confirmation No Communion May 26th 8:15 Service Allen Deislinger May 26th 10:45 Service Tim Sweeney USHERS SCHEDULE 8:15 a.m. Services Tim Loyds team Bill Allaben, Bobby Bemberg, Ed Mahnken 10:45 a.m. Services Richard Sanders team Rudy Bischof, Jeremy Hammond, Ken Ross CANTORS SCHEDULE 8:15 a.m. Services Paul Walter 10:45 a.m. Services Suzanne Lambert GREETERS SCHEDULE 8:15 a.m. Services May 5th, May 19th & 26th - Lori Bloom May 12th Sally McNabb 10:45 a.m. Services May 5th & 12th Scott, Catherine, Jack, Anna Kate and Sydney Manchester May 19th & May 26th Shaun, Justine and Maxwell Baker ALTAR GUILD SCHEDULE 8:15 a.m. Services Janet Killough 10:45 a.m. Services Beverly Sanders
Wednesday Mid-Week Services Suzanne Raddle & Wilma Richter
If you are unable to serve please ask someone to fill in for you and call the church office.

I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of His people. (Psalm 116:14)
Luther: For we can return nothing to God except the vows of praise and confession, for we have all things from Him and He needs nothing of our goods.

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:17)
First and foremost the Lord desires us to gather in worship and receive His spiritual blessings, which are the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. At the same time we are also to recognize and give thanks to the Lord for what we have for the support of this body and life. They too are gifts from His hand to sustain us. We call upon His name in worship and in prayer to provide for us even as we thank Him for His gifts.

How should I support the work of Grace Lutheran Church?

Giving our tithes and offerings to the Lords Church allows the people of God at Grace to do the work of ministry and mission as Gods people in this place as a congregation of the faithful.

What are tithes and offerings?

The tithe of the Old Testament was 10%. It was set aside and given regularly as an obligation. For the New Testament people a set amount is not an obligation, but first-fruits giving is the Christians response to the grace of God in Christ Jesus. The giver determines an amount to regularly give. Consider what your income is and then compare what amount you give to the amount which you receive. Is what you give equal to 1%, 5% or 10%? Are you giving anything for the work of the Lord at Grace? Ask yourself if this represents your level of thanksgiving

to the Lord. When you determine what to give then determine how you will give it, weekly, monthly, quarterly or even yearly. Set that amount aside as your budgeted giving just as you budget for your personal expenses. These tithes are used to provide for the day to day operation of the congregation and are also used to share with the church-at-large. Offerings are the additional gifts above and beyond regular giving, given to support special projects such as the Building Fund or a special Synodical Offering like those who have been giving to Fan Into Flame. Maybe you give a direct gift to one or both of our seminaries or to Lutheran World Relief. Also included in offerings are Memorial gifts and offerings for our Scholarship Fund, Music Fund and Food Pantry. These are designated gifts used for special projects that are not a part of our General Fund needs unless they are designated as such.

STEWARDSHIP BUDGET RE-CAP

2013 budget $514,660/52 equals an average weekly General Fund contribution requirement of $9,897.00 Average needs through week 16 Contributions to General Fund from all sources $158,357.00 $150,086.00

GRACE FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES

WELCOME
Congratulations to our 2013 Confirmands. Their Question and Answer Service will be Wednesday, May 15th, at 7:00 p.m. and Confirmation will be on Sunday, May 19th, in the 10:45 a.m. Worship Service. Our confirmands are: Perryn Grant Andrews, son of Roy and Ame Andrews Matthew Richard McIntyre, son of Rick and Anne McIntyre Bradley Eugene Stillman, son of Larry and Faye Stillman Andrew Thomas Warren, son of Greg and Barb Warren

What about sharing my time and talents as an offering to the Lord?

We all have time which we must budget and use for working, playing and volunteering. Once again we should do that proportionately just as we use our treasures. Consider your time in worship as well as time in Bible study to be times you are receiving gifts from the Lord. Coming to choir practice, serving on a church board, Altar Guild duties, taking time to find something that needs to be done around the church or helping out with our Early Childhood program or even at a public school, a nursing home or as a volunteer at the hospital are uses of your time as service to the Lord and your neighbor. These are good works which the Lord has prepared in advance for you to do. (See Ephesians 2:8-10)

CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY
OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY to the family of Mrs. Betty Wyma who died on Friday morning, April 26th at Baptist Hospital. Our prayers are with her daughter Sharon and their family. OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY to the family of Mr. Young Madison Orsburn who died on Sunday, March 31st. Mr. Orsburn is the father of Cecillia Gelzine and grandfather of Jennifer Morrison. Please keep Mr. Orsburns family in your prayers. OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY to Sheila Meadows Drago on the death of her mother, Juanita Meadows, who died on Tuesday, April 16th. Please keep Sheila and David and their family in your prayers.

How often should I review my giving?

This should be a part of your regular budgeting process. If you are giving the same amount this year as you gave five years ago, but you are receiving more income, maybe you need to make that adjustment. If you are making less, but need less to live on maybe you can continue a higher percentage of giving than you could when you were receiving more income or you may not be able to give as much. Consider your giving in relationship to your other expenses and consider your other expenses in relationship to your giving.

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY to the family of Mrs. Dora Jones Winstead who died Friday, April 5th, at her home in Perryville. Dora is the sister of Bill Jones and aunt of Robert Jones, Sandy Price, Joyce Wilhelm and Pat Funk. Please keep their families in your prayers. OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY to the family of Mr. Frank Gutierrez who died on Sunday evening, April 14th, in hospice care at the VA Hospital. Please keep Marietta and all of Franks family in your prayers.

THANK YOU
We are seeing lots of signs of spring around our church buildingsour shrubs, flowers and other plantings are budding and blooming and their beds have been cleaned and freshly mulched. Take a moment and enjoy Gods creation and give thanks for His faithful servants who care for our landscape. Our thanks to Lisa Gertsch for using her time and talents to care for the flowerbeds and to spread ten yards of hardwood mulch around in all of our flowerbeds. THANK YOU, LISA!!!!

GODS BLESSINGS
Gods blessings to Mr. Terry Eustice who has moved to Versailles, Kentucky. Our thoughts and prayers go with Terry as he relocates. If you would like to stay in touch with Terry, his address is: 118 Queensway Drive, Versailles, KY 40383.

CONGRATULATIONS and GODS BLESSINGS BLESSINGS

Congratulations and Gods blessings to Wes and Melanie Stillman Davis on the birth of their daughter, Annaleigha Faye Davis, who was born on Sunday, April 14th. Annaleighas grandparents are Larry and Faye Stillman and her uncle is Bradley Stillman. Congratulations to Wes and Melanie and their families. Congratulations to Heather and Krys Allen on the birth of their son Lucas Kylor. Lucas is the great-grandson of Carroll and Doris Holzhauer. Congratulations and Gods blessings.

BUNCO BASH YOUTH FUNDRAISER May 5th 2:00 p.m. Parker Hall
On Sunday afternoon, May 5th, at 2:00 p.m. in Parker Hall, teens and adults of all ages are invited to play Bunco to benefit Grace Lutheran Youth for the National Youth Gathering in San Antonio. There is a suggested donation of $10 to play. Snacks and Babysitting will be provided. Prizes will be awarded to the biggest winner AND the biggest loser. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will match a portion of the proceeds. For more information see Ame Andrews. CARD TABLES NEEDED FOR BUNCO BASH - If you have a card table (we don't need chairs) that you can let us use on Sunday, May 5th, for our youth fundraiser, please drop it off by Sunday morning. Don't forget to put your name on your table so that we can return it to its rightful owner. Thanks in advance, Ame Andrews.

THANK YOU
As you cross the bridge outside of Parker Hall, take a moment to stop and enjoy the beauty of the new Epiphany stained glass art that was designed and made by Nancy Wade. Our thanks to Nancy for using her gifts and talents as she designs the stained glass art for each of the seasons of the church year. Thank you, Nancy!!

FELLOWSHIP CLUB Parker Hall

Fellowship Club will meet on Tuesday, May 21st, at 12:00 noon in Parker Hall. Our ACTS friends will serve another delicious meal. Mark your calendar and plan to come and have a great time of fun and fellowship.

NOON DEVOTIONS WITH PASTOR

Noon Devotions with Pastor is Thursday, May 9th, at 12:00 noon in Parker Hall. We eat first and then Pastor Walter leads us in a devotional Bible study. Drinks, chips, and dessert are provided. Bring a friend and a sandwich and join usthis is a wonderful opportunity for Bible study and fellowship!!

SIT AND SEW

Sit and Sew will meet on Tuesday, May 7th, at 12:00 noon. Bring your project and join them in the downstairs classroom in the church. For details call Carole Nichols or Sammye Sue Harrill.

ENDOWMENT NEWS
The Endowment Committee is currently accepting applications for scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year. Applicants must be attending a Lutheran University or Seminary to be eligible. Applications are available through the church office. If you are currently receiving a scholarship from Grace, we ask that you update us with your fall plans. All applications due by May 30th. Rudy Bischof, Director Grace Board of Endowment

BOARD OF EVANGELISM
Outreach Ministries

6 ANNUAL DISNEY EXTRAVAGANZA

June 1st 11:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Grace Lutheran Board of Evangelism is again sponsoring a booth at the 6th Annual Disney Extravaganza. Each booth has a Disney theme and our booth is Nemos Fin-tastic Bean Bag Toss. The Disney Extravaganza is sponsored by Project Zero formerly known at the Pulaski County Adoption Coalition and will be held Saturday, June 1st, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church. This carnival style event brings children available for adoption and approved adoptive families together and gives them an opportunity to meet! Watch the bulletin board in June for some great pictures!!!

th

JOY CLUB FLOAT TRIP

Date Time Place Cost June 8th, 2013 8:45 a.m. for 9:00 a.m. departure Highway 14 bridge $40 per canoe plus $3 per person for transport

No lunch will be served on the river, but plans are being made to stop at Spring Creek. Call Tim Loyd at 851-6457 or 352-4908 or email Tim at timpaul59@att.net The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board by the Parlor.

LUTHERAN NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK

Remember Thrivent Night at the Ballpark is May 18th. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. and Thrivent Board members will be out front at a table so that you can pick up your pre-ordered tickets. Cost for the night is $5.00 CASH per person. That price includes an all you can eat picnic supper. THE DEADLINE to get your name on the list has been extended until May 10th. Email your request for tickets to Brent Rohrer at Brent.rohrer@comcast.net or to Dennis Hackbart at dennishackbart@aol.com. It will be a great evening for fun and fellowship.

Who's ready to SUMMER CAMP 2013 LUTHERAN CAMP ON PETIT JEAN

June 12-14 K-4th grade - $135 June 16-21 Girls All Camp Grades 3-8 -$250 June 23-28 Boys All Camp Grades 3-8 - $250 July 5-7 Family Camp - $80.00 per couple July 7 12 Grades 3-5 - $265 July 12-14 Grades K-4 - $135 July 14-19 Grades 6-8 - $265 July 21-26 Owl Camp Grades 9-12 - $265 Registration forms are available at church on the table by the ramp door or on the camps website lutherancamp.org. If you need financial assistance with registration fees, scholarship assistance has been made available through individual donations and a Lutheran Womens Missionary League mission grant. Dont let the cost of camp deter you from letting your child enjoy a wonderful week of camp. Go to lutherancamp.org and fill out their scholarship application for financial assistance or contact the camp director, Rev. Chuck Johnson, at 501-727-5656.

Tell It On The Mountain?

That's the theme for this years Vacation Bible School to be held June 16th-20th. We are currently looking for volunteers ready to share God's rock-solid Word with pre-school and school aged children. We need storytellers, musicians, site leaders, kitchen help, small group leaders, registration assistants, and many more. There is truly something for everyone. Look for the sign-up sheet in the breezeway or contact Ame Andrews or Gina Junkans to let us know of your interest. Volunteer training will be held in May.

ANNUAL GRACE CHURCH PICNIC at Allsopp Park Pavilion Sunday, June 2nd at 1:00 p.m.
On Sunday, June 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. join us for our Annual Church Picnic at the Allsopp Park Pavilion. Bring a bucket of chicken and/or your favorite picnic dish and join us for good food, fun and fellowship. Drinks will be provided. We will have our regular Sunday worship services at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. and the picnic will start around 1:00 p.m. There will be plenty of time after the 10:45 service to change into your casual clothes and get your picnic food together. Everyone is invited to come together for great food, lots of fun, awesome prizes and fantastic fellowship! See you there, Board of Parish Fellowship

SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE Volunteers Needed to Serve

COFFEE HOST SIGN UP Please take a minute and sign up for the Sunday on which you wish to serve. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board by the Parlor. The schedule for May, 2013 is: May 5th May 12th May 19th May 26th Angie and Gary Proud The Junkans Family The Roberts and Manchester Families Rachel Allen and Jim Gray

The schedule for June, 2013 is: June 2nd June 9th June 16th June 23rd June 30th Kay Jenkins and Robert and Carole Nichols Raymond and Sammye Sue Harrill Vacation Bible School Kickoff Jim and Judy Keppel _____________________________

Thanks!! We appreciate your help! Fun, fellowship and great food!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND GOD'S BLESSINGS

Grace Family Members in the month of MAY:
2 - Kaye Gilbert 3 - Russlynn Krueger 4 - Ruth Whitney 7 Courtlyn Eubanks, Becky Ross, Eric Westerfield 8 - May Harrell 10 - Owen McCrory, Eldon Schulz 12 - David Witte 13 - Christian Johnston, Richard Sanders 14 - Ross Holzhauer, Lauren Keppel, Sean Moorman 15 - Rachel Allen, Annabelle Conrad 16 - Jonathan Cline, Allie Ray, Emily Stein 18 - Robert Grant 19 - Casey Jenkins, Emma Lile, Bowman Stein, Sandy Sweeney 21 - Sandy Price 23 - Cole Jenkins 24 - Robert Bemberg, Jr., Judy Rivers 25 - Nancy Finkbeiner, Warren Rivers 26 - Spencer Lile 27 - Johnna Litwa 28 - Tullio Jacuzzi 29 - Bill Jones 31 - Allen Deislinger

BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES AT GRACE

Our nursery, downstairs in the church, is also available to take care of the infants and toddlers during Sunday School/Bible Class time.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS - Pastor Walters Bible Class meets each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. in Parker Hall. Pastor is leading a study of The Augsburg Confession and Its Apology The Lutheran Confessions Series. Come and review what we believe, teach and confess as Lutheran Christians. SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES for children ages 3 years through 6th grade are held in the lower level of the Family Life Center. The parents are invited to join us for the opening service at 9:45 each Sunday. If you have questions contact Colleen Moorman or Nathan Beethe. LCEF K.I.D.S. Saving Stamps are available from Ame Andrews during Sunday School opening time. JUNIOR YOUTH class meets at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday in their classroom downstairs in the church. Joel Junkans leads their study each Sunday. SENIOR YOUTH class meets each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. in their classroom downstairs in the church. Dave Roberts leads their study each Sunday. MENS BIBLE STUDY class meets each Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. at St. Vincent Hospital in the 4th floor conference room (off the main elevator). Pastor Walter leads this Bible Study. All men of Grace are encouraged to attend. TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE CLASS meets each Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the downstairs classroom in the church. Their study is Gods Word for Today on the book of ACTS. Contact Joan Ann Olsen for more information.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to these couples in May:

1 - Sandy and Tim Sweeney 3 - Anita and Bill Allaben 4 - Sharon and Gervais LeBlanc 12 - Heather and Travis Starr, Sheila and Robert Wilimzig 13 - Jan and Robert Grant, Tiffany and Richard Warriner 15 - Emily and Carter Stein 16 - Judy and Dennis Fastenau 18 - Carmen and Drew Stewart 20 - Angie and Gary Proud 21 - Karen and Roy Bullard 22 - Lauren and Craig Schluterman 26 - Leah and Demitri Villarreal 27 - Phillis and Eric Westerfield 28 - Crissy and Nathan Beethe
We apologize if we have missed your birthday or anniversary; please let us know in the church office so we can update our records. Thank you!!!

ECDC News & Notes

Despite being a weather rollercoaster April has been a great and busy month! We found ourselves making alternate plans numerous times when the weather didnt cooperate, but always having fun! We learned about Thomas, and Jesus speaking to USblessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed, and that He gave US all a job to do ...go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. AND the best message ever and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." And no slowing down for May! Well learn one of our favorite Bible storiesNoahboatsand waterand animalsand rainbowsand most of all Gods promise! Lots of outside time to play and explore, plus swim lessons for the Juniors and Seniors! The Senior class will probably make a special trip to the LR Zoo. And, at the end of the month our summer friends will be joining us for fun til August. One of the most exciting things that has happened recently is the installation of the remote access on the entry door. Installation on the north door was completed early in April and the additional four doors of Parker Hall will be installed soon. Parents and staff have been so happy with the new entry system as it provides great security AND easy access! ECDC is truly blessed to be supported by Grace Lutheran

Library Notes
A reading not to be missed: The New Testament (CD) Read by Johnny Cash (New KJV)

Focus On: Archives. We have some wonderful old records, the perusal of which will inform about the service our members have rendered. Recently catalogued, and in the downstairs portion of the library, are the Mary-Martha, LMWL and Guild records that have accumulated over the years. These binders contain a treasure of minutes, memoranda, letters and, ultimately, church history. Read about the fresh-baked cookies greeting guild members on a snowy afternoon as they met to serve the Lord. These are memories to treasure and accounts of service to be admired and copied.

BOOKS TO CELEBRATE BAPTISMS

For Evelyn Grace Shrader My First Hymnal (CPH) For Zachary Blake Johnson Otis, by Loren Long For Tallulah Jane Ray Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story By Sally Lloyd-Jones For Nathaniel Paul Richmond S is for Snowman: Gods Wintertime Alphabet By Kathy-Jo Wargin

ECDC Lutheran congregation who saw the need for, and made, this improvement possible without any expense to ECDC families! In addition, we are blessed to have a wonderful, knowledgeable volunteer in our congregation Bob Nichols, who designed, installed, monitors, and is ready to trouble-shoot the system day or night!
See ya again next month, until then Gods continued blessings to each of you

Colleen

IN MEMORY OF SAINTS OF GRACE

For Mark Reeves Cate The Playbook for Dads by Jim Kelly For Martha Pils The Spirit Of Loveliness: Bringing Beauty, Creativity And Order To Your Life by Emily Barnes For Doryse Martin The Friendly Persuasion

DVD:

NEW FOR CHILDREN: A new VeggiTales! The parable of the wise and foolish builders: The Little House That Stood. Other new DVDs include some oldies: Proud Rebel and Seven Alone. In books: I Dont Want To Go To Church: Turning The Struggle Into A Celebration; Take It To The Queen: A Tale Of Hope; Sad Isnt Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook For Kids Dealing With Loss; Stone Fox. New for the Youth. This one is a toughie: She Said Yes, is about one of the victims of the Columbine shooting. Do you believe in God? Yes. Recitation of the troubled teen who found God, and then died for that belief. Also: The Body Book for girls in the early teen years, by Nancy Rue; Soul Surfer (DVD); The Hobbit. New for Adults: C.S. Lewis: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet; 99 Ways To Entertain Your Family For Free; Chicken Soup for the Soul of Angels among us; Wesley for Armchair Theologians (CD). Fiction: Hattie Big Sky; Bridal Blessings. Kimberley Woodyard, Librarian